STENGER AND THE DUNE 1970 STUDENT PROTEST.

CAPE HENLOPEN SAND DUNES 1970

JOHN STENGER

The Army's leveling of the “Living Dunes” at Cape Henlopen was brought to a

halt Friday, April 25, 1970, by pressure of state officials and a group of protesting

students from Lewes High School.

An Army official at Fort Meade Maryland announced that the engineers have been called

off the work and told to 'stack' the bulldozers and await new developments.

Governor Peterson and state legislatures are to meet with officials of 1^st Army Headquarters

from Ft. Meade on Monday, April 27^th.

Friday, April 24, about 150 Cape Henlopen students , gathered on the 'Big Dune' that

Company C, 75 Engineering Battalion of Ft. Meade have been leveling the past week.

The students were there at 7 am and met by teacher John Stenger who told the Army he was

holding a science teach in. Stenger told his students the reason for this class is to show how

a natural area can be ruined. And that's all you need to learn today. He said he was not here

to lead a protest just before the student's raced out onto the dune to stop the bulldozers.

Later in the day a biology class of the Kutztown State College join the Lewes students. Police

arrived but no arrest were made but did shut down entrance to the park. More Army brass

arrived and announced the project is at a standstill and ordered the equipment be removed for

maintenance. It was noon when most protesters left the park.

The 70 foot high sand dune was leveled for a trailer park for vacationing service men and is a

1^st Army Recreation Area.

Source: Saturday, April 25, 1970 Wilmington Morning News. Abstract 04/01/18