Photo's: Historic United States Disciplinary Barracks (Ft. Leavenworth KS)Before and After

Fellow Freeper StarCMC allowing me to use her site to host these photo's | May 8, 2005 | self / Chele / Former Military Chick

[Former Military Chick]

Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary. There are several prison's in the greater Leavenworth area besides the military and federal penitentiary. - FMC

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This actually a distance photo, from a viewing deck, as you can see far away, again, this is the "Big House" the Federal Penitentiary. - FMC

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For the life of me I cannot remember the type of animal (type of live stock) that is in the photo. Buffalo?? But, they are actually as well known as the Prison (federal pen). - FMC

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Another view of the new military prison. - FMC

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Plaque by the entrance of the old cemetery. - FMC

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While I would not go out seeking this spot, those who were condemned many years ago, actually have a nice resting place. The weeping willow is magnificent. - FMC

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First stone I came upon. - FMC

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I am actually enclosing this one, because I like the angle and final result. - FMC

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Another angle of the USDB cemetery. - FMC - FMC

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The German headstones are all the way at the back of the cemetery. -FMC

When I originally posted this on FR and the Kodak Gallery site, I had been asked many times about the German grave marker's and the flowers and if I could find out what it is all about, as of this posting the following is what I have uncovered.<>

On August 25, 1945, seven U-boat POWs were executed at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas for the beating and hanging of another U-boat man--Werner Drechsler--at Papago Park POW camp in Arizona in March 1944. The U-boat men felt justified for their actions, as it was determined Drechsler had been working with American authorities to gain military information from other POWs.

On the back row, of the fourteen POW graves, the seven graves to the far right are the U-boat men's, from left to right...

Plastic bouquets and small faded flags were already in place at each headstone, indicating the local woman was still visiting this site quite regulalry.

A local German-American woman visits regularly by all accounts, and plastic flowers were still evident on many of the gavesites.

The other seven of the fourteen gravesites were German POWs executed for two separate deaths of another German POW, from left to right, with date of execution.

Walter Beyer, July 10, 1945
Berthold Seidel, July 10, 1945
Hans Demme, July 10, 1945
Hans Schomer, July 10, 1945
Willi Scholz, July 10, 1945
Erich Gauss, July 14, 1945
Rudolf Straub, July 14, 1945

***The first five (older sergeants in the Afrika Korps) were found guilty in the beating death of Johann Kunze at Camp Tonkawa in Oklahoma in November 1943. Kunze had been determined to have given the Americans information about secret installations in Hamburg, which would have been useful in Allied bombing raids.

***The last two (sergeants) were found guilty in the strangling death of Horst Guenther near Camp Gordon, Georgia in April 1944. Guenther had stood accused of warning American authorities of an ntended prisoner work stoppage and also that he liked jazz music, both indicating anti-German sentiments.

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German POW grave marker. - FMC

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German POW grave marker. - FMC

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I believe this is the last one to be buried at this site. -FMC

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The old "United States Disciplinary Barracks", it is currently being demolished but they were kind enough to give me access to photograph what is still standing. -FMC

Entrance. - FMC

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I cannot describe this in a way that convey's the depth they put this prison into the earth. It is deep, indeed. Any cell's down there, well, you would never break free. - FMC

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Watch towers. - FMC

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Other watch towers. - FMC

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I took this one because I thought it odd, to have just the top stoop with all the barb wire and not the rest of the stairwell. - FMC

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Directorate of Programs and Services. -FMC

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Medical and dental services - FMC

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Evidently they still do use this as a current job in the prison (embroidery). - FMC

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Where JAG was housed. - FMC

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Have to tell you I am not sure what the purpose of the sunroom at the back of the building was for. - FMC

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This is the first of 2 images, showing how vast the Prison was in it's day. - FMC

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This is the same image as above only I zoomed and you can see the watch towers. - FMC

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Installation and furniture repair and Parole and Classification - FMC

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Another entrance to the old prison - FMC

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The rocks you see to the left, along side the prison, is the actual rock that was used when the prison was first constructed, inmates putting it one on top of the other, real hard time for sure. - FMC

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This the other side of the above sun room photo, who knows what it was used for. - FMC

[Jeffzilla]

Are you still active on here?

[deege52]

I was an instructor {inmate) there in 73-74. Wayne Reel was the head man. I shared a mail box with Rusty (LT. William} Calley. We did a lot of interesting things there and a great bunch of guys made the time go by quick.

[deege52]

The inner walls of the mess hall were painted with western scenery by Walt Disney.