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58-718: The Main Navy and Munitions Buildings were constructed in 1918 along Constitution Avenue (then known as B Street) on Washington, D.C.'s National Mall (Potomac Park) as the largest of a set of temporary war buildings on the National Mall . Both buildings were constructed by the Navy's Bureau of Yards and Docks , with the United States Department of War occupying the Munitions Building. To make

116-639: A Navy Annex building located at New York Avenue and 18th Street, and the United States Coast Guard relocated from the Munsey Building. The Navy Department Library was relocated to the Main Navy building in 1923. From 1926 to 1941, a small reinforced concrete roof penthouse on the Main Navy building was used for radio and communication intercepts training. The Main Navy and Munitions Buildings were disliked by many as going against

174-699: A plan carried out in 1970. The land was then reclaimed and turned into Constitution Gardens , with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial built near the former Munitions Building site in the early 1980s. Constructing the Munitions and Main Navy Buildings was an idea conceived by Franklin D. Roosevelt , then the Assistant Secretary of the Navy , who put forth the idea to President Woodrow Wilson . Roosevelt originally suggested

232-538: A prime choice, being reappointed several times to the position. They eventually promoted Mifflin to a colonel in order to retain him in his position. Fifteen officers held the office of quartermaster general in the United States Army in the nineteenth century. The first, John Wilkins Jr., was a major general. Two colonels, James Mullany and George Gibson , jointly held the office between April 29, 1816, and April 14, 1818. On May 8, 1818, Thomas Jessup became

290-512: A serious congestion of the railroad system in the winter of 1917–18. By that time shortages in clothing, hospital equipment, and other supplies were causing hardships in Army camps, and it was charged by some that the lack of adequate clothing and shelter was responsible for an epidemic of pneumonia sweeping through the camps. General Sharpe was held responsible by many for a large share of the supply crisis that had developed. These developments stirred

348-732: A temporary building be placed on the Ellipse , but President Wilson disliked the idea of a building on the White House 's front lawn. Thus, Roosevelt suggested placing the buildings on the National Mall (Potomac Park) along B Street (renamed Constitution Avenue in 1931), near the Lincoln Memorial . Roosevelt wanted them to be ugly wooden buildings, so people would want to tear them down immediately after World War I . However, concrete and steel materials were recommended to make

406-780: A widespread uneasiness that led to a Congressional hearing on the conduct of the war. In the end the General Staff took complete control of supplies and the Office of the Director of Purchase and Storage in the Purchase, Storage, and Traffic Division was erected on the foundation of the Quartermaster Corps. On December 15, 1917, a War Council was formed (as distinct from the Council of National Defense ) consisting of

464-459: A wood frame building, Congress accepted the proposal for concrete buildings and approved the funds for the project in March 1918. The task of design and construction of the buildings was given to the Navy's Bureau of Yards and Docks , and the buildings were completed in 5 1 ⁄ 2 months. The primary designer of the buildings was Lieutenant Commander Frederic W. Southworth , chief architect of

522-629: The American Civil War . Brigadier General Joseph E. Johnston held the position from June 28, 1860, until his resignation on April 22, 1861. Johnston was appointed a full general in the Confederate States Army on August 31, 1861. Adhering to the ideology of states' rights , quartermasters of each Confederate state exercised considerable autonomy from their national quartermaster general. Within their jurisdictions, these Confederate officers exercised powers equivalent to

580-844: The Bureau of Yards and Docks , Bureau of Ordnance , Bureau of Medicine and Surgery , the Secretary of Navy 's offices, along with Naval Operations, and the Compensation Board. Later, other Navy Offices moved into Main Navy, including the Dispensary , the Navy Red Cross, Examining Board, and Retiring Board, previously housed in Corcoran Courts, an apartment building converted into offices. The Hydrographic Office and United States Marine Corps moved to Main Navy from

638-545: The Chief of Staff of the United States Army Tasker H. Bliss , the Secretary of War Newton D. Baker , his Assistant and some subordinates amongst whom were Quartermaster General Henry Granville Sharpe and Chief of Ordnance William Crozier . The War Council was to oversee and coordinate all matters of supply and to plan for the more effective use of the military power of the nation. While serving on

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696-628: The Continental Army , under order of Congress. On 16 June 1775, 2 days after the birth of the Army , Congress ordered the creation of both a Quartermaster General and a Deputy Quartermaster General. During this period Quartermasters General would be act like chiefs of staff for the commanders of the Continental Army, acting as the prime supplier and businessmen for dealing with civilians, operated and repaired supply lines, which included

754-652: The III Corps of the Union Army, held the office between February 6, 1897, and his retirement on February 3, 1898. The last quartermaster general of the 19th century was Marshall I. Ludington , who assumed the office on February 3, 1898, three months before the Spanish–American War . Ludington had served as a division quartermaster for the Army of the Potomac. He was criticized for the general unpreparedness of

812-493: The Secretary of the Navy . A large parking lot 100 feet (30 m) wide and 1 ⁄ 2 mile (800 m) long, was located at the rear of the Munitions Building, with space to accommodate approximately 1,000 cars. Various small exhibits were on display in the corridors of the Munitions Buildings, showing military uniforms, types of gas masks, military daily rations, and Army photographs. The Munitions Building

870-522: The 49th Quartermaster General and Commandant of the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia from 11 August 2005 to 26 October 2007. Brigadier General Jesse R. Cross: Brigadier General Jesse R. Cross served as the 50th Quartermaster General and Commandant of the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia from 26 October 2007 to 22 November 2010. Jesse Cross Brigadier General Gwen Bingham: Brigadier General Gwen Bingham served as

928-404: The 51st Quartermaster General and Commandant of the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia from 22 November 2010 to 30 August 2012. Brigadier General Gwen Bingham became the first female to serve as Quartermaster General and the first female African American Quartermaster Corps General. She assumed command of the Quartermaster Corps from Brigadier General Jesse Cross on November 23, 2010. Bingham

986-508: The 52nd Quartermaster General and Commandant of the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia from 14 June 2013 to 9 June 2014. He currently serves as the Director for Logistics, Engineering and Security Cooperation (J4), U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii. John E. O'Neil IV Brigadier General Ronald Kirklin Brigadier General Ronald Kirklin served as the 53rd Quartermaster General and Commandant of

1044-536: The 55th Quartermaster General and Commandant of the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia from June 2018 to 29 May 2020. McBride was appointed as the interim commander of the US Army Combined Arms Command / Sustainment Center of Excellence on 23 August 2018. Douglas M. McBride Jr. Brigadier General Michelle K. Donahue: Michelle K. Donahue became the Army's 56th Quartermaster General May 29, 2020 through June 22, 2022. Donahue pinned on

1102-781: The Army George C. Marshall , moved his office into the Munitions Building. In the late 1930s, a new War Department Building was constructed at 21st and C Streets in Foggy Bottom . Still, upon completion, the new building did not solve the department's space problem and ended up being used by the Department of State. To help deal with the space shortage, a fourth story was added to the Main Navy and Munitions Buildings during World War II . Coming into office, with World War II breaking out in Europe, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson

1160-618: The Army's Finance Office also moved into the Munitions Building. In February 1924, plans were put forth to build an oil steam plant for the Main Navy and Munitions Building. In November 1933, the Army Inspector General's office , along with the Organized Reserves, the welfare section of the Secretary's office, and the Office of Chief of Chaplains moved into the Munitions Building. The National Guard Bureau also

1218-580: The Bureau, under the supervision of Commander Archibald L. Parsons . The Munitions Building, constructed in 1918, contained 841,000 square feet (78,100 m) of space across three stories and was designed to provide temporary accommodations for 9,000 Department of War employees. During World War I, the War Department had greatly expanded, and by the end of the war, the Main Navy and Munitions Building together housed 14,000 military personnel, including

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1276-620: The Civil War, succeeded Ingalls and served from July 1, 1883, to June 16, 1890. Richard Napoleon Batchelder , quartermaster for II Corps of the Union Army and a recipient of the Medal of Honor , succeeded Holabird. He held the office between June 26, 1890, and July 27, 1896. Another brevet brigadier general who had served as quartermaster for II Corps, Charles G. Sawtelle, succeeded Batchelder. He served between August 19, 1896, and February 16, 1897. George H. Weeks, who served as quartermaster with

1334-569: The Civil War. Meigs served throughout the war and retired on February 6, 1882. Contemporaries such as U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward and many historians have given Meigs's work in keeping the Union Army adequately and timely supplied considerable credit for the Union victory. From February 13, 1882, to February 23, 1882 Daniel H. Rucker was quartermaster general, an appointment intended to honor his many years of military service. At

1392-527: The Council on 18 December 1917, General Sharpe was required to delegate all his administrative duties to an acting chief Quartermaster designated by the Secretary of War Newton D. Baker to be George Washington Goethals . Baker fired three of the five officers appointed to the War Council on that day. In June 1918, General Sharpe was relieved from duty with the War Council and assigned to the command of

1450-580: The Indian scouts, and for such infantry and members of the Hospital Corps in the field campaigns as may be required to be mounted; pays for all incidental expenses of the military service which are not provided by other corps. In 1907 James B. Aleshire was named Quartermaster General; he would retire in 1916 with the rank brigadier general . Aleshire was notable for combining the formerly separate Quartermaster, Subsistence and Pay Departments to create

1508-487: The Mall until 1970, when they were demolished. In the 1970s, Constitution Gardens was built on the former site of the Main Navy and Munitions Buildings, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was built nearby in the early 1980s. The buildings are briefly featured in the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora! and are used as a backdrop setting in the matters of the War Department leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor . Shortly after

1566-485: The Munitions Building housed approximately 7,000 employees of not only the Navy but also the Army , Air Force , Veterans Administration , and the Department of State . After decades of use, the building experienced structural problems in the late 1950s and 1960s, including cracked concrete piers, numerous interior cracked and bent walls, and settling floors. The buildings, constructed on marshy parkland, were damp, and

1624-597: The Munitions Building through the early years of World War II until 1942, when some space became available in the Pentagon , which was under construction. The Munitions Building was turned over to the Navy in 1943 when the Department of War vacated the Munitions Building once construction of the Pentagon was completed. Both buildings suffered severe structural problems in the 1960s. In December 1969, President Richard Nixon announced that both buildings would be demolished,

1682-447: The Pentagon in the first completed wing, the Secretary of War vacated the Munitions Building and moved to the Pentagon. The Department of War vacated the Munitions Building in 1943 once the Pentagon was constructed. The Department of Navy took over the Munitions Building once the Department of War relocated out of the building and placed the Navy's Material Systems Command offices in the Munitions Building. The Signal Intelligence Service

1740-534: The Quartermaster Corps, Aleshire replaced centralized purchasing with a decentralized system that saved time and money by enabling department, division, and unit quartermasters to procure supplies locally. Sharpe succeeded his friend and was named the 24th Quartermaster General on September 16, 1916; his term in office was to end on July 21, 1918. His appointment predated the entry of the United States to World War I by seven months. The Quartermaster Corps and

1798-601: The Quartermaster General was established by resolution of the Continental Congress on 16 June 1775, but the position was not filled until 14 August 1775. Perhaps the most famous Quartermaster General was Nathanael Greene , who was the third Quartermaster General, serving from March 1778 to August 1780. The first Quartermaster General to serve in the U.S. Army was Thomas Mifflin of Pennsylvania. The position of Quartermaster General originated in

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1856-413: The Quartermaster General, and he remained in the position until 1860. As a combat veteran, Jessup understood the importance of support to front line soldiers and instituted many enduring practices and policies. Because of his reforms, historians often call Jessup the "father of the Quartermaster Corps". From 1860 to the end of the century, the quartermaster general office was held by officers who served in

1914-787: The Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia from 9 June 2014 to 10 June 2016. Ronald Kirklin Brigadier General Rodney D. Fogg Brigadier General Rodney D. Fogg served as the 54th Quartermaster General and Commandant of the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia from 10 June 2016 to 12 June 2018. Fogg served as the Commanding General of the Combined Arms Support Command and Sustainment Center of Excellence, CASCOM, Fort Lee, Virginia. Rodney D. Fogg Brigadier General Douglas M. McBride: Brigadier General Douglas M. McBride, Jr. served as

1972-508: The Quartermaster's Department, furniture. Text-books, papers, and equipment for post schools, reading matter for post libraries, wagons, ambulances, carts, saddles, harness, water supply, sewerage, plumbing, illuminating supplies, and heating for all military posts and buildings. The Department is also charged with the duty of transporting, by land and water, troops, munitions of war, equipments, and all articles of military supplies from

2030-544: The Southeastern Department. The following month he was appointed a major general in the line of the Army, with rank from July 12 and officially ceased to be Quartermaster General. In 1940 Edmund B. Gregory was appointed as the Army's Quartermaster General, advancing from colonel directly to major general. In 1945 he was promoted to lieutenant general, the first Quartermaster Officer to attain this rank. As Quartermaster General during World War II, he oversaw

2088-502: The U.S. Army for the Spanish–American War but he had inherited the general state of unpreparedness of the army, which had been given meager funds and kept small during the long period of relative peace that followed the Civil War. Ludington succeeded in improving the supply situation of the U.S. Army to an adequate state in a matter of months after the start of the war. He was promoted to major general on April 12, 1903, and retired

2146-463: The Union quartermaster general. Georgia quartermaster general Ira Roe Foster is, perhaps, the best example of a Confederate quartermaster exercising considerable power over both production and supply within his state. Brigadier General Montgomery C. Meigs succeeded Johnston on May 15, 1861. Meigs was born in Augusta, Georgia but his family was from Philadelphia and he adhered to the Union during

2204-767: The United States to the militia of the several States and Territo ries. It also transports the property for other Executive Departments on requisitions, payments therefor being made by the respective Depart ments to the carriers upon accounts forwarded through the Quarter master-general's Office for that purpose. This Department prepares the necessary plans and constructs all buildings at military posts, such as barracks, quarters, storehouses, hospitals, etc., builds wharves, constructs and repairs roads for military purposes, builds all necessary military bridges, provides, by hire or pur chase, grounds for military encampments and buildings; contracts for all horses for cavalry, artillery, and for

2262-497: The War Department generally were unprepared for World War I. The supply bureaus within the Quartermaster Corps were eager to procure and ship as quickly as possible the enormous quantities of supplies for which they were responsible. However, their uncoordinated procurement due to the Sharpe-Aleshire decentralization resulted in excessive and unbalanced railway shipments that overtaxed port facilities and finally developed into

2320-530: The buildings more fire resistant. Roosevelt later expressed regret for allowing these building to be constructed, saying in 1941, "I didn't think I would ever be let into the Gates of Heaven, because I had been responsible for desecrating the parks of Washington." The project was originally intended for just the Navy, but the Department of War also wanted in on the project; thus, two buildings were proposed. With concrete construction not unreasonably more expensive than

2378-400: The buildings more resistant to fire, the buildings were constructed using concrete. With solid construction, the temporary buildings remained used long after the end of World War I . In August 1939, the Secretary of War relocated his offices from the overcrowded State-War-Navy Building (Old Executive Office Building) to the Munitions Building. The Department of War headquarters remained in

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2436-422: The consolidated U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps . He named his classmate and subordinate, Henry Granville Sharpe , the father of consolidation . Sharpe and Aleshire succeeded at eliminating the unwieldy centralized control of the army supply system that had grown up after the end of the American Civil War . In addition to creating administrative departments at his headquarters to manage the day to day operations of

2494-406: The development, procurement and distribution of billions of dollars worth of equipment and supplies. Gregory also supervised the training of thousands of quartermaster soldiers. In addition, he had responsibility for over 900,000 civilian personnel employed by contractors to produce supplies, equipment, ammunition and vehicles for the war effort. On July 30, 1999, Major General Hawthorne L. Proctor

2552-575: The end of his brief tenure, Rucker retired. Rufus Ingalls , a brevet brigadier general and quartermaster for all Union Army forces during the Siege of Petersburg succeeded Rucker. Ingalls also had a brief tenure in office, serving between February 23, 1883, and July 1, 1883, when he also retired. Samuel B. Holabird , who was chief quartermaster of the Union Department of the Gulf during much of

2610-512: The film was made, the buildings were demolished. Constitution Avenue Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.133 via cp1102 cp1102, Varnish XID 544917925 Upstream caches: cp1102 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:40:13 GMT Quartermaster general (USA) The office of

2668-560: The first African American Quartermaster Corps General. Major General Terry E. Juskowiak: Major General Scott G. West served as the 47th Quartermaster General and Commandant of the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia from 11 July 2001 to 16 May 2003. Brigadier General Scott G. West: Brigadier General Scott G. West served as the 48th Quartermaster General and Commandant of the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia from 16 May 2003 to 11 August 2005. Brigadier General Mark A. Bellini: Brigadier General Mark A. Bellini served as

2726-581: The foundations settling. Portions of the buildings were declared unsafe in 1969, resulting in approximately 3,000 employees relocating to other facilities. In December 1969, President Richard Nixon announced a plan for demolishing the Main Navy and Munitions Buildings. The plan involved moving Navy employees to new buildings in the Crystal City and Ballston areas in Arlington County, Virginia . The Main Navy and Munitions Buildings remained on

2784-404: The intentions of Pierre Charles L'Enfant of making the National Mall into an open space surrounded by aesthetically pleasing government buildings. The Munitions and Navy buildings were described as "unsightly shacks, of which many scores sprung up like mushrooms during the war". Due to their solid construction, some were concerned that the buildings would remain for an extended period. By 1960,

2842-745: The next day. At the close of the 19th century, in an annual report for Congress, the Quartermaster General defined his duties as follows. Under existing laws the Quartermaster's Department, under the direction of the Secretary of War, provides the Army with military stores and supplies requisite for its use, such as clothing and equipage, tents, band instruments, tableware and mess furniture, equipments for post bakeries, fuel, forage, stationery, lumber, straw for bedding for men and animals, all materials for camp, and for shelter for troops and stores, furniture for barracks, such as bunks, benches, chairs, tables, lockers, heating and cooking stoves for use in public barracks and quar ters, tools for mechanics and laborers in

2900-446: The place of purchase to the several armies, garrisons, posts, and recruiting places. Under act of Congress amending section 1661, Revised Statutes, for arming and equipping the militia, this Department supplies quarter: master stores, clothing, and equipage to the militia of the several States and Territories, and transports the same to said States and Territories. It also furnishes transportation for ordnance and ordnance stores issued by

2958-420: The roads which they traveled upon, was responsible for transporting troops and furnished all the supplies needed to establish camps when the troops got there. Upon the establishment of the position, Congress authorized George Washington to appoint the first Quartermaster General. He picked a man from amongst his aides-de-camp, Maj. Thomas Mifflin. Mifflin, an experienced merchant from Philadelphia, proved to be

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3016-427: Was built until it was demolished in 1970. The building contained 940,000 square feet (87,000 m) of space, nine wings, and was connected to the Munitions Building by an elevated covered walkway. Navy offices housed in the Main Navy building soon after it opened included the Bureau of Ships , Bureau of Navigation , Bureau of Supplies and Accounts , Bureau of Steam Engineering , Bureau of Construction and Repair ,

3074-459: Was faced with the situation of the War Department spread out in numerous buildings across Washington, D.C., as well as Maryland and Virginia , and the Munitions Building was overcrowded. On 28 July 1941, Congress authorized funding for a new Department of War building in Arlington, Virginia , which would house the entire department under one roof. When office space became available in 1942 at

3132-734: Was housed in the Munitions Building, as was the Army Industrial College . At the time when the Munitions Building was constructed, the War Department was headquartered in the State-War-Navy Building , which was completed in 1888 and located on 17th Street NW, next to the White House . By the 1930s, the War Department was being squeezed out by the Department of State , and the White House also needed additional office space. In August 1939, Secretary of War Harry H. Woodring , along with Acting Chief of Staff of

3190-669: Was located in the Munitions Building during the early years of World War II . In September 1939, the Signal Intelligence Service was able to break Japan's cipher, Purple . The Department of War continued to receive intercepted messages, codenamed Magic , including final messages to the Japanese Embassy in Washington before the Attack on Pearl Harbor . The Navy used the Main Navy building from when it

3248-461: Was named the 46th Quartermaster General. He was the first African-American to hold the position. Twelve officers held the office of quartermaster general in the United States Army in the twenty-first century. Major General Hawthorne L. Proctor: Major General Hawthorne L. Proctor served as the 46th Quartermaster General and Commandant of the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia from 30 July 1999 to 11 July 2001. Brigadier General Proctor became

3306-621: Was promoted to brigadier general in April 2011. She was promoted to major general in 2013. In 2014 Bingham became the first female officer to serve as Commanding General of the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Life Cycle Management Command, in Warren, Michigan. In 2016, Bingham was promoted to lieutenant general, and became the 14th U.S. Army assistant chief of staff for installation management (ACSIM). Gwen Bingham Brigadier General John E. O'Neil IV Brigadier General John E. O'Neil IV served as

3364-605: Was separated from the Main Navy Building by a vehicle entryway at 19th Street. The main entrance of the Munitions Building was located at 20th Street. The Munitions Building had a total of eight wings. At the end of World War I, the Munitions Building housed technical branches, including the Quartermaster General , United States Army Corps of Engineers , Ordnance Corps , Chemical Warfare Service , Signal Corps , and Army Air Service . In March 1923,

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