Fort Polk Heritage Project

By James Williams (interview) and Neal Snyder (photos)April 17, 2008

Fred Cryer
1 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Fred Cryer, 80, plays bluegrass in his garage/music room. Cryer and his family were displaced twice when Fort Polk, La., was established in the early 1940s. Today, the installation is making an effort to honor the sacrifice of those who were forced t... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Danny and Alvin
2 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Danny Hudson, chairman of the Fort Polk, La., Heritage Project and natural resource manager for the installation, discusses photos destined for the project database with rancher Alvin Locke. Locke and his family were displaced when Fort Polk was esta... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fred Cryer
3 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Fred Cryer, 80, describes the 20-acre farm where he grew up, now part of the Fort Polk cantonment area. Cryer and his family were displaced twice when Fort Polk was established in the early 1940s. U.S. Army Environmental Command photo by Neal Snyder ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fred Cryer
4 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Fred Cryer, 80, visits a tree damaged by his father's Model A pickup on the 20-acre farm where he grew up. The site is now part of the Fort Polk cantonment area. Cryer and his family were displaced twice when Fort Polk was established in the early 19... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Bluegrass with Danny, Lucille and Fred
5 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Danny Hudson, of the Fort Polk environmental division, discusses bluegrass music with Fred Cryer, 80, and his wife Lucille, during a music session in Cryer's Louisiana garage. Cryer and his family were displaced twice when Fort Polk, La., was establi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Bluegrass with Danny, Lucille and Fred
6 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Danny Hudson, of the Fort Polk environmental division, discusses bluegrass music with Fred Cryer, 80, and his wife Lucille, during a music session in Cryer's Louisiana garage. Cryer and his family were displaced twice when Fort Polk, La., was establi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Memorial
7 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fred Cryer plays bluegrass
8 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Fred Cryer, 80, plays bluegrass in his garage/music room. Cryer and his family were displaced twice when Fort Polk, La., was established in the early 1940s. Today, the installation is making an effort to honor the sacrifice of those who were forced t... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fred Cryer's Coin
9 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Fred Cryer, 80, holds a commander's coin given to him by Col. David Sage, garrison commander of Fort Polk, La., as part of the installation's efforts to honor people who were forced to move when the Army built the installation. Cryer and his family w... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fred Cryer
10 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Fred Cryer, 80, plays bluegrass in his garage/music room. Cryer and his family were displaced twice when Fort Polk, La., was established in the early 1940s. Today, the installation is making an effort to honor the sacrifice of those who were forced t... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Danny and Alvin
11 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Danny Hudson, chairman of the Fort Polk, La., Heritage Project and natural resource manager for the installation, discusses photos destined for the project database with rancher Alvin Locke. Locke and his family were displaced when Fort Polk was esta... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fred Cryer
12 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Fred Cryer, 80, visits a tree damaged by his father's Model A pickup on the 20-acre farm where he grew up. The site is now part of the Fort Polk cantonment area. Cryer and his family were displaced twice when Fort Polk was established in the early 19... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Bluegrass with Danny, Lucille and Fred
13 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Danny Hudson, of the Fort Polk environmental division, discusses bluegrass music with Fred Cryer, 80, and his wife Lucille, during a music session in Cryer's Louisiana garage. Cryer and his family were displaced twice when Fort Polk, La., was establi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Memorial
14 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Ralph Deason
15 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Ralph Deason holds a photo of his World War II air defense artillery unit during a visit to Fort Polk, La. Deason and his family were displaced from their ranch when the Army established Fort Polk at the beginning of the war. The installation is maki... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fred Cryer plays bluegrass
16 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Fred Cryer, 80, plays bluegrass in his garage/music room. Cryer and his family were displaced twice when Fort Polk, La., was established in the early 1940s. Today, the installation is making an effort to honor the sacrifice of those who were forced t... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fred Cryer's Coin
17 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Fred Cryer, 80, holds a commander's coin given to him by Col. David Sage, garrison commander of Fort Polk, La., as part of the installation's efforts to honor people who were forced to move when the Army built the installation. Cryer and his family w... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Memorial
18 / 18 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Related Links:

U.S. Army Environmental Command