The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 09

[NotWise]

A friend of mine used to be posted at Ellsworth. I visited him there once. He said the airmen there once had a call-and-response:

"Why not Minot?"
"Freezin's the reason."

Ellsworth isn't exactly tropical, either. My dad was a civilian employee of the Air Force stationed at Ellsworth from 1966 through his retirement in the late 1990's.

 

[Voboy]

Ellsworth isn't exactly tropical, either. My dad was a civilian employee of the Air Force stationed at Ellsworth from 1966 through his retirement in the late 1990's.

My friend was there around 2006 or so. I've spent MUCH time on Army posts, but that was only the fourth USAF base I'd ever been on.

Three of the four were... ugly. The fourth had spent several decades as an Army cavalry post first, so it had some nice older architecture.

 

[NotWise]

My friend was there around 2006 or so. I've spent MUCH time on Army posts, but that was only the fourth USAF base I'd ever been on.

Three of the four were... ugly. The fourth had spent several decades as an Army cavalry post first, so it had some nice older architecture.

By 2006, Ellworth was a much smaller base than when my dad worked there. It peaked at an on-base population of about 25,000, but most of that housing has been razed or removed.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Tio_Narratore hasn't posted anything for nine days. Anyone heard from them?

No. I got a PM from him on the 8th asking about HP, but no indication he was feeling poorly.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

No. I got a PM from him on the 8th asking about HP, but no indication he was feeling poorly.

You are the AH nexus, Rusty.

 

[Rustyoznail]

You are the AH nexus, Rusty.

Not really. We all have different friends here, people who have similar hobbies we talk to outside of Lit.

Same as RL.

 

[Duleigh]

I've spent MUCH time on Army posts, but that was only the fourth USAF base I'd ever been on.

Three of the four were... ugly. The fourth had spent several decades as an Army cavalry post first, so it had some nice older architecture.

Army bases are ugly. Except for a few, Air Force bases are functional (read:ugly) The worst was Cannon AFB - it's a living embodiment of depression. Then, when I moved to Florida I went to NAS JAX - I have never seen such facilities! The Exchange is bigger than any department store I've ever been in! The commissary is the biggest grocery store I've ever seen in my life. The facilities are insane and the base has cabins, campgrounds, and lakes to go fishing on. Then I went up to Kings Bay Submarine Base. It's like living at Mir-a-Lago! Beautiful, tropical, it's the prettiest base I've ever seen. It looks better than Hickam or Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

Still waiting for Laurel to let me into the Summer Lovin contest

 

[Voboy]

Army bases are ugly.

The 19th century ones are okay. Most Army posts are old enough to have some decent 1920s architecture remaining, but they're also large enough that you sometimes have to search around to find it.

 

[Duleigh]

The 19th century ones are okay. Most Army posts are old enough to have some decent 1920s architecture remaining, but they're also large enough that you sometimes have to search around to find it.

I went to basic training at the end of the Vietnam Era and the barracks I was in was called a MOB dorm. I have no idea what that means but it was built in 1942, wooden, and uninsulated. No AC, and little heat. When the Vietnam War Era ended (right after I left) they tore it down. I went to Lowrey AFB in Denver and worked in ancient hangars that were built for WWII but lived in modern dorms. In 2020 when I left Colorado, they tore down my modern dorm, but left the hangars standing. The one I had some classes in is now the Wings Over The Rockies Air Museum and the old wreck B-52 weapons load trainer we had is their star attraction

 

[Lifestyle66]

I went to basic training at the end of the Vietnam Era and the barracks I was in was called a MOB dorm. I have no idea what that means but it was built in 1942, wooden, and uninsulated. No AC, and little heat.

I went through the Vietnam Era Basic Training at Ft Knox and Infantry school at Ft Polk in those WW2 buildings. And I spent months living in "tar paper shacks" at Camp MacKall.

Years ago, I went to my son's graduation from Basic Training at Ft Sill and was impressed/discouraged at the new buildings where everything was self-contained: Company HQ, sleeping area, arms room, and everything including classrooms and training areas under the overhanging, mushroom-shaped building for indoor and even "outdoor" (fresh air?) training areas under the whole thing! How do they build "character" without standing out in the rain?

 

[Voboy]

I went through the Vietnam Era Basic Training at Ft Knox and Infantry school at Ft Polk in those WW2 buildings. And I spent months living in "tar paper shacks" at Camp MacKall.

Years ago, I went to my son's graduation from Basic Training at Ft Sill and was impressed/discouraged at the new buildings where everything was self-contained: Company HQ, sleeping area, arms room, and everything including classrooms and training areas under the overhanging, mushroom-shaped building for indoor and even "outdoor" (fresh air?) training areas under the whole thing! How do they build "character" without standing out in the rain?

I went to BCT at Ft Sill in those very barracks. Trust me: if there's rain, and they want you to stand out in it, you'll most certainly stand out in it.

 

[Duleigh]

everything was self-contained: Company HQ, sleeping area, arms room, and everything including classrooms and training areas under the overhanging, mushroom-shaped building for indoor and even "outdoor" (fresh air?) training areas under the whole thing! How do they build "character" without standing out in the rain?

The USAF built those same buildings and in 1976 I was in the only BMTS flight still in the mob dorms. We had 2 flights of male recruits in the last of the mob dorms and two flights of female recruits in the Giant Mushroom. We quickly discovered the fun of pulling KP with a female flight (USAF Authorized Wet T-Shirt event) and when our female drill instructor found out we built a LOT of character in the cold Texas rain.

 

[AloneTooLong]

any steam engine fans??? https://kwhi.com/2024/08/13/big-boy-locomotive-to-make-pair-of-visit-to-navasota/

 

[Lifestyle66]

I went to BCT at Ft Sill in those very barracks. Trust me: if there's rain, and they want you to stand out in it, you'll most certainly stand out in it.

Ahh, but in those "good ole days" there was no WANT, and the only option was to wear a poncho ... stand in line ... when drawing weapons, at the dining hall, and even standing outside the Company HQ when you were called for some infraction.

Did you have to maintain the center aisle of the 2-squad floors (in those 50-year-old buildings) polished like a mirror before formation each morning? (And have "blanket parties" at night to teach some a lesson when they dared to walk on the center aisle?)

 

[Voboy]

Ahh, but in those "good ole days" there was no WANT, and the only option was to wear a poncho ... stand in line ... when drawing weapons, at the dining hall, and even standing outside the Company HQ when you were called for some infraction.

Did you have to maintain the center aisle of the 2-squad floors (in those 50-year-old buildings) polished like a mirror before formation each morning? (And have "blanket parties" at night to teach some a lesson when they dared to walk on the center aisle?)

The beauty of being in the 1990s Army is that I got the best and worst of all the worlds. They'd built a bunch of new stuff and not yet torn down any of the old stuff. I spent plenty of nights in WWII barracks at various times. I lived in a 1920s barrack at one point. I got every different type of military shower experience from WWI-GWOT, lol.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Polishing floors, oh my! The wax they issued buffed up to an amazing shine, but you could scuff it by sneezing too hard. We wound up putting a pair of wool socks on the floor (‘skaters’) to slide on without ever actually touching the floor.

 

[Lifestyle66]

Polishing floors, oh my! The wax they issued buffed up to an amazing shine, but you could scuff it by sneezing too hard. We wound up putting a pair of wool socks on the floor (‘skaters’) to slide on without ever actually touching the floor.

We learned early in our training cycle that when in Basic Training, the Drill Sergeants were REQUIRED to get us to training on time each day! And DARNED if that damned buffer didn't "break" almost every morning ... before formation! After the Drill Sergeants couldn't find any more to borrow, they gave up! (Ours was a difficult platoon. We spent too long in Reception Station, and learned too much.)

 

[MrPixel]

any steam engine fans??? https://kwhi.com/2024/08/13/big-boy-locomotive-to-make-pair-of-visit-to-navasota/

Mmmmm... maybe:



That's the Big Boy's boiler when it was being restored at the Union Pacific's steam locomotive shop in Cheyenne, seven years ago.

 

[Rustyoznail]

That's a very inefficient way to fill the boiler.

 

[MrPixel]

Yeah, we razzed the shop manager about it when we were walking the tour.

 

[Duleigh]

any steam engine fans??? https://kwhi.com/2024/08/13/big-boy-locomotive-to-make-pair-of-visit-to-navasota/

One Saturday afternoon I was "working" as a train operator and docent at the Colorado Model Railroad Museum in Greeley Colorado (modeler and train nut since ~1957) when suddenly the museum emptied. The ground actually shook and when I stepped outside an old friend was waiting to see me.

 

[dmallord]

Ahh, but in those "good ole days" there was no WANT, and the only option was to wear a poncho ... stand in line ... when drawing weapons, at the dining hall, and even standing outside the Company HQ when you were called for some infraction.

Did you have to maintain the center aisle of the 2-squad floors (in those 50-year-old buildings) polished like a mirror before formation each morning? (And have "blanket parties" at night to teach some a lesson when they dared to walk on the center aisle?)

You bring up things I'd forgotten. Those damned polished floors and assholes that couldn't make a bed that could bounce a quarter off of.

I was supposed to take basic at Ft. Knox, but ten guys in front of me were cut off for the quota the day I left for training. Instead, I had my first airplane ride to Ft. Ord, California. Naive, I thought sunny oceanfront weather. I'd never see an ocean.[Never saw one at Ft. Ord either, and I was THAT close then.] Ft. Ord is classified as a winter post. We wore field jackets every damn day and saw the sun once or twice amidst the fog every morning and night. It was July and cold as hell for what should have been a dream and ideally sunny California.

AIT was at Ft. Huachuca AZ. First experience with cacti. Learned to never to touch one! Then Bragg. Then 'Nam. Shit happens.

 

[Duleigh]

the only option was to wear a poncho ... stand in line ... when drawing weapons, at the dining hall,

You had a PONCHO?!? damn! We got a field jacket, a hat, and the command "DO NOT DRIP ON MY FLOOR AIRMAN!"

 

[TarnishedPenny]

“And you try and tell young people of today that and they won’t believe you!”

 

[Duleigh]

Polishing floors, oh my! The wax they issued buffed up to an amazing shine, but you could scuff it by sneezing too hard. We wound up putting a pair of wool socks on the floor (‘skaters’) to slide on without ever actually touching the floor.

I worked as a cleaner in a high school before enlisting so I had my "Seven Level" in buffer operation. The only person allowed to wear shoes during a "White Tornado" was the buffer operator, everyone else in wool socks.

We had a salt tablet dispenser and I showed the guys how to carefully crush a salt tablet on a scuff mark and grind it out with your heel to get the scuff mark out before the buffer got there. I carried a spray bottle of wax to shoot problem areas as I came along. When I was done I did a once over with the buffer on a wool blanket to bring up that "New Car Shine" The squads up on the second floor never figured it out