NATTC Glynco, Georgia

About Glynco

2008-03-12T13:09:00.000-07:00

The airport a few miles north of Brunswick, Georgia, is now Brunswick Golden Isles Airport, a regional airport, and since 1975 home to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.

NAS Glynco once housed Fleet Airship Wing One, Squadron ZP-15 with eight airships in its two gigantic hangers, each 1,000 feet long, 300 feet wide and 200 feet tall (able to hold six football fields). They were demolished in 1971 but you can still see their outlines in aerial photos.

NATTC Glynco's primary mission was Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) training.

Here's an overall view of the base today.

Zooming in a bit closer, the long rectangular tree area at left center (corresponding one on the right has no trees) is where the giant hangers once stood.

Here's an excellent bird's eye view of what then was our barracks building and chow hall.

The Blimp Hangers

2008-03-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

Glynco's most outstanding physical feature was, of course, the blimp hangers. Built in the early 1940s in support of the war effort, these buildings were demolished in 1971.

This is the eastern blimp hanger. It was in pretty bad shape even then. These are the doors on the west end.

This is a long shot of the western-most hanger.

Here are the two hangers from the Northeast (Sidney Lanier Drive approaching Ethridge Drive). Eastern hanger to the left, Western to the right.

NATTC Training Building

2008-03-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

Two views of the NATTC Training Building as you approach westbound on Airport Rd.

NAS Glynco

2008-03-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

This photo shows the main hanger for NAS Glynco and the control tower and OPS building just off to the right.

The control tower and OPS building as it appeared in 1970 and below that, as it appeared in 2003. The tower was demolished in 2005 to make way for a new passenger terminal building for what's now known as Brunswick Golden Isles Airport.

(2003 photo: Christopher Ness)

The Barracks

2008-03-07T13:39:00.000-08:00

There were four barracks buildings on the west side of the chow hall, four to the east. Mine was on the west side nearest the chow hall. Looking out my window I could see the third barrack building (they were staggered; the second is to the left).

I remember looking out these windows and watching the awe-inspiring lightning and thunderstorms that rocked the base. The lightning bolts often hit the base to the north of here. Thunder would rattle the glass.

The barracks were holdovers from WWII and had seen little updating over the years. Inside, cubicles were fashioned from vertical 2x4s with plywood nailed up to afford some privacy. As I recall, there were two people to a cubicle. Two racks, two free-standing lockers and a table with two chairs made up the furnishings. Bathrooms and showers communal.

Incredibly, these buildings are still being used for FLETC housing but have been extensively modernized.

Below is the parking area as viewed from the barracks. The bus stop (for our ride to the NATTC building), and the tennis courts, are just to the right. You can see the eastern hanger through the pine trees.

Friends

2008-03-06T13:49:00.000-08:00

Sam House, Baltimore
Sam House was a great guy from Baltimore. He had a fast, beautiful metal-flake blue '64 Chevy Impala with a 327 and four-speed. Sam was always willing to give people a ride in his car and was never shy about getting into the gas pedal either.

Jim Bible, Ohio
Jim Bible from Coshocton, Ohio. Jim had a very wry sense of humor and a sarcastic way about him.

Jim Erickson, Arizona
Milford "Ogee" Ogier, Oklahoma
This was a road trip that Jim, "Ogee" and I made to St. Augustine, Florida, in Jim's 1959 Dodge, affectionately known as the "Pink Turd." Ogee bought a Fender Stratocaster that year. I hope he kept it, it's probably worth a small fortune today.

Others I Remember

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Lance Erb had a 1969 Super-Bee, green in color. Oh man, what a car.

One guy drove from (I think) Nebraska in an old yellow MG-TD with red interior. But this thing had a Volvo engine. Very cool car.

Art Wall had a lasting impact on my life. Art inspired me to read, encouraging me by loaning me some of his favorite books. Reading is a passion I carry with me to this day. Art, wherever you are, I can't thank you enough. And if you're wondering where your copy of Lord of the Flies or The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is, I might have it in my garage.

My 1969 Honda CL125

2008-03-04T14:09:00.000-08:00

I bought this great little motorcycle for hopping around the base and surrounding area. It was a bright yellow, 1969 Honda CL125 Scrambler. Not a big powerhouse but cheap and reliable transportation. Being young and stupid, I never wore a helmet.

The eastern-most barracks are visible through the trees and the watertower (checkerboard, upper left) still stands. Tennis courts directly behind my bike, with the chow hall just off to the right.

The Pink Turd

2008-03-03T09:33:00.000-08:00

The Pink Turd was a 1959 Dodge owned by my friend Jim Erickson. The car was huge, ugly and pink. Pale pink over a darker pink as I recall. It suffered much abuse under our hands but always provided reliable transportation for our almost-daily trips to Jekyll Island beaches and the occasional road trip to St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, or Okefenokee Swamp.

Jim not only owned the Pink Turd, but he had a near-identical parts car too (pictured below).

Bill Carroll, '67-'69

2008-03-02T15:22:00.000-08:00

Bill Carroll was stationed at Glynco from 1967 until his enlistment ended in 1969. "I was an aviation structural mechanic and worked in the AME shop while I was there but the last few months before I got out I ran the Transient A/C Line crew."

Bill supplies these photos. The first is three of the guys he worked with in the Seat Shop (AME Shop); the one with the cigarette is named Jenkins. You can see a Martin Baker ejection out of an F8 behind them. Following that is a shot of the barracks and a T39. "We had Super Constellations, F8s and T39s until ’68 when they replaced the F8s with T33s and sent all 36 of the F8s to Nam."

Norton Commando Roadster

2008-03-02T14:51:00.000-08:00

Meet Bill Dixon and his 1974 Norton Commando Roadster, here parked outside the barracks. Bill was stationed at Glynco in 1974 taking an ETR class. He can tell you some stories about how he and his Norton met both State Police personnel off base, as well as SP personnel on base.

[photo: Bill Dixon]

Terry Tibolla

2008-03-02T14:34:00.000-08:00

Terry Tibolla was stationed at Glynco in 1969 and sent these pictures along. The first two show the barracks from the parking lot, and looking out the window. (The '58 Chevy with the for sale sign is his.) His vantage point from the barracks was almost the same as mine here. The third is the Chapel in the Pines. Thanks for sending these photos, Terry!

[photos:Terry Tibolla}

General Comments

2008-03-01T06:50:00.000-08:00

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