The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1946-03-04
HUGE SUPPL gVAREHOUSEsaAND
ousekeepers To Fighters. Transports AT Field Here
X x -
CONCRETE QUARTERS AT MAS.

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fueling and rest and other in
iStructions.
Where we are now on this fill
and looking north toward the Bay
Keys, we can see Fleming Key on
the left and the Bay Keys far out
in the distance. Before us is a
huge, nearly-completly handbook
ed harbor, in which the big planes
land, the PBM's, the Phys AMI
larger planes to come. There are
"a number of taxi ways, each
marked by a series of tripods
painted yellow and each with d
light. There water runway lights
are switched on when big plano
is expected and with her search
lights out, the large naval plane
comes in for d landing, taxis down
the trip to the concrete landing
ramp and is hauled out of water.
Nearby, lounging around in the
sun, is Already crew, which must.
be in readiness at a mon int's nos
tice to tend lines and attach
wheels and in other ways hadk
the big fellows out on the con-
crete ramp. Gasoline trucks, the
latest models, stand nearby, ready
to refuel the planes with the cor
high octane gas.
Just to one side of the field
are the high-ranking officers
quarters. There are five of these,
with commanding officers and
executive officers usually furn-
ished the quarters. They are fine
homes, built like the well-known
Caribbean cottages seen ovcc
Florida, with an overhanging
Spanish-type porch.
Near them are the old Trumbo
Hotel Bachelor Officers quarters
and also number of other BOQ's,
as we'll as some JOQ's or juno
officer quarters. There are three
sBOQ's and one JOG. f.js2
As weapass further Warehouses;
and. workshops, we see large
signs, such as Carpenter Shop,
Joiner Shop and others, all neat
ly labeled SO they can be quickly
found. III
There is a dispensary here
which is the Navy way of saying
that here is where YOU 60 yfos
doctors and dental treatment aad
also for receiving drugs for your
aches and pains. The Sick Bay
inside the dispensaryy is the place
of treatment proper. ~ '"'o h.c.
We pass thea. & r. Shops, avia-
ton repair, where every form of
plane repair is taking place; the
instrument Shops, where the in
tricate instruments in the planes
are carefully adjusted.
A tall building to the left is the
parachute loft, where the nylon
and silky chutes are strung up
and left dangling so that there
will be no mildew or wearing of
the cloth in any place.
There is a very nice library.
where the men can go to read of
nights. There is a dandy ships
service store, with a large Beer
Patio in front decorated with red,
yellow and green chairs and ia
bles. In the recreation hall there
are pool tables, bowling alleys,
and, nearby u tennis courts and
ball fields. ,t92i1t t. i1''...'~ ,lt
A gymnasium IS, Quite iat sc
with a splendid basketball court
and boxing rings, which may be
set up inside This group is OF
concrete construction. There are
officers and mems swimming
pools. 49,
Continuing on past the big
hangar, in back of the concrete
landing ramp, we pass out to
Fleming Key. To our left is
Orange State Pier, where a tor
pedo shop is maintained and
where. small boats are berthed.
These small boats are known as
torpedo retrievers and are de-
signed to pick up the torpedos
which were dropped by torpedo
planes in practices near Woman S
Key and Boca Grande during tire
past year.
! Going out farther on the road
we pass the mari fill which is
Fleming Key, once upon a time
just mud flats and one mangrove-
covered island, but now a large
ammunition dump. The mari is
upheaved in various rolling hills
and out from it juts the. triang
ular-shaped ammunition maya
zines, where ammunition is Stor-
ed. The magazines are numbered
and painted different colors to
show the various types of am
munition stored there.
At the end of this trip there is
dandy small boat basin with
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