Posted on Nov 26, 2013
Has anyone here ever lived in a World War II barracks?
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In 1974, Sheppard AFB had them as well as Lackland, and Chanute AFB. No kidding but I would actually dream about them. One colonel said he never saw a barracks as clean as he saw ours and he sent me to leadership school and made me a Yellow Rope.
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 107
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From the time I entered the service 1964 until 1970 Ft. Jackson, Ft. Gordon, Ft. Benning Jump School, OCS and Ranger School, Ft. Bragg multiple times Special Forces.
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Our offices were in them on Ft. Ord. It was called CDEC Hill and overlooked Marina and the bay. I also spent time in them at Ft. McCoy, WI and Mountain Home, ID. The open bay latrine was a bit of an adjustment. No privacy while on the shitter.
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SSG Jeffrey Spencer
Forgot I spent enough time in them while at 7thID NCO leadership academy at Ft. Ord as well.
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Yes. When I was the 7th Division at Ft. Ord in 1976-77. I had the NCO room at the end of the bay and the troops lived in the open bay outside my door.
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SSG William Patton
Jim, I lived in those type barracks for 19 wonderful weeks in Ft. Polk, LA, Tigerland. I lived in the bay where all the privates called home. I do remember it was summertime in Louisiana and how damn hot it gets down here. I am thankful I was used to it since my home was only 100 miles north of Leesville, home of Ft. Polk. I will say going through basic and infantry AIT is probably why I can write this. Polk has fewer names on the Wall than any other training base. It was tough, but then so was Viet Nam.
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SSgt (Join to see)
Hello CPT. I was 8 years old when you went in and I was one of the older veterans on here. Soon I will be... gasp.... 59 :) updated...lol oh man!!!
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Yes, FT Drum. They still had group showers on old post while living in the barracks, you never got any privacy.
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SGT Michael McMahon
I remember those barracks on the old side of Fort Drum, as when I was with the National Guard, we would be in there for ranges and annual training. Fire watch was a real thing, as you were responsible for keeping the coal furnaces burning, if you wanted heat. Then you have 60 men to a room (Floor), then the communal showers, right out of Basic Training or a sports locker room. And the last thing I remember was the good old Shithouse Poet's words of wisdom on the bathroom stall walls.
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The white barracks at Ft Bragg's NCO Academy that you stay in for WLC are from back then if I'm not mistaken. Needless to say, I've never been some place where we needed a "fire guard" more than there.
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CPT (Join to see)
From what I understand they are not WWII barracks. Some genus had those built to match the WWII barracks on base as they wanted them to all be uniform. They are sadly replicas.
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As a ROTC cadet at Fort Bragg during the summer of 1966, on numerous training exercises with the 82d and Special Forces in the 70s and 80s, and finally as a JROTC instructor after retirement from active duty.
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SSgt (Join to see)
I am not too far from Ft. Bragg but did play football against Pope AFB while at Eglin, AFB.
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Yes twice Schofield Barracks in Hawaii and in Erlangen Germany, both were great living.
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SPC Rachel Stubbs
Yeah I remember those also from Schofield Barracks. Oddly enough I do miss that place.
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Back in the mid-1960s throught the mid -1970s World War II "Temporary Buildings" were still in use by the Army. I went through Basic Training in 1966 - WWII Billets at Fort Polk… then in the early 1970s I worked in the Ranger Department at Fort Benning - and that was all run out of WW II "Temporary Buildings". Then at 1st SF Group in Fort Lewis Washington - we were all in WW II Temporary Buildings… And on my last assignment 1993-1995 in 7th SF Group at Fort Bragg, one of the three battalions were still WW Temporary Buildings… There are advantages to the older buildings… you normally had more room… and less 'close supervision' on maintenance, so you had the local authority to make modifications (move or build walls) to make the space more functional for your purposes…
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LTC Gordon Cucullu
During 11B AIT at Ft Dix in '67. Later at Polk (North Fort) as an Infantry Co commander, my OSUT company (indeed the entire brigade) was in WWII barracks and buildings. Made supervision easier by far.
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Yes, at Kunsan AB, Korea. When I got there in 1986, I was assigned a second floor room with a buddy and tons of cockroaches that would crawl over my face at night. I don't recall swallowing any but it could be possible.
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MSgt Ray Tremblay
That there's a genuine Modulux Barracks rejected by Vietnam and accepted in Korea. Those glorious modular card houses started to fall apart as soon as we moved in from tent cities around Kunsan AB in 1969.
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In the early 70's at NAS Willow Grove as a Sea Cadet for 6 week boot camp. In '78 at Fort Bragg for ROTC Adv Cp. In '81 at Fort Riley supporting ROTC Adv Cp. Sadly the last time and worst time was in '06 at Fort McCoy for 2 months preparing for OIF deployment. 58 officers and enlisted in a two story with latrine only on 1st floor. Original condition with no upgrades since WWII. One floor fan for entire barracks with temps reaching 100. It was the worst the Army could do for deploying Soldiers. Convicts have much better living conditions. Our 1978 Fort Bragg barracks were much better. Soldiers couldn't wait to deploy.
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LTC (Join to see)
I wonder if those were the same barracks at Fort Bragg that we used for ROTC Adv Camp in '95, sir? Likely, I'd suppose.
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