July 2016

We are currently in Lake George, NY, but I want to go back and post about a few more places we visited while we were in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State.

When we told my Dad, Ed Davis, that we were going to the Finger Lakes, he told us that he went to basic training for the Navy in the Finger Lakes.  Then another friend of ours, Bob Lewis, told us he went to the Air Force Base training in Sampson in the Finger Lakes.

We decided we had to check this out since we know 2 totally unrelated people that went to Sampson for basic training, one the Navy and one the Air Force.  There is now a Military Museum dedicated to both the Navy and the Air Force.  It is located in Sampson State Park.The drive into the park.The Museum.  The only building left of the whole training base.  This was the brig/stockade. The building is split in half, one side is dedicated to the Navy training base and the other side to the Air Force training base.The Navy used this location from 1942 – 1945.  The Air Force used this facility from 1950 -1956.There are beautiful statues.This is the courtyard of the brig.The training facility was named for William Thomas Sampson.There is only one of the these for the Air Force, not one for the Navy.I know the picture is small, but look at the one on the bottom, in the middle.  Look at how many men were here training. They trained over 400,000 men for the Navy to fight in World War II.These “boots” or leggings were worn until they completed their training.It was not easy.  The museum is filled with memorabilia. Almost everything has been donated.A pillow cover.There was a choir.Cooking SchoolCheck out the menu for Fourth of July. I am not sure who was still here, since everything printed, said it closed in 1945.  And there was no one to ask.And Barbers.  They also had a baseball team and a football team.It was a town with their own hospital, fire station, etc.The Commander.Check this out!! This is the biggest snow plow I have ever seen.On the front of this truck.That is some deep snow.  My father told me that when he came here is was 20 below zero and they made them sit on concrete blocks. That was cold!Training in boats and there were a lot of them.This is the marina today with a sea wall or maybe that is a lake wall.Nice boat launches. Cliff got to look through a telescope that went up through the roof.  You can look at the lake and the whole park from right here.Japan surrendered on the U.S.S Missouri on September 2, 1945, marking the close of WW II. This bronze plaque marked the spot on the Missouri where the surrender papers were signed. This was very cool to see.I would love to have seen the inside of this book.

Now off to the Air Force side.They have a very nice library.All of the different types of aircraft.This is such a great print.  The next frames are closer so that you, hopefully, can read it.  It explains what each of the 13 folds mean when the flag is folded after it is draped over a coffin.Did you know that at military funerals, the 21-gun salute stands for the sum of the numbers in the 1776? Did not know that!I loved this.A pillow cover.Hospital on the left and fire station upper right corner.They could send postcards to family.Ready for inspection.Wow.Eyes Right! I love this one.

At the end, they have a couple of cells and solitary confinement cells that you can tour.And a room full of photos of a lot of different ships.My father was from Pennsylvania. This was the U.S.S. Rocky Mount.  We thought this was interesting since my cousin Claire and her family live there, plus my Aunt Stevie is close in Nashville, NC and our new friends Rush and Lola are from Rocky Mount.The sailor on the left is from Mt.Juliet, TN.  I did not see my father’s picture on any of them and there was no one there to explain why there was a picture of certain people on each ship photo.

It was a beautiful visit and we are so glad we went.The farms on the way back to Waterloo were beautiful.The wheat in the foreground and the corn in the background.  We hope you enjoyed the tour.