And so we set off for the old DB, the disciplinary barracks. (AKA Army Prison)
Here's the edge of the old DB.
Heading in.
The current DB has an iron forage program for prisoners, the result of which is a lot of really beautiful iron work around the fort.
The prisoners made these tables and chairs.
Old guard tower.
We're inside now, and have been for a few pictures now, and this was one of the work buildings.
The old wall. Where that large parking lot is now, was the Castle. There was a really great photographic representation of it, which I am kicking myself for not taking a picture of. The Castle was the prison part of the prison and was a huge multisided, well, let's see if I can find a picture of it. Okay, this page has a drawing of what it was modeled on. It was very large, that castle.
11/22 Update! Heather went back and took photos of the cool picture.
Here is regular:
Here is panoramic:
More prison buildings. All of these building have ghosts in them.
Furnace chimney.
Wall with chimney.
After exiting the old DB Patrick and E. went home to get the car and Heather, L and I headed toward the prisoner's cemetery. As you can see, it was a very pretty walk. Patrick caught up with us before we got there, though.
Here is an upside down picture of a gravestone. This cemetery was established in 1884 for prisoners who died or were executed and who had no next of kin, or their next of kin refused the remains.
E running through the graveyard.
Not surprising why I took this picture.
He was a prince of thieves maybe?
In the back of the cemetery are the German prisoners of war who were executed during WWII. You can explore more on that topic here.
I took pictures of the graves because I wanted to hear Matt say the names in German. I was rewarded.
I enjoy a good child with gravestone picture. It's the whole cycle, right there.
Interesting post.
Another famous name.
The sign outside the cemetery.
We went driving to see the new DB. Here's a sign for the farm they used to have.
Over that bluff is the new DB. I wasn't supposed to take pictures, so this is as close as I got. Here is a link to a picture. Scroll down.
Back at the house, we enjoyed the pool.
I enjoyed the blue ceiling of the back porch.
I can't get over the blonde curls.
Bubbles!
The last bit about the new DB is very interesting. Of course it makes sense as most crime are prosecuted internally. I just hadn't thought about a need for it. Then again, it is what I think of, in some ways when I hear Ft. Leavenworth.
ReplyDeleteAnd those blond curls are pretty sweet!
Wow, even the prison is pretty there! That ironwork is amazing. I'm glad that the prisoners are given work to do. The stuff about the graveyard is really interesting, especially the POWs that were executed. I'm not sure that I knew we brought any POWs back to the U.S., let alone executed any.
ReplyDeleteThe blonde curls are so adorable!
Oh my goodness, you must have somehow missed Summer of My German Soldier!!! I read it several times when I was 12-14. Here's the synopsis:
ReplyDeleteMinutes before the train pulled into the station in Jenkinsville, Arkansas, Patty Bergen knew something exciting was going to happen. But she never could have imagined that her summer would be so memorable. German prisoners of war have arrived to make their new home in the prison camp in Jenkinsville. To the rest of her town, these prisoners are only Nazis. But to Patty, a young Jewish girl with a turbulent home life, one boy in particular becomes an unlikely friend. Anton relates to Patty in ways that her mother and father never can. But when their forbidden relationship is discovered, will Patty risk her family and town for the understanding and love of one boy?
It wasn't just German POWs on US Soil. Fort Andrews, the fort where I wasn't a Park Ranger (I was across the bay on Fort Warren) had Italian POWs during WWII.
There is both a maximum security and minimum security prison for military "wrong doers". This is where both the guy who started shooting on Ft. Hood as well as Bradley/Chelsey Manning. There are always things and places that you shouldn't go on military posts.
ReplyDeleteThe building that you have from in the old DB was the hospital that the German POW's were hung in the elevator shaft! (And it's haunted!)
ReplyDeleteThe DB wall is the first and only uninhabitable structure that is on the historical list. Which means that they can not tear it down but have to "maintain" it's historical significance...
See! It's good that you are filling in my gaps here!
ReplyDelete