Where was this picture taken?

Trila

Trila

Well-known Member
Location
North Central Arkansas
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I sure could use some help.....

I've been going through my Dad's Navy pictures and backing them up on a hard drive. I'm almost done! I have one picture holding me up....it's the only one with nothing written on it.

This is my Dad in 1952 or 1953. The picture was taken when his ship (USS Roosevelt) was in the Mediterranean. There were quite a few Ports of Call, and he had pictures from at least a dozen countries. I was hoping that someone would recognize the building behind my Dad.

(His ship came back to the states in 1953, so there is a chance that it wasn't in Europe at all!!!)

🤔 Can anyone tell me where this picture was taken?
 

The only thing I can tell you is your dad is wearing "whites'. Whites are only worn in the summer months or where it is warm all year long. There's a couple of guys in uniform sitting by the door. So I would assume it is on a naval base, rather than a "tourist" area. And the building does have the typical Navy administrative building look. But that's total guess.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
The only thing I can tell you is your dad is wearing "whites'. Whites are only worn in the summer months or where it is warm all year long. There's a couple of guys in uniform sitting by the door. So I would assume it is on a naval base, rather than a "tourist" area. And the building does have the typical Navy administrative building look. But that's total guess.
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I agree. The picture was mixed in with the ones from Europe, and there were other pictures that showed everyone in their whites.

But the building is nagging at me. Something about it is making me wonder if it was at the Norfolk Navel Base, but I am open to suggestions that anyone my have.
 
Trila said:
Thanks. I have no idea how to use Google Lens.

France was one of my Dad's stops....I'll look into it!
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How to use Google Lens:

1) Save the image on your computer as a jpeg, then go to Google, and the search bar has a "LENS" icon. If you're browsing incognito, it's gray (as above). If you're using a regular browser, it multicolored, as above.

2) click the icon, which will open a window where you can drag the saved picture into. Do that.

3) Google LENS will show you any information that may exist about the picture.
 
@Trila ... Hey there. As a retired Navy Chief, I respect your dad's service with all my heart :)

The image features a man in a US Navy sailor's uniform, consistent with the style worn in the 1950s. He is positioned in front of a large, multi-story brick building with an institutional architectural style, notably featuring a prominent arched window. The number "310" is clearly visible on a sign within this large window. This specific building, identified as Building 310, is historically recognized as a barracks and training facility at the Naval Training Center Great Lakes (now Naval Station Great Lakes) in Illinois. This facility has served as the primary recruit training command for the US Navy for over a century. The combination of the uniform, the distinctive architectural style, and the specific building number "310" strongly indicates Naval Training Center Great Lakes as the location, perfectly aligning with the photo's 1952 date.

Furthermore, the lack of patches on your dad's uniform indicates to me that he was in recruit training when the photo was taken. Had he been assigned to a ship or shore station at the time the photo was taken, he would have a black patch (rocker) with white stitching on the top of his right shoulder that would have the name of his duty station on it. So to me, he clearly looks like he is a recruit in training when that photo was taken.

My dad went through recruit training at Great Lakes (Great Mistakes LOL in some sailor's jargon) in 1949 and I still have his book from there. I will dig the book from a closet today and see if I can find an image of building 310 :)
 
Disgustedman said:
Google lens suggest it to "possibly" be Église Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul, Neuwiller-lès-Saverne: France.
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No that's not right


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Naturally said:
My dad went through recruit training at Great Lakes (Great Mistakes LOL in some sailor's jargon) in 1949 and I still have his book from there. I will dig the book from a closet today and see if I can find an image of building 310 :)
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I looked in the box I though it was in, buried in a closet and my dad's boot camp book wasn't there. No idea where it is around here. Shoot
 
@Trila ... I still haven't figured out why your dad isn't wearing a neckerchief in that picture. But Navy uniform regs were different then than they are more recently. Not only that, but uniforms were slightly different than today's Navy uniforms. With dress whites, a neckerchief is always worn, so maybe his uniform in the picture is working whites or something ... dunno. Maybe another possibility is neckerchiefs weren't worn in boot camp?

From personal experience, we didn't even wear dress whites or dress blues until the day we graduated boot camp.

Bottom line is there are still questions about the photo. And to be perfectly straight up honest, I'm not 100% sure that is Great Lakes, but sure am leaning that way at this point.
 
Naturally said:
@Trila ... Hey there. As a retired Navy Chief, I respect your dad's service with all my heart :)

The image features a man in a US Navy sailor's uniform, consistent with the style worn in the 1950s. He is positioned in front of a large, multi-story brick building with an institutional architectural style, notably featuring a prominent arched window. The number "310" is clearly visible on a sign within this large window. This specific building, identified as Building 310, is historically recognized as a barracks and training facility at the Naval Training Center Great Lakes (now Naval Station Great Lakes) in Illinois. This facility has served as the primary recruit training command for the US Navy for over a century. The combination of the uniform, the distinctive architectural style, and the specific building number "310" strongly indicates Naval Training Center Great Lakes as the location, perfectly aligning with the photo's 1952 date.

Furthermore, the lack of patches on your dad's uniform indicates to me that he was in recruit training when the photo was taken. Had he been assigned to a ship or shore station at the time the photo was taken, he would have a black patch (rocker) with white stitching on the top of his right shoulder that would have the name of his duty station on it. So to me, he clearly looks like he is a recruit in training when that photo was taken.

My dad went through recruit training at Great Lakes (Great Mistakes LOL in some sailor's jargon) in 1949 and I still have his book from there. I will dig the book from a closet today and see if I can find an image of building 310 :)
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Everything you have said makes sense!!!

The back of the picture says "1952?" Well, my Dad was in the service twice, so that question mark could indicate that the date is completely wrong!!! I don't know as much about his service as I would have liked, but to the best of my understanding, it went like this.....

My Dad joined the Navy in 1948, and went to The Great Lakes Navel Training Center. In 1949 he was sent to Memphis, to The Naval Support Activity for Aviation Machinists training. When he was done, he was sent home. He thought he was done with his service, so he proposed to my Mom, and was ready to settle down.

In 1952, just 2 weeks before the wedding, he got a telegram telling him where to report for duty. (This was a huge surprise, for everyone! LOL) He served on the USS Roosevelt in 1952 and 1953. I'm not sure where he shipped out from, but I think he came back to The Norfolk Naval Base.

I have no idea if he was ever at The Great Lakes Nave Base at any time, other than 1948.

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I can't thank you enough for figuring this out for me! You have made my day!
My Dad never talked about his service (my Mom never forgave him for leaving her after the wedding! LOL. It's still a joke to this day....) I found all of these pictures in a box after he passed away. I am so proud of him! I wish I had known then what I know now! I would have loved to talk to him about all of the things he did while in the service!!!

Another ongoing joke was that my Dad was one of the few service men who had a drivers license. He got the job of taking the Officers wherever they needed to be!

As a side note, I have more pictures without full info on them. For example, he was in Washington DC.......but I have no idea what year or even if it was during his training, or before shipping out, etc.

Oh and I never paid any attention to the 310 in my first picture.....good catch!

Thank you, again! 😘
 
Geez this is like old home week!

As a wee kiddo i lived in military housing at Great Lakes for maybe 3 years early/mid ‘50s and then headed to Norfolk where we remained for about ten years. I don’t recall a Building 310 at either location lol but i do remember that Great Lakes is where my dad brought home the first family car. And oh yeah, i also recall getting off my red trike & walking right into somebody else’s quarters, they all looked alike. Scared the bejesus out of me when i realized what i’d done but don’t know who was more surprised, me or the gentleman i walked in on 😂.

So all this has zero to offer in Trila’s quest for the location of Building 310 but this thread has been a fun walk down memory lane….thanks, Trila, for sharing the space!
 
Trila said:
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I sure could use some help.....

I've been going through my Dad's Navy pictures and backing them up on a hard drive. I'm almost done! I have one picture holding me up....it's the only one with nothing written on it.

This is my Dad in 1952 or 1953. The picture was taken when his ship (USS Roosevelt) was in the Mediterranean. There were quite a few Ports of Call, and he had pictures from at least a dozen countries. I was hoping that someone would recognize the building behind my Dad.

(His ship came back to the states in 1953, so there is a chance that it wasn't in Europe at all!!!)

🤔 Can anyone tell me where this picture was taken?
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That sure looks like a school building. I've seen enough of them that were built in the early 1900's (along with going to one). Of course, I can't be sure. On the other hand, I've not seen any with an awning over the window.
 
My dad did boot camp there. The Spousal Equivalent's dad did boot there. The Spousal Equivalent did boot and later taught there for a few years. I showed him the picture and he said he didn't recognize the building, but it was a BIG base. I had him dig out his boot camp yearbook and I looked through it. Didn't see the building, but it does have the look of the place.

I went through Google maps, arial views, looking for the configuration of the building, but no luck. Perhaps it is no longer standing, assuming that it IS Great Lakes. Things come, things go....
 
I've been thinking about this. My Dad loved to see places, it was probably one of the reasons why he picked the Navy....see the world, etc.

The uniform has me convinced that the picture was take in 1948, while he was at Great Lakes. However, that doesn't mean that he was at the base at the time it was taken.....he could have been out sight seeing.

🤔 So I guess I need to start looking at famous landmarks in the area of The Naval Station.

Anyone have any other ideas?
 

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