US Army Training Center - Yearbook (Fort Bragg, NC)

Page 33 text:

stressed, and additional brick barracks buildings were erected. Also constructed during this period were the Post Headquarters, Chapel, Theater, Field Artillery Board, Post Ordnance Shops, Commissary, Quarter- master Office, Guard House and Signal offices. During this period, regiments stationed at the post were furnished with modern motorized equipment and the latest type weapons. They trained with other arms and services in Third Army Maneuvers in 1938 and 1940. PRESENT DEVELOPMENTS Such was the history of Fort Bragg on June 1, 1940, when the garrison strength was 5,406 officers and en- listed men, but during the months which have passed since that date, Fort Bragg has added many more interesting pages to its already interesting history. By mid-summer of 1940, the Post personnel began to expand and early in September a new building program was started, involving the construction of approximately 2,478 buildings at a cost in excess of 532,000,000 The number of workmen on the job ranged from the original group of approximately 5,000 to more than 23,500, with a daily payroll in excess of 8100,000. These buildings will accommodate a garrison totaling more than 67,000 officers and enlisted men, making Fort Bragg North Carolina's third largest city. As this building program is such an important part of the history of Fort Bragg and its development into an even more important part of national defense, a fairly detailed account of it will be given here. As time was an important element in this construc- tion, it is well to note that the timely procurement of building materials and orderly planning of the program in advance of actual construction contributed largely to the speed with which the work was accomplished. As soon as construction was authorized by the War De- partment, roads were built and ground cleared, elec- tricity was then made available for lighting and for operation of high speed electric saws in each area. An efficient communication system involving four switchboards and 13 operators was established, and water mains were laid to each area so that water might be available for both building purposes and fire pro- tection. During the construction period, an average of more than 1,000,000 board feet of lumber moved into Fort Bragg daily. Tn addition to the roadway already built, much of which was improved, widened or rebuilt, approximately 75 additional miles were built to take care of additional traffic and to open up new areas. Fifty miles of sewage lines and more than 40 miles of new water mains were laid. The Fort Bragg water plant, which had an orig- inal capacity of approximately 2,500,000 gallons per day, has been increased to 7,000,000 gallons, and water storage facilities originally 1,500,000 gallons have been doubled. The Fort is assured of an adequate water supply from the 22,000,000 gallons of water which flow by the intake station on Little River daily. Fifty miles of new power lines have been erected, and sub-station T301 facilities increased in line with the increase in power needs of the reservation. In order to make living conditions as comfortable and pleasant as possible, the largest number of build- ings constructed were for the purpose of providing liv- ing arrangements for the rapidly increasing garrison, which has sprung from the 5,500 officers and men at the post in mid-summer of 1940 to a final total of more than 67,000. Included in the new construction are more than 800 barracks buildings, each having interior latrines and circulating heating systems. The Post now has quarters for more than 1,600 officers and mess halls sufficient to take care of the personnel. RECREATION BUILDINGS ERECTED Adhering to the old adage that Mall work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, the authorities have pro- vided recreational facilities to care for the needs of the personnel, including day rooms, post exchanges, rec- reation buildings, theaters, guest houses and Service Clubs. Each of the Recreation buildings has a stage, dressing rooms, facilities for motion picture projection and seats for 500 people, which may be removed leaving the entire floor for dancing, or for use as a lounge or other recreational purposes. The theaters 'will seat 1,038 people each. The guest houses contain living rooms for the Hostesses and for visitors. A cafeteria and a large dance Hoot are parts of the Service Clubs. They are well equipped and capable of furnishing many hours of wholesome recreation and relaxation. To take care of the physical well-being of the people stationed at Fort Bragg, a large hospital, 18 separate infirmaries -and a large Dental Clinic were included in the construction program. The hospital covers an area of 2,680,000 square feet, has a total of 83 wards, with 1,680 beds immediately available and capable of expansion to 2,000 beds if needed. The hospital project consists of a total of 112 buildings, 'with a total of 75 doctors and 240 nurses. Scattered throughout the Post are a number of fire stations, each housing three. vehicles, giving to Fort Bragg all the facilities of a modern city. Already considered the largest Field Artillery reser- vation in the world, Fort Bragg has been and still is one of the most important installations of our national defense, not only because of the many organizations stationed at the post but also because of the fact that modern developments in field artillery have had their inception and field proving under actual service con- ditions over its extensive terrain. Now, with the arrival of more combat units at the Post, the responsibilities of Fort Bragg are daily in- creasing, but the officers and enlisted men stationed at the post feel confident that they will be well equipped and fully prepared for whatever may come. They are justly proud of Fort Bragg and its brief but important history. It has served its purpose well in the past and promises to be of even more importance and value in the future.

Page 32 text:

fthe fourth eveningj , we drove into Manchester, North Carolina, along an unimproved sand road that ran along the north bank of Lower Little River . . . We stopped at a store in Manchester and asked the store- keeper where was the nearest place we could put up for the night. He directed us to Fayetteville . . . The first tract of land we found which bade fair to comply with our requirements was the watershed north of Lower Little River. We stayed at Fayetteville the fourth night and the next day examined the present site of Fort Bragg. We liked it so well that we went no farther. We remained in Fayetteville about a week going over this tract in great detail and laying out the lines, which, with certain alterations, are the present boundaries. Judge John G. Shaw, of Fayetteville, kindly consented to give us a great deal of his time and guide us. LOCATING FORT BRAGG The area selected begins at a point about 10 miles northwest of Fayetteville and extends westward for about 24 miles to the vicinity of Southern Pines. Av- eraging eight miles in width, the reservation contains approximately 122,000 acres. The post prop-er was lo- cated at the eastern end due to the proximity of the water supply and the existence of level terrain suitable for drill, maneuvers, post construction and for airplane landing fields. The plan was approved by General Snow after a per- sonal inspection, and, on July 1, 1918, he submitted a report to the War Department requesting the assign- ment of the site to the Field Artillery. This request was promptly approved. The new camp was named Camp Bragg in honor of General Braxton Bragg, Confederate States Army, who was a native North Carolinian and had been a distin- guished artillery officer in the War with Mexico. Actual construction of Camp Bragg began Septem- ber 16, 1918, and about 86,000,000 was expended that year for the purchase of land. Erection of cantonments was planned for six brigades but cessation of hostilities in the World War changed these plans. The War Department recognized that no existing Field Artillery training area except Camp Bragg was of sufficient size to permit training in the firing of heavy caliber and long range artillery weapons developed during that war, so it was decided to continue Camp Bragg but to reduce it to a two brigade cantonment to provide a garrison for Regular Army units and a training center for Na- tional Guard artillery units. One company of the 46th Infantry was Camp Bragg's first garrison. With Camp Bragg completed by the Constructing Quartermaster about February 1, 1919, artillery per- sonnel and material were transferred there from Camp McClellan, Alabama. Although 1919, the year follow- ing the World War, was a period of demobilization, construction was completed, and lumber, trash and scrap material left by the contractors cleaned up. Mili- tary personnel took over the clerical work at post head- quarters from war-time civilian employees. In 1920, little military training was conducted at Camp Bragg. In 1921, the 17th Field Artillery, which is still there, arrived at Camp Bragg on January 9, and on May 19, 1921, the 13th Field Artillery Brigade Was organized at the post. On August 23, 1921, the War Department, in re- organizing the Field Artillery, ordered the abandon- ment of Camp Bragg, but through the efforts of the post commander and civic organizations, the Secretary of War came to Camp Bragg and inspected the facili- ties, and on September 16, 1921, the orders directing the abandonment of Camp Bragg were revoked. FIELD ARTILLERY BOARD On February 1, 1922, Army Regulations changed the station of the Field Artillery Board, an agency devoted to research and testing of new artillery Weapons, from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to Camp Bragg, the Boardys pres- ent station. On September 30, 1922, Camp Bragg was designated a permanent establishment of the Army and named Fort Bragg. Parade grounds were finished, roads improved and game preserves set aside. Th-e years from 1923 through 1926 constituted a pe- riod of valuable training for artillery regiments at the post. Units were recruited up to peace strength, with many of the non-commissioned officers having seen war service. The men were contented and many enlist- ments were from nearby points. A great deal of time was spent on field training, the vast expanse of the reservation being admirably adapted to this purpose. Great progress was made by the motorized regiments of Field Artillery in learning how to handle this com- paratively new type of transportation in deep sand, heavy mud, swamps, streams and forests. The Field Artillery Board turned over to the various regiments new, experimental types of vehicles, weapons and equip- ment, making Fort Bragg a laboratory as well as a training center. During the period from 1927 to 1931, new construc- tion was begun that has aided in making Fort Bragg one of the finest of Army posts. Four of the perma- nent brick barracks buildings were constructed then, as well as 53 officers' quarters, 40 non-commissioned oflicers' quarters, a modern water supply system with cast iron mains, storm and sanitary sewers, nurses' quarters, mag- azines and motor and material sheds. By the end of 1931, 53,000,000 had been spent on new construction. It was also during this period that all occupied tem- porary buildings of World War construction were painted and most of the unoccupied ones torn down. In 1930, the new barracks were made attractive by plant- ing lawns, shrubs and trees. Streets, sidewalks and the road from the post to the reservation limit were paved, and the drainage system completed. The Fourth Field Artillery arrived from Fort Robinson on june 9, 1931, and construction of the regiment's new stables was finished in 1932. The Station Hospital was also begun and completed in 1932. From 1932 to 1940, beautification of the post was

Page 34 text:

i Ji , NWNM:KWQm,. 4 w-- Egq'-1 '-11-'+w,x ,,,, sbw. 'f'f -We-qNL.,, he--ah 4,,, -..dk ---...W ..., W . Wm.- ...,, 'MV W, mf--,..Am-,.. H 3-ul , w.W.:WM-W,.W.w..w...x,,,,,AWNM , W-wwx.. '---..-rung X' , . vi? 1 . '3 W .., '51-w - -. - ,a F 1. M g 5- .. . ' Auf.. ' , gd RJ L 'r - ' 9' . , ,5. , ' '5i,,,.1 'F .4 QT!-.-,-:vw-,ji ' 'ni 'Ln V- W ' -' ,,,., -