thedrifter
09-19-07, 11:11 AM
September 19, 2007 - 12:34AM
Marines cope with fire
By Barry Fetzer
Historic Building 198, named after Marine Corps aviation pioneer and hero Marion Carl, was completed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point shortly after America’s entry into World War II. It served as the headquarters of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and MCAS Cherry Point. It tragically burned early Sunday morning, Sept. 9, due to, so far, unknown causes.
Thankfully, no one was severely injured or killed in the fire. Despite the intensity of the flames and that the entire second floor of the building was engulfed, the firefighters from the base and surrounding communities called to fight the fire in the old building did a good job saving it from total destruction.
My office was on the second floor of that building. I’m a federal civilian employee working on aviation training issues in the G-3 or operations section of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. Like every other civil servant, contract employee, sailor and Marine assigned to work in that building — especially those on the second floor — I lost everything in my office to the fire.
My computer, paper records, personal items and some mementoes from my military service all went up in flames. More worried about a hard drive crash than fire, my backup computer files were in my desk too.
I don’t mean to sound self-pitying, because I know how lucky we were to escape this tragedy without injury or death. And, there were those who lost far me than me in the fire, both personally and professionally.
While the loss to individuals was bad enough, the real tragedy of the fire is in the loss of history. The building itself was a relic of the rapid buildup of Marine Corps forces in eastern North Carolina in the leadup to World War II.
The wing and air station staffs headquartered in this building lost irreplaceable records and artifacts. Historical photographs — some potentially unique — of all the former wing and Cherry Point commanding generals were lost or badly damaged in the fire.
Historic original Marine Corps aviation artwork and other records of the Marine Corps’, the wing’s and Cherry Point’s long contributions to the defense of our nation were also lost or damaged.
A tribute to Maj. Gen. Marion Carl was in the front entrance of Building 198. The building’s namesake, World War II Marine ace, holder of aviation speed and distance records, and former commanding general of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing was memorialized there with photographs and paintings. I have hope that some of these items were saved since the front of the building, especially on the first floor, was the least damaged by the fire.
Unfortunately, though, what wasn’t destroyed by fire in the building was likely damaged by smoke and water. Millions of gallons of water were used to extinguish the flames.
In the coming days, decisions will be made about how and when to enter the building to retrieve records and artifacts that survived the fire. The decision on whether to finish what the fire started and tear the building down, or rebuild it using the existing, remaining structure will ultimately come after some study, debate and retrospection by Cherry Point and higher headquarters’ leaders.
Nothing (manmade) lasts forever. Yet, even knowing this, the fire that destroyed the Marion Carl Building was a tragedy if only because succeeding generations of Marines will have an obscured view of history due to the loss of artifacts and records of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and MCAS Cherry Point.
While the building and its records and artifacts may not last forever, there is at least one thing from that building that will go on, impervious to the flames, smoke and water.
It is the perpetual, can-do spirit displayed by Americans who, while their workplace and headquarters building was still smoldering, had already coordinated and prepared alternate work locations. Hardly more than 24 hours since the flames had been extinguished, and regardless of the tragedy, Marines were busy accomplishing the work of the Marine Corps like nothing had happened.
Within hours of the loss, the daily tasks of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point were successfully being accomplished. Messages were being sent and received, orders confirmed and executed, airplanes were being flown and safely recovered.
So, while there is regret over the loss of the Marion Carl Building and its contents, there should also be a renewed sense of pride and motivation at the perseverance and tenacity of Marines who know how to get the job done regardless of any tragedy that may befall them.
Maj. Gen. Carl would be proud.
Barry Fetzer is a retired Marine whose column appears in the Havelock News every other week.
Ellie
Marines cope with fire
By Barry Fetzer
Historic Building 198, named after Marine Corps aviation pioneer and hero Marion Carl, was completed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point shortly after America’s entry into World War II. It served as the headquarters of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and MCAS Cherry Point. It tragically burned early Sunday morning, Sept. 9, due to, so far, unknown causes.
Thankfully, no one was severely injured or killed in the fire. Despite the intensity of the flames and that the entire second floor of the building was engulfed, the firefighters from the base and surrounding communities called to fight the fire in the old building did a good job saving it from total destruction.
My office was on the second floor of that building. I’m a federal civilian employee working on aviation training issues in the G-3 or operations section of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. Like every other civil servant, contract employee, sailor and Marine assigned to work in that building — especially those on the second floor — I lost everything in my office to the fire.
My computer, paper records, personal items and some mementoes from my military service all went up in flames. More worried about a hard drive crash than fire, my backup computer files were in my desk too.
I don’t mean to sound self-pitying, because I know how lucky we were to escape this tragedy without injury or death. And, there were those who lost far me than me in the fire, both personally and professionally.
While the loss to individuals was bad enough, the real tragedy of the fire is in the loss of history. The building itself was a relic of the rapid buildup of Marine Corps forces in eastern North Carolina in the leadup to World War II.
The wing and air station staffs headquartered in this building lost irreplaceable records and artifacts. Historical photographs — some potentially unique — of all the former wing and Cherry Point commanding generals were lost or badly damaged in the fire.
Historic original Marine Corps aviation artwork and other records of the Marine Corps’, the wing’s and Cherry Point’s long contributions to the defense of our nation were also lost or damaged.
A tribute to Maj. Gen. Marion Carl was in the front entrance of Building 198. The building’s namesake, World War II Marine ace, holder of aviation speed and distance records, and former commanding general of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing was memorialized there with photographs and paintings. I have hope that some of these items were saved since the front of the building, especially on the first floor, was the least damaged by the fire.
Unfortunately, though, what wasn’t destroyed by fire in the building was likely damaged by smoke and water. Millions of gallons of water were used to extinguish the flames.
In the coming days, decisions will be made about how and when to enter the building to retrieve records and artifacts that survived the fire. The decision on whether to finish what the fire started and tear the building down, or rebuild it using the existing, remaining structure will ultimately come after some study, debate and retrospection by Cherry Point and higher headquarters’ leaders.
Nothing (manmade) lasts forever. Yet, even knowing this, the fire that destroyed the Marion Carl Building was a tragedy if only because succeeding generations of Marines will have an obscured view of history due to the loss of artifacts and records of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and MCAS Cherry Point.
While the building and its records and artifacts may not last forever, there is at least one thing from that building that will go on, impervious to the flames, smoke and water.
It is the perpetual, can-do spirit displayed by Americans who, while their workplace and headquarters building was still smoldering, had already coordinated and prepared alternate work locations. Hardly more than 24 hours since the flames had been extinguished, and regardless of the tragedy, Marines were busy accomplishing the work of the Marine Corps like nothing had happened.
Within hours of the loss, the daily tasks of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point were successfully being accomplished. Messages were being sent and received, orders confirmed and executed, airplanes were being flown and safely recovered.
So, while there is regret over the loss of the Marion Carl Building and its contents, there should also be a renewed sense of pride and motivation at the perseverance and tenacity of Marines who know how to get the job done regardless of any tragedy that may befall them.
Maj. Gen. Carl would be proud.
Barry Fetzer is a retired Marine whose column appears in the Havelock News every other week.
Ellie