The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1946-03-05


val Air Station groups here.) =
Out we go past the main gate
and motor UP u. S. One to Boca
Chiea Field.
Officer charge of Boca Chicl
Field is Commander Carl w. Roo
ney. Assistant to the O-in-C is
Lieut.. Commander Harold Unter-
berg.
Lieutenant Commander Inter
berg tells me that all the tenn
porary housing which we saw as
we drove into Boca Chica Field
is being replaced by permanent
housing. 1t was quite contrast.
Dingy taxpayer barracks with a
dull green finish and next to them
beautiful cream-colered concrete
block quarters. Oh, boy, a peace
time Navy again, with everything
slick and clean.
Most of the fleet personnel now.
at the Seaplane Base will be NOV
ed over to Boca Chica Field under
present plans, with moving going
on every day. You must think Of
the Seaplane Base and Boca Chica
Field as one unit and that men
who work at Boca Chica Field
are also berthed and fed at the
Seaplane Base, while many re-
main out at Boca Chica Field,
both for berthing and messing.
Buses are used to haul the men
from the Field to the Seaplane
Base.
Landscaping
The new, permanent barracks
are two-story affairs. Around the
permanent housing is springirg
up landscaping with palms and
trees being placed UP to take the
glare and relieve the monotony
of one-color barracks. Comman-
der Rooney told me that anyone
wishing to dispose of any trees
can call him at Boca Chica and
he. will arrange to have Navy
truck sent out and the trees up
rooted and transplanted at Boca
fChica. }"ft .A sos* bk
There ere seven of the perln-
.anent units erected and nearly
finished. They were going to be
Bachelor Officer Quarters, with
one to be for Chief Petty Officers.
These, together with the new bar
should make living quite
comfortable for bachelor officers
and men.
+ The buildings are all erected to
the westward of Highway One
where a long, wide area had been
cleared away at Boca Chica wher
the Navy first came here at the
start of World War II. We swung,
Though all this, new construction
and came upon the Homoja hu:s.
Homoja huts are the Nays vet,
sion of the Army's Quonset huts.
which are well-known. They are
one-story affairs, about forty-five
feet long and built of corrugated
metal. They are semicircular with
IA wooden platform on the
ground.
l couldn't believe they would
be cool out in the heat at Boa
Chica, so my guides stopped the
station wagon and showed me in
side. 1t was as cool as you might
wish inside. The secret is ms
lation.
There are bright, new refriger-
ators and electric stoves ready for
use. The rooms are in fine shape
inside and would be very com,
Portable for living. Those we
looked into were in the officers
area and were designed for mar
.ried officers and their families.
h Nearer the gate was a similar
project With quarters for chief
petty officers wives and fanni-
lies. - <- >-}
We passed the barber shop.
where seven BARRIERS were busy
giving the boys the crew cuts,
which are standard in the Navy.
Chow Down"
Then to the chow hall. This IS
a huge mess, one of the largest |
have ever seen. We passed down
a long hall lined with refrigera-
tors for meats and vegetables and
other commissary stores. In one
room the men were plucking
feathers off scores upon scores d
turkeys. Apparently, turkey l.
served even when there is no
holiday.
In the main cooking area there
were huge pots and boilers, Wheca
huge quantities of food could be
dumped in and prepared at one
time.
Feeding into the main hall are
two lines of personnel who pass
by with their trays, receive food
and go back into the two large
mess halls to the tables there.
While passing through, l was Civ
en- a jelly roll, and what a Jelly
roll, the crust of which just melt
ed in ones mouth.
Anti-Fire Outfit
Back across the road and over