Abandoned Military Camp and Training site for Audie Murphy

[@pubgbankclan]

I randomly happened upon this place when I got turned around. Very eerie and silent. Didn't have the guts to enter but I did see an opened gate. Thanks for sharing.

[@pateastes9767]

The area where the razor wire surrounds it was used as a prison after Wolters was turned over to civilian use. The building’s inside the wire were barracks for Warrant Officer Candidates during Vietnam Wolters was the Primary Helicopter training center for the Army during Vietnam. After Wolters, flight students continued more advanced training at Ft Rucker, Alabama or Ft Stewart, Georgia. I took training at Wolters in 1966-67, finished at Rucker, and was an instructor pilot at Wolters after my tour in Vietnam. There is now a museum of the Vietnam war just east of the old main gate on highway 180.

[@drivewaytv4400]

Pat Eastes That’s pretty interesting

[@t4texastom587]

Pat Eastes Thank you for serving and defending our country, Sir. 🇺🇲🙂🇺🇲

[@christopherness4274]

The fencing and razor wire dates from its post-Army use as a prison.

[@jimrockford4968]

WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO MAKE A MOVIE

[@1psychofan]

I wish someone with money would take that place, turn it into a museum, and let people spend the night in the barracks! Audie Murphy came from humble beginnings and suffered much (even after the war) for his country….he deserves better than we could give him.

[@Yodel2024]

As a Warrant Officer - pilot candidate in 1968, I spent a lot of time each morning doing push-ups on the street in front of the much older barracks, the ones without the barbed wire.

[@derichshaw2793]

The Activities Center you were in front of actually is still used today. It's used for volleyball games for local teams and basketball games. Also has a fully operational weight room.

[@mikeb.2114]

It was also a GERMAN POW CAMP DURING WWII EXPLAINS THE CNCERTINA WIRE, ETC.

[@sharonkane4485]

The razor wire wasn’t there until the base was used for inmates-late 90’s-2000?

[@richardmclaughlin545]

The most ignored info is that Wolters was once a horse cavalry post and was the last home of cavalry horses, housing a unit of the Texas National Guard Cavalry until the very end.

[@kvogel9245]

Those wooden barracks sure bring back memories.

[@anthonyglass170]

The old barracks at 5:00 where part of the 14 buildings given to Weatherford College, to the best of my knowledge,the College never did anything with the barracks but let them set their and rot.

[@lalahaha2192]

The area where it looks like a football goal is firefighter training. You can buy an old barrack building real cheap and make it into whatever you want

[@johnmcwilliam3395]

As mentioned by pateasters9767. The high fences with the razor wire are not to keep people out of the barracks, but people in. After Ft. Wolters was turned over to civilian use. It was operated by the Corrections Corporation of America, as a Pre-Parole Transfer Facility. It closed sometime late 2013 early 2014, I believe.

[@GregoryHodgens]

The barracks with the razor wire was used as a minimum security prison. The contract was not renewed by the state around 2019(?). Therefore, the reason for the razor wire. I was born on base in Beach Army Hospital. I go and visit often. The areas that are separated by locked gates are still in use for training by the Texas National Guard

[@anthonyglass170]

When you heard gunshots @ around 8:00, those came from the firing ranges that belong to the TX Nationa lGuard.

[@fastsetinthewest]

The place was a converted to a prison reason for barbed fence. My brother trained as an Army helicopter pilot at then known as Fort Wolters in 1969. I've been there a couple of times with him. Back toward Fort Worth is the Vietnam Pilots Museum. I did not know that Murphy trained at that place. I was told that Murphy stayed for a short time at Bedford Boys Ranch in Bedford, Texas which is now a huge city park. Eaglegards...

[@drivewaytv4400]

After I left I realized that one part was the prison.

[@vivians9392]

This reminds me of my visits to Ft Hood, Killeen, TX in the late 50's and early 60s. My friends lived and worked on the base and there were so many soldiers training there!

[@sharonkane4485]

Many offices, PX, 2 chapels, gas station and stores. The brick building he thought was a chapel was new officers club. Nice dining. Sad to see in this state.

[@sharonkane4485]

There was no air conditioning in the old barracks during Primary Helicopter Training era!!

[@74Spirit1]

Because this portion became a minimum security prison for TDCJ

[@drivewaytv4400]

Irenee Shubert Yeah, I knew part became a prison but I didn’t put two and two together when I was recording it.

[@michaelpass2176]

Just like north Ft. Lewis, WA, where I took basic. My barracks still standing.

[@michaelpass2176]

You need to put more research in to these old bases.

[@stevehayes3705]

I am a retired Army helicopter pilot, I did my training at Fort Rucker Alabama which became the Army’s home of aviation when Walters was decommissioned in 73, interestingly, the barracks at Wolters that were later used as a prison (the ones that are surrounded by razor wire) were the Warrant Officer Candidate barracks when the base was closed, When I went to Warrant Officer training at Rucker in 90, the barracks we were housed in were nowhere near as nice as the abandoned barracks at Wolters. Typical Army.

[@lalahaha2192]

The place with razor wire was a pre parole prison. The tall soccer nets were because ppl would throw footballs packed with contraband to the inmates. Also because there was a riot were the inmates threw anything they could get their hands on over the fence at the cop cars

[@That1_CopDude]

That’s hella interesting, are you from mineral wells?

[@MichaelSmith-jb5md]

I would love to own one of these small old installations and turn it into a farm.

[@pudsbrat1]

The area you walked around with razor wire and guard tower was CCA prison...worked there 1999-2000...shutdown several years ago...Corrections corporation of America now is different name

[@WhispersFromTheDark]

I trained there back in 1986. Matter of fact, while doing 'war games' training one weekend, I got injured and had to sat in a back HQ office and type training certificates. While I was doing that, the building was over run by 'the enemy' so I ended up escaping the building (they didn't know I was in the building so it was just a matter of timing the guard doing perimeter duty)...so I was a 'POW' and an escapee. I heard after we trained there they turned it into a prison. I do know in 1986 we had free reign of our part of the base, but in 1988 or 1989 we were limited as to where we could go. We trained the last time with a Marine Reserve Unit.

[@keithbarrett4630]

The baracks with the razor wire was a private prison for low risk offenders that closed in the early 2000's. Originally they were barracks during the Vietnam period. It was Beech Army Hospital...

[@fred1barb]

Could you not have taken some time to find out what you wore looking at? I find it ironic that the barracks converted to a private prison were upgraded with air conditioning. In Texas criminals get better treatment than we provided soldiers who we were going to send to war. The post was there to train pilots, but the recreational facilities were there for the use of the support staff and dependents. The student pilots simply were not given enough free time to use them. The Army had me in training for a total of about 15 months. I was in swimming pools twice, the first time at a motel pool, not the pool at Wolters, where you took a short swim after you soloed, and once at Hunter, for survival swimming. Seeing pictures of all the amenities always makes me smile.

[@nubymizer]

I don't really feel like you have thoroughly researched this area and the purpose of this historical training ground... In WWII 200,000 infantrymen graduated from this training site and during Vietnam over 40,000 helicopter pilots graduated from this site. It was the largest training area for helicopter pilots during the time. I am an ROTC Cadet about to become an officer and my unit has come to fort wolters for years for training. I love the area so much as love learning about the history. The most fascinating portion of it is probably the fact that it was a home to Nazi POWs. however, the prison for the Nazis is no longer near the actual installation. it is close to Mineral Wells high school. We allowed the Nazis to take college classes from our colleges and participate in community organizations to show them what democracy is. Truly an amazing piece of American history and I suggest everyone check it out. Fort Wolters itself is actually beutiful country and i always loved doing field exercises there.

[@WhispersFromTheDark]

I did as well with the Texas State Guard back in the mid 1980's.

[@richbromley1386]

Better a sister in a whore house than a brother in ROTC .....

[@deskgamesix]

How could you not know that had been a prison???? Good gosh.

[@rebeccahernandez3460]

I just wonder if there are any ghost there? Would be curious to know if there are any ghost stories about this site. I always feel sad when I see old abandoned building where people lived, the lives that passed through there, and if those walls could only talk, what stories they could tell.

[@t4texastom587]

R. I. P. The world's most decorated soldier - 🇺🇲🇨🇱AUDIE MURPHY 🇨🇱🇺🇲

[@brettstagner6613]

So the barracks surrounded by fencing with razor wire were once used as a privatized pre-parole facility for low risk and non-violent offenders.

[@comm2531]

I can't figure why when the military abandons a base, they leave it into a mess. Maybe they figure in hopes of turning it into a commercial park like many have done, or keeping the base as some sleeper base and re-commission them in times of need. I see many closed bases used for National Guard training and local fire, police, FBI, ATF, first responders training, drug multijuridictional training, drones, weapons training and actual classes on seemingly abandoned or closed down bases. and converted into training sites for state, local and Federal use. Many of those abandoned bases have even converted over to the state and used for mining and funds going over to improve training sites such as ilminite mining in Camp Blanding in Starke, Florida. I'd like to know what Fort Wolters is being utilized for.

[@grindingears]

The Army didn’t leave this base in a mess. It was given to the city whom then sold it off to private citizens. The majority of it was bought by Carl Kessler and used as storage for businesses.

[@anthonyglass170]

Believe me,when the Army closed Ft. Wolters in 1973,they did not leave a mess,quiet the contrary. They took the arms,ammo, helicopters and drugs (from the hospital) turned out the lights and left everything else there. The barracks were full of bunks and furnishings ,the mess halls were full of pots and pans,the hospital was full from pots and pans to beds and durable medical equipment! The 2 fire stations were left with the fire engines in them! There were buildings still under construction,the contractors finished the work,the Army Corps of Engineers accepted the buildings when the contractors finished and the buildings were never used. The Hospital (built in 1958) was offered FREE to the City of Mineral Wells,which turned it down,and passed a bond issue to build a hospital on the other side of town. I remember Wolters when it was an active Army Post,it was one of the nicest posts in the Army,and trust me as an Army brat and later a soldier myself I've seen a lot of Army posts from coast to coast and overseas. I also worked on the old post (Wolters Industrial Park) until 2016 and the difference from it's Army days until the sorry state it's in today is like the difference between Heaven and the innermost circle of hell. The only portion of the old post that looks decent is what the National Guard got.

[@hja52]

@@anthonyglass170 -thank you for sharing. Your description is spot on. Makes me sad when I look back at old pics from before it was closed. It is sad and shameful if you ask me. Thank you for your service & please take care.

[@WhispersFromTheDark]

@@anthonyglass170 it was still in good shape in 1986 when the State Guard trained there. And again in the late 1980's as well. I've been thru training there several times and it was old, but clean, serviceable and highly useful. The bunks sucked though, but don't they all. LOL

[@robertdundas4593]

71-15 WOCS ,brown hats.

[@chesterolson9242]

the razor wire is there because that was a prison for a couple decades

[@Hurriconya]

That’s a prison 🤣😂 my grandmother worked there as a nurse.

[@HaHa-ne9fk]

Are you able to just walk up at any time of the night? Are there any restrictions?

[@drivewaytv4400]

Probably. There isn’t a gate. Some areas though are people’s houses still

[@tamarawalker8973]

You have some interesting explores. Look forward to watching them. New sub.

[@drivewaytv4400]

tamara walker thank you!

[@michaelpass2176]

Guard shack with air conditioning.

[@michaelpass2176]

Razed wire jail house rock.

[@dv9238]

Thumbs up :) Very good !

[@itznunyabizz5548]

This is the prison bro

[@patriciafarley4082]

Why dont they fix and repair this place up nice and let the homeless veterans live there. This country owes our veterans big time, they come back from war and some of them are pretty messed up, they need a home not the streets. They served in our military, some volunteered some were drafted. We owe them, they are citizens of this country and the treatment they receive from our government is disgusting. Stop spending our taxes on illegals and take care of our veterans.

[@itznunyabizz5548]

You must’ve been there around the time I was installing LED streetlights in that area. The same construction at the guard tower was right there. But that is the prison that was in mineral Wells for years and before that was in the military barracks

[@drivewaytv4400]

ItzNun YaBizz Yeah, I wasn’t sure where the prison was when I went

[@michaelpass2176]

Mess hall

[@robertwalton7307]

All I think about seeing these videos is the millions of cans of Kiwi black shoe polish and cotton balls for the proper spit shine on your boots and shoes. Anywhere USA military base.

[@michaelthomas7178]

This is what happens when pearls are cast to swine.

[@michaelpass2176]

Return to the snakes.