World’s Largest Marine Bases
One of fhein is located at l\’cw River
and the other at Cherry Point. It
is at these places that the Marines
get their training for every type of
fighting.
By GERTRUDE
North Carolinians have
every reason to be proud of the
Marine Barracks at New River
and the Marine Air Station at Cherry
Point, in the opinion of Capt.
С.
II.
Cotter, of Norfolk, for a year naval
oflicer in charge of construction at
both bases, under his supervision as
Public Works Officer for the 'Fifth
Naval District. Recently lie lias as¬
sumed duties as Superintending Civil
Engineer for the Navy in the Middle
Atlantic Area.
The two bases constitute the largest
and most modern Marine Corps sta¬
tions in i lie world. There the tough
“Soldiers of the Sea,” already re¬
nowned for their heroic stands on
Wake and Midway islands, are trained
in every type of fighting.
Both mammoth construction jolis
are being splendidly accomplished
under difficult circumstances by
North Carolina engineers, architects,
contractors and North Carolina la¬
borers, Captain Cotter points out.
Because many of the laborers are lo¬
cated in distant rural sections, their
transportation is particularly diffi¬
cult and stops are being taken to ob¬
tain a number of busses to help the
Navy bus fleet now taking civilian em¬
ployees to and from New River. Most
of the several thousand workers at
each site draw extra pay each week
for overtime work. To rush comple¬
tion. night shifts were added some
months ago at Cherry Point.
Three Charlotte firms hold the
general contracts for about $50,000,-
000 work at New River. These are
Blythe Brothers Company, which is
handling the road, water and sewer
jobs; Goode Construction Company,
which has charge of the building; and
Ilarrison-Wright Company, which di¬
rects the electrical work.
George W. Kane of Durham, whose
organization was taken in by the gen¬
eral contractors, directs the low-cost
housing project,
а
$5,000,000 am¬
phibian base, rifle range and addi¬
tional Tent City housing; and Rowe
and Coward, of Durham, have charge
CARRAWAY
Lieut. Comdr. Madison Nichols, naval
officer in charge of construction work
on the Marine Barracks at New
River. He recently went on another
project and has been succeeded by
Lieut. Comdr. Williams.
of plumbing, heating, and mechanical
work.
For Cherry Point the contracts are
held bv T. A. Loving Company and
Associates, composed of the following
North Carolina firms: T. A. Loving
Company, of Goldsboro, general build¬
ing and supervision; Ncllo L. Teer,
Mecklenburg Construction Company,
and Central Engineering and Con¬
tracting Corporation, all of Durham,
clearing and drainage; A. II. Onion
and Company, of Charlotte, sewerage
and water systems; West Construc¬
tion Company, of Kinston, paving;
Thompson Electrical Company, of
Raleigh. electri<*il work; and Albe-
This article cleared by Public
Relations Office, Fifth Naval
District, Naval Operating Base,
Norfolk.
marie Plumbing and Heating Com¬
pany, of Albemarle, plumbing and
heating.
George Watts Carr, of Durham, and
the J. E. Greiner Company, of Balti¬
more, have the contract for architec¬
tural and engineering planning at
New River. W. C. Olsen and Wm. H.
Deitrick, of Raleigh, and Geo. Watts
Carr, of Durham, and the J. E.
Greiner Company of Baltimore have
the contract for engineering and
architectural planning at Cherry
Point.
Early Colonial architecture, appro¬
priately selected for eastern North
Carolina, is used in simplified and
modified design for the brick build¬
ings at both New River and Cherry
Point. Both are being built as perma¬
nent cantonments.
Electrical extensions are being made
for the two posts by the Jones- Onslow
Electric Membership Corporation.
The Tidewater Power Company is
also furnishing electric current. Tele¬
phone service is provided by thp Car¬
olina Telephone and Telegraph Com¬
pany. Other utility, transportation,
health and business organizations of
thp area are assisting with other
phases of work.
Carolina materials and products
aro being used as much as possible,
including thousands of tons of shell-
rock from the first machine mine east
of Raleigh, at Belgrade, where the
Superior Stone Company of Raleigh
started operations June 16, 1941. and
where already more than 1.000.000
tons of limestone have been excavated
and shipped to the naval construction
projects.
To give n further Carolina flavor
to the Marine bases, the training cen¬
ter at New River is being directed
by two Carolinians: Brig. Gen. Allen
Hal Tumage, native of Farmville, son
of a Farmville resident and Alumnus
of The University of North Caro¬
lina, who is commanding officer of the
Fleet Marine Foree units at the Ma¬
rine Barracks; and Col. Samuel A.
Woods, dr., native of Darlington,
S. C., resident of New Bern, brother
of two Charlotte women, and gradu¬
ate of The Citadel at Charleston, who
is executive officer of the training cen¬
ter.
Both the area along the New River
and the region on the Xcuse River,
included respectively in these two
reservations have been completely
(Continued on page tuientg-two )
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