Nope, the NAS is gone. The North side is now Millington regional airport. The South side is part of the Naval Bureau of Personnel. All of the barracks on South side look torn down, except for 453, 454, and 238. They're probably offices or something.
I tried to post an image from this site, but it won't open in a new window. Click on the above link, and then fiddle with the compass headings and zoom. Use the airfield as a landmark, then go due south across Navy Road. You should be able to pick out the A-5 Vigilante in front of the chow hall. The 400's barracks were in that open space just to the right of the jet.
Was in Memphis 90-93 for ATC school and duty station. (Was in USMCR) The schools are gone now it is more of a Naval Support Base. The airfield was given to the city of Millington. It was a decent place to go for school but I am from the area already and could think of much better places to be.
I had some friend's graduate from crash crew school and we had a party at the Peabody, and kept tipping the bell hop with Boilermakers he did not last his shift was last seen passed out in the elevator. I stoped by there with my wife about 5 years ago for lunch and the hotel was re vamped pretty nice. I also have a friend that was a B-24 pilot in WWII and said that they partied there also back then a lot of people with a lot of diffirent stories have passed through those training commands.
What were their names, and what was the year? I'm a member of the USMC AFFR Association, and have many friends of all ages, even up to WW2 vets.
I remember the Peabody having been there, but never went there. I did have a car there, so my buds would feed me all night if I drove them to drinkin'.
If we ventured in to Memphis proper, we usually went to Overton Square and Beale Street.
That would have been late 1961 0r early 1962. The only name I can think of is Penninger his first name could have been Rich also I'm not sure of the spelling of his last name I also remember Pinegar maybe a nick name. See if you have the name Jim Reid on your list he joined in 59 or 60 He was at New River a short time, made corporal twice under two years and did two tours in Japan in his 4 years in crash crew. I was not in crash crew, I went to a/c structural repair school at millington. S/F
I was in Memphis from the above dates and loved it. I was at AE school and lived in bks 411 on 2nd deck. I loved it there and would go back in a heartbeat, but the sorry sob's in the navy closed it for us aviation guys. Talk to you all soon. Im still in and aGYSGT in a f/a-18 squadron.
NAS Memphis schools were moved to Pensacola FL and it was a sad day to see all this go away, I was one of the last ones to leave after helping shutdown the last A-4 squadron that was on the north side. The commissary is still there along with the Clinic. Most of the buildings are gone and housing, the gas station was torn down and a new one was built by the South gate near Paul Barrett Parkway. I went through Hydraulics School from March 70 to Aug 70 and went back there on Nov 10 1991 to 1994. Semper Fi Marines MGySgt Auger
Stretch visited that place a couple of times myself, never tried out the tommy gun but i did fire the UZI they had there, full auto, cut a paper target in half. AE man yeah I was there from Mar 92-Sept 92, hitting Mongos, 6-1-6, and century 21
I stopped by Top Brass today. Just lingered about and checked a few prices on ammoetc. They still have a few handguns to rent ,The biggest thing I heard was that the base security is going to Wakenhut or wackenhut. The security folks would stop by and practice and leave the ammo can or cans for the range,that was why I stopped to ask about .50 cal cans I do not know what is left up there on the base any more. Since the 11 sept o1 attacks I cannot get on the military side,stii very pretty up there. Good and bad memories of that time. the range master guy was hard to warm up and I do go shooting there occasionally but prolly not enough to be remembered. didnt git to see much but the Fl. hurricane sent a bunch of folks up here and the news was talking of how full all the hotels were. Seems the mlitary retains rights of some type during emergencies.Hope this was not a hijack of topic. I missed so much while in the military while right in the middle of it.
I decided to join my wife on her 4 day trip to Memphis for a seminar with her company. Hadn't been here in 8 years, so I thought I would swing by the base.
Unfortunately, NSA Millington is no longer open to the public and I could ot get access to the southside of the base. I did, however, get onto the north side of the base as, like it was posted earlier, has been made into a regional airport and the local Millington Police Headquarters. I took some photos and will post them when I return to Austin.
Man, I remember Millington crawling with military personnel and now it's very quiet. The personnel bridge that joins the north and south side of the base and goes over Navy Road is still functional, but they have installed those "flightline access" gates where you have to use your ID to gain entrance. Navy Lodge is still open, but looks very run down now with it's poorly maintained landscaping. On the flipside of things, the golf course is absolutely beautiful and the ponds still have the beautiful fountains in the middle. Glad to see they are keeping the retirees happy. I could not see the Hilton Hotel barracks, but the chow hall was in plain view. Brought back a lot of memories being on that side of the base. The gym in the big white hangar looking building is still open. The movie theatre building has now been turned into a Navy Conference Center.
For the life of me, I could not find Millington's landmark property, Brass Rail! I remember it being right off Navy Road, am I right? I drove all through the little town and didn't see it anywhere. Also, did you know that the Mall of Memphis has closed? That was a sad looking mall when I was here in '96 and had a reputation for murders. Glad it's gone come to think of it. We are staying off of Poplar Avenue here in Germantown and this area is just a beautiful as ever. I forgot about the 30 foot trees and rolling green hills.
Quite a bit of nostalgic memories in Millington. It's a shame no aviation Marines or Sailors will get to experience this place.
I just drove through Memphis a few months ago, the base is still there but the personnel have decreased. As I understand, they don't have the air wing schools there anymore.
Silky Sullivans is still on Beale St...but the majority of that area is really commercialized. They have a new stadium and a hard rock.
We use to hang out at Chelsey Street at the mall...it had a huge glass window where you could watch people ice skate.
Took a Marine to the airport the night of my first Marine Corps Birthday...on the street of the main gate, we picked-up a Marine crawling back towards base in his dress blues...we did finally get what barracks he lived at out of him...lol, the duty at his barracks gathered up a few Marines to get him out of my car and carry him in.
