CAMP LEJEUNE- A large majority of personnel aboard base drive right by it every day, without thinking much about it. It is the location of the morning and evening colors ceremonies. It, of course, is Building 1, otherwise known as base headquarters.
The base commander’s office is located inside the building, along with base sergeant major. Many other Marines and civilians have offices inside the large building also, but the building holds much more than office spaces and Marines. It holds the authority of Marine Corps Installations East and houses the historic ghosts of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune’s past.
The base commanding general governs approximately 50,000 service members and civilians under his command from this building on a daily basis. He also provides support for an additional 90,000 military family members in the surrounding area.
The huge, brick building demands the attention of anyone driving by it, with its large flag pole out front, flanked by two cannons. The rich, green lawn is meticulously manicured to ensure the building exerts as much beauty as it does authority.
Anyone entering through the double doors in front comes face to face with a small statue of Gen. John A. Lejeune, encased in a glass box. Pictures of past commanders, old Camp Lejeune, and various other photographs of the surrounding area populate the walls of the structure, providing a visual history of a very different Marine-lifestyle of the 1940’s. An aged photograph of what Camp Lejeune used to look look like at that time can be located on the walls of the first floor as well. The traffic circle intersecting Holcomb Boulevard and McHugh Boulevard, base headquarters and W.P.T. Hill field across the street can be easily identified in the snapshot, with the rest of base looking vastly different from today.
On the second floor, a display of Gen. Lejeune’s awards and accolades offer a glimpse of his life to those who pass by it. Each base commander who served here also has their picture on the historic walls of the second floor.
The building itself, although being packed with an assortment of civilian and military offices, is almost silent in the green-carpeted hallways, offering a quiet serenity and serving reverence to the many generals and other important military figures who roamed the halls through its approximate 70-year history.
| Date Taken: |
06.28.2012 |
| Date Posted: |
06.28.2012 11:12 |
| Story ID: |
90767 |
| Location: |
CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: |
51 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
PUBLIC DOMAIN
This work, Base headquarters remains much more than a workplace, by Cpl Scott Whiting, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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