This was a gift for my wife from her dad. We have no other history on it besides that it was owned by her grandpa for many years. Sadly, it is sporterized. The stock is original, just bubba'd. Any history on it would be greatly appreciated! I tried my best to take good photos of the SN and other markings.
For years, people who have visited Battery Russell at Fort Stevens claim to have encountered the spirit of a World War II soldier who is said to walk the old concrete battery in the morning fog or at dusk. Many state that this soldier stands at attention near the entrances of the battery, and when you go up to him, he disappears. I was able to trace these instances back to the early 1980s. Naturally, I wondered who this ghost might be, since there wasn't a single death at Battery Russell during World War II. What I discovered still gives me chills talking about it.
My curiosity into the subject of our small town ghost started six months ago. The wife and I decided to stop by Battery Russell. Usually, you can find really old 30.06 shell casings on the ground from the 30s and 40s, so that's what we were initially doing around the open grass field next to the battery. When we got up to the first gun pit, I started explaining to my wife how a soldier was killed in that pit in 1908 because of a freak accident with the disappearing rifle. After I finished talking and turned to my left to check out the crow's nest (which is where an officer would be during live fire training) through a small window, I saw the lower torso of a man. Specifically, a WWII-era officer in khaki summer wear. I froze, and for about three seconds I was staring at him. I could make out the small brown plastic buttons on his shirt, the wrinkles, his khaki belt, and his trousers. If I was not amazed already, this officer moved out of my view after three seconds, now obscured by concrete. I immediately ran over to the crow's nest entrance and looked inside—there was no one.
This is what started my curiosity into the ghost of Battery Russell. Who is he? Why is he still there? Questions raced in my mind the days following my encounter with him. I can't blame myself, because it was the first time I've seen an apparition in my life. I have always been skeptical of ghosts, UFOs, you name it. I immediately started researching the soldiers of Battery F, 249th Coast Artillery Regiment, who manned Battery Russell at Fort Stevens during World War II. I made a list of their brass and started to watch videos of paranormal investigators at Battery Russell. I wanted to see if they had any evidence of a name, rank, etc., being said by a ghost on a spirit box/EVP. Despite the normal unintelligible responses, between two different investigators, the name "Jack" popped up a lot. A captain was also mentioned when an investigator asked, "Who is with me?" Now, this might seem like useless information. But, thanks to the list I made, I started looking into Captain Jack Ray Wood, who was the commanding officer of Battery F and the commander of Battery Russell during the Japanese attack on Fort Stevens in June of 1942.
Call it a stretch, sure. But it makes sense. The men of Battery F were being actively attacked by the Japanese, and the order to fire was never given. They were all so eager; after several years of intensive training for this exact moment, they were told to stand by under the threat of a court-martial. It was so bad that one soldier wanted to light a piece of paper on fire so if his men shot at the Japanese submarine and disobeyed a direct order, he wouldn't get in trouble. This was the first time since the War of 1812 that a military installation in the continental US was attacked. Everyone was furious. The next day, many men transferred to the air corps because they wanted to bomb the Japanese themselves.
I am not the most skilled paranormal investigator. But I am a military historian here at the Fort. So I am calling upon any PRs who live nearby to please try and communicate with this officer, who I am almost certain is Captain Jack Ray Wood. From all accounts, he is not malevolent in any way. He often shows himself, and I'd imagine there is a reason why. Please get in contact with me if you have any more questions about the history of Battery Russell. I'd be more than happy to meet with any PRs who might go there to investigate this spirit.