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

[Former Military Chick]

Thank you so much for adding your thoughts to the thread, it really does humanize the photo's I put on the thread.

[Former Military Chick]

Might be of interest PING

[Former Military Chick]

Indeed it was more difficult but there seemed to be many voices asking to see them so I found a way to put them back on FR for all to see.

I am also thankful to all those who have shared personal thoughts of this location. This prison really was known for hard labor as a punishment.

[Former Military Chick]

Thought this thread might interest you. PING

[Godzilla]

I toured the military prison in 1991 while attending CAS3 at the war college. It was a required tour. However, one young (and very dull) officer in another class thought those rock walls would be neat to do some rock climbing on. Needless to say the MPs and sr. officers had a slightly different view of this quickly former officer, particularly when it came to the potential of facing the inside of the walls instead.

[Former Military Chick]

Yikes, now this was not a story I thought I would read! Former is best for that officer.

[Godzilla]

Yes, the guy was obviously not the brightest bulb, LOL.

[SaltyJoe]

Thanks for the pics. If they sell the old real estate, they'd probably make a killing. But, I'd have several priests exorcise the demons from the area. There were many notorious prisoners that will probably remain unknown to society...unless the History Channel (or new Military Channel) make a series about justice in the Armed Forces.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

It is one impressive structure, I could never imagine spending my rest of days in such a "prison".

Same here, I can think of better things to do than being stuck in a military prison for the rest of my life.

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks for this wealth of information FMC.

[Former Military Chick]

The German POWs got me to searching the WWW.

I found 1 book on the subject, written by Richard Whittingham who evidently is huge football fan writing another book on the Washington Redskin's and has been on ESPN. Wow, what a tangled web this author has weaved. His bio is at the end of the email.

Having said that, here is my latest bit of info, the inmates were executed here at Ft. Leavenworth. BUT, are you ready for this BUT, USDB (Ft Leavenworth Prison) does not use the gallows. That is how these prisoners were to be executed. Why, maybe that is the method the German POWs were to be executed, indeed that is the form they had to be executed by and here is the well shocking update on my photo's, they were hung in the Ft Leavenworth elevator shaft. YES, you read that correctly, they had to be hung, there were no GALLOWS and they were executed through the hanging by the elevator shaft.

WOW, knock me over with a feather. I verified through the historian and I am still speechless. More so, because in all I have read, nothing gave this is the method.

Anyway, it is very fascinating and I plan to pick up the book. I plan to return and take a few better photo's and I do look forward to your thoughts on this bit of history.

[Titan Magroyne]

The elevator shaft. That's wild. I never would have imagined that either. In too big a hurry to build a gallows, I guess.

[MACVSOG68]

Thanks, very interesting. I assume that hanging was still considered appropriate punishment for enemy crimes, while shooting was the norm for our own soldiers who were to be executed.

[Fester Chugabrew]

. . . 5 to 7 buffalo in its pen . . .

Excuse me, but that should be "5 to 7 buffaloe's in it's pen."

[Former Military Chick]

I really know so little, but, from that bit of info, it seemed to divide this community like no other event.

To this day, with the community leaving flower's and flags, it is not forgotten.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

YES, you read that correctly, they had to be hung, there were no GALLOWS and they were executed through the hanging by the elevator shaft.

I'm suprised they weren't given the electric chair. I know there were several Nazi spies who were executed using that method, which was typical for that day.

[Former Military Chick]

I have been unable to find the rational for this method of execution, as Leavenworth did not execute American's in this manner, as noted in your comment.

Maybe that is what the German's demanded. I mean, they could have built a gallows. I believe about 10 years ago, a prisoner was sentenced to death and he actually worked on his gallow's where he would be hung from .. it was on the east coast side of the country.

Should research this before posting, but I am firm on the memory just forgot the location.

Seems it would be easy to build a stand to hang a person, instead of using an elevator.

[Goodgirlinred]

That was great! Everyone going into the military should see it so that they would never do anything that would land them in the new facility.

[Former Military Chick]

Indeed. Have to say that it really is all talk, there is NO HARD LABOR at least not at USDB, beyond demotion, loss of pay, they now work in an air conditioned building. They make shadow boxes for flags of those who gave the ultimate price. Fitting isnt it?

[Lancey Howard]

THANK YOU!
Great photo essay!
Bookmarked.