Fort Knox paid a moving tribute to the World War II era Friday morning.
Literally.
That was when post personnel moved Knox’s last WW II wooden barracks across post to the General George S. Patton Museum of Leadership, where it will become a permanent display.
Moving a building requires more than simply jacking it up, putting it on a truck, and driving it slowly to a new location.
Jay Schmidt, the Fort Knox acting chief of engineering, said he worked with several agencies on post to ensure a smooth move.
“I coordinated with many folks to move utility lines and poles, and signs; and to detour tank convoys, training convoys, and traffic; (and alter aircraft and train movement at Godman) airfield and Paducah & Louisville Railway,” explained Mr. Schmidt.
He also had to remain with the building during the move to ensure that its utilities were removed and reinstalled in a timely manner.
Chris Kolakowski, the Patton Museum director, pointed out that the troop barracks were originally designed as “temporary” housing and built to last just five to seven years. But the Army was able to use them to house trainees and Soldiers for more than five decades.
Mr. Schmidt said he wasn’t surprised that the building was still standing after more than 50 years.
“(I was) in awe,” he said. “Good craftsmanship and good wood
are key essentials to this building’s strength. Like my grandfather used to say, ‘We built things to last back then.’ This building proves it.”
According to the Army Corps of Engineers, the typical barracks during the era accommodated half a company, or 63 men.
After the building was detached from the ground and placed onto the bed of a truck, Mr. Schmidt said it would take the entire day to move it the seven miles to the Patton Museum.
“(They) are taking a very roundabout way to minimize traffic disruption, and (avoid) the rail bridge and a certain underpass,” he said. “(The truck) can’t fit through there. They have to actually go across Godman Airfield, and across the runway.”
While moving the building, the movers had to ensure there wasn’t any damage to the structure.
Mr. Schmidt said first the building was excavated so that the mover could place strong beams, hydraulic jacks, and blocking wood under the foundation.
“They then slowly lift the building up until they can place (portable) moveable wheels onto the beams,” he explained. “The rest is rigging up the pulling vehicle and then carefully moving the building across the terrain.”
He added that the movers placed steel plates over the rain-softened turf ahead of the truck.
After the building was moved to the museum, Mr. Kolakowski said it will cost the Patton Museum Foundation a half-million dollars to restore the building and complete display interpretations for visitors which will offer information about that era.
“It’s going to be a year-long process,” he said. “(We have to fix) doors, fixtures, re-paint, and make sure it’s squared away. (The building also has to be) in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
Mr. Kolakowski said it’s important that the museum tell the story of that period.
“The Patton Museum has traditionally been a historical memory for the post,” he said. “The Patton Museum is kind of the repository for historical memory and artifacts.”
He pointed out that the barracks explains the story of having basic training on Fort Knox.
“Basic training has been home on this post for 71 years,” he explained. “That’s a big swath of this post’s history that needs to be preserved.
“Think about 50 years from now. Who knows where this post may be. But, the point is this legacy is an essential part of Fort Knox history. (It) needs to be preserved somehow and it needs to be kept for posterity as we go forward.”
He added that it’s imperative that the post save these kind of stories.
“Fifty years from now what am I going to know about Fort Knox in the latter decades of the 20th century and the first decades of the 21st century?” he asked. “One of the things I’m going to want to know is what was basic training like on this big basic training post.
“One of the things I want people to understand is how we make Soldiers. It’s not an overnight process. It’s a very difficult process. In many ways it’s challenging. If people walk away understanding that, then that’s the idea we want to convey to them.”
He also would like for visitors to understand that training doesn’t begin at the recruiting station or a Soldier’s first unit. He said it begins at the training barracks.
Mr. Kolakowski said the target date for opening the barracks exhibit is June 14, 2012.
Although the move was a day-long process, Mr. Schmidt said everything went smoothly.
“I thank those who coordinated, moved utilities, or otherwise supported the move of this historical building,” he said. “We could not have been so successful without everyone’s help.
“The movers"Ohio Valley Movers Inc."commented on how well this facility handled the movement.
He said that the movers also pointed out that “Normally, (a building will) hiss or pop when raised. But this one came up quietly and took the move well, like it was meant to be moved.”
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