Ocracoke Island played a significant role in World War II. German U-boats attacked and sank dozens of US merchant vessels off shore...and the Navy constructed a sizable military base here in 1942, part of the Navy's successful effort to thwart further submarine attacks.
Many people know about the main base, located where the NPS Visitors Center is today. Fewer are aware of the installation on Loop Shack Hill, where the Navy monitored an underwater anti-submarine magnetic cable and maintained sensitive communications with other military installations. Many islanders believe the Park Service should recognize these historic structures, which today are merely ruins.
Below are some recent photos of the remaining structures.
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| The Base of the Loop Shack |
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| Remnants of a Communications Tower |
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| A Communications Building? |
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| Concrete Foundations |
Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is an account of Infant & Childhood Mortality on Ocracoke. You can read it here:
http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news072113.htm.
NPS will no doubt cite a lack of funds.Therefore a commercial sponsorship may be needed to raise the funds for a program to save the area. If the people that benefit from loop holes were made aware of this situation perhaps they would step up to the plate. To encourage and interest children the Fruit Loop cereal brand could develop a campaign with educational snippets regarding the historical Loop Shack on the back of boxes of cereal. In closing, perhaps all the crab shack restaurants that dot the coast could help. A catchy phrase is needed or a song, for example, a shake for the shack. now, this may be misconstrued as an anagram but I was running out of ideas. The money you spend on a milk shake would be instead donated to this 503C non profit organization . or a milkshake seller would donate a portion of the cost of a milk shake to fund the efforts. Hope this Helps Amy Farafowler.
ReplyDeleteWhen you say a sizable base what does that mean..500 men,1000 men? 25 ships,200 ships..I am not being smart, I really want to know. Thanks
ReplyDeleteI have always heard that 500-600 men were stationed on Ocracoke. I will gather some photos of the Navy base to post on the blog sometime in the future. I do not know how many vessels were associated with the base.
DeleteThis sounds like an important set of remains. I read something a while back that the Navy STILL will not even acknowledge, for the record, that they even had a wwii presence on Ocracoke...after all this time. It makes no sense.
ReplyDeletePhillip - where on the island is Loop Shack Hill? I have missed it during my visits. Is it near the jumper monument? Also is there any publication you can recommend that details Ocracoke during WWII? Seems it was a pivitol point in the history of Ocracoke. Apparently at Poyners Hill near Corolla there were also magnetic indicator listening devices employed. Very interesting. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe Beach Jumpers marker is at the base of Loop Shack Hill. I recommend Earl O'Neal's "Ocracoke Island, Its People, the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy Base During World War II" and Kevin P. Duffus' "War Zone, World War II off the North Carolina Coast" (especially chapter 20). I believe both books are available at the Ocracoke Preservation Society museum & gift shop, and maybe at the National Park Service's Visitors Center.
DeleteTHX philip
DeleteOh my, now buildings left in ruins by the Military for locals to treasure. You need to get Goop blogger Gwyneth Paltrow to visit perhaps the Loop Shacks will speak to her as the Red Rocks did so out West. She has the answers to the unasked questions.
ReplyDeleteDid you say Beach Jumpers?? there you have it someone, a Debbie Downer Trashtalker (DDT) perhaps, could organize a fundraiser-- a jump-a-thon. participates gather pledges from donors. Jump-a-thon participates gather to jump rope in a fun event to raise awareness of the plight of the loop Shack hill buildings. Maybe Radio Shack would contribute money from what I gather RS is owned by Warren Buffett. Hope this helps. Amy Farafowler.
ReplyDelete