PHOTOGRAPHS
WRITTEN HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE DATA
HABS GA-2392-FHABS GA-2392-F
FORT BENNING, INFANTRY HALL(Building No. 4)(Academic Building)(School Building)North side of Karker Street between Chesney and Holtz StreetsFort Benning Military ReservationChattahoochee CountyGeorgia
HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEYSOUTHEAST REGIONAL OFFICE
National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the Interior
100 Alabama St. NWAtlanta, GA 30303
HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY
Fort Benning, Infantry Hall
(Building No. 4, Academic Building, School Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F
Location: Infantry Hall, Building No. 4, is located on
the north side of Karker Street, north west
of the intersection of Edwards Street and
Eckle Street within the Fort Benning
Military Reservation, Chattahoochee County,
Georgia.
1955 (revised 1993) USGS 7.5’ Fort Benning
Georgia- Alabama topographic quadrangle
Universal Transverse Mercator Coordinates:
(NAD83) E691119 N3581307
Present Owner: Fort Benning Military Reservation, U.S.
Army.
Present Occupant: The United States Army Infantry School,
Garrison Commander Fort Benning, Donovan
Technical Library, and associated support
commands and functions.
Present Use: The United States Army Infantry School,
Garrison Commander Fort Benning, Donovan
Technical Library, and associated support
commands and functions.
Significance: Infantry Hall, Building No. 4; the entry
landscape that includes the 100’ flagpole,
Facility No. M9799; the statue The
Infantryman/Follow Me; the semicircle of
flagpoles used to display state flags; as
well as York Field are eligible for the
National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)
under Criterion Consideration G and Criteria
A and C.
PART 1. HISTORICAL INFORMATION
A. Physical History:
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 2)
1. Date of erection: 1964. Fort Benning Real Property
Records (Directorate of Public Works nd1) indicate
this date as well as the installation newspaper, The
Bayonet, the local Columbus, Georgia, newspaper, The
Columbus Enquirer, and numerous military publications
such as Infantry Magazine (September-October 1964:33-
35) which covered the story of the building’s opening.
Construction was begun in 1962 and the building, then
simply called the Academic or School Building, was
accepted in April 1964 (The Bayonet May 1, 1964:1).
2. Architect: Abreu [Francis Louis Abreu 1896-1969] &
Robeson [James Lee Robeson 1905-1991], Architects and
Engineers Brunswick and Atlanta, Georgia.
Francis Louis Abreu, the son of Diego and Marie Jova
Abreu, was born December 3, 1896, at Dannskammer his
maternal grandparents’ estate on the Hudson River near
Newburgh, New York. His grandparents, Mr. and Mrs.
Juan Jacinto Jova, were wealthy Spanish nationals who
owned Jova Brickworks in Newburgh. His father, a
Cuban educated in Spain, owned a Cuban sugar
plantation as well as property in Newburgh. Francis
divided his childhood between Dannskammer and his
father’s plantation in Cuba (Rathbun 1982; Piland et
al. 1997).
Abreu attended the Newburg Free Academy and in 1916
enrolled in Cornell. He interrupted his education to
serve in the U.S. Navy during World War I returning to
Cornell in 1919 and graduating in 1921 (American
Institute of Architects [AIA] January 7, 1942A; Piland
et al. 1997). During his youth, Abreu traveled
extensively to such places as Cuba, South America,
England, and several other European countries (AIA
January 7, 1942A).
Immediately upon graduation and until 1923, Abreu
began working for Arnold W. Brunner, Quartermaster
Corps, United States Military Academy, West Point,
which is located immediately south of Newburgh on the
Hudson River. The 1920s was a period of expansion for
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 3)
West Point, and Brunner was involved in the creation
of Washington Hall (HABS No. NY-5780-44) and probably
Michie Stadium, both signature buildings at the school
(Nolte and Cinquino 1999). After this initial work,
Abreu began a successful career creating Mediterranean
and Spanish Colonial Revival style residences and
buildings in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where his
parents and grandparents had recently moved.
Because of Abreu’s early, expansive, and extensive
work in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, there has been much
speculation as to his earliest work experience in that
state. Family tradition holds that initially he
worked for the legendary Florida real estate developer
Joseph Young at Hollywood-by-the-Sea, a residential
community developed by Young’s company Hollywood Land
and Water Company that employed its own engineers,
architects, and other technicians (Piland et al.
1997). It has also been theorized that Abreu worked
with another Florida legend, Addison Mizner, south
Florida’s most famous boom time architect (Rathbun
1982). While many are quick to associate Abreu with
Young and Mizner, he did work with two less well known
but very influential architectural groups. Abreu’s
American Institute of Architects (AIA) records
indicate that he was a Draftsman in the office of
Harvey & Clarke, West Palm Beach, in 1923 and in the
office of William Manley King, West Palm Beach, in
1924. Then in 1924, he began his own practice without
a partner (AIA January 7, 1942A; AIA May 7, 1946).
Henry Stephen Harvey and L. Phillip Clarke of West
Palm Beach are considered the most sought after
Florida commercial architects of the 1920s. They
designed 35 depots for the Seaboard Air Line railroad
company in Florida (Palm Beach Preservation Foundation
2008; State of Florida 2008). William Manley King
worked in Palm Beach from 1920 to 1962 originally
designing high-end residences primarily in
Mediterranean, Moorish, and Spanish Colonial Revival
styles (Florida Historic Homes 2008). Abreu worked
with these individuals gaining experience in the
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 4)
Florida market and in 1924 received a commission from
his grandfather, Juan Jacinto Jova, to design a beach
house at Alhambra Street, now Highway A1A (Rathbun
1982). This house in the Spanish Colonial Revival
style was the first of many residences he would design
in the area.
He next began designing residences for his mother’s
friends who needed winter homes and as his reputation
grew he no longer needed his family connections.
Abreu also began to expand into commercial and public
buildings such as cafes, hotels, schools, pools, post
offices, and office buildings (The Abreu Charitable
Trust 2007; Genealogy Society of Broward County [GSBC]
Florida 2007). Unfortunately, as Abreu’s star began to
rise, the Florida building boom began to burst as a
result of a series of hurricanes and bad economic
decisions. He would have to expand his practice out
of the state.
Far less information is known about James Lee Robeson.
Robeson was born January 9, 1905, in Willington, North
Carolina where he attended New Hanover High School.
He attended the Georgia School of Technology (Georgia
Tech) and graduated in 1926. From 1921-1924 he was a
Draftsman with Lynch & Ford, Wilmington, North
Carolina, presumably during the summer months; from
1924-1926 he was a Draftsman for L. McD. Hicks,
Florence South Carolina, and from 1926-1929 he was a
Draftsman for Edwards and Sayward, Atlanta, Georgia
(AIA January 7, 1942B; AIA May 7, 1946).
William A. Edwards and William J. Sayward, the
partners of Edwards and Sayward, formed one of the
leading Atlanta architectural firms between 1912 and
1932. The firm specialized in educational buildings
although it undertook a wide variety of projects
including “University Homes” Atlanta’s second great
slum clearing project in the 1920s. Edwards and
Sayward also designed a number of commercial
buildings, especially banks (Atlanta.Org 2008).
Robeson was with this firm when he met Abreu.
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 5)
In 1928, Abreu was hired to design parts of the famous
Cloister Hotel on Sea Island, Georgia, where he had
also designed numerous houses including that of
playwright Eugene O’Neil. While on Sea Island, he met
James Robeson who was still a Draftsman with the
influential firm of Edwards and Sayward, and they
formed the partnership of Abreu & Robeson in 1929
working out of Atlanta and Brunswick, Georgia (The
Abreu Charitable Trust 2007). Once again, Abreu, now
with a partner, was faced with another economic down-
turn, the great Depression. However, the two
weathered the storm, and stayed in the partnership
until their deaths.
In 1946, Abreu & Robeson completed a questionnaire for
the architect’s roster of firms and individuals
qualified for Federal Public Works that provides a
small glimpse into the type of public work the
partners had been doing (AIA May 7, 1946). When asked
to list their single largest job competed between the
years 1930 -1940, they listed, “low cost housing -
USHA [United States Housing Authority] – Brunswick,
Ga. -$678,000.” All jobs completed during that ten
year period were valued at $9,150,000 with an annual
average of $915,000. The partners were doing quite
well in spite of the Depression.
Between the years 1941-1946, during World War II, the
single largest job they completed was, “War Housing –
Brunswick- $3,167,000.” All jobs completed during
that period were valued at $20,500,000 and the annual
average was $4,100,000. When asked for current jobs
under construction in 1946 or in authorized working
drawings, the largest single job was listed as, “St.
Joseph’s Infirmary, Atlanta, Ga. - $1, 500, 000,” and
total jobs were valued at $3,000,000 (AIA May 7,
1946). The partners were also asked to break projects
into designated cost categories and list the owners.
Abreu and Robeson’s owner list was composed primarily
of public agencies, as befitted the questionnaire that
included: the Federal Public Housing Authority
(FPHA), the Public Buildings Administration (PBA),
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 6)
Federal Works Agency (FWA), the USHA, and one private
agency, the Goldsmith D. and Mary B. Johnes Home for
Aged Couples, Newburgh, New York.
The Mediterranean, Moorish and Spanish Colonial
Revival style grand houses of the past no longer
played a role in the partnership. Public buildings in
contemporary styles, especially the International
style, became the firm’s staple. Nevertheless, in
1953, they designed the Dura Apartments, public
housing in Plains, Georgia, where Jimmy Carter, later
President Jimmy Carter, and his young family resided
when Carter left the United States Navy to take over
the family peanut business (Historic American Building
Survey [HABS] nd).
Abreu & Robeson are best known for the design of the
Trust Company of Georgia Tower, Atlanta, (1965) which
DOCOMOMO (DOcumentation and COnservation of buildings,
sites and neighborhoods of the MOdern MOvement),
Georgia Chapter, highlighted as one of the landmarks
of modern Georgia architecture in their Modern
Architecture Timeline (DOCOMOMO 2007). The Trust
Company building, which was empty for a number of
years, has recently been converted into a restaurant.
Abreu & Robeson are also known to have designed: the
Northside Parkway, Buckhead and West End Branches of
the Trust Company of Georgia, the Farmers Market,
Atlanta, Fulton Federal Savings and Loan, Atlanta,
Chatham Memorial Hospital, Savannah, Hamilton Memorial
Hospital, Dalton, Henrietta Egleston Memorial
Hospital, Atlanta, Glynn-Brunswick Memorial Hospital,
Brunswick, Whitfield County Court House, Dalton, Frank
M. Scarlett Federal Building, Brunswick, Meriwether
Memorial Hospital, Warm Springs, and the “B” building
of the W.W. Orr Doctor’s Building Complex, Atlanta
(AIA May 7, 1946; City of Atlanta 2008; Emporis.com
2008; McLean 2008).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 7)
3. Original and subsequent owners: Fort Benning Military
Reservation, U.S. Army, was the original owner and has
been the sole owner of this property.
4. Builder, contractor, suppliers: Infantry Hall took two
years to build under the auspices of the United States
Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District. Charles
B. Kneller, Savannah Corps, served as the construction
engineer; he had also served as the construction
engineer for the Martin Army Hospital at Fort Benning
(Battle 1964). The Small Business Administration was
successful in convincing the Savannah Corps to divide
the prime contractor’s job into smaller contracts.
Therefore there were actually five prime contractors,
apparently an unusual situation in the early-1960s
(Battle 1964). They were: The Jordan Co., Columbus,
Georgia, construction; Deep South Construction Co.,
Montgomery, Alabama, site preparation and outside
utilities; T.D. McClure Jr., Co., Inc., electrical
distribution system, transformer stations, and street
lighting; J. Young Construction Co., Jacksonville,
Florida, all paving; and Micah Jenkins Nursery,
Charleston, South Carolina, landscape planting (Battle
1964). There were then a host of subcontractors for
all other aspects of the construction (The Bayonet
April 27, 1962:1; Battle 1964).
There were more than 30 subcontractors including:
Acousti Engineering Company, Atlanta, installation of
acoustical tile; American Tile and Marble Company,
Columbus, placing ceramic, quarry and terrazzo tile
and marble; Fred Carpenter Plumbing Company, Columbus,
mechanical, plumbing, heating, steam, water and
sanitary sewer; Dixie Construction Company,
Birmingham, Alabama, masonry; Georgia Southern
Electric Company, Columbus, interior electrical
(Battle 1964).
Also, A.M. Masters and Sons, Incorporated, Pen Argyll,
Pennsylvania, install stage equipment; The McGregor
Company, Athens, furnish and install auditorium
chairs; Columbus Glass Company, glass glazing and
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 8)
mirrors; Elevator Service Company, Columbus, elevator
work; L.D. Herndon Company, Columbus, sheet metal work
for Carpenter Pluming Company: North Brothers
Incorporated, Atlanta, insulation of ductwork and
piping (Battle 1964).
Additionally, Johnson Service Company, Atlanta,
heating and air conditioning controls; Carrier
Corporation, Atlanta, installing and furnishing air
conditioning units; Frank M. Collins Company and
Alabama Roofing Company, Montgomery, Alabama, roofing
and sheet metal; The Guess Company, College Park,
erecting vertical lift doors; Southern Stage Equipment
Company, San Antonio, Texas, furnish and install stage
draperies and stage equipment (Battle 1964).
Also, White Partitions Company, Atlanta, installing
dry wall; Grinnell Company, Incorporated, Atlanta,
sprinkler and fire protection system; The Broadwell
Company, Incorporated, Albany, furnish and install
food service equipment; Maple Floors Incorporated,
Charlotte, North Carolina, furnish and install floors
(Battle 1964).
And finally, Brown Concrete Company, furnish all
ready-mix concrete; J.B. McKenney Company, Talladega,
Alabama, painting and protective coating; and Marley
Company, Kansas City, Missouri, erection of cooling
tower (Battle 1964).
Kneller, the resident Corps engineer, kept a staff of
22 people at Fort Benning during the two year
construction process. His construction team included
soil, bridge, electrical and mechanical engineers and
general construction inspectors. Kneller’s team had
worked on other construction projects with him, but
none as large as this project (Battle 1964).
The major part of the construction was contracted to
The Jordan Company, a Columbus, Georgia, firm that had
been in business since 1904 (The Bayonet April 27,
1962). The Jordan Company had had a long and
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 9)
profitable relationship with both Fort Benning and the
military when it won the contract for the Infantry
School.
In 1917, John Betjeman, the Secretary of The Jordan
Company, was released from his job to work for the
Columbus Chamber of Commerce in order to lobby for the
location of then Camp Benning in Columbus. His powers
of persuasion worked; the camp was located in Columbus
in 1918 forever changing the economy of Columbus and
The Jordan Company. During the 1940s the company built
200 housing units in Battle Park and later 600 Wherry
housing units at Custer Terrace and Capehart units at
other locations. In the 1950s The Jordan Company
worked at Kelley Hill Cantonment and was the primary
construction contractor for Martin Army Hospital.
During this time, the firm was also completing
contracts for the Mobile Corps of Engineers at Camp
Rucker, Alabama, and Tyndall Field, Florida. But by
far, the largest project undertaken to date was
Infantry Hall. The Jordan Company was a fortunate
choice since the firm had already worked with Kneller,
the Corps engineer for Infantry Hall, and with Abreu
and Robeson during the construction of Memorial
Hospital, Atlanta (Crawford 1986; Nolte and Griffin
2003).
Only basic information, such as street address and in
some cases company officials, were found in
traditional sources such as city directories or local
library clippings files for the other four principle
contractors (Barton et al. 1999; Charleston City
Directory 1970,1994; Leland 1956; Montgomery City
Directory 1963, 1964, 1965, 1975, 1981; Neal 2008;
Summers 2002).
5. Original plans and construction: Although Infantry
Hall is now 44 years old (the building is eligible for
the NRHP through Criterion Consideration G); it still
looks very much the way it did on its Grand Opening in
1964 as is evidenced by the numerous line drawings and
photographs that appeared in various publications such
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 10)
as the opening day program, The Bayonet, Infantry
Magazine, and The Columbus Enquirer.
Infantry Hall’s design is mid-century modern, a style
that takes advantage of air conditioning and
fluorescent lighting in its design components. The
520,000 square foot building is roughly H-shaped with
the George C. Marshall auditorium extending from the
rear side of the center of the H. The six-story,
central portion of the building, which holds offices,
is covered in yellow brick and is notable for its
concrete hooded, paired window groupings. The legs of
the H hold the actual classrooms of The Infantry
School and are notable for their folded plate roofs.
The design of the building was not well received by
everyone since it was in a style unlike anything else
on Fort Benning. A local newspaper article describes
it as, “Starkly functional, and built for maximum
practicality and efficiency rather than aesthetic
appeal, the new academic building is a far cry from
the mellowed, old, faintly Spanish style Infantry
School…” (Coombes 1963:np). Some people complained
that the building looked, “drastically modern…and a
waggish ex-major eyeing the narrow slit-window
apertures implied the designers must have figured that
the next war would be fought with bows and
arrows…there was pride however in the jest. The
overall reaction to the new center has been one of
considerable pride accentuated with a note of urgency”
(Coombes 1963:np).
The design and planning concepts of Infantry Hall were
mid-century modern inspired although some appear to be
directly related to nuclear defense. In many cases it
is difficult to determine which was the over-riding
principle, mid-century modern or nuclear defense since
nuclear preparation could so easily slide into the
International Style concept of architecture as an
“enclosed space” independent of site.
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 11)
6. Alterations and additions: The front, south, landscape
has been slightly changed and has matured, but the
entry façade would be clearly recognizable to anyone
who had not seen the building since the mid-1960s.
The north, rear, façade has also stayed the same. The
east and west facades of the classroom wings have some
doorways that have been changed (by bricking in or
permanently closing) at various dates, but they are
not significant changes.
The building interior has undergone a number of
changes within classroom spaces on the first floor,
the entry hall of the building has a room addition for
a Duty Officer, and some changes have been made to the
ceilings to accommodate new HVAC and electrical
systems. However, the basic layout of the school
floor has not changed and the original building
materials and furnishings are clearly discernable.
The office areas in the central office tower have not
changed either. The office floors, with the exception
of floor 6, the Commandant’s floor, are typical, drab
unexceptional office areas. The office spaces on
these floors have been changed, but the central
hallway with offices opening on either side has not
changed in 44 years. The 6th floor is highlighted by
the use of book matched, tree matched walnut paneling
at the elevators and immediately surrounding the area
into the Commandant’s office. Nevertheless, the
walnut paneling was original to the building, and the
6th floor itself has not changed.
Because of the building’s significance and the high
ranking officers who occupy it, Infantry Hall has been
well maintained. The exterior has had no significant
alterations.
B. Historical Context:
Cold War. The U.S. Army played an important role in
containing the spread of communism during the Cold War
(1946-1989). During this period, “the primary mission of
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 12)
the Army was to deter or defeat communist growth in
conjunction with other services or allied nations,
preferably without using nuclear weapons. A secondary
mission was to support the defense of the United States
through antiaircraft missiles and antiballistic missiles”
(Army Environmental Center [AEC] 1998:2). In an effort to
accomplish these missions, the military services, in
general, and the Army, in particular, underwent significant
reorganization that included the 1947 National Security Act
and the 1962 reorganization of the Army’s technical
services into the Army Materiel Command (AMC).
Underpinning the Army’s ability to carry out its mission
was a growing reliance on increasingly sophisticated
technology, “that involved communications, surveillance,
logistics, guidance, and early warning systems, as well as
research, development, and testing in institutions both
public and private” (Gaither 1997:9-10).
Aside from the two hot wars in Korea and Vietnam that were
spawned largely as a consequence of the Cold War, the Army
was primarily concerned with waging war on a nuclear
battlefield during the 1950s. In the first five years after
WWII, Soviet Russia and the United States developed atomic
weapons, made great advances in the means of delivering
these weapons, and established basic technology that would
develop into enormous communications and surveillance
infrastructures (Gaither 1997). During this period, the
atmosphere of distrust, confrontation, and a shaky balance
of power was established. In 1953, President Dwight David
Eisenhower’s administration adopted a strategy of massive
nuclear retaliation replacing President Harry S. Truman’s
strategy of limited war. The massive retaliation policy
resulted in an effort to redefine the roles of services and
a shifting of their importance (Gaither 1997).
The Air Force became the preeminent service since it was
seen as the key to retaliating with nuclear weapons and, as
a result, funding began to shift away from the Army. As
all the other services began to take cuts, the Air Force
began increasing on an impressive scale. Among the three
services, the Army was receiving the smallest share of the
defense budget and was thought by some to be obsolete. To
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 13)
counter the accusation of obsolescence the Army began to
place emphasis on missile development, space programs, and
the controversial “dual capacity” theory – the Army could
fight both conventional and nuclear battles (Gaither 1997).
The Army’s dual capacity theory led to the creation of the
Pentomic Army using the newly reactivated 101st Airborne
Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. This new division
consisted of five, hence the “Pent,” battle groups that
were relatively self-contained and semi-independent units.
The basic component of the division was the infantry battle
group; with each battle group containing five rifle
companies, combat support (including mortar battery), and a
headquarters and service company. A division included an
armor battalion of five tank companies, a cavalry squadron
of three troops, five direct support artillery battalions,
and one general support artillery battalion. One unit was
equipped with HONEST JOHN Rockets, a nuclear weapon.
The Pentomic concept called for unprecedented strategic
mobility. With the exception of tanks, each division’s
equipment was supposed to be transportable by long-range
aircraft. Such mobility was essential to the emerging
concept of rapid deployment of ground forces in limited
engagements throughout the world. According to the Army’s
new concept, the combat zone in an atomic war would be vast
in size and depth requiring more ground troops than a
conventional battle. These large massed troop
concentrations could not remain long on the field without
becoming a lucrative target of opportunity for the enemy.
This meant combat units needed to organize in checkerboard
fashion with large gaps in-between units creating a
cellular battlefield. These units would have to be quickly
and efficiently shifted around to achieve maximum effect
therefore creating the need for high levels of tactical
mobility. The units were designed to converge rapidly from
dispersed formations in order to make an attack, exploit
the effects of atomic weapons, or destroy enemy forces.
Then they were to disperse rapidly to minimize their
vulnerability to enemy counteraction. Being able to
concentrate or disperse quickly was the key to success and
survival on the atomic battle field (Keener 2001).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 14)
Army Chief of Staff, General Maxwell Taylor initially
proposed a five-year test period for the Pentomic concept.
Despite the incorporation of the Honest John rocket,
criticism over the capability of the Pentomic division was
heard. Opponents of the new division contended that the
versatility of the Honest John was limited in comparison to
conventional artillery (Taylor 1991:214). Other complaints
were directed at the lack of promotion the new structure
offered. The chief criticisms about the Pentomic concept
included manpower and firepower, service support, and
command and control. As early as 1959, the Army began
planning reorganization.
In 1961, a new divisional concept known as ROAD
(Reorganization Objective Army Division) was announced. The
new structure increased firepower, improved air mobility,
and enhanced command and control by the addition of brigade
and battalion headquarters. Basic components of the new
organization were nine infantry battalions, a cavalry
squadron, and three artillery battalions (Hart 1978:76).
It still used the HONEST JOHN in one of its artillery
battalions thereby making the Army nuclear ready.
In 1958, the U.S. Air Force began construction on the
United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs,
Colorado. This spectacular school was designed by
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and was intended to be a
metaphor for military training itself (Rifkind 1998). The
school, which was completed in 1962, is now on the National
Register of Historic Places.
It was against this contentious and shifting background
that the Infantry decided to build a state of the art
Infantry School. It would take 13 years of skill and
patient maneuvering, but the Army would win out.
History of Infantry Training. The 100th year anniversary
of The Infantry School was April 1, 2007. On that date in
1907 the School of Musketry in Monterey, California, opened
for courses in rifle and machine gun marksmanship. By
1913, it moved to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where it stayed
until 1918. The School of Musketry was then sent to Camp
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 15)
Benning, as the newly named United States Army Infantry
School. In 1921, Camp Benning became Fort Benning and the
Model 1905 Bayonet on the school’s shoulder patch rotated
from point down to point up (Stieghan 2007).
In addition to instructors, Camp Benning included
demonstration units to support training, an Army Air Corps
detachment and 32nd Balloon Observation Company at Lawson
Field, and the Infantry Tank School. After the
installation became Fort Benning it still carried on a wide
variety of activities related to its role as The Infantry
School. The post not only trained leaders it also served
as an important center for testing weapons and tactics,
publishing professional journals and manuals, and
developing maneuver doctrine which it continues today
(Stieghan 2007).
In the 1940s the Airborne “Test Platoon” initiated the
Airborne School that still graduates thousands of
parachutists for the United States Army each year. The
Officer Candidate School (OCS) also began graduating
Infantry lieutenants and still operates as the only Federal
OCS program in the Army. By the end of WWII, Fort Benning
was conducting Ranger training (Stieghan 2007).
From 1945 to 1965, Fort Benning transformed to its standard
role as an education, testing, and doctrine development
center. The school expanded during both the Korean and
Vietnam wars. From 1967 to 1976, the greatly expanded OCS
and Noncommissioned Officers Candidate Course trained
thousands of Infantry sergeants forming the basis of the
current Noncommissioned Officer Education System.
In 2005, the United States Congress approved a Base
Realignment and Closure (BRAC) recommendation to move the
Armor School from Fort Knox to Fort Benning to join The
Infantry School becoming the Maneuver Center of Excellence
by 2011. Today, the United States Infantry School and Fort
Benning have more troops assigned as cadre or in-training
than any other facility in the United States military
(Stieghan 2007).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 16)
Infantry School Buildings. The establishment of the School
of Musketry in 1907 at the Presidio in Monterey,
California, included training in the use of a rifle in
battle as well as the testing of the rifle itself. Soon it
grew to encompass all small arms and all subjects connected
with small arms, ammunition, and tactics. When the school
outgrew the limited firing range at the Presidio, it moved
to Fort Sill, Oklahoma into a simple board and batten
building where it stayed for the next five years.
When the newly named United States Army Infantry School of
Arms came to Camp Benning in 1918, it was housed in a WWI
cantonment-type building (Fort Benning June 5, 1964). Over
the years at Fort Benning, The Infantry School had spread
to occupy eight buildings (The Bayonet June 5, 1964G).
That was about to dramatically change. After WWI, Fort
Benning was one of 13 posts targeted for new construction,
and this new construction involved the complete redesign of
the installation using the planning and design principals
of the City Beautiful and Garden City Movements. This new
design plan was carried out under the watchful eye of
George B. Ford, a prominent city planner hired by the War
Department. Ford, using an older installation plan as a
guide, created an installation based on usage patterns,
color, form, and open space. Anchoring the center of this
new plan was a signature building, a new Infantry School
building (Fisher and Johnson 1987).
The centerpiece Infantry School, Building 00035, was
designed by the firm of McKim, Mead & White in the Second
Renaissance Revival style for which they were famous. The
Infantry School was set in a visual axis with Riverside,
quarters No. 1, and the removal of officers’ quarter’s
00348 was recommended but never completed. If the quarters
had been removed this would have provided “striking” visual
connection between quarters No. 1 and the then new
Infantry School building (Fisher and Johnson 1987:22). An
axis to the rear of the old Infantry School Building is
formed with the Officers Club, Building No. 128.
Regardless, it is one, if not the most, imposing building
on the installation. The original Infantry School building,
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 17)
now known as the Old Infantry School or the “Big House”, is
eligible for the NRHP (Fisher and Johnson 1987).
By the late 1950s, the signature Infantry School building
had grown too small. Building 00035 was originally
designed to accommodate a student body of 458 and a faculty
of 156, but by the late 1950s the student body had grown to
over 4,000 and the faculty to more than 2,000. The role of
the Infantry had changed significantly since the school’s
construction. In order to accommodate that change, the
school had scattered instructional buildings all over the
post. Instructors and students were chronically frustrated
by the travel distances between areas of instruction, which
cut deeply into training time (The Bayonet January 10,
1964). It was time for a new school.
Creation of the New Infantry School. As early as 1951 MJG
John H. Church, installation commander, began talking about
a new Infantry School, and in 1953 the first proposal for
inclusion in a Military Construction, Army (MCA) budget
occurred at the cost of $3.8 million. It is not clear what
happened to this proposal (Holland 1964).
In 1955, GEN Carl F. Fritzsche had the Savannah Corps of
Engineers draw a plan for a new Infantry School. The
instructions to the Corps are not known, but GEN
Fritzsche’s comments are noted on a surviving copy in the
Donovan Technical Library (Nowell 1955). The Corp’s school
is located in an unidentified area facing Ingersoll Street.
The shape of the building is quite unusual, a plus sign
with U shapes on each horizontal end. The building was
three stories tall and the interior was quite basic –
narrow hallways with offices, large and small classrooms,
restrooms, and an auditorium - opening on either side. Gen
Fritzsche’s comments however deal with the specifics of the
plan – there should be elevators not escalators, special
classroom requirements, walk-in safes, parking areas,
toilet locations, and addition entrances (Nowell 1955). No
elevations seem to have been created, and it is not clear
why the school was placed in this particular location.
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 18)
In 1956, MJG George E. Lynch managed to get the project
listed as No. 35 for the entire Third U.S. Army area, but
it was deleted from the FY 1958 MCA program in early 1957.
Even though this deletion was appealed, the school was
deferred for “other more essential projects.” However, it
wasn’t until the tour of GEN Paul L. Freemen Jr. in 1958
that the budget won final approval at a cost of
approximately $10 million (The Columbus Enquirer December
9, 1965; Holland 1964:8).
GEN Freeman went about gaining approval for the school in
methodical military fashion determined to win each skirmish
and battle and therefore, untimely, the war. Although there
had been some Army briefings concerning the need for a new
infantry school building (Tate 1959), no one approached it
as carefully as GEN Freeman. He prepared “Discussion
Points” for any and all people involved in selling the
school. The Discussion Points, in outline form, covered
the history of the Infantry School, the reasons a new
school was needed, what the new school would accomplish,
what the facilities of other service schools were like, the
proposed plan of attack and a recommendation (Academic
Building Vertical File nd). GEN Freeman also created a
large report that justified every request made for the
proposed building all the way down to the extra storage
space. This Justification for the Proposed Academic
Building, MCA Program, FY 1962, featured graphs, mind
numbing statics, and the effects to the continued training
of the Infantry if not provided (United States Infantry
School 1962). It was a report tour de force. Knowing that
reports alone were not enough, GEN Freeman sent a hand-
picked Infantry soldier, COL Cecil M. Sanders, to keep the
heat on in Washington D.C.
COL Sanders job was to meet with everyone and anyone who
would listen and to justify the need for a new infantry
school at a time when the Army’s future was not
particularly bright. COL Sanders was a highly decorated
soldier and had an impressive resume, and most importantly
he made an excellent spokesman for The Infantry School (11th
Infantry Public Information Office [PIO] March 17, 1961).
He met more than thirty two different times with high
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 19)
ranking government officials including members of the
Department of the Army, Construction Requirements Review
Committee, Budget Advisory Committee, Program Advisory
Committee, Chief of Engineers, Chief of Staff, Secretary
General Staff, and other officials at the Secretary level.
He impressed them all with his intelligence, analytical
ability, forceful and convincing manner as well as his
cooperative and friendly manner. His initiative and
enthusiasm tempered with a tactful and diplomatic approach
won many converts. Until he arrived in Washington, many
ranking Department of the Army officials did not even know
of the needs of The Infantry School (Holland 1964; Tate
1960). For his key role in “performance of meritorious
service as special officer of the United Sates Army
Infantry School during the period January 20, 1960 to March
12, 1961, “ COL Sanders was awarded the Army Commendation
Medal (First Oak Leaf Cluster) (11th Infantry PIO March 31,
1961).
The Infantry got the money for its new Infantry School
building.
As early as 1955, even while the Colonels and Generals were
still pushing paper and making budgets for the new school,
an architectural firm was chosen to create the school,
Abreu & Robeson, Atlanta and Brunswick, Georgia. They were
confronted with a number of issues in creating the new
Infantry School. The building needed to be large enough to
accommodate The Infantry School and all those organizations
and activities associated with the school including the
United States Army Infantry Board, the United States Army
Combat Developments Command Infantry Agency, the United
States Army Infantry Human Research Unit, and United States
Army Infantry Library (Evans March 27, 1964). The building
needed to serve an ever changing pool of students and
instructors in both large and small classrooms that were
flexible enough to meet a variety of changing classroom
needs. The building had to serve as school, HQ, offices,
mess hall, fallout shelter, and the new center of
installation activities. Above all, it had to be secure;
the threat of Soviet spy satellites and mutually assured
destruction (MAD) made real by both American and Soviet
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 20)
procession of the atomic bomb called for nuclear hardened
rooms and other special construction concerns. To top this
all off, literally, the building was designed so that
helicopters could land on the roof; and it was anticipated
that a heliport would be established there (Fort Benning
ca. 1964B). This appears, however, to have never happened.
As can be expected, the design process went through a
number of iterations. It is not known if the Savannah Corps
blueprint was consulted. As early as 1955, Abreu and
Robeson drew their first plan, a basic H shape from which
the building would not deviate. Although the shape more
closely resembles an E, the building shape is always
referenced as H-shaped. The design the firm had chosen, or
perhaps had chosen for them, was a rather nondescript,
blocky, modern style that would accommodate the many
requirements for the building.
The over-all plan featured a central six-story office tower
flanked on each side by one-story classroom wings with a
large auditorium extending from the north, rear, of the
first floor of the office tower. The plan had three entry
points on the front, south, façade, one on each wing with a
flat roof portico and one at the main entry with a triple
arched portico roof, flat roofs on both the tower and the
classroom wings, as well as ribbon rows of windows on both
the front and rear facades. The east and west facades,
essentially the rears of classrooms, had no windows only
access doors. A later model of the building shows the
slightly modified plan still with three major entry points,
but all with flat portico roofs. On the side of each
classroom wing miniature tanks moved in and out of the
building, indicating that the floors were rated at 2.5 tons
so that vehicles could be brought into and out of specific
classrooms for training purposes.
Sometime between 1955 and 1962, the exterior of the
building changed dramatically. The three primary changes
were the fenestration, the roofs on the wings, and the
landscape. To date, no formal documents have been found
that account for these changes.
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 21)
Arguably the biggest change was to the fenestration. Gone
are the ribbon rows in favor of strategically place paired
windows. The new building had air conditioning and with the
advent of air conditioning the need for windows grew less.
The new windows measure one by five feet and are surrounded
on the top and sides by concrete extensions that seem
almost Gothic in style. According to press accounts the
surrounds baffle direct sunlight eliminating the use of
Venetian Blinds as well as cutting down on the cost of air
conditioning. What is not mentioned here is that the
surrounds might also serve to block spy satellite
eavesdropping, a problem that will become of greater
concern as the 1960s wear on. The windows themselves also
provide comfort to claustrophobics who can see outside
(Fort Benning ca. 1964B; Moore 1964). In addition smaller
windows meant that the building was more prepared for a
nuclear event.
The second great change is to the roof structure of the
education wings. The original roof was a flat expanse now
turned into what is termed folded plate. This technique,
which was new in the mid-twentieth century, consists of
connecting thin, flat elements of concrete, steel, timber
or other materials to each other rigidly at angles, like
accordion folds, forming a stiff cross section which is
capable of carrying a load over a long span (Harris 1993).
A folded plate section serves as a window monitor allowing
light into both of the long education wing hallways. It is
unclear why the roof type changed.
The 1964 1/32” scale elevation drawings by Abreu & Robeson
clearly illustrates the fenestration and wing roof changes.
These same elevations also show the education wing hall
light monitors.
The third major change was to the landscape. The models
and drawings in the early phases of planning showed a
looped drive and separate front drives to each of the
wings. A 100’ flagpole was the single decorative landscape
element. By the time of construction, the landscape had
been completely changed. The large flagpole (1945),
Facility No. M9799, was moved from the Old Infantry School,
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 22)
in part to save money and to make a connection between the
two schools, to the New Infantry School. The statue The
Infantryman/Follow Me was moved from Eubanks Field to the
front of the building and an outward-facing semicircle of
state flags was placed behind the statue. Immediately in
front of the statue an outward-facing, semicircular
concrete knee-wall featured cast aluminum letters baked in
Infantry Blue enamel that spelled out “The U.S. Army
Infantry School” (Moore 1964). A series of sidewalks
connected all these elements.
A person could no longer drive up to the front door of the
school or to the front of its wings. The road in front of
the building separated it from the Parade Ground later
named Alvin York Field. This new Parade Ground took the
place of the Field of Four Chaplains which had been the
primary parade field associated with the “Big House”, the
old Infantry School building, Building No. 35.
In all likelihood, the landscape changes to Infantry Hall
occurred as a result of security concerns. All of the
current elements could have been arranged around vehicular
drives, but are actually much more powerful when viewed as
a pedestrian. The success of this security is evident from
the fact that the front of this building is not ringed with
Jersey Barriers as most other older military complexes are
in the post-9/11 military. Even before 9/11 the hardscape
surrounding Infantry Hall included a series of movable
bollards at strategic points that could be used to block or
force traffic flow during special events, parades,
graduations, or heightened security. As a result, the
Infantry Hall landscape looks much as it did originally
because of its great flexibility in dealing with numerous
scenarios.
While the architects labored, The Infantry School staff was
called upon to assist in the creation of the new school
facilities. Brainstorming sessions were called, duly
attended by all Infantry School departments, recorded and
passed on to commanding officers. It’s interesting to note
that these were real brainstorming sessions in which all
ideas were recorded no matter how exotic and even more
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 23)
interesting to note how many were incorporated into the new
building (Academic Building Vertical File May 15, 1958).
White papers were prepared on the organization of The
Infantry School and its future role within the Army (St.
Clair et al. 1962). The Infantry School was not just
constructing a new building; it was creating the Infantry
of the future.
Infantry Hall took two years to build under the auspices of
the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah
District. Charles B. Kneller, Savannah Corps, served as
the construction engineer. There were five prime
contractors: The Jordan Co., Columbus, Georgia,
construction; Deep South Construction Co., Montgomery,
Alabama, site preparation and outside utilities; T.D.
McClure Jr., Co., Inc., electrical distribution system; J.
Young Construction Co., all paving, Jacksonville, Florida;
and Micah Jenkins Nursery, Charleston, South Carolina,
landscape planting (Battle 1964). A number of
subcontractors were used for all other aspects of the
construction.
The Infantry School. The United States Army Infantry
School Building was officially dedicated and opened on June
5, 1964. However, since May 2, staff and more than “400
tons of things” had already begun moving into the building
(Black 1964:34). For the first time in the history of the
Infantry all command and control elements were under one
roof (Marmon 1964; Stieghan 2007). Aspects of training,
doctrine, testing, tactics, operations, and command were
and still are in one location making for the successful
integration of all these elements. This one-stop operation
and its success was especially important during the Cold
War when military tensions were heightened and the
possibility of a nuclear ground war meant that the Infantry
had to be ever ready to repel Soviet aggression.
While the exterior may show signs of heightened security
with smaller, less numerous windows and landscaping that
separates vehicular traffic from the building, the interior
of Infantry Hall really shows its Cold War origins.
Fallout shelters were an integral part of the interior
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 24)
placed in various secure areas within the building. The
building also had a number of nuclear hardened secure vault
rooms. On the first floor, the building had a SEC COM
(SECured COMmunications) vault room that was also nuclear
hardened, and which appears to have had a separate
ventilating system. The room, which is located in the
archival section of the Donovan Technical Library, had a
large vault door, now gone, and a smaller communications
secure vault window. Paperwork on the vault combinations
indicates that the locks were maintained through the mid-
1990s. The building also had its own electrical power
plants. The Infantry was ready.
Infantry Hall was above all else The Infantry School. When
the building opened there were thirteen general purpose
classrooms and a night vision classroom in the two wings
each with a 200-man capacity. In addition, there were four
150-man communications classrooms and four 55-man radio
maintenance laboratories also in the wings. Each of the
200-man classrooms had a tiered floor, rear and front view
projection screens, chalk boards, and steel doors large
enough to allow vehicles to be brought on stage for
demonstrations. Each room featured centralized control of
lights, sound and audio and visual equipment from the stage
or project booth. The building had its own television and
recording studios. Best of all, the building was air
conditioned. It was completely state-of-the-art, and there
was no other like it on any military installation in the
United States (Moore 1964).
The interior of Infantry Hall was not lacking esthetically.
The first floor corridors and lobby have terrazzo flooring.
Centered on the lobby floor is the “Follow Me” insignia of
The Infantry School and the Infantry Center. The lobby’s
walls are lined with Carthage marble and hallways leading
from the lobby are paneled in walnut. The Commandant’s
office and the office of the Assistant Commandant are lined
in book-matched, tree-matched walnut panel (Moore 1964).
On the day the school was dedicated, Commandant MJG C. W.
G. Rich declared the, “completion of this educational and
training facility a most important milestone in The
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 25)
Infantry School’s history” (Fort Benning June 5, 1964).
The building was dedicated to the, “Infantryman himself –
the true American Doughboy,” by GEN Hugh P. Harris, Acting
Vice Chief of Staff of the Army (The Bayonet June 5,
1964A). The $10 million building with its classrooms,
Carthage marble, fallout shelters, and television studio
truly marked a new era for the Infantry.
In November 1964, the Parade Ground in front of the new
Academic Building was named the “York Field” in honor of
SGT Alvin C. York, the most decorated soldier of World War
I who had died on September 2, 1964. In December 1965, the
Academic Building was officially named “Infantry Hall” by
MJG Robert H. York, Fort Benning Commanding General, after
a review of several recommended names (Rush 1965; The
Columbus Enquirer 1965).
Infantry Hall won the United States Army Corps of Engineers
Chief of Engineer’s Architecture Award in 1970(The Bayonet
July 31, 1970). The Chief of Engineers design awards
program began in 1965 as a way to recognize and promote
excellence in design achievement by the United States Army
Corps of Engineers and its professional contractors.
Impartial panels of design professionals from the private
sector choose winners within three categories:
architecture, engineering and landscape architecture. To
achieve equity in the selection of projects, each entry is
judged on the basis of fulfillment of its own requirements
and solution to its own requirements and the solutions to
its own particular problems (Chief of Engineers 1976). The
award has evolved since its initial creation.
It is unclear exactly what the awards were called when they
were first initiated. By the mid-1970s the awards were the
U.S. Army Chief of Engineers Distinguished Design Awards
and by the late 1980s they were the Chief of Engineers
Design and Environmental Awards Program (Ballard 2000;
Chief of Engineers 1989). Regardless of the name, the
program has presented a total of 400 awards in the 27 years
of its existence (Headquarters United States Army Corps of
Engineers 2007). Infantry Hall was one the program’s early
award winners.
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 26)
PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION
A. General Statement:
1. Architectural character: Infantry Hall (1964),
Building No. 4, the site of The United Sates Army
Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia, designed in
the mid-century modern style was built as a state-of-
the-art military training facility unlike any other
academic building on any military installation in the
United States.
2. Condition of the fabric: The overall condition of
the exterior of the building is generally good. As
can be expected in a building that is now more than
forty years old, there are spalling issues with the
concrete panels on the east and west classroom wings
and rust associated with that spalling as well as
minor condition issues with some exterior doors. The
overall condition of the interior of the building is
generally good with some condition issues related
primarily to “upgrades” and changes made throughout
the building in various attempts to modernize the
interior. Although attempts have been made to
modernize the interior public spaces, on the whole,
the building’s interior retains much of the look and
feel of an early 1960s interior design.
B. Description of Exterior:
1. Overall dimensions: The overall shape of the building
has traditionally been described as an “H” and is in a
south, front façade, north, rear, façade orientation.
On the building, the cross bar of the H is represented
by the six-story office tower that is flaked on either
side by the single-story class room wings. The 1,500
seat George C. Marshall Auditorium is appended to the
rear, north, of the lower floor of the office tower.
The total floor area of the building is 525,000 square
feet with 4,250’ of outside wall perimeter (Black
1964).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 27)
The front, south, façade and rear, north, façade
measure approximately 1,280’ and the east and west
facades measure approximately 1,120’.
2. Foundation: The foundation is structural and
reinforced concrete. Although there is no basement,
the building is designed with some classroom elements
such as restrooms and weapon’s safes and with portions
of the auditorium well below grade thereby using
differing concrete configurations. The foundation is
exposed as a set-back from the brick façade and serves
as a decorative element for the building.
3. Walls: The office tower of Infantry Hall is covered
in buff-yellow brick laid in a running course. The
brick wall is topped by a large, precast, segmented,
ogee-shaped, smooth concrete coping. This is the same
for all facades.
The George C. Marshall Auditorium that extends from
the rear of the building into the area termed the
“Court Yard,” is also covered in buff-yellow, running
bond brick. However, because the auditorium walls are
not broken by windows, the architects found it
necessary to relieve the vast blank wall spaces by
recessing vertical lines in the three exposed walls.
The recessed lines are one brick deep and one brick
wide and are dispersed at regular intervals on the
three walls. Unlike the top of the walls on the
office tower, the walls on the auditorium are topped
with a precast, segmented, undecorated, square edged,
smooth coping.
The wings of Infantry Hall are covered in buff-yellow
brick and topped off the roof line with pre-cast
pebble-exposed (sometimes called “sand blasted
concrete” [Moore 1964]) concrete panels the top edge
of which is faced with a metal strip. The concrete
panels are on the upper portion of the wall separated
from the brick by a continuous pebble-exposed concrete
frieze and a flexible metal strip all of which appear
to form a type of entablature around the wings. Below
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 28)
this modern entablature the buff-yellow brick is laid
in a running course. This is the same for both the
east and west wings including the Court Yard side.
The brick walls which are composed of 930,000 face
bricks stop short of the ground by about 8” thus
exposing the concrete foundation which becomes a
decorative element of the wall (Black 1964).
4. Structural system, framing: The building is framed
with 210 tons of structural steel and used 23,500
cubic yards of structural concrete reinforced with
3,350 pounds of reinforcing steel and 350,000 square
feet of embedded wire mesh (Black 1964).
The roof framing over the classroom wings is folded
plate. This technique, which was new in the mid-
twentieth century, consists of connecting thin, flat
elements of concrete, steel, timber or other materials
to each other rigidly at angles, like accordion folds,
forming a stiff cross section which is capable of
carrying a load over a long span (Harris 1993).
In the west classroom wing the theater-style
classrooms have a special flooring system which is
rated to hold 2.5 tons. The floors are reinforced for
this weight so that vehicles can be brought on to the
lecture stage and actually used in demonstrations.
This innovation was one that Commandants, professors,
and lecturers had been seeking early on in the
planning stages.
The building is equipped with fallout shelters on
every floor, but the fallout Protection Factor (PF) is
not known. During the early 1960s, numerous public
buildings were retro-fitted or constructed with
fallout shelters offering some level of protection in
the event of a nuclear attack. In general, a public
shelter should offer a fallout PF of at least 40 for
fifty people at 10 square feet per person with
adequate ventilation. A fallout PF of 40 indicates
that a person outside the shelter is exposed to forty
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 29)
times the amount of radiation than those within the
shelter (Civil Defense Museum 2008).
In 1961, the Office of Civil Defense, under the
auspices of the Department of Defense, began a
training program taught by the Army Corps of Engineers
for architects and engineers on the design and
construction of fallout shelters called the “Fallout
Shelter Analysis Course.” This course was originally
created in preparation for the “National Fallout
Shelter Survey” which identified potential public
fallout shelter space in existing structures.
However, the program was also used by architects and
engineers to create fallout protection within a new
design. To demonstrate the feasibility of designing
low-cost fallout shelter space in new buildings and to
develop new ideas on how this can be done, the Office
of Civil Defense sponsored a National School Fallout
Shelter Design Competition in 1962 in cooperation with
the AIA. This was followed by a similar design
completion for shopping centers and by an industrial
shelter design conference at Rice University, Texas
(Office of Civil Defense 1965).
It is not known if Abreu, Robeson or someone in the
firm attended one of the classes or helped in the
National Fallout Shelter Analysis. Nevertheless, it
is certain that the Army wanted fallout shelters and
expected the architects to understand the relevant
construction technology.
There are two factors to be considered in a fallout
shelter: blast protection and radiation protection.
More than three-quarters of all shelters in the U.S.
were located on upper floors in high rise buildings,
and did not, therefore, protect against blast (Civil
Defense Museum 2008). Infantry Hall has a number of
fallout shelters on each floor, therefore, it can be
assumed that they do not protect against blast.
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 30)
In order to incorporate a fallout shelter into a
building design several items need to be considered.
They include:
a. Location and quantity of window area –
reducing window area or raised sills could reduce
radiation exposure;
b. Site conditions – use retaining walls,
planters, overhangs or grading slopes away from
structures to minimize effects of radiation on
the ground. Other buildings can be used to
maximum advantage as a shield;
c. Basement – depressing the ground floor
either partially or complete below grade can
reduce the effect of fallout on the ground;
d. Entrances and exits – locating these so
there is no direct entry of ground radiation.
Placing stairwells at the ends of corridors and
hallways so as to maximize protection;
e. Partitions – using interior partitions to
block radiation;
f. Wall width – using dense, solid walls to
prevent radiation penetration;
g. Floors and roofs – using the best system for
preventing radiation penetration. A few extra
inches of concrete or a floor slab system enhance
protection;
h. Architectural arrangement – creating an
internal protected central core area that can
hold a shelter.
Abreu & Robeson incorporated design criteria a, c, d,
e, f and h when creating their structural systems.
Certainly, the design and location of the shelters was
considered during the development of the building.
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 31)
Using these design criteria probably meant special
framing techniques and materials must be used.
In addition to fallout shelters, the structural system
of Infantry Hall included nuclear hardened rooms.
“Hardening” protected a target against blast, heat,
and radiation effects of nuclear weapons of specific
yields. Hardening is usually measured by the numbers
of pounds per square inch (psi) of blast over-pressure
which a target can withstand (Atomic Archive 2008).
At least one room, the SEC COM (SECured
COMmunications) Room associated with the Donovan
Technical Library located on the first floor, is
believed to be nuclear hardened.
Beginning with the Cold War and extending to the
present, Army materiel [sic] supporting a critical
mission must meet a nuclear survivability requirement
(Army Regulation 70-75). This requirement generally
stipulates that the materiel must be operation for a
specified time after exposure and must be maintained
throughout the materiel’s life cycle, that the
materiel must not be permanently damaged after
exposure, or that an allowable time after exposure the
materiel must be useable within a set time limit
(Department of the Army [DOA] 2005; Pfeffer 2008).
In 1953, Defense Secretary Charles Wilson cracked down
on security violations particularly those dealing with
classified information and important policy documents.
Wilson sent memorandums reminding the military that
unauthorized disclosure of classified security
information was punishable, in the case of military
personnel, by trial by court martial, or in the case
of civilians, prosecution by the Department of Defense
(The Bayonet April 30, 1953). It would seem that
these two elements came together to secure a nuclear
hardened communications room in Infantry Hall.
The psi of the SEC COM room is not known. The room
does however appear to have its own ventilation
system, and is accessible only through a pedestrian
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 32)
vault door or a smaller vault door through which only
papers or books can be passed.
Although exact nuclear hardening specifications for
the late 1950s to the early 1960s have not yet been
found, general guidelines do exist for high altitude
electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) explosions (high altitude
nuclear explosions) and TEMPEST, a termed used for any
compromising emanation, disruption. These guidelines
can be used to better understand the earlier
requirements for nuclear hardening. HEMP hardening
requirements include:
a. Shielding involves the use of a barrier or
series of barriers to reduce the magnitude of
energy incident upon the thing being protected.
There are a number of shielding techniques that
can be used including: an overall shield that
encompass the whole facility (global shielding),
shielding and constructed according to specific
protection requirements for the equipment
involved (tailored shielding), and zonal
shielding in which a facility is divided into
zones with shielding barriers creating a
shielding system of varying strengths.
b. Shield penetration is required for access.
This can involve large access doors, personnel
doors, and air-expandable doors. In the case of
Infantry Hall, a large access door provides
personnel access as well as access for equipment
and supplies. This large, thick steel door, now
gone, could also provided blast overpressure
protection.
c. Other systems may be required such as
ventilation, voice and communications lines,
security systems, control systems,
electromagnetic isolation and other kinds of
system isolation (DOA 1990).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 33)
The SEC COM room would have to be engineered as a
special part of the building.
5. Porches, stoops, balconies, porticoes, bulkheads: The
primary portico is located on the front, south façade
in the middle of the office tower. The portico which
projects forward has a flat roof and is supported by
four square concrete piers, two grouped on each side
of the portico, all of which are painted white. The
portico roof itself covers about 20’ of space. From
the front door to three concrete steps is
approximately 10’, and from the steps to the outside
edge of the roof is approximately 10’. The outside
edge of the roof drops down at a ninety degree angle
forming a type of modern entablature that does not
extend around the sides of the portico. Traditionally
this entablature has featured Infantry Blue letters
spelling out “United States Army Infantry School.” In
preparation for the building’s new use, the
entablature reads, “Future Maneuver Center of
Excellence.” On either side of the portico steps,
concrete plinths, painted white, delineate its edges.
On either side of the portico, the extended roof of
the portico with the dropped entablature is mimicked
in a smaller form as window protection and as a way of
tying the portico to the rest of the building.
On both classroom wings including the Court Yard
facades, incised porches cover exterior pedestrian
access to classrooms. In general, the incised porches
offer access to two different classrooms, and the
porches themselves are completely unadorned.
6. Chimneys: Infantry Hall has no chimneys.
7. Openings:
a. Doorways and doors: The primary doorway of
Infantry Hall is located on the south, front,
façade in the middle of the office tower. The
primary doorway is composed of three sets of
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 34)
double doors are then flanked on each side by a
pair of glass doors.
The three, paired aluminum framed glass doors are
flanked the length of the office tower by plate
glass windows. This is a “typical” office space
door arrangement.
Each of the classroom wings has a doorway that
opens to both the front, south, and north, rear,
façades, using three aluminum framed glass doors.
However, these doors are in no way highlighted on
the classroom wings, and are, at best, merely
secondary entrances. The classroom wings also
have two sets of paired aluminum framed glass
doors at equal intervals on the east and west
facades of the classroom wings.
The east and west classroom wings have doors that
open into classrooms on both the primary and
Court Yard sides. These doors, which are covered
by incised porches, are plain metal. The west
wing has twenty-four original metal classroom
doors that open onto incised porches on the
primary façade. The west wing Court Yard side has
fifteen original metal doors that open onto
incised porches. The east wing primary façade
has seven original metal classroom doors that
open onto incised porches. The east Court Yard
side has four original metal doors that open onto
incised porches. The east Court Yard side also
has a pair of metal doors with four lights in the
upper quadrant, now painted over, and associated
with the power plant. All metal doors are
painted to blend with the building.
In addition, the east and west wings, on the
primary side, also have rolling metal doors so
that vehicles can be brought into classrooms. On
the west wing there are four, original, operable,
rolling doors and there are five that have been
enclosed. On the east wing there are two
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 35)
original, operable, rolling doors, three that
have been taken and made into pedestrian doors,
and two that have been infilled. All of the
original rolling doors and infilled doorways are
painted to blend with the building material.
The doors on the north, rear, façade, are a
combination of metal and aluminum framed glass
doors. These doors provide rear access to the
dining hall, kitchen, and the auditorium. The
metal doors are painted to blend with the
building material.
b. Windows and shutters: Infantry Hall has a
variety of windows and no shutters. The windows
on the office tower measure 1’ by 5’ and are
surrounded on the top and the sides by concrete
extensions that seem almost Gothic in style.
According to press accounts the surrounds baffle
direct sunlight eliminating the use of Venetian
blinds as well as cutting down on the cost of air
conditioning. The windows have a simple, narrow
concrete sill.
The narrow aluminum awning windows are staggered
in pairs across the front, south, and rear,
north, facades of the office tower. There are no
windows on the east and west sides of the tower.
On the rear façade, the fenestration is not as
orderly as the front, but it tries as much as
possible to keep with the staggered pairs of
windows.
The first floor entry hall is flooded with
natural light from the plate glass windows that
run the length of the office tower. These windows
are now partially blocked with historical
displays, but originally, they would have tied
The Infantryman/Follow Me statue, the state and
national flags and the landscaping, the exterior,
to the interior. The north cafeteria wall is
also plate glass allowing in natural light.
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 36)
However, the light is blocked by the George C.
Marshall auditorium and various temporary
structures such as wooden smoking gazebos and
tentage making the quality and quantity of light
not as great as that in the entry hall.
On both the east and west classroom wings, a
folded plate roof section forms a light monitor
which sends natural light into the classroom
hallways. The windows in the monitor are fixed,
aluminum framed, divided light. These monitors
can be seen from the Court Yard. The classroom
wings themselves have no windows aside from the
roof monitor windows.
8. Roof:
a. Shape, covering: The roof on the office
tower section of Infantry Hall is flat. The
covering is built-up layers of gravel and tar.
The folded plate roof on the classroom wings is a
membrane. Both roofs have an internal draining
system (Fort Benning ca. 1964B).
The folded plate roof is actually divided into
two parts on each wing. The large folds on the
roof run east and west and are located over the
larger classrooms. In the section of the
classroom wings immediately adjacent to the Court
Yard, the roof is stepped down and the folds
which are smaller and more tightly arranged run
north and south. This section of roof covers the
smaller classrooms.
b. Cornice, eaves: Infantry Hall does not have
a cornice or eaves.
c. Dormers, cupolas, towers: Infantry Hall
does not have dormers, cupolas or towers. While
the central office core of the building is called
a “tower,” the tower is not the type referenced
in this section. The building does have two
small “penthouses” on the roof. One shelters the
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 37)
stairway onto the roof as well as the elevator
equipment; the larger one is a mechanical
equipment cover (Moore 1964). Both are in buff-
yellow brick with flat, built up roofs and were
constructed to be as unobtrusive as possible.
C. Description of Interior:
1. Floor plans: The building is laid out in an H shape
with the side legs of the letter forming the one-story
classroom space of Infantry Hall. The cross section of
the letter is formed by the six-story office tower
that contains a formal entry and the Gorge C. Marshall
Auditorium on the first level, a mezzanine, and office
spaces for the school and its ancillary support
activities on the remaining floors.
The entry hall is lined with exposed wooden beam
(walnut) accents that are highlighted by the Carthage
Marble surrounding the four elevators and the entry
into the George C. Marshall Auditorium. The Donovan
Technical Library is located in the west section of
the first floor office tower, and the cafeteria is
located in the east section. The Library originally
contained 85,654 volumes and featured open stacks
(Fort Benning ca. 1964A). The original cafeteria could
handle 480 diners hourly (Fort Benning ca. 1964A).
The location of these services has not changed. Two
additions have been made to the entry hall – a desk
sergeant’s office and a space that is now used for
displays of various types. The entire entry hall can
be closed-off from the classroom wings by a set of
glass and aluminum doors at both the east and west
ends of the entry hall.
The George C. Marshall Auditorium which is located on
the north, rear, of the entry hall has tiered seating,
a balcony and seats 1500 people (Fort Benning ca.
1964A). The auditorium has a full stage, theatrical
curtains, stage lights, and internal sound system.
The fabric seats which appear to be original are
padded and in good condition.
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 38)
Two hallways run from each wing’s main corridors
giving students exit routes that do not pass through
classrooms. The west wing originally contained
communications classrooms – various radio classrooms,
special communications-electronics, and television
including a television station. The east wing
contained general purpose classrooms including those
with rollup doors and floors rated at 2.5 tons for the
use of vehicles during a class. In total there were
originally thirty-nine classrooms and two rooms set
aside for Infantry Hall’s television station.
The west wing contained ten large (200 person)
classrooms, nine with floors rated at 2.5 tons, and 12
small (50 person) classrooms. Nine of the ten large
classrooms line the west side of the west wing and the
twelve small classrooms and one large classroom lined
the east side of the west wing. The large rooms
originally featured a tiered floor, teaching and
observation stage, rear and front view projection
screens (10’ x 20’) motor-operated and vertically hung
from the roof on a steel framework, rolling chalk and
cork boards the back of which can serve as projection
screens, closed circuit television, and a rear
observation/projection booth. The lights, sound, and
all audio visuals could be controlled from the
speaker’s podium or the rear observation/projection
booth. The stage featured a full set of theatrical
curtains and the room itself was lined with acoustical
material as were all classrooms so that classes could
be happening in all rooms simultaneously without noise
pollution (The Bayonet January 10, 1964:5; Fort
Benning ca. 1964A; Moore 1964).
The east wing originally contained all the specialized
classrooms which dealt primarily with communications,
especially radio. This included a special night
vision testing laboratory, four radio maintenance
laboratories, four special communications-electronics
classrooms, and the television and recording studio
(Fort Benning ca. 1964A).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 39)
Although numerous classrooms have been changed and
reconfigured, the basic floor plan of the wings has
not changed.
The second through fifth floors of the office tower
are virtually identical. While the classroom spaces
and main entry are airy and open, the office spaces
are by comparison small and cramped. There are 135
offices spaces within the tower. A space by
definition is a 32’ x 20’ foot area designed to
accommodate eight people (The Bayonet January 10,
1964). The tower’s floor plan for its top five floors
features a single small hallway which is flanked on
each side by office spaces. The hallway seems dark and
close although the office spaces, while cramped, are
much brighter.
The sixth floor of the tower was originally occupied
by The Infantry School Commandant and the Infantry
Center Staff. Upon exiting the elevator on the sixth
floor it is immediately apparent that this floor is
important. The area immediately surrounding the
elevators is covered in book-matched, tree-matched
walnut paneling (Moore 1964). At the west end of the
hall, the area leading into the Commandant’s office
and the office area itself are also paneled in walnut.
On the west end of the fifth floor, an attempt has
been made to make those offices look like the
Commandant’s office area, however, the attempts have
fallen short of the goal since inexpensive, ready-made
paneling was used. Although the sixth floor’s elevator
area and the Commandant’s area are paneled in walnut,
the rest of the office spaces and the hallway are
indistinguishable from the other floors.
The office spaces themselves have been reconfigured
numerous times. However, their basic arrangement off a
long, narrow hall has not changed.
2. Stairways: Infantry Hall has four interior
staircases. One staircase is located at both ends of
each hallway (all five levels) within the office
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 40)
tower. These staircases emerge on the ground floor -
one on the Court Yard side of the east wing and one on
the Court Yard side of the west wing. They both then
immediately exit into the Court Yard. The second set
of staircases are located mid-way down both sides of
each of the five hallways within the office tower and
emerge on the ground floor - one between the female
restroom and the rear, west side of the Donovan
Technical Library and one between the male restroom
and the rear, east side of the cafeteria. Both
staircases then immediately exit into the Court Yard
on either side of the George C. Marshall Auditorium.
The staircases are without ornamentation. They are
plain, concrete stairs with metal edged treads and
painted metal pipe hand rails. The walls are concrete
block and floors are concrete.
3. Flooring: The original flooring in the entry hall and
extending through the classroom wing hallways is
terrazzo with light beige and brown markings. In the
center of the lobby, immediately upon entering through
the front, south, doors, The Infantry School and
Infantry Center “Follow Me” Insignia is emblazoned in
full color in the floor. Originally all the rest of
the building floors were covered in soft tile
(asbestos) in a beige color (asbestos) (Black 1964;
Moore 1964). Originally 6,700 sq. ft. of terrazzo
floors, 350,000 sq. ft. of asbestos tile floors and
52,000 linear feet of rubber base board were used on
the floors (Black 1964). Carpet is now used in the
library and in numerous office spaces. The cafeteria
floor has been changed a number of times because that
room has been frequently reconfigured, and is now
polished concrete.
Numerous classrooms have been changed and when
changed, carpet is generally used for the new flooring
although some flooring is simply polished concrete.
4. Wall and ceiling finish: The wall surfaces within the
building change according to the area’s use. The
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 41)
entry way, lobby area, as noted earlier, is a
combination of plate glass, on the south wall, walnut
and class on the library and cafeteria walls, Carthage
marble on the walls surrounding the elevators and
walnut and marble in the area around the George C.
Marshall Auditorium. The lobby area opens to the
second story and shows a plastered ceiling. The
mezzanine area that is visible immediately before and
above the elevators is screened by a series of walnut
beams that match those in the lobby. The ceiling
immediately above the elevators and the auditorium is
dropped, acoustical tiles.
In both classroom hall wings, the walls are concrete
block. The concrete block is glazed a soft gray for
approximately four feet and is then painted a soft
yellow up to the ceiling which is concrete painted
white. In some places the classroom hallway ceiling
has been dropped to accommodate new heating, air-
conditioning and ventilation systems, electrical
systems, and other mechanical changes. However, since
the whole ceiling has not been dropped, there is still
a feeling of openness about the hallways and the light
monitors still flood them with natural light.
The walls in the library and the cafeteria are painted
concrete block. The library has a number of smaller
rooms that have been added and these are sheet rocked.
The kitchen area of the cafeteria was inaccessible,
but it can be presumed that the walls are a
combination of materials since that area has been
changed multiple times throughout the building’s
history.
The classrooms and the auditorium were originally
lined with acoustical material to baffle noise. Their
basic construction materials are painted concrete
blocks and in some cases the acoustical material is no
longer apparent. However, the auditorium has its
original sound baffling materials intact. These
include large padded panels with pierced walnut
baffles attached on the east and west walls. In some
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 42)
of the classrooms, fabric panels have been hung from
the roof in an attempt to baffle interior sound. The
walls in the reconfigured classrooms are still
concrete block; however, these rooms are generally
subdivided with a series of fabric panels creating
cubicles of various sizes.
The original ceilings in all the classrooms, the
library, the cafeteria, and the auditorium appear to
have been plaster. However, in various classrooms,
the cafeteria, and the library, ceilings have been
dropped and acoustical tile has been used. The
auditorium and some classrooms still have plaster
ceilings. Originally there were more than 23,000
square feet of plaster ceiling (Black 1964). Some of
the larger classrooms have ceilings that conform to
the folded plate roof line.
The offices on the mezzanine and floors two through
six have a combination of painted concrete block and
sheet rock walls. As noted previously, the
Commandant’s suite of offices on the east end of the
sixth floor and area surrounding the elevators on the
sixth floor are paneled in walnut. Nevertheless, the
rest of the sixth floor is like the other floors. On
the east end of the fifth floor an attempt was made to
make the office suite look like the Commandant’s,
however, inexpensive paneling was used and the suite
misses the mark. All of the offices and the hallways
have dropped acoustical tile ceilings.
5. Openings:
a. Doorways and doors: Aside from the aluminum
framed glass doors in the entry hall that were
previously discussed, the doors in Infantry Hall
are all plain, painted metal with either round
knobs or push bars. The door frames are simple,
undecorated, and metal.
b. Windows: The awning windows which open from
the top do not have interior frames and are
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 43)
instead slightly recessed into the wall.
Although they were not intended to have Venetian
Blinds, many now have blinds. It was intended
that these windows never open except to be
cleaned (Fort Benning ca. 1964B).
The classroom wing hall roof monitors have no
special surrounds. These monitors allow a great
deal of light into the hallways even on the
gloomiest of days.
6. Decorative features and trim: Infantry Hall has a
number of decorative features that have previously
been highlighted including Carthage marble in the
entry lobby, walnut paneling and beams in the entry
and on the sixth floor, and The Infantry School and
Infantry Center insignia emblazoned on the entry
floor.
In addition, in the auditorium on either side of the
stage, attached to acoustical padding, are company
insignias of units stationed at Fort Benning. On the
wall outside the auditorium are a bronze dedication
plaque and two oil paintings of George C. Marshall for
whom the auditorium is named. The lobby itself has a
number of bronze plaques honoring various warriors and
is set up with a number of historical displays.
Students can be seen reading this material on a daily
basis.
Throughout the classroom hallways there are a number
of bulletin boards and glass-enclosed display boards
that exhibit historical and inspirational material
directed at the students.
7. Hardware: Infantry Hall has no notable hinges,
knobs, locks, latches, window hardware or fireplace
hardware. It does have a number of large walk-in
safes for the storage of both documents and fire arms
and ammunition. These safes, however, have typical in
door combination locks on massive steel doors that
open with a single handle that is turned in full
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 44)
circles. The large safes are located on the first
floor and are generally associated with a classroom.
It is believed that some or all of these safes are
nuclear hardened.
8. Mechanical equipment:
a. Heating, air conditioning, ventilation:
The original heating, air conditioning and
ventilation (HVAC) system was installed during
construction by the Carrier Corporation of
Atlanta and was a Carrier system. The heating and
air controls were provided by Johnson Service
Company, Atlanta (Battle 1964). The building had
1,470 tons of air conditioning equipment and
22,350 feet of metal air conditioning duct work
weighing 190 tons (Black 1964).
The entire building was air conditioned; a
distinct departure from the typical building on
Fort Benning at the time. In 1964 when the
building opened, The Bayonet’s Roving Reporter
asked several people what they liked best about
the new building, and an Infantry School
instructor replied, “I like the air
conditioning”(Smith 1964).
At an unknown date the HAVC system was changed.
When the system was changed, portions of the
ceiling were dropped in the classroom wings to
over the mechanicals.
The Donovan Research Library has ceiling fans in
the reading and computer area presumably because
of the heat generated by the various computers
and other equipment scattered throughout the
area.
b. Lighting: Originally there were over 150
miles of metal conduit that contained the wiring
for over 8,000 four-foot fluorescent lights and
1,500 incandescent bulbs used to light the
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 45)
offices and classrooms of Infantry Hall (Fort
Benning ca. 1964A). The light fixtures were and
are typical for an institutional and office
setting. There are no special fixtures or
chandeliers. In the large classrooms that have
slopping floors, the banks of fluorescent lights
are hanging on metal rods in order to bring the
light closer to the student’s desks.
c. Plumbing: Plumbing work was originally
contracted to Fred Carpenter Plumbing, Columbus,
who was responsible for mechanical, plumbing,
heating, steam and water. Dixie Construction,
Birmingham, Alabama, was responsible for sanitary
sewer work (Battle 1964).
The restroom facilities associated with the
classroom wings are typical with porcelain
urinals, commodes in metal panel stalls, and
porcelain sinks with mirrors above. Tile floors
and tile partially up the wall make this a
typical institutional restroom. What is
interesting to note here is the sheer number of
restrooms and their dispersal in the classroom
wings. In the east wing alone there are five
restrooms all located on the hall below the ten
200 person classrooms. The location of these
restrooms was originally ideal since 200 people
would be breaking at the same time and the
restroom at the foot of the classroom meant that
the soldiers need not wander around the halls.
Additionally, an all male clientele meant that
one bathroom could serve the whole class. Now
the large number of restrooms means that they can
be equally divided between male and female.
The restrooms in the office tower have seen
differing levels of renovation and upkeep. Like
the classroom facilities, the office tower
restrooms have porcelain fixtures, metal stalls
and tile on both the floor and wall; however,
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 46)
these restrooms were designated as male and
female.
One of the more interesting plumbing features of
the new building was “refrigerated” water
fountains (The Bayonet June 5 1964F). These
fountains which are porcelain bowls attached to
piping through the wall served icy cold water, a
treat during Georgia summers. Unfortunately,
while they work, they no longer serve cold water.
d. Elevators: The elevators were installed by
Elevator Service Company, Columbus. Four
automatic elevators with a lift capacity of
fifteen passengers each flank the center entrance
to the George C. Marshall Auditorium. It is
interesting to note that the control panel
buttons for the elevator are located
exceptionally high on the elevator’s interior
wall. Presumably, Infantry soldiers are all well
over six feet tall.
e. SEC COM (Secured Communications) room: The
actual structural components of the SEC COM room
are discussed in Section B. Description of the
Exterior, Number 4, Structural system, and
framing. The SEC COM room is believed to be a
nuclear hardened room. “Hardening” protected a
target against blast, heat, and radiation effects
of nuclear weapons of specific yields. It appears
that this room held classified documents.
The room is accessed only through a pedestrian
steel vault door, now gone, and a barred, steel
window vault opening. The room appears to have
its own ventilation system. The actual operation
of the pedestrian vault door and the window vault
opening is not known. The room has no bathroom
facilities nor is it designated as a fallout
shelter so it can be presumed that only documents
were intended to last through a nuclear incident
with people seeking protection in the numerous
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 47)
fallout shelters found in the building.
Nevertheless, it is possible that the fallout
shelter sign has been lost.
It is not clear if a separate electrical system
or what type of communications system/s served
the SEC COM room. Infantry Hall had an internal
communications system of some type, but the type
is unknown; and it is not known how the SEC COM
room fit into that system (The Bayonet June 5,
1964F). The room now holds metal, flat storage
cabinets for magazines and historic information.
This is a space that is not discussed, for
obvious reasons, in the period literature.
f. Fallout shelters: The actual structural
components of the fallout shelters are discussed
in Section B. Description of the Exterior, Number
4, Structural system, and framing. There are two
factors to be considered in a fallout shelter:
blast protection and radiation protection. More
than three-quarters of all shelters in the U.S.
were located on upper floors in high rise
buildings, and did not, therefore, protect
against blast (Civil Defense Museum 2008).
Infantry Hall has a number of fallout shelters on
each floor, therefore, it can be assumed that
they do not protect against blast.
The space allotted for refugees was a ten foot
square per person; it was hoped that this minimal
space would provide as many shelter spaces as
possible. Nevertheless, without adequate
ventilation, square footage could not be counted.
Adequate ventilation was based on unaided air
circulation throughout the shelter area (Civil
Defense Museum 2008).
Many public fallout shelters were partially if
not fully stocked with supplies. Generally, if
the shelter was marked with a sign it was at
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 48)
least partially stocked. The supplies were
usually in some out of the way area of the
shelter. The Office of Civil Defense plan was to
provide two weeks’ worth of supplies in the
shelter. This was based on the fact that initial
radiation fallout would be very intense, but the
more intense the fallout the faster it decayed.
The shelter stay was merely to allow time for the
radiation to drop to a level where it might be
possible to leave for a short period of time to
seek out more supplies or to move to areas
outside the shelter permanently (Civil Defense
Museum 2008).
The fallout shelters in Infantry Hall do not seem
to have been stocked, even though they were
marked with official signage, since no storage
places for food and other supplies could be
found. Standard rationing could be reduced if the
equivalent food is available and certain
requirements pertaining to perishability and
availability were met (Office of Civil Defense
1965). Perhaps there were areas set aside within
the kitchen for supplies, or perhaps there were
rationing areas set aside on each floor that are
now no longer extant or long forgotten.
The fallout shelters in Infantry Hall are not
discussed in period literature although Bayonet
articles of the time discuss training at Fort
Benning related to the DAVY CROCKETT weapons
system, a nuclear armament.
g. Computer room: On the second floor in room
No. 224 one of the most important pieces of the
modern Infantry School took up residence, the
Univac 1004 Computer. The computer was leased
by the school, but their plans included
purchasing an even more sophisticated digital
computer by the end of 1964. The Infantry School
believed that, “automation will…play an
increasingly important role [at the school], and
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 49)
[that] 1964 will be a great year of progress in
this arena (The Bayonet January 10, 1964:5).”
The room is approximately 30’ x 30’ and features
a double floor system so that wiring for
individual computers and equipment can be routed
through a chase formed the two flooring levels.
Panels within the top flooring level can be
removed for servicing the machines. This
eliminates a tangle of cables on the floor. The
air conditioning for this room was also
originally located within this chase.
By 1964, the school was using the old punch card
system for Resident and Nonresident Academic
Records and Analysis. This meant that lesson
grades, examination scores, class rosters,
transcripts of credit, question analysis data,
posted grades, and coefficients of correlation
between various sets of data could be analyzed
and recorded. Students with weaknesses could be
identified and the school’s areas of instruction
could be evaluated against student grades. The
new digital computer was eagerly awaited since it
could store data and would eventually handle
scheduling of instruction and equipment,
instruction and analysis, computer-based
programmed instruction, and many other
administrative functions (The Bayonet January 10,
1964:5; Black 1964). Computers were the wave of
the future and The Infantry School was onboard.
The inclusion of Electronic Data Processing (EDP)
systems, now known generically as computers,
purpose built rooms was a new trend in the late
1950s early 1960s. The early EDP systems were
highly demanding of the architect and
consultants. The machines refused to operate in
high heat and humidity or in low temperatures.
The machines were extremely heavy and placed
concentrated loads on building floors. Large
areas were required for the placement, servicing,
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 50)
and repair of large machines. Electronic power
with low variations in voltage and frequency must
be furnished to the machines. Sunlight, dust and
vibrations all posed special problems for the
systems. Since the EDP systems were so finicky,
the architectural community was beginning to
publish books on the subject (Hunt 1961).
The design of computer rooms had to consider a
myriad of details. In addition to those
mentioned previously, others included space
planning, acoustical treatment, illumination,
lightening protection and tape storage. Not only
were these machines large, they vibrated and were
exceptionally loud with card printers being the
main culprit. EDP rooms had to be acoustically
designed to prevent the noise and vibration from
dispersing throughout the rest of the building.
While the machines themselves vibrate, they were
sensitive to extraneous vibrations so the room
itself had to also prevent vibrations emanating
from other sources. While the machines
themselves were not harmed by bright light, the
console and signal lights were best seen in low
light, and, therefore, computer rooms tended to
be windowless like that in Infantry Hall.
Lightening protection for the computer system was
vital on all electrical systems, but especially
on secondary, backup systems to prevent surges in
electricity. Tape storage presented its own
special problems related to storage and use (Hunt
1961).
When Infantry Hall opened, The Infantry School
was using a Univac 1004 manufactured by the
Sperry Rand Corporation. It is not known if it
was a Univac 1004II or a Univac 1004III and what
type of support equipment it was using (i.e. a
card reader, a card processor/reader, paper tape
punch and/or backup Magnetic Tape System)(Sperry
Rand Corporation ca. 1960). Regardless, either
model required a working area of 195 square feet
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 51)
(including the computer [reader] and the card
printer) and weighed 2,500 pounds (Weik 1964).
The system required air circulation for the
processor of 250 cubic feet per minute and for
the card printer of 600 cubic feet per minute
(Weik 1964). A system, depending on performance
characteristics and support equipment was leased
for between $46,000 and $60,000 a year (Weik
1964). Although this was the Univac system was
moved into Infantry Hall, The Infantry School
knew it was going to have a new digital system
within the year; therefore the computer room had
to be designed with flexibility in mind.
One of the problems early-on that architects
faced in designing EDP rooms was that computers
became outmoded very quickly and once computers
were introduced into a company’s business, it was
soon discovered that other operations lent
themselves to automation (Hunt 1961). In general
more computers, even larger in size, would be
introduced into the space. IBM’s RAMAC 750 III
system took up 3,500 square feet, and most
computer systems required six times as much air
conditioning as an office (Hunt 1961). Infantry
Hall’s computer room was designed with expansion
in mind (approximately 900 square feet) but never
to the level of an IBM RAMAC 750 III.
Today Room No. 224 still functions as a computer
room holding the servers for The Infantry
School’s Directorate of Training. However the
room has undergone some changes. The air
conditioning which originally ran in the floor
chase was no longer capable of keeping up with
the demand of the machines and has since been
moved to ceiling ducting. The Infantry School
stayed loyal to Univac computer using various
models up through the 1990s. The last Univacs
that were used in the 1990s were just recently
moved out of the computer room.
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 52)
h. Substations: Perhaps as a hedge against
nuclear war or simply the need to be operational
at all times in an unforgiving world, Infantry
Hall has its own electrical substations. Both
are located in the rear, north, courtyard area of
the building.
One is located behind a chain link fence on the
west wing with an entry door into the west wing.
The other is located behind a brick screen wall
in the back of the George C. Marshall Auditorium
and is associated with the air conditioning
control room. The need for constant air
conditioning and humidity control was not only
for the comfort and convenience of the humans
occupying the building but for the computers and
other electronic equipment that were an integral
part of Infantry Hall.
9. Original Furnishings: Infantry Hall has a number of
original furnishings. The George C. Marshal
Auditorium still has its original nubby textured
fabric covered seats which are an orange color as well
as its original stage curtains. Many of the 200
person classrooms have their original Infantry blue
stage curtains and much of the original stage
equipment including the motor-operated, vertically
hung 10’ x 20’ rear view projection screen, portable
rolling chalkboard and screen combination panels on
casters, and wooden podiums in an odd hour glass shape
equipped with sound, light and other technical
equipment controls.
Outside the classrooms there are “Class in Session”
light boxes above the door that can be illuminated
when the room is in use. In addition, there are
illuminated boxes to the side of each classroom door
with grooved sliders so that the name of the teacher
and class can be inserted. There are also original
built-in glass enclosed bulletin boards throughout the
classroom wings where notices and posters can be
displayed.
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 53)
D. Site:
Historic Landscape design: The original landscape planting
was by Micah M. Jenkins Nursery, Charleston, South Carolina
(Battle 1964). It is not clear if Jenkins also designed
the landscape.
The front, south, of Infantry Hall is highly landscaped and
includes: a monumental statue of an infantryman, The
Infantryman/Follow Me, but often called “Iron Mike,” a 100’
flag pole flying the U.S. flag flanked on each side by a
semicircle of flag poles flying state flags, a series of
semicircular knee walls, another statue, The Doughboy,
which originally stood in front of Building 00035 when it
was the Infantry School building, a series of flower, tree
and shrub beds, a semicircular walk trimmed in red brick,
and a number of static vehicles and arms. In addition,
across Karker Street immediately in front of Infantry Hall,
is York Field, The Infantry School’s parade ground. The
building is flanked east and west by flat parking lots.
The landscape in front of the building including the statue
The Infantryman/Follow Me; the 100’ flag pole (1945),
Facility No. M9799; the semicircle of state flags; the
central portion of the low wall that visually divides the
building from the street, the two parking lots and Alvin
York Field are all original components of the Infantry Hall
landscape.
The monumental statue The Infantryman/Follow Me was created
in 1959-1960 by PVT Manfred Bass, who was only 23 years
old, with assistance by PVT Karl H. Von Krog using Eugene
J. Wyles, then an Officer Candidate School student as a
model (Wyatt 1976). A note should be made here about the
name of the monumental statue: it is and has been called by
many names, sometimes within the same magazine/news
article. The statue is known variously as Infantry Statue,
The Infantryman, Follow Me, Doughboy, The Ultimate Weapon,
and Iron Mike (Army Times 1969; Grube 1983, 1988; Sellers
1960; Wilder 1967). Although the official name of the
statue appears to be The Infantryman it is also commonly
called Follow Me, and this double name calling can be found
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 54)
in Army, Fort Benning, and National Infantry Museum
publications when referencing the monumental statue in
front of Infantry Hall (The Bayonet June 5, 1964H; Grube
1983, 1988; Infantry Magazine May-June 2004; Moore 1964;
United States Army Infantry 2008; Wyatt 1976). It is also
colloquially called Iron Mike, as are numerous other
military and “tough guy” statues in the United States. In
2004 when the statue was rededicated, the plaque for that
rededication actually names the statue as the “Follow Me
Statue.” Since the name of the statue is in question, it
is referenced here as its two most common names, The
Infantryman/Follow Me.
The Infantryman/Follow Me statue sits inside a blue outline
of a Norman shield, like that on the Infantry School
insignia, on a 10’ concrete base. The bronze statue itself
is 12’-4” tall and depicts a charging infantryman, arm in
the air, head turned slightly back over his shoulder
exhorting the assembled troops to, “Follow Me!” The
uniform and equipment are World War II and Korean War
vintage, and the statue is equipped only with a helmet,
canteen cartridge belt, first aid pack, entrenching tool,
and an M-1 rifle (Sellers 1960).
The statue was the brain child of MJG Paul L. Freeman Jr.,
Infantry Center Commander, who tasked COL John N.
Woestenburg with its completion. COL Woestenburg in turn
found PVTs Bass and Von Krog – Bass had some experience
working at Disneyland – and using only available funds
began the process of finding the best medium for the statue
since the cost of a monumental bronze was out of the
question. The answer was a combination of polyester and
glass fiber, much like the hulls of fiberglass boats and an
outer coating of epoxy resin impregnated with bronze that
would form a finishing substance all applied over a steel
armature, framework (Sellers 1960).
Many photographs of Wyles, the model, were taken and
studied, and a number of clay models were made before the
final pose was chosen by MJG Freeman. The entire process
from research to model poses to final mounting on the base
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 55)
occurred in strictest secrecy and was code named “Project
S” (Sellers 1960).
The Infantryman [Grube (1983) states that the official name
of the statue as of June 15, 1959 was The Ultimate Weapon.
Nevertheless, it appears that it was called The Infantryman
when it was unveiled in 1960 (Sellers 1960)] was built at a
cost of about $2,000 for materials and weighed only 3,000
pounds. It could withstand a 100-mile-per-hour wind and
could support unusual weights. The riffle alone could hold
up to 300 pounds. It was estimated that the epoxy and
bronze finish would last for 100 years,…”as long as there
is a Fort Benning” (Sellers 1960:np).
The original bronze plaque on the base is a quote from I am
the Infantry by LTC Stephen H. White, COL Francis X.
Bradley and SP4 Howard Webber, 1955, “Wherever brave men
fight and die for freedom, you will find me. I am always
ready…now and forever. I am the Infantry - - Queen of
Battle! Follow Me!”
The statue was dedicated May 3, 1960 by Secretary of the
Army, Wilber M. Brucker, as the highlight of the massive
demonstration called Project MAN (Modern Army Needs)
(Sellers 1960). It originally stood on the edge of Eubanks
Field, north, to the rear, of Infantry Hall. It was moved
to the front of Infantry Hall as the new symbol of the
Infantry. During its transfer from Eubanks Field to the
front of the building, the statue was dropped chipping the
infantryman’s left elbow. Manfred Bass was flown in from
New Jersey to oversee the repair work to the elbow (The
Bayonet June 5, 1964H).
A second plaque was added to front of the statue. It
reads, “UNVEILED BY SECRETARY OF THE ARMY WILBER M.
BRUCKER/3 MAY 1960/ THIS TRIBUTE TO INFANTRYMAN WAS
CONCEIVED/AND CONSTUCTED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MAJOR
GENERAL/PAUL L. FREEMAN, JR., COMMANDANT, UNITED STATES
ARMY/INFNATRY SCHOOL.
SUPERVISION OF THE PROJECT WAS EXERCISED BY/COLONEL JOHN W.
WOESTENBURG, ORDNANCE CORPS, AND HIS/ASSISTANT, CHARLES O.
CROWDER.
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 56)
ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY PFC/MANFRED BASS,
SCULPTOR AND DESIGNER, AND PFC KARL H. VAN KROG, ASSISTANT
SCULPTOR. THE MODEL WAS OFFICER CANDIDATE EUGENE J.WYLES.
PLAQUES DONATED BY DUSA.”
A third plaque was added in 1975 during the Army’s 200th
anniversary. The plaque in the shape of a Norman shield
reads, “…THE ONE THING THAT BEST SUMS/ UP THE SPIRIT OF
THIS DAY IS, / THE SIMPLE BUT DEEPLY MOVING STATUE HERE, AT
FORT BENNING, /AN AMERIACN COMBAT INFANTRYMAN. /THE STATUE,
AS YOU WELL KNOW, BEARS THE INFANTRY MOTTO -/ONLY TWO SHORT
WORDS/BUT IT SPEAKS VOUMES FOR THE COURAGE, FOR
THE/SACRAFICE THAT THE AMERICAN FIGHTING MAN HAS ALWAYS
DEMONSTRATED. /THE MOTTO IS “FOLLOW ME.”/…STATEMENT BY
PRESIDENT GERALD R. FORD UPON HIS VISIT TO FORT BENNING ON
THE ARMY’S 200TH ANNIVERSARY, 14 JUNE 1975.”
In 1988 the statue was removed for cleaning and
restoration. In 2004, The Infantryman/Follow Me was moved,
and an exact copy was made in bronze and reinstalled July
1, 2004 to coincide with Independence Day festivities
(Infantry Magazine May-June 2004). The original statue was
retained by the National Infantry Museum, Ft. Benning.
Georgia. For the statue’s rededication, a plaque was added
to rear of the base. It reads, “THE HONORABLE JOHN O.
MARSH JR./REDEDICATED THE FOLLOW ME STATUE/ TO THE UNITED
STATES INFANTRY SOLDIER ON JULY1 2004./THE CEREMONY
INCLUDED/BG BENJAMIN C. FREAKLEY, COMMANDING
GENERAL;/COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR MICHAEL A. KELSO;/MJR (R)
EUGENE WYLES, THE STATUE’S ORIGINAL MODEL;/ COMMAND
SERGEANT MAJOR (R) BASIL PLUNLEY;/ AND PRIVATE SILES
EVANS./ THIS STATUE REPRESENTS THE INFANTRY IN ITS WELL-
KNOW STANCE. LEANING FORWARD, ARM UPRAISED, AND
COMMANDING, “FOLLOW ME!” TODAY’S INFANTRY HONORS ITS
HERITAGE BY CONTINUING TO LEAD THE WAY.”
Immediately behind, north of The Infantryman/Follow Me, is
a 100’ flag pole, Facility No. M9799, which was originally
erected in 1941 in front of the “Big House”, Building
00035, the former Infantry School building. This pole was
moved from Building No. 35 to Building No. 4 in 1964 in
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 57)
part to save money and to make a connection between the two
buildings. In early drawings and models of Infantry Hall,
the 100’ flag pole is a consistent landscape feature. On
each side of the 100’ flag pole in an outward, south,
facing semicircle are fifty flag poles, twenty-five on each
side, for the state flags (Moore 1964).
Immediately in front, south, of Infantryman/Follow Me is a
smooth textured, concrete knee wall painted white that
originally had cast aluminum letters in baked Infantry blue
enamel that spelled out, “The U.S. Army Infantry School.”
This semicircular wall also faces outward, south. A series
of walkways and a large semicircular walk that could serve
as a driveway connect all these elements together.
The addition of The Doughboy statue, a commemorative statue
of the WWII soldier which was originally created to stand
at the Big House, some vehicles and arms, and some other
knee walls by the original wall have not detracted from the
overall formality or elegance of the landscape plan. While
it is a pleasant to view from a vehicle, it was really
planned as a pedestrian landscape and is most powerful when
viewed from that perspective.
On the other side of Karker Street, immediately south of
Infantry Hall is the school’s large parade ground. At the
Big House, the Field of the Four Chaplains was used and had
become too small. Infantry Hall’s huge parade ground also
serves as an open space in front of the building providing
a much need green space that matches the other large open
spaces throughout the residential and administrative areas
of Fort Benning. When the parade ground was first opened
it had no name, but in November 1964 it received a memorial
name.
The field was named York Field in honor of the late SGT
York, the most decorated World War I soldier, who had died
September 2, 1964. When SGT York died his name was
submitted to MJG John A. Heintges, Infantry Center
Commander, for consideration as a name for the field in
keeping with the post tradition of naming landmarks for
famous military personnel (Aran 1964:6). A granite and
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 58)
bronze commemoration marker on the northern edge of the
field, immediately in front of Infantry Hall reads: YORK
FIELD/NAMED IN HONOR OF/SARGEANT ALVIN C. YORK/325th
INFANTRY REGIMENT/82d INFANTRY DIVISION/AWARDED MEDAL OF
HONOR/8 OCTOBER 1918.
In the east and west sides of Infantry Hall, 900 car
parking lots were created to provide adequate parking for
staff and students. The building was considered a marvel
of comfort all the way down to the parking
lots,…”[Personnel] work in completely air-conditioned
rooms; take water breaks at refrigerated water fountains;
contact each other through inter-communications system
[sic]and drive their cars home from a spacious parking lot”
(Fort Benning June 5, 1964). The west parking lot has been
reduced in size since Building 00006 now takes up part of
the lot.
1. Outbuildings: Infantry Hall has no outbuildings.
Several small wooden “smoking” gazebos have been
placed in the north, rear Court Yard, but they are not
truly outbuildings.
PART III. SOURCES OF INFORMATION
A. Architectural Drawings: A full set of architectural drawings,
more than 100 of them, are available in Plans and Support,
Master Planning Division of the Directorate of Public Works,
Fort Benning, Georgia. These included elevations, floor
plans, details, and other aspects of the construction of
Infantry Hall. Part of the blueprints feature information
blocks with Abreu & Robeson’s names and others merely bear
the Savannah Corps of Engineers’ name.
B. Early Views: There are a significant number of early
photographs of Infantry Hall since it was constructed in the
middle of the 20th century. These early views can be found
in Fort Benning’s newspaper, The Bayonet, the local Columbus
Georgia newspaper, The Columbus Enquirer, and numerous
military magazines such as Infantry Magazine. In addition,
Fort Benning itself has a number of archives, including the
Donovan Research Library and the National Infantry Museum,
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 59)
which contain original Army photographs of various stages of
the construction and completion of the building.
C. Interviews: One interview was conducted for this report with
Mr. David S. Stieghan, Installation Combat Historian, Fort
Benning, Georgia. The interview was conducted at Infantry
Hall on September 20, 2007, with the author, Ms. Kelly Nolte,
Senior Architectural Historian, Director Architectural
History Division, Panamerican Consultants, Inc., Tuscaloosa,
Alabama.
D. Bibliography:
1. Published sources:
The Abreu Charitable Trust
2007 Family History, The Abreu Charitable Trust (Available on
line http://www.abreufoundation.org/history.asp)
American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T)
2008 AT&T History Page, Former AT&T Site owners Discussion
Group, Nuclear Hardening specifications (Available on line
http://macpassradio.com/pages/att.htm).
Aran, David J., PVT
November 6, 1964 “Infantry School Parade Field Named after
Sgt. Alvin York,” The Bayonet, page 6, Fort Benning,
Georgia (Available in Donovan Technical Library, Infantry
Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia).
Atlanta.Org
2008 “Roosevelt High School (Girls High),” Guide of Atlanta
(Available online http://www.atlanta.org.)
Atomic Archive
2000 “Effects of Nuclear Weapons,” Science of Nuclear Weapons.
Available (Online)
http://www,atimicarchives.com/sciencemenu.shtml
Army Environmental Center (AEC)
1998 Thematic Study and Guidelines: Identification and
Evaluation of U.S. Army Cold War Era Military-Industrial
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 60)
Historic Properties. U.S. Army Environmental Center,
Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.
Army Times
October 22, 1969 “This Major Looks Like a Statue, Has Big
‘Following’,” Army Times (on file National Infantry
Museum, Fort Benning, Georgia).
Ballard, Joe N., LT GEN
2000 “A Message from the Chief, LT GEN Joe N. Ballard, Chief of
Engineers, 2000 Chief of Engineers Design and Environmental
Awards Program. Available online
htp://www.wbdg.org.pdf/USAEC_DesignAwards2000.pdf.
Barton, William H., “Bill” Barton, Sr., William H. “Buzz”
Barton, Jr., M. David Byers, Jr., Thomas L. Henegar, and Danny
J. Summers
1999 The History of the Southern Nursery Association. The
Southern Nursery Association, Atlanta, GA (Available
Charleston County Public Library, Charleston, SC).
Battle, Lisa
June 5, 1964 “Charles B. Kneller was the Man in Charge.” The
Bayonet, page 44, Fort Benning, Georgia (Available in
Donovan Technical Library, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning,
Georgia).
The Bayonet
April 2, 1953 “We’re 46, Men, and Hale!” Page 1, Vol. 11, No.
28, Fort Benning, Georgia (Available in Donovan Technical
Library, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia).
April 30, 1953 “Wilson Tightens Security” Page 4, Fort
Benning, Georgia (Available in Donovan Technical Library,
Infantry Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia).
January 2, 1958 “Army Faces Three Fold Role in Long Range
Look,” Page 1, Vol. 16, No. 19, Fort Benning, Georgia
(Available in Donovan Technical Library, Infantry Hall,
Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 61)
January 30, 1958 “Construction Supervision Totals $26 Million
at Benning in 1957, Housing Tops 51 Projects,” Page 24,
Fort Benning, Georgia (Available in Donovan Technical
Library, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia).
March 23, 1958 “Statue to Arrive Here Next Week,” Page 1, Vol.
16, No. 28, Fort Benning, Georgia (Available in Donovan
Technical Library, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia).
March 27, 1958 “The Infantry School to Observe 51st year,” Page
1, Vol. 16, No. 30, Fort Benning, Georgia (Available in
Donovan Technical Library, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning,
Georgia).
April 3, 1958A “Ceremonies Mark TIS [The Infantry School]
Anniversary,” Page 1, Vol. 16, No. 31, Fort Benning,
Georgia (Available in Donovan Technical Library, Infantry
Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia).
April 3, 1958B “Doughboy Statue Unveiling Held; Stands as
Infantryman Memorial,” Page 1, Vol. 16, No. 31, Fort
Benning, Georgia (Available in Donovan Technical Library,
Infantry Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia).
April 3, 1958C “Benning Inaugurates Special Cancellation: Marks
Doughboy Statue,” Page 3, Fort Benning, Georgia (Available
in Donovan Technical Library, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning,
Georgia).
October 8, 1953 “Post Serves Free World 35 Years: Infantry
School a Force for Peace,” Pages 1, 6 and 16, Fort Benning,
Georgia (Available in Donovan Technical Library, Infantry
Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia).
December 4, 1953 “Top Leaders Eye Role of Infantry in
Future,” Page 1, Vol. 17, No. 12, Fort Benning, Georgia
(Available in Donovan Technical Library, Infantry Hall,
Fort Benning, Georgia).
December 11, 1958A “Leaders Draft Means to Power New Army,”
Page 1, Vol. 16, No. 11, Fort Benning, Georgia (Available
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 62)
in Donovan Technical Library, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning,
Georgia).
December 11, 1958B “Over 150 Stars at Meeting,” Page 1, Vol.
16, No. 11, Fort Benning, Georgia (Available in Donovan
Technical Library, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia).
April 27, 1962 “Academic Building Low Bids,” pages 1 and 2, Fort
Benning, Georgia (Available in Donovan Technical Library,
Infantry Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia).
January 4, 1963 “’Progress’ is Keyword in U.S. Army,” Page
1, Vol. 21, No. 17, Fort Benning, Georgia (Available in
Donovan Technical Library, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning,
Georgia).
February 21, 1963 “Confused? ROAD Concept Seen as Basically
Simple,” Page 11, Fort Benning, Georgia (Available in
Donovan Technical Library, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning,
Georgia).
March 1, 1963 “What’s Inside ROAD: The Whys and Wherefores,”
page 14, Fort Benning, Georgia (Available in Donovan
Technical Library, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia).
March 29, 1963 “World’s Top Infantry Leaders Receive Their
Training Here at TIS [The Infantry School],” Pages 31 and
32, Fort Benning, Georgia (Available in Donovan Technical
Library, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia).
July 12, 1963 “Infantry Instructor’s Conference Scheduled July
15-19 by TIS,” Page 1, Vol. 21, No. 44, Fort Benning,
Georgia (Available in Donovan Technical Library, Infantry
Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia).
November 22, 1963 “AUSA Provides Classified Forum,” Page 1,
Vol. 22, No. 11, Fort Benning, Georgia (Available in
Donovan Technical Library, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning,
Georgia).
December 6, 1963 “Tactical Mobility Office Established,” Page
1, Vol. 13, No. 28, Fort Benning, Georgia (Available in
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 63)
Donovan Technical Library, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning,
Georgia).
January 3, 1964 “1964 Army Inventory Will Boast Advanced
Weaponry,” Page 1, Vol. 22, No. 17, Fort Benning, Georgia
(Available in Donovan Technical Library, Infantry Hall,
Fort Benning, Georgia).
January 10, 1964 “’Giant Steps’ Forward Scheduled for 1964 at
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E. Likely Sources Not Yet Investigated: All likely sources of
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FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 80)
here that the bulk of Abreu & Robeson’s blueprints are now
located at the Public Library Brunswick, Georgia. The
blueprints are rolled, in poor condition and have never
been inventoried. Unfortunately, the library has no funds
for the inventory and conservation of the documents. Until
such time, they are not available for reference.
Nevertheless, Fort Benning has a full complement of
blueprints for Infantry Hall. It would be interesting,
however, to see if Abreu & Robeson kept elevations or older
versions of the building’s blueprints.
F. Supplemental Material: The attached supplemental material
consists of digitally reproduced copies of color 35 mm and
color digital photographic prints that were taken over the
course of several months in 2007 and 2008. The prints show
details of Infantry Hall that the Large Format Camera is
unable to capture. The prints are accompanied by captions
explaining the view and significance. Also included are
digitally reproduced copies of original Army photos that
are on file in the National Infantry Museum, Fort Benning,
Georgia. These photographs are identified as such.
PART IV. PROJECT INFORMATION
Panamerican Consultants, Inc., was contracted by the Cultural Resources Office, Fort Benning, Georgia, under the
direction of Dr. Christopher Hamilton to complete a HABS
Level II on the Infantry Hall as a result of BRAC actions.
Infantry Hall is scheduled for extensive renovation to
accommodate both The Infantry School and the soon to arrive
from Fort Knox, Kentucky, Armor School, thereby becoming
the Maneuver Center of Excellence. The exterior and
interior of the building will be changed significantly
under the proposed renovations.
Although not yet fifty years old, Infantry Hall was
identified in 2006 as, “Likely [to be] eligible for the
NRHP” (Nolte and Longiaru 2006:53). In January 2008 a NRHP
evaluation of Infantry Hall was performed and the building,
the entry landscape that includes the 100’ flag pole, The
Infantryman/Follow Me statue, the fifty state flagpoles,
the semicircular knee wall and York Field were identified
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 81)
as eligible for the NRHP through Criterion Consideration G
under Criteria A and C (Nolte 2008).
Ms. Kelly Nolte, Senior Architectural Historian, Director
of the Architectural History Division, Panamerican
Consultants Inc., is the author of the HABS documentation
and conducted most of the research. She was assisted in
research efforts by Jeanette Knowles, Architectural
Historian, Panamerican Consultants, Inc. Mr. Mark
Drumlevitch, Panamerican Consultants, Inc., was the large
format photographer for the project. He was assisted by
Ms. Stacey L. Griffin, Senior Architectural
Historian/Principal Investigator, Panamerican Consultants,
Inc., who also took color digital photographs and conducted
research. Ms. Griffin also served as Panamerican staff
liaison with Fort Benning. Ms. Nolte took 35mm color
photographs. The report was edited by Ms. Kristen Reed and
Ms. Griffin.
While in the field at Fort Benning, Panamerican staff was
assisted by: Dr. Christopher Hamilton, Cultural Resources
Manager; Ms. Connie Barrett, Historic Preservation
Specialist, Cultural Resources Office; Mr. Jake Lowe, Plans
and Support; Ms. Amber Fields, National Infantry Museum;
the Desk Sergeants of Infantry Hall; LTC Ernest Coleman,
Deputy Chief of Staff; Mr. Ken Horn, Infantry Hall; Mr.
David Stieghan, Installation Combat Historian, Fort
Benning; and the truly hardworking librarians of the
Donovan Technical Library without whom this document could
not have been completed.
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 82)
PART V. GRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION
A. Location Map
Aerial view of the area surrounding Building No. 4, Fort
Benning, Georgia (USGS 1955, photo revised 1985 Fort
Benning, Georgia-Alabama Quadrangle 7.5” topo map).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 83)
Location of Building No. 4, Fort Benning, Georgia (USGS
1955, photo revised 1985 Fort Benning, Georgia-Alabama
Quadrangle 7.5” topo map).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 84)
B. Historic Photographs
“Academic Building TIS [The Infantry School] Fort Benning
Georgia/ 7-18-55/ Abreu & Robeson/ Incorporated/ Architects and
Engineers,” an early plan for The Infantry School. Although the
building is in the more or less an H shape, the wings are flat
roofed and have major entry points on the south, front ends.
The entry to the school has a ripple arched cover, but, most
importantly, the fenestration is in a typical ribbon row form on
the center “tower” as it was termed. (Photograph courtesy of
the National Infantry Museum, Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 85)
“Academic Building, The Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia.
Scale: 1” – 10’/ Corps of Engineers, United States Army, Abreu &
Robeson Inc. Architects – Engineers, Atlanta – Brunswick,
Georgia [model].” Note the tanks moving in and out of the
classroom wings; the floor was rated at 2.5 tons in certain
classrooms so that vehicles could be brought in as teaching
tools. (Photograph courtesy of the National Infantry Museum,
Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 86)
Model of the final plan for The Infantry School, Fort Benning,
Georgia. (Photograph courtesy of the National Infantry Museum,
Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 87)
Rear view of model of the final plan for The Infantry School,
Fort Benning, Georgia. (Photograph courtesy of the National
Infantry Museum, Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 88)
“Lt Colonel[James T.] Carter and Captain [Herman J.] Vanbebber
check the progress” of Infantry Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia.
(Photograph courtesy of the National Infantry Museum, Fort
Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 89)
LTC Carter and CPT Vanbebber in front of the west wing; note the
officer tower behind, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia.
(Photograph courtesy of the National Infantry Museum, Fort
Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 90)
Floor finishing work inside Infantry Hall, Fort Benning,
Georgia. (Photograph courtesy of the National Infantry Museum,
Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 91)
Newly opened Building No. 4, home of The Infantry School, Fort
Benning, Georgia. Note the completed landscaped in the front,
south, of the building and the parking lots on the east and
west. Eubanks Field, the location of the parachute jump towers,
now a NRHP eligible historic district, can be seen in the rear,
north of the building. (Photograph courtesy of the National
Infantry Museum, Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 92)
View of the west wing of Infantry Hall across 900 vehicle
parking lot, ca. 1964, Fort Benning, Georgia. (Photograph
courtesy of the National Infantry Museum, Fort Benning,
Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 93)
The “Big House,” the old Infantry School building, Building No.
35 (1935), designed by McKim Mead & White (Photograph by Stacey
L. Griffin, Panamerican Consultants, Inc., 2007).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 94)
View of entry hall, 1964, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia.
Note the Follow Me insignia in the terrazzo floors, the Carthage
marble walls, the open walnut beams of the mezzanine and the
elevator banks (United States Army Photograph, Infantry Magazine
1964:33-35, Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 95)
View of east hallway wing, 1964, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning,
Georgia. (United States Army Photograph, Infantry Magazine
1964:33-35, Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 96)
George C. Marshall Auditorium, 1964, seats 1,500 people,
Infantry Hall, Fort Benning. Note the sound baffling system on
the west wall composed of acoustical pads with pierced walnut
beams overlain, and the balcony that is accessed from the
mezzanine. (United States Army Photograph, Infantry Magazine
1964:33-35, Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 97)
Interior of fifty-man classroom, 1964, Infantry Hall, Fort
Benning, Georgia. Note the hourglass-shaped podium from which
the instructor could control lights, sound, and other classroom
equipment. (United States Army Photograph, Infantry Magazine
1964:33-35, Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 98)
Interior of 200 man classroom, 1964, Infantry Hall, Fort
Benning, Georgia. Note the acoustical panels on the walls;
hanging banks of fluorescent lights; stage curtains; hourglass-
shaped podium from which the instructor could control lights,
sound, and other classroom equipment; screen that rolled from
under the curtain valance; and the tiered seating arrangement.
(United States Army Photograph, Infantry Magazine 1964:33-35,
Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 99)
Interior of cafeteria that
could seat 480 diners
hourly, 1964, Infantry Hall,
Fort Benning, Georgia.
(United States Army
Photograph, Infantry
Magazine 1964:33-35, Fort
Benning, Georgia).
Interior of Book Store originally located beside, to the east,
of the cafeteria, 1964, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia.
(United States Army Photograph, Infantry Magazine 1964:33-35,
Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 100)
Interior of Computer Center, second floor, Infantry Hall, Fort
Benning, Georgia. Note the large Univac 1004 computer that used
punch cards. (United States Army Photograph, Infantry Magazine
1964:33-35, Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 101)
Interior of Commandant of The Infantry School’s office, 1964,
Infantry Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia. Note the walnut paneling
and the narrow window without blinds. (United States Army
Photograph, Infantry Magazine 1964:33-35, Fort Benning,
Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 102)
Interior view of window, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia.
The windows did not originally have binds, but most now do.
(Photograph by Stacey L. Griffin, Panamerican Consultants, Inc.,
2008).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 103)
Interior view of window showing no decorative surround, Infantry
Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia. (Photograph by Stacey L. Griffin,
Panamerican Consultants, Inc., 2008).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 104)
Exterior view of window vault door, SEC COM room, Infantry Hall,
Fort Benning, Georgia. (Photograph by Kelly Nolte, Panamerican
Consultants, Inc., 2007).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 105)
Interior view of window vault door, SEC COM room, Infantry Hall,
Fort Benning, Georgia. Note the additional barred door that
must also be opened to access the SEC COM room. (Photograph by
Kelly Nolte, Panamerican Consultants, Inc., 2007).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 106)
Original hourglass-shaped podium in the classrooms from which
the instructor could control lights, sound and other mechanical
features of the room, Infantry Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia.
(Photograph by Stacey L. Griffin, Panamerican Consultants, Inc.,
2008).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 107)
“Officers Candidate [Eugene J.] Wyles poses as the model for the
face, hands and position,” of The Infantryman/Follow Me statue
which has come to represent The Infantry School and Fort
Benning. (Photograph courtesy of the National Infantry Museum,
Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 108)
After a pose for the statue was selected, it was drawn on the
floor and the armature of steel beams was laid out upon it. The
primary sculptor, PVT Manfred Bass, smiles up at the camera.
(Photograph courtesy of the National Infantry Museum, Fort
Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 109)
PVT Bass, with dark hair, is assisted by PVT Karl Van Krog; here
they pose with the armature. (Photograph courtesy of the
National Infantry Museum, Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 110)
PVT Bass works on the armature. Note the tools of the trade, a
large anvil, various hammers, and welding tanks. (Photograph
courtesy of the National Infantry Museum, Fort Benning,
Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 111)
The head is shaped separately from the rest of the statue.
(Photograph courtesy of the National Infantry Museum, Fort
Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 112)
The hand is first created in clay by PVT Bass. (Photograph
courtesy of the National Infantry Museum, Fort Benning,
Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 113)
The hands and head as well as some special detailing are next
fitted onto the armature. (Photograph courtesy of the National
Infantry Museum, Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 114)
The head, hands and certain details are covered and the armature
is coated with an epoxy and polyester mixture. (Photograph
courtesy of the National Infantry Museum, Fort Benning,
Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 115)
Fibers are blown on epoxy mixture to form a hard finish much
like fiberglass. (Photograph courtesy of the National Infantry
Museum, Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 116)
Model of proposed landscape for Eubanks Field featuring The
Infantryman/Follow Me statue. (Photograph courtesy of the
National Infantry Museum, Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 117)
Until the unveiling, the statue had been kept a secret and was
called “Project S”. It was unveiled on March 3, 1960, by
Secretary of the Army Wilber M. Brucker, who is assisted in the
photograph by MJG Paul L. Freeman, Jr., Commandant of The
Infantry School, who first initiated the plans for the statue.
(Photograph courtesy of the National Infantry Museum, Fort
Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 118)
The men responsible for the creation of the statue pose with the
Secretary of the Army, right to left, COL John W. Woestenburg,
Ordnance Corps, who was responsible for finding the sculptors
and getting the statue completed; Charles O. Crowder, his
civilian assistant; PFC Karl H. Van Krog, assistant sculptor;
Wilber M. Brucker, Secretary of the Army; MJG Paul L. Freeman ,
Jr., Commandant of The Infantry School; PFC Manfred Bass; and
Eugene L. Wyles, model, now a 2nd LT, in front of the base of the
statue. (Photograph courtesy of the National Infantry Museum,
Fort Benning, Georgia).
FORT BENNING, Infantry Hall (Building No. 4, Academic Building, School
Building)
HABS No. GA-2392-F (page 119)
The Infantryman /Follow Me statue on Eubanks Field. Note the
state flags that flank the statue; this concept will be brought
with the statue to the front of Infantry Hall in 1964.
(Photograph courtesy of the National Infantry Museum, Fort
Benning, Georgia).