Tried and True: Navy Newport bids May 24, 2018 Edition farewell to an historic landmark INSIDE THIS EDITION CO’S CORNER NUWC HOSTS DIGNITARY COMMANDANT OF USCG VISITS NWC SPECIAL MEMORIAL DAY EVENTS SECTION Inside this issue: CO’s Corner 2 Around the Station 3-6 Renovating and repurposing facilities to keep pace with the ever changing Memorial Day 7-8 needs of the Navy are some of the tools public works uses to save taxpayer dol- Meat & Potatoes of Life 9 lars, but there comes a time in every buildings’ life where the costs of reno- vation exceed the cost of building new. Morale, Welfare & Rec. 10 When the building is over 120 years old; is situated on the shoreline of Nar- of the bricks and steel being diverted to Now Hear This 11 ragansett Bay where sea erosion and companies that will ultimately recycle winds have been pummeling the façade; it. Traffic & Commuting 12 was built with materials no longer con- Driving around Coasters’ Harbor Is- sidered safe (asbestos, lead paint) then land you will pass by many historical the decision to demolish may not be a buildings, which is not surprising on an Hot Jobs 13 difficult one from an engineering stand- installation that is 138 years old. The point but it always will be from a senti- flag cabin is one of the most visible. Around the Fleet 14-16 mental and historical standpoint. Situated on the southern tip of the in- Such is the fate of old building 18, stallation, easily seen from the Newport commonly referred to as the flag cabin, Pell Bridge and a mere 100 feet from Around the Island 17-18 where demolition got underway Tues- the Officer’s Club and Marina, its’ ab- day morning and will continue over the sence will be noticeable. next couple of weeks with the majority (continued on page 3) 1 CO’S CORNER... Summer is unofficially here – stay safe Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of on making the O’Club part summer but if you tried to get to Ft. Adams over the of your routine. past ten days you would know that things have already The Battle of Midway begun heating up with tourism and events here in New- will be commemorated port. The Volvo Ocean Racing Yachts were in town June 8 at the Naval War from May 8-20 and were a spectacular sight to see sail- College (NWC) Museum ing out in the Bay. They were berthed out at Ft. Ad- with a special lecture by ams, which will continue to be a hub of activity now Dr. David Kohnen, Direc- through Labor Day. tor, John. B. Hattendorf There is so much to see and do here in Rhode Island Center for Maritime His- and around New England. I encourage all of you to torical Research and Exec- take full advantage of what this area has to offer and utive Director of the NWC Capt. Ian Johnson know from experience that there is something for eve- Museum. The lecture will Commanding Officer ryone. From the Newport Flower Show be held on the second floor Naval Station Newport (www.discovernewport.org) to the Jazz Festival; Save of the NWC Museum and the Bay Swim across Narragansett Bay to Water Fire will be open to anyone with routine installation access events in Providence (www.visitrhodeisland.com), you (exact time still to be determined as of this publication). don’t even have to leave our little state! I do strongly May and June are months filled with graduation cer- suggest you plan ahead because there will be the usual emonies, and NS Newport is no exception. On May 11 crowds of tourists arriving to visit the spectacular man- we celebrated the accomplishments of 224 Naval Acad- sions, or just relax at some of the best beaches in the emy Midshipmen candidates and U.S. Coast Guard state--and Naval Station Newport is in the center of it Academy Cadet candidates as they finished up their all! year of intensive academic, military, and physical chal- In addition to hundreds of events scheduled off the lenges and headed into summer to make final prepara- base, we have on-base activities taking place through- tions for academy life. On June 15, the base will be a out the summer. Morale, Welfare and Recreation hive of activity as roughly 550 members of the Navy, (MWR) will be holding their Bike Rodeo on June 2. Marine Corps, Army, Air Force and Coast Guard, as There will be bike and helmet safety inspections, bike well as international officers and federal government skills classes and an obstacle course set up. Remember, employees accept their diplomas from the Naval War wear your helmet! Don’t have a bike? MWR has College on historic Dewey Field. These two gradua- mountain bikes to rent and tons of other outdoor equip- tions are by far our largest, but we also celebrate thou- ment including everything you need for camping, trail- sands of other students who successfully complete their ers, party supplies, tools, lawn equipment and sporting training at other commands and schools including the gear…all available at the Outdoor Recreation Center Naval Justice School, Surface Warfare Officers School, located in the Seaview Lanes Bowling Center, they can Officer Training Command, Marine Corps Detach- be reached at 841-2568. ment’s Aviation Logistics Training, Navy Supply For you boaters, make time to stop in the marina of- Corps School, Senior Enlisted Academy and Naval fice and find out about the boat rentals (power, sailing, Leadership and Ethics Center. All of these schools kayak, canoe) and classes offered. Narragansett Bay is combine to make Naval Station Newport the Navy’s world renowned for sailing and is best enjoyed out on Center of Learning Excellence. the water. Get back from a day on the bay and enjoy I encourage all of you to take full advantage of your the Officers’ Club. We have the best Officers’ Club in time here in Newport by participating in these and other the Navy. The million dollar views, great food, and events. We live and serve in one of the most historic good entertainment make it the place to be. The deck areas in our country, one with no shortage of natural opens soon, and there will be live entertainment every and manmade wonders. Be safe, represent our Navy Friday and Saturday beginning next weekend so plan well, and enjoy your time in Newport. NAVSTA Newport Public Affairs Office Follow us on twitter @NAVSTANEWPORTRI Office# 841-3538 Base Condition Line: 841-2211 E-Mail: Operational and Exercise Impacts are often [email protected] communicated to the public first using the installation Capt. Ian L. Johnson, Commanding Officer Facebook Page—’like’ us at: www.facebook.com/ Lisa Rama, Public Affairs Officer NAVSTANewport to stay informed! 2 AROUND THE STATION… Photo on right was taken in February, 1944 and shows the WAVES barracks, which was build- ing 88 on the far left side of the photo (demolished years ago) and building 18 which was used as a mess hall and galley for the WAVES. Left photo: The two Flag Cabins for use by distinguished visiting academics and dignitaries were dedicated on the upper floors of Building 18, to the east of the Officers Club. Vice Admiral Stansfield Turner, Mrs. Patricia Turner, and Secretary of the Navy John Warner, the first occupant of the facility, cut the ribbon to mark the occasion Dec. 6, 1973. NWC Museum Collection photos The Navy’s history on Coasters’ Harbor Island dates back to 1883 with the establishment of the Naval Training Station. This was fol- lowed by the establishment of the Naval War College in 1884 with the college starting out in the former Newport Asylum for the Poor, built in 1822. Old building 18, a two story brick and steel frame building with a two story octagonal tower, was erected around 1895 and was con- structed as a general storehouse for the grow- ing Naval War College and training station. The primary purpose of the building changed over the years, with its most recent use as a marina office and flag cabins. The building functioned as a general store- house until World War II when it underwent a number of changes in use after that time, in- cluding as a mess, a recreational building, as Capt. Ian Johnson, Commanding Officer of Naval Station New- an administration, training and communica- port (right) and Cmdr. Jeremy Adams, Public Works Officer tion officers and later as the flag cabins for Newport, visit the job site prior to the start of demolition on naval officers. John Warner, then Secretary of Tuesday. Environmental remediation crews had worked inside the Navy, actually helped cut the ribbon offi- the building for months prior to the actual structural demolition cially dedicating the flag cabins in 1973 (even that took place this week. Photo by NS Public Affairs though records of occupants staying in the cabins go back to 1969). “Those were the sites for wonderful evenings with the top visiting academics during the Turner years, (Vice Adm. Stansfield Turner, President of the Naval War College, 1972-1974). Later, one of the cabins was used as a quiet retreat for one of the SECDEF’s,” said Professor John Hattendorf, D.Litt., Professor Emeritus, John B. Hat- tendorf Center for Maritime Historical Research, Naval War College, while reminiscing on the building. (cont.) 3 AROUND THE STATION… The guest registry for the cabins, in use for senior flag officers and VIP visits for over three decades, reads like a “who’s who” in Naval History since the 70’s.