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#1
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What is this? An ammo dump?
Hello everyone,
I've been lurking in this group for quite a bit and have really enjoyed some of the conversations. Now, I am asking for your help in identifying something that I just found recently: I live in South Texas near the Mexican border. There is a national park nearby called "Laguna Atascosa (Muddy Lagoon)" which, by the way, holds the record for the highest number of diverse bird species that can be seen in one day. This is a bird watcher's paradise since thousands migrate from the northern states to the warmer, tropical temperatures that can be found in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Anyways, this area is also the supposed location of where one of the Spanish explorers (I forget the name) shipwrecked around the 14/1500s. Even to this day, people are reportedly finding gold coins and other artifacts. But, what I wanted to ask the group is if they have any information about a particular army air corps base that used to inhabit this area during WWII. It is now a country airport with very sparse traffic. But, just north of the base are a couple of gunnery ranges which you can see here (http://www.texasairmuseum.com/coast.htm). If you scroll to the bottom you'll see the base as it looks today. While looking at these gunnery ranges one day, we came upon a couple of bunkers that were hidden amongst the brush a couple of miles from the nearest road. You can see our journey he (http://www.texasairmuseum.com/ammo1.htm) and the second page contains what I am trying to find out. Since the gunnery ranges were nearby, do you think these little bunkers held the ammo? Someone once said that these bunkers were probably hurricane shelters since the base was so close to the coastline. What do you guys think? By the way, here's a picture of the base during WWII: http://www.texasairmuseum.com/airacobra.htm Thanks for any help or research on this base and its history. |
#2
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"TooPlaneCrazy7" wrote in message ... Hello everyone, I've been lurking in this group for quite a bit and have really enjoyed some of the conversations. Now, I am asking for your help in identifying something that I just found recently: I live in South Texas near the Mexican border. There is a national park nearby called "Laguna Atascosa (Muddy Lagoon)" which, by the way, holds the record for the highest number of diverse bird species that can be seen in one day. This is a bird watcher's paradise since thousands migrate from the northern states to the warmer, tropical temperatures that can be found in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Anyways, this area is also the supposed location of where one of the Spanish explorers (I forget the name) shipwrecked around the 14/1500s. Even to this day, people are reportedly finding gold coins and other artifacts. But, what I wanted to ask the group is if they have any information about a particular army air corps base that used to inhabit this area during WWII. It is now a country airport with very sparse traffic. But, just north of the base are a couple of gunnery ranges which you can see here (http://www.texasairmuseum.com/coast.htm). If you scroll to the bottom you'll see the base as it looks today. While looking at these gunnery ranges one day, we came upon a couple of bunkers that were hidden amongst the brush a couple of miles from the nearest road. You can see our journey he (http://www.texasairmuseum.com/ammo1.htm) and the second page contains what I am trying to find out. Since the gunnery ranges were nearby, do you think these little bunkers held the ammo? Someone once said that these bunkers were probably hurricane shelters since the base was so close to the coastline. What do you guys think? By the way, here's a picture of the base during WWII: http://www.texasairmuseum.com/airacobra.htm Thanks for any help or research on this base and its history. I believe the range you're referring to is the former Laguna Madre Gunnery Range of the USAAF. The airfield, present-day Port Isabel-Cameron County Airport, is the former Port Isabel Naval Auxiliary Air Station. |
#3
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Heres a news story about the ones in Hawaii with a couple of pictures
however the Navy calls them "magazines" no bunkers... There's an interesting painting on one of these bunkers/magazines. It is a war time drawing of a WWII drill sargeant who says "You are only half way there, fellas". No idea what this could mean. The base was a lot more than "half way" there. |
#4
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"TooPlaneCrazy7" wrote in message
Heres a news story about the ones in Hawaii with a couple of pictures however the Navy calls them "magazines" no bunkers... There's an interesting painting on one of these bunkers/magazines. It is a war time drawing of a WWII drill sargeant who says "You are only half way there, fellas". No idea what this could mean. The base was a lot more than "half way" there. More that half way where? I woudn't read that very litterally. Metaphorically, Hawaii was very much half way from the United States to the Pacific battlegrounds. Or perhaps it's a reference to VE day -- a reminder that even after the fall of Germany, half the war remained to be won. -- Tom Schoene Replace "invalid" with "net" to e-mail "If brave men and women never died, there would be nothing special about bravery." -- Andy Rooney (attributed) |
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