Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Marion's National Guard Armory Closed, February 2019



 Another part of Marion's past proud history will soon be included in of our forgotten passages of time.

The ravages of time has taken it's toll on the 56 year old building, plus the decrease in numbers in both the local Guard and across Kentucky.  

This National Guard Armory building was completed in 1963, after obtaining eight acres of land from the Crittenden County School Board. At one time, this land was used as the Crittenden County Fairgrounds. At the time the land was acquired by the Guard, it was a baseball complex for Little League. 

The state supplied a quarter of the money for the armory, while the federal government supplied the balance of the funding. Fund-raisers were held to raise the money for the armory's construction. 

The armory, a one-story square building with attached two-story drill hall, sits on approximately eight acres in a residential area. The land for the armory was sold to the National Guard by the Crittenden County School Board for $1500. 

The new Armory was dedicated on April 19th, 1964. Congressman Frank Stubblefield was the dedicatory speaker. A nineteen gun salute from five of the Company's M-46 Patton tanks greeted the Congressman and other dignitaries on their arrival.

This Armory building is the only one built in Marion with help from state and federal funds, plus local fundraisers. 

 In 1926 A. M. Shelby had a new building built for the National Guard located on West Bellville St. The building was of cream faced brick, beautiful large plate glass windows, of ample size for the requirements of the company in drilling and for indoor games as well. The building was modern throughout, hot and cold running water and everything. (this building was the one torn down to build the new fire station.),

 Two other buildings also served as a home for the National Guard since its beginnings in Marion in 1925. One was a county-owned maintenance garage located near the entrance of the city, and it was also housed in a concrete block building on Walker Street, that is now used by the city maintenance department. 

The National Guard was not active in Marion for ten years after World War II (1945-1955), but when the Guard was reorganized in 1955, they were housed in another leased building. In August of 1963, the Guard moved into an existing two-bay gas station located on Highway 60 until moving into the current armory. 

In addition to their long military history, the National Guard has participated in many state active duty missions. More recent state active duties include evacuating people from their homes during blizzards in 1995 and 1996 in Henderson, and in 1997, flood duty in Livingston County and the 2009 ice storm.   

(see The Crittenden Press, February 14, 2019 for more detailed information on the closing of the unit)

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