For the life of me I cannot remember any sort of blinds inside the old wooden barracks, like the ones at Fort Lewis's old north fort. I was last there in 1963 and my memory just isn't kicking in.
Can anyone help with this?
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Can't recall any images with blinds. A shade or a curtain maybe?
I don't recall any type of window treatment on the barracks at Ft. Jackson SC when I took basic in 1964. I do however remember washing them at night with vinegar water and newspaper for a Saturday morning GI inspection.
When I was at Ft. Sill with A-3-3, in the 700 area, we never had curtains. Didn't want them either, just one more thing to get gigged on.
When I was a Company Commander on Okinawa we had heavy drapes in almost every room except the mess hall and the supply rooms. They had venitian blinds.
Couldn't remeber Ft Lewis. Guess I'll go with the bare window look. Probably accurate for a training command that changed inmates every seven weeks.
That was way before my time, as I was at Lewis in 1997 as a ROTC cadet, then stationed there on active duty until 2001. I work in the area as a civilian now and I drive by those barracks every now and then (they're still there, but now that ROTC camp isn't there anymore I wouldn't be shocked if they tore them down soon enough).
They had roll up blinds that I recall, which is supported by this photo I found online:
These are the ones at the extreme southwest corner of what remains of these old WW2 era ones. There's a massive field beyond this which to me clearly looks like where many more had been but were taken out after 'Nam. I know this was a huge basic training area during that era. I doubt these barracks are used much anymore.
You wouldn't recognize the area now. Most of North Fort is new construction and plenty of on-base housing. This area is the very last remnant of the WW2-'Nam era.
BINGO!!
Thanks P51. That just cinched it.
Tom
PS: I was there in 1963 as an Army ROTC Cadet out of Utah State University.
I was ar ft Lewis in 57 on my way across the pond, don't remember anything except the rain.
