~~~ Fort Chaffe ~ Barling, Arkansas~~~

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Thank you very much Susan

FORT CHAFFE ~ Barling, Ar

On September 9, 1941, construction started on Camp Chaffee, named after Major General Adna R. Chaffee. Then on December 7, 1941, the first soldiers arrive. Between 1943-1946 some 3,000 German prisoners of war encamped at Camp Chaffee. It was the home of the 5th Armored Division from 1948-1957. In 1975 Fort Chaffee Refugee Processing Center for 50,809 Vietnamese refugees who were processed there. In 1980-1982 Fort Chaffeewas designated a Cuban refugee Resettlement Center. 25,390 Cuban refugees were processed through. Because Fort Chaffee retains it's WWII look, several motion pictures have been filmed at the post. In 1983 the motion picture "A Soldiers Story" was filmed at Fort Chaffee. In 1987 the movie "Biloxi Blues" was also filmed there. More than 10 , 000 displaced Hurricane Katrina victims were processed at Fort Chaffee in 2005, but for the most part it is used as a training base for the National Guard.

January 29, 2008, winds whipped power lines to the ground which ignited fires that burned 150 buildings in the cantonment area - mainly old barracks that in the past housed soldiers, Vietnamese and Cuban refugees, and Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

These are the remains from that fire

Old deserted barracks

The Army's presence at Fort Chaffee will continue on lands retained for the reserve components where more than 50,000 Army National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers train there annually. The City of Barling was originally a farm town, however, by the early 1940's the winds of war were blowing across Europe and were to dramatically change the destiny of this small Arkansas community. The mission of the post was to train U.S. soldiers for combat in Europe, America and the Pacific. The City of Barling experienced a tremendous boom in housing, businesses and people. Following WWII, Camp Chaffee became Fort Chaffee and continued to train U.S. Army personnel in a variety of military specialties.

Old Church renewed and use for weddings & The old theater (deserted)

These barracks are not as run down but still not used

In 1958 Elvis Presley was inducted into the U.S. army and did his basic basic training here. This is where Elvis had his first military haircut girls. The Barber Shop is now a museum

Fort Chaffee is a part of military history and Arkansas history and that needs to be maintained. Several buildings located at Fort Chaffee are eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places including the Maness Schoolhouse building, which dates back before the 1940's. Another 21 sites are potentially eligible for inclusion and another 22 sites will require further investigation.

This base is on the list of bases to be closed and demolished. I think that is shameful! However the Secretary of Defense is fighting the closure of this base. There is an active base behind another gate house but we couldn't get in to take pictures. We could see buildings back there and activity of vehicles. There is a huge amount of buildings that are deserted and I am sure behind that check point there is a lot more.

Hope you enjoyed the tour of Old Fort Chaffee....

Until Later

Elvis has left the Building

Here is your gentle reminder... My something PINK

Friday we finally got off our butts and made our way into Memphis... Home of the BLUES, Birthplace of Rock n Roll ... I have so many pictures for you I hope it doesn't get to boring for everyone... We left fairly early in the morning and arrived in Memphis around 9:30... we drove all around town looking at things we found interesting in a little tour book... We knew they had a trolley that went around the city and we wanted to ride that too but couldn't find a depot or a place to park near one when we did find it... So after riding through town we went over to the River Park Visitor Center to ask them all about that... It just so happened it was right across the street from the visitor center... So we boarded the trolley and for $3.50 each we rode it all day and got on and off at our own leisure. If you ever go to Memphis this is the way to see the town. We decided not to go to Graceland since I had already been there but to see the other things we wanted to see... I love architecture of buildings so that was one of my to do's... SO hear are some things we saw....

Here is my Ralphie getting onto the Trolley and a full shot of the Trolley

Ralph again sitting inside the Town Trolley and a picture of the other Trolley that only traveled up and down on Main Street

A bronze statue of ELVIS "King of Rock n Roll" and BB King "King of the Blues"

The Mosaic Egg was sitting outside the Visitors Center and a view of the Memphis skyline

This beautiful building is called the Pyramid (DUH!) which up until 4 years ago was the sports arena in Memphis... It now sits empty and a lot of bums hang around it..

This is the new sports arena ... I would guess that FED-EX sponsored them...

Well we have made it back to Beale Street and the Blues City Cafe...

Here is pictures of Beale Street... It is a swinging place at night with all the night clubs

Here we are two hungry travelers just waiting for those RIBS... I think Ralph was saying YUM YUM! Bring on the RIBS....

OHHHH!!!! Lookie Lookie here they are and don't they look great... The salad was good but Oh those RIBS... YUMO I sure had no room for dessert after eating this big rack of ribs..

Inside shot of Blues City Cafe'

These next pictures are a few buildings of which many I had taken... I snapped hundreds of shots in the city. These I just thought were wonderful architectural designs...

This is the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. It now houses the National Civil Rights Museum... This was a major turning point in history.

A view down a city street and the County Court Building

Here is the police station built in the early 1900's and a Lutheran Church from same time period.

This building is an old Fire Station built in the early 1900's. It is now a museum and a memorial to the fireman who have lost their lives helping others... My SIL is a Fireman & EMT

OK girls... I put these two pictures in for those of you who have not seen Graceland... Home of the KING and his grave site... These were actually taken from the last time we were here. But I thought you would like to see them

Hope it wasn't to painful with so many pictures... I really had a lot more I would have liked to shown you... Memphis is a pretty cool town and we give it thumbs up for visiting...

Until Later