U.S. Naval Air Station Memphis Base Theater
Bougainville Street & Hornet Avenue,
Millington,
TN
38053
Bougainville Street & Hornet Avenue,
Millington,
TN
38053
2 people
favorited this theater
The theater had pillars and steps on the entrance that faced Bougainville Street and was on the entire block between Hornet Avenue and Indianapolis Avenue. A wing was attached to each side of the theater. Theater buildings like this were built on navy bases all over the USA during World War Two. The building was on the north side of Navy Road on the same side as the airfield. The barracks, aviation schools, galley etc. were located south of Navy Road. In the 1960’s no civilian clothes were allowed on the base and when the movie was over all these sailors and marines (the marines are part of the navy SEMPER FI) would all be crossing Navy Road to get “home” to the barracks, it was really a sight!
Naval Air Station (NAS) Memphis which is 16 miles North of Memphis was home to Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) (Aviation Schools). In 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission transferred the airfield to the City of Millington and it first became Millington Municipal Airport and is now Millington Regional Jetport. The aviation schools went to NAS Pensacola, Florida. The name of the rest of the naval base (that is non-airfield) is Naval Support Activity Mid-South. More than 7,500 military, civilian, and contract personnel are assigned/work on the base. It is home of the Navy Personnel Command and Navy Recruiting Command which used to be in Washington D.C. It has over 30 tenant commands. It is one of the largest single employers in the state of Tennessee.
Contributed by
Chief Bob Jensen
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Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
I attended AFU(A)and AX school at NATTC MEMPHIS from August 1962 to April 1963. I remember going to this theater to see BYE BYE BIRDIE and THE NUTTY PROFESSOR. I also remember going to the theater in Millington but can’t recall the movie. I do remember kids running up and down the aisles!
My mother used to take us to the movies and I remember seeing South Pacific for 25 cents.
Oh, I forgot to mention that this was in 1964. Then she’d rad books from the library by the pool side while we swam. Then we’d have hamburgers. Mrs. Strange was my teachers name on base.
Having been stationed at NAS Northside from Jan -April in 1959 while attending Airman School which after leaving Memphis for Pensacola we had to repeat because the instructors at Pensacola didn’t like the idea that our instructors in Memphis(were TAR_reservists) and they thought that reservists were not good teachers. Actually we learned more in Memphis than Pensacola. My reason for writing this was to let you know that I saw many movies at this theatre. I only remember one which was Gunfight at OK Corral which I actually fell asleep in. This theatre was a typical multi use Nay theatre. The best looking theatre Navy theatre that I remember was at NAS Pensacola. Big well decorated and had a balcony. It looked like a downtown Pensacola theatre(the Saenger).
I spent a lot of time at the Blue and Gold theaters in 1977. I remember watching “Dixie Dynamite”, “Squarm” and “Wizards”. One of my best friends, Justin Perkins, was the weekend manager. I recall too the poolroom there. Everyone movie, I think, started with the playing the National Anthem.
Grew up in Memphis and around Millington in the 50s and 60s and remember seeing the old Theatre. I call it old because it was built in WW 2. It burned down in 1971 or 72. There was one fatality, a lady who was one of the MWR instructors. It was rebuilt on the same site.
I attended A School for TradeVman (TD) from 1981-82. Been to that theater a number of times right up those front steps. Spent several months as a member of the base Swim Team located just east of the theater. Great experience.
I was born at Millington NAS in April, 1963. I was looking for any info on the base and my father who was stationed there. Tom Kern.
I knew a Tom Kern in the early 90s. He was a graduate of West Point and was working as an engineer in N MS.e
Could that be him?