When the Pentagon was built in 1942, it was equipped with several hundred drinking fountains, all of them of the classic, 1940s ceramic style. They were all blue. Except, that is, for the one in the Air Force Command Centre. This particular drinking fountain was purple. No one knows why... a bad batch? a mis-order? someone’s idea of a joke? The truth will never be known, but the point is that it began to acquire a certain mythical status. The preeminent Air Force officers of the day swore by the purple drinking fountain, and claimed it had almost mystical properties. After a while, all the branches of the armed forces trekked through the labyrinths of the Pentagon to drink at the fountain. It was like a holy grail. When the Air Force area was refurbished some time ago, they couldn’t bring themselves to rip out the purple fountain. It now resides in a glass display case at the entrance to the Air Force area, a testament to the interface between military logic and personal superstition.
http://theprimaryclone.blogspot.com/2008/06/special-purple-drinking-fountain.html
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Perhaps, at one time it marked the entrance to this:
https://taskandpurpose.com/the-pentagon-fighter-pilots-bar
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Or maybe it’s because it is a mix of red and blue:
Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue, vigilance, perseverance & justice.
All the components of a good soldier.
>>The preeminent Air Force officers of the day swore by the purple drinking fountain, and claimed it had almost mystical properties
That was the most WONDERFUL story! Thousands of thanks.
Or maybe it’s because it is a mix of red and blue:
Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue, vigilance, perseverance & justice.
All the components of a good soldier.
Interesting stuff. Thank-you.
AF colors are ultramarine blue and yellow, if you mix them together you get a shade of green.
But if you mix that blue with the red blood of patriots you’d get a shade of purple.
Maybe one of the ways to think about that fountain is as a reminder that the living water of freedom comes at a great cost, and should sober every serviceperson and civilian in and outside that place to remember that cost and to resolve to do their best in their job and mission.
Everyone, regardless of their rank, drinks from that same fountain and derives freedom from it.
It’s not just duty, but a debt owed to those whose shoulders they stand on who helped lift and keep us all out of the darkness, but didn’t make it home to live out their lives in freedom with their families.
I’ll be joining you in spirit tomorrow to celebrate the birthday of our country, and remembering that purple fountain’s majesty.
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