Fort Leonard Wood

Today while Jenn and Chris visited with Kaream we toured Fort Leonard Wood near Waynesville, MO.  I needed to see all three museums, of course, and Mona expected to get some good reading time in, which she did, but we both appreciated seeing the focus on the impact this fort had on training of our soldiers before and during World War II.

 We arrived at the fort visitor center to be told how easy it is to get around the huge fort.  And it is, pretty much.  I think I only got seriously lost once… when I told Mona, “Nah! I don’t need the map anymore!”

In fact, it was easier to get in than to drive around once we were in.  We couldn’t get out of the visitor’s center parking lot through the regular gates, so we pulled up beside one of them and asked which gate to use.  The guard said, “Drive up under the vehicle check station roof.”  When we got there we began following the signs that told us to open all doors and stand outside the 

                                           vehicle.

Then that guard walked over and asked us what we were doing.  We told him. He asked who told us to do it.  We told him. He walked over to the first guard and back to us and said, “Get back in your car and go on in.”  No vehicle check.  In fact, no ID, license, insurance, passport or blood test check.  We just drove on in.

Last winter we visited the Army Command School at Carlisle, Pa, and almost the very same thing happened. “Go on in!”  Last year the very same thing happened at Fort Lee, Virginia, near Petersburg.  “ Go on in!” Hmmm.  Should we be concerned for the security of our security forces??

But all’s well that ends well.  We sat outside reading by the coach as the sky gradually darkened again tonight. Frog’s new alternator does not arrive till tomorrow morning so that will be installed while we are at the fort.  Toad got an oil change and full safety check this afternoon after our return as well.  She’s just fine.  Some dust in the air filter but after living behind FROG for the last 4,000 miles and all the dirt road driving we put on her the technician, Brandon, said it wasn't too bad.

Then just before we called it a night and went in we saw these two birds high up in a tree across the street from our parking space.  Robins?  No, too thin.  Orioles?  We don’t know.  So… guess for us and see if you can 

                                            identify what they are.

  

We rise tomorrow at 6am to be at the gate by 7-7:30 so we can get a parking place and seats by the 9 am ceremony at Lincoln Hall, which we found quickly enough after we entered the fort when Mona had the map. “Better early than late”, said the unidentified bird.

  

The pictures of the three fort museums, Engineers, Military Police, and Chemical Weapons Command and more of the WW 2 pics from today will be placed on Facebook.  

Enjoy! And good night.

-Ken