Fort
Devens, January 2000
On January 10, 2000,
Jerry and I had the opportunity to visit Devens, which is the former Fort
Devens that all ASAer's remember with fondness. We thought we'd take
a few pictures to share with those who are wondering what Devens is like
today. Unfortunately, the day was a gloomy one, overcast and drizzly.
But a few of the pictures we took came out and we'd like to share them
with you here.
We came in at Jackson Gate, which is still
there but is now un-manned. We took the road going past the old barracks.
It was a sad sight. All of the buildings were in disrepair, some
missing windows and a few missing doors. However, these were built
as temporary housing and really weren't expected to last as long as they
have.
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We drove around a bit and came to my old
company - "G". I lived here from November 73 until July 74.
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Here is a sight we saw often. Empty
buildings; grass growing in parking lots. This is the PX.
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The Chapel where Jerry and I were married
is now empty. We peered into the windows in the front door and saw
a bare space of floor, with no pews and no altar. The pictures are
still there on the walls, but other than that the building was virtually
empty.
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Not all the buildings were unused, however.
Here is the old school building we marched down to learn all about dits.
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Here is another shot of the old barracks,
taken from the parking lot at the "hotel", which is now being used as a
school.
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Most ASAers
are now aware that Fort Devens was closed down as a Military Installation.
However, some buildings are still being used as headquarters for reservists
and there is a federal prison hospital, complete with barbed wire fencing.
There are a couple of small businesses using various buildings, including
the old snack bar building. There is a pub near one of the old theaters.
All of the chapels are closed and empty of pews. A new building is
being built for a pharmecuitical company, too. The motor pools are
being used, housing some familiar and some not so familiar vehicles.
All of the Officer Housing units are empty. The BAQ and BOQ share
a building. So many buildings were empty. We drove away from
Devens feeling glad that we had been there and very sad that it wasn't
being used to its fullest capacity. We both hope that changes in
the future.