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A dying era


hawkdriver
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For anyone that has been in the military for any length of time, here is something that you will recognize and probably have spent some time in. North Ft. Hood used to be full of these "chicken coops", but sadly or not so sadly, depending on how fondly you remember them, they are almost gone. The main field has been completely stripped of them and now a new desert tent city sits in it's place with air conditioning units, gravel lots, and concrete shower facilities. These last 18 buildings sit off to the side and are slowly rotting away.

Last time I was here, I found a few of these that had artwork on the ceiling from the top bunk owners, much dating to the late 40s to early 50s. I was hoping to find one, but none of these were so marked. Only barn swallows living in them now, the smell of bird poop and decaying wood all that remains.

Didn't know where else to post these, so if admin wants to move it, go ahead.

 

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Rust in peace.

 

I can only imagine what it sounded like inside of these things when the rain or hail it them.

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Speaking of history, I was talking with the lady from the TMP and she said that there used to be a Japanese prisoner of war camp just down the road and pulled up the pictures of the barracks. So, having a hour on my hands and a van at my disposal, I went out to go take some pictures, however, since google took the map pictures, the buildings have been torn down and the encampment is now a rubble dump for other torn up buildings.

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Speaking of history, I was talking with the lady from the TMP and she said that there used to be a Japanese prisoner of war camp just down the road and pulled up the pictures of the barracks. So, having a hour on my hands and a van at my disposal, I went out to go take some pictures, however, since google took the map pictures, the buildings have been torn down and the encampment is now a rubble dump for other torn up buildings.

 

Very cool! My father has told me stories about German POW's in rural Central New York (Where I live). A lot of people don't realize that even though the war was fought across the pond (Generally), the war was very much here in the States.

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General Apathy
Ft. Hood used to be full of these "chicken coops", but sadly or not so sadly, depending on how fondly you remember them, they are almost gone. The main field has been completely stripped of them and now a new desert tent city sits in it's place with air conditioning units, gravel lots, and concrete shower facilities. These last 18 buildings sit off to the side and are slowly rotting away.

 

fcn1xk.jpg

 

Hi Hawkdriver, sadly maybe over half the worlds population would love the luxury of living in those rotting buildings, and even more so if they could do it in the USA. :w00t:

 

There are several members on the forum here that are attempting to build barrack type complexes as part of their collections and to store their items in, I think they could be quite interested in purchasing those lighting shades that are still evident in your photo's. Absolute authenticity and provenance that they were part of a barracks. ??? :think: :thumbsup:

 

Cheers Lewis

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As a metal detectorist, I would love to see what is under that soil! Lot's of history!

 

I grew up in Copperas Cove Texas just 11 miles from Ft Hood proper back in the 1980's. We used to go over to Anderson mountain which was very near Hog Mountain where I lived in Cove. We would find all types of stuff over there. Everything from office desks to tank parts scattered around the woods. Garand enblocs were all over the place as were 30.06 spent blanks mixed in with the more modern 7.62 and 5.56 stuff. We found a M151 jeep partially buried into a creek embankment and turned into an improptu MG emplacement. We found 2 M4 Sherman road wheels and a 4 foot section of track in a creek bed. The folded up skirt to a Bradley stuck in the fork of a tree. A case of smoke grenades, shelter halves, and all manner of field gear including WWII stuff. We even found what looked like rusted up tank barrels with about a dozen tank hatches all stacked up neatly in the woods.

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i remember them as beening hot as blaze in the summer time and cold as heck dureing the winter time.. but they are a part of our past that should be taken care of and treat right for they where home to many a soldier here and there ..

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Hi Hawkdriver, sadly maybe over half the worlds population would love the luxury of living in those rotting buildings, and even more so if they could do it in the USA. :w00t:

 

There are several members on the forum here that are attempting to build barrack type complexes as part of their collections and to store their items in, I think they could be quite interested in purchasing those lighting shades that are still evident in your photo's. Absolute authenticity and provenance that they were part of a barracks. ??? :think: :thumbsup:

 

Cheers Lewis

 

 

Well, I'm sure that if someone was really industrious, they could contact the Ft. Hood DPW and see about getting them. The buildings are just going to waste. I only have two weeks left and then I probably will never see them again. If you want to see them in their final state, go to google maps and pull up Gatesville. Go south until you reach North Ft. Hood and there is a little cloverleaf entryway to the gate. As you come through the east gate, you will be on 18th street. Just one block north, you will see eight rusty roofs in the trees, then another four north of those. Everything across the road on the map to the west is gone and that is where the new tent city is, these 10 buildings are all that are left.

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El Bibliotecario
... she said that there used to be a Japanese prisoner of war camp just down the road ...

 

Quite appropriate--because they look like oversize versions of the sweatbox into which Sessui Hiakawa chucked Alec Guiness in The Bridge on the River Kwai.

 

I thought the wooden WW2 'temporary' barracks were hot, but now realize that I was living in luxury. Years ago I visited N Ft Hood, but have never seen such structures until now--thanks for educating me.

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son of desertrat
As a metal detectorist, I would love to see what is under that soil! Lot's of history!

 

 

Id love to do that too! But i dont htink they would let you. Right?

Thnaks

Keenan

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Id love to do that too! But i dont htink they would let you. Right?

Thnaks

Keenan

 

Actually, if you got a guest pass, I don't know why they wouldn't

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Spathologist
Actually, if you got a guest pass, I don't know why they wouldn't

 

They freak almost as badly as NTC when anyone sticks a shovel in the dirt around here.

 

"OMG you'll kill the rare bacteria that the endangered fungus ant feeds on!!!!11111omgz!!!"

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mach1derful

The old world war 2 barracks at benning (now soldiers plaza/splinter village) are just exterior shells of what they used to be. The whole interior has been redesigned and updated over and over again. They started tearing them down recently.

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I hate to put a damper on all this nostalgia, but I don't beleive those tin barracks are even close to WW2 era. Iwas an instructor at Camp Mackall in the 1980's when they were assembling them as barracks and classrooms. They replaced the tar paper shacks on the compound.. Look at the design, tin roof and sides, aluminum windows, plywood floors, and fiberboard walls, and ceilings. The electric heater is the same type I had in my classroom. The only things I see that even look like 40's design are the lights. We had flourescent. The buildings were cold in winter, brutal in summer, and literally expanded and contracted with the weather.The noise when it rained was deafening, had to stop speaking. But, they were functional. You might want to check with the Post Engineers at Ft Hood, but I bet those are post Vietnam barracks. Just my observations. SKIP

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i remember them as beening hot as blaze in the summer time and cold as heck dureing the winter time.. but they are a part of our past that should be taken care of and treat right for they where home to many a soldier here and there ..

 

 

I remember going to North Fort from the field when I was with 2 AD and thinking what a dump ( that was in 84-85) After joining the Guard, I spent many a weekend in these. Burned up in the summer, winter wasn't too bad...IF the heater worked (and that was a big IF)

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ClaptonIsGod
I grew up in Copperas Cove Texas just 11 miles from Ft Hood proper back in the 1980's. We used to go over to Anderson mountain which was very near Hog Mountain where I lived in Cove. We would find all types of stuff over there. Everything from office desks to tank parts scattered around the woods. Garand enblocs were all over the place as were 30.06 spent blanks mixed in with the more modern 7.62 and 5.56 stuff. We found a M151 jeep partially buried into a creek embankment and turned into an improptu MG emplacement. We found 2 M4 Sherman road wheels and a 4 foot section of track in a creek bed. The folded up skirt to a Bradley stuck in the fork of a tree. A case of smoke grenades, shelter halves, and all manner of field gear including WWII stuff. We even found what looked like rusted up tank barrels with about a dozen tank hatches all stacked up neatly in the woods.

 

Sounds interesting! Do you have any pictures/did you bring any of it back?

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I hated them in Summer. reminded me of the Punishment box from POW movies like Von Ryans express and Bridge on the River Kwai. I last saw them in 2004 before we shipped to Iraq. Some Marine Reserve Tankers were living in them before going to Djibouti for some reason.

 

From 82-84 Lived in Bldg 10010 across from the Museum on main post.

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  • 3 years later...

Thanks for sharing this. The wooden WW II barracks are almost all gone too. I watched Amish dismantling several at Camp Atterbury for the well seasoned wood.

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I hate to put a damper on all this nostalgia, but I don't beleive those tin barracks are even close to WW2 era.

Why does something have to be WW2 era or earlier to be worth saving? There are lots of collectors out here who appreciate items from other eras, not just WW2.

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Sounds interesting! Do you have any pictures/did you bring any of it back?

 

Anything I did find I sold to fund my re-enactment while I was in high school. Only thing left is a hundred or so 7.62 blanks.

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