A Military City
During World War II (1941-1945) the US Army occupied Fort Macon once again for military defense. Although some soldiers lived and worked inside the fort itself, the area outside the fort once again came to life as a small military city, much like it had been in the 19th century.
Barracks buildings, mess halls, latrine buildings, recreation buildings, mechanic shops, workshops, warehouses and roads were built by the army to support the troops. In doing this, however, the character and appearance of the land surrounding the fort was changed forever. The army pumped in sand to fill the marshes and low-lying areas north of the fort, and raised the elevation north and west of the fort with sand and clay to create suitable new land on which to build its barracks and support buildings. After the end of the war, all the buildings were removed, and Fort Macon State Park reopened to the public.
(captions)
(upper left) Interior of a soldier barracks buildings outside Fort Macon.
(upper center) Aerial view of Fort Macon looking northeast about 1943.
(upper right) Looking northward from Fort Macon in 1943 shows the military city that existed outside the fort during World War II.
(lower right) Aerial view of Fort Macon in January 1945 showing wartime army buildings erected outside the fort.
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