It’s 1958 and there are five boys on an island, all army brats, the sons of officers who drew plum assignments at Fort Jay on Governors Island in the middle of New York Harbor. Residents on the island had a commanding view of the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline. The five were their own gang.  Pete and Re-Pete (identical twins), Digger, Tank, and Scooter knew every nook and cranny of the island.

Ah, New York – Broadway stages and entertainers, Radio City Music Hall, the great Macy’s and Gimbels department stores, the Headquarters of the United Nations, Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, the Polo Grounds in Manhattan, Madison Square Garden, the East River and Hudson River docks constantly filled with great ocean liners and gargantuan freighters, and museums galore – was spread out before them.

Fort Jay, dating from the post-Revolutionary War era, was shaped like a star and even had a dry moat to enhance its defenses. Several old cannons still sat on its battlements.  It was a perfect setting for mischief and mayhem.

It was a time to play ball, take on bullies, rescue little sisters from aggressive dogs, follow the neighborhood bagpiper around, help golfers get holes-in-one, see British Royalty, and greet American political and religious icons. It was one adventure after another while they tried to stay one step ahead of the Military Police (MPs) who were tasked to protect the island and its residents from the five marauders and anyone else breaking the rules. And when they learned that the MPs were searching for an escapee from the First Army prison facility on the island, they were sure they could find him first.  He couldn’t go far. They were on the case. After all, the primary way to get on or off the island was by ferry.

These are just a few of their adventures – their Ferry Tales. To be published in September of 2024.