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 latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Ocracoke's Agnes Scott, direct descendant of Agnes Scott for whom the women's college in Decatur, Georgia is named. You can read the Newsletter here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062114.htm.
I can understand efforts to educate people about this chapter in our history. But to spend money on restoring the buildings when limited resources of Federal dollars exists..... If a dedicated group were to lobby, better yet form as a 529C (?) (is that the tax deductible org #) to raise money to pay for web site creation that anyone can visit, computer graphics these days, some Boy Scout looking for an Eagle project could create the virtual tour and incorporate news footage the sky is the limit --- oh, now the internet and crowd sourcing a web based fund raising method could generate seed money in a blink of an eye from like thinking folks to allow for such a thing.
ReplyDeleteinteresting place. too bad it's all in ruin. not much left to build on. something in the ocracoke museum would be nice. it's all lost in history now. if you had not brought this place up not many people would have known about it. thank you. the Millers
ReplyDeleteWe walked back there today. Despite your kind warning about the assault cactus, we were both claimed as victims.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that the government thought enough of the concrete boxes to affix the standard US PROPERTY sign out there while doing nothing to actually preserve anything.