Military Trivia Winner(s) And Correct Answer

[cabinetman]

I want to thank all of you who took part in this. It was fun and had some really good answers. Unfortunately most were incorrect. Some military standards are based on tradition and uniformity. LarryG was the first to mention "flagpole", even though it was close, not entirely correct. Rosesunkist mentioned the base of the post flag pole. Even closer but not entirely correct, but he did say "post". U.S. military bases have many flagpoles. There is only one POST FLAGPOLE. Building #1 on ALL U.S. military bases is the POST FLAGPOLE.



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[rosesunkist]

YAY!!!

So, what did I win? LOL I knew that these years in the military would pay off some day. Well this and being able to make MRE bombs.
Ahhhhh...the memories. Oh, wait. Can't be memories until it's over.

[Stytooner]

If you would have said there is a truck parked on top of building #1, I'd have had no problem with it.

[cabinetman]

OK, you know the story 'bout the "truck".



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[gsmittle]

OK, you know the story 'bout the "truck".



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

OK, I'll bite: What's the story about the "truck???"

Never served in the military; too much of an issue with authority.

Many thanks to those of you who have. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

g.

[Pappy]

Most belive the ball on the top is called a truck. The truck is the upper pulley assembly.

[WoodButcher26]

Cabinetman, while I have noted you are usually the guy to listen to, have to disagree with you on this one. Just retired from the Air Farce after 20 years, and at none of the bases (NOT posts, that's an Army thing) was Building 1 a flagpole. Fact is, I worked at Building 1 at one or two of them, and guar-an-darn-teed I wasn't working inside a flagpole.

At a lot of AF bases, building 1 is the Wing Headquarters. At the base I currently work at as a silly-vilian, its the big logistics center. Guess that just goes to prove that I never did work on a military base...

WoodButcher

[MilDoc]

Ah, nope, as stated, at Fort Hood Building #1 is the ACS Center, not the flagpole. It's where I work. Check out the Ft Hood web site. Maybe saying it's the flagpole is either tradition, or another myth, like the contents of the finial on top of the pole.

[cabinetman]

Woodbutcher

I went into the Army in the mid sixties, and have never found anyone who knew about Building #1. There was a military history geek in my group who played soldier since the Boy Scouts. He couldn't wait until he could enlist in the Army. He knew facts that would amaze lifers. This was not one of those "military bearing" things pounded into our heads during training. According to his explanation this bit of info is/was traditional to the actual setting up of a military post. When there was nothing there, and a Post Flagpole was erected, a ceremony took place commemorating the establishment of a military post, calling that particular flagpole the Post Flagpole and calling it Building #1, as it being the first structure. Part of the legend included that in the first dedicated military bases, the terminology existed as a "secret" from the enemy, designating a meeting place in the event of ambush or attack that was on purpose an obscure definition of a "building".

As you see from the responses, it's not a known fact. I don't know if the actual numbering systems used by the military or different branches of the military coincide numerically, or ever did. I tried a search on the subject and read some of the books I have on military history, and if it was to be kept a secret, they sure made it happen. I'm a believer in the efforts of the "defenders of the people" in the colonies before an actual military was formed. Their attempts to instill a sense of pride and honor in their quest remains today with both facts widely known and some not.



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"