Portsmouth, VA. The Elizabeth River beckons and the City of Portsmouth welcomes the organizers, competitors and "cheer leading" contingencies of ISAR 2006. Auxiliarists from the United States and Canada are once again meeting to exhibit their skills and share once again, the great bond of friendship and fellowship that exists between these two great organizations.

An event of this magnitude requires many talents and a tremendous amount of dedication. A successful event as complex an undertaking as ISAR requires that dedication. The efforts expended by the members of the Auxiliary's ISAR Committee are a shining example of this skill and dedication.

This ISAR Committee, working together as a team, have planned an event that they hope will draw the interest of the local public, as never before.

Planned for the next few days are a parade, a proclamation, a silent drill team, a book signing and many more attractions, too numerous to mention. "This is the culmination of eighteen months of work, by many people," said Jennifer Fletcher, the media specialist of the ISAR Committee.

"There will be local TV, radio and newspaper presence at the competitions," she said. "If you walk down High Street (a major street in Portsmouth) you will see ISAR signs in every store window."

Excitement is in the air and in a few days the call will go out…. "Let the games begin!"

A Short History of Portsmouth, Virginia

Portsmouth is a city steeped in history, dating back to the settlement of Jamestown in 1607. Captain John Smith, while mapping lands surrounding Jamestown, sailed down the Elizabeth River and marveled at the lush beauty of the terrain. The first settler on the land now known as Portsmouth was a Capt. William Carver, who was issued a land grant in the mid 1600's. Following a series of events his land was forfeited and given to Col. William Crawford in 1715. The original town was enlarged in 1763, in 1811 and in 1899.

It is believed that the town was named after Portsmouth, England, due to similarities in street and square names. High Street, mentioned above, was named for the main commercial corridor in Portsmouth, England.

Because of its excellent location on the Elizabeth River. Early Portsmouth was rich in waterfront commerce. The town grew from the river inland.

During the American Revolution, Portsmouth was spared as Norfolk, across the river, burned. The War of 1812 followed after only 35 years of peace. The British were repelled at nearby Craney Island and Olde Towne Portsmouth was never invaded.

Portsmouth grew as a maritime center, and in 1827 the U.S. Navy built its first hospital in Portsmouth at the Revolutionary War site, Fort Nelson. In 1833, the Navy constructed its first drydock at the Gosport Navy Yard, now the Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth. Both facilities are still used by the Navy.

In 1861, Virginia seceded from the United States. John Porter designed and converted the USS Merrimac into the CSS Virginia and the famous battle between the CSS Virginia and the USS Monitor, the first battle between ironclad ships, was fought just down the river at the junction of the Elizabeth and James Rivers. Pieces of the ironclad are on display at the Portsmouth Shipyard Museum.

During World Wars I, and II Portsmouth became a boomtown, bringing thousands of new jobs to the area due to the construction of drydocks and ships. In 1943, 43,000 people were employed in the shipyards.

Olde Towne Portsmouth has survived wars, fires, plagues, depressions, and occupation by foreign troops (British) due to the spirit of the people who call Portsmouth home.