Armybrat
01-13-2016, 09:21 AM
Recently I was browsing in a LGS and came across several police trade-in S&W Model 65 revolvers from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Seeing them triggered some 65 year old memories of part of my childhood spent living there:
Being a military brat, most of the houses we lived in are now long gone. My favorite place where we were stationed was Fort Brooke, which formerly occupied the now National Park Site of El Morro Fortress in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico during the early 1950s.
Our US Army officers' quarters were located in the upper left of this pic - the faint track of our street is barely visible between the long low structure (near top center) and the grand E-shaped building (upper left). The "modern" US built family housing was demolished when Fort Brooke was deactivated 50 years ago and the place was turned over to the Park Service. The old main fort, which was "my" playground was constructed starting in 1539. The lighthouse was built in 1898 after the US took over the place as spoils of the Spanish-American War.
So many childhood memories (1950-54) from that place - especially playing pirates in the real dungeons that had dates from the 16th & 17th centuries scratched into the cell walls, along with some beautifully intricate pictures of sailing ships & galleons. It was a kid's paradise - and the real thing. Always wondered who was imprisoned there, for how long, and what miseries they endured.
http://www.bestinshowdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/EL-MORRO-FORT-SAN-JUAN-PR.jpg
Roughly half the green space above served as a 9 hole golf course for the Army personnel during the Fort Brooke days. One of the holes (a "dog-leg") was actually in the old moat - the tee was at the bottom left in this pic, and the golfer had to hit the ball blindly over the bridge to a sand "green" which wasn't visible - so the caddy would perch on the bridge by the little sentry box to point to the cup flag.
My older brother made a hole in one there in 1952. The commanding general's wife painted a water color scene - including the caddy waving his arms - of brother making that shot (it hangs on the wall of his study nowadays).
http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/2-el-morro-fortress-old-san-juan-thomas-r-fletcher.jpg
Being a military brat, most of the houses we lived in are now long gone. My favorite place where we were stationed was Fort Brooke, which formerly occupied the now National Park Site of El Morro Fortress in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico during the early 1950s.
Our US Army officers' quarters were located in the upper left of this pic - the faint track of our street is barely visible between the long low structure (near top center) and the grand E-shaped building (upper left). The "modern" US built family housing was demolished when Fort Brooke was deactivated 50 years ago and the place was turned over to the Park Service. The old main fort, which was "my" playground was constructed starting in 1539. The lighthouse was built in 1898 after the US took over the place as spoils of the Spanish-American War.
So many childhood memories (1950-54) from that place - especially playing pirates in the real dungeons that had dates from the 16th & 17th centuries scratched into the cell walls, along with some beautifully intricate pictures of sailing ships & galleons. It was a kid's paradise - and the real thing. Always wondered who was imprisoned there, for how long, and what miseries they endured.
http://www.bestinshowdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/EL-MORRO-FORT-SAN-JUAN-PR.jpg
Roughly half the green space above served as a 9 hole golf course for the Army personnel during the Fort Brooke days. One of the holes (a "dog-leg") was actually in the old moat - the tee was at the bottom left in this pic, and the golfer had to hit the ball blindly over the bridge to a sand "green" which wasn't visible - so the caddy would perch on the bridge by the little sentry box to point to the cup flag.
My older brother made a hole in one there in 1952. The commanding general's wife painted a water color scene - including the caddy waving his arms - of brother making that shot (it hangs on the wall of his study nowadays).
http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/2-el-morro-fortress-old-san-juan-thomas-r-fletcher.jpg