U.S. Naval Air Station Memphis Base Theater
Bougainville Street & Hornet Avenue,
Millington,
TN
38053
Bougainville Street & Hornet Avenue,
Millington,
TN
38053
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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?
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 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.
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 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.
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).
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.
My mother used to take us to the movies and I remember seeing South Pacific for 25 cents.
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!
When this was shown to me at the archives I heard the comment that it had burned.
When I was a young sailor stationed at NAS Memphis back in 1962, going to an aviation school, I would go to the base theater. The best live show I ever saw in a navy theater was at Memphis. It was a live show with a favorite among the military, Hilo Hattie, the Hawaiian, singer, hula dancer, comedienne, musician (she played the ukulele of course), actress, who made movies and records and was on the radio. She put on a GREAT show. I saw about every movie at the theater while I was stationed at NAS. The only movies I remember seeing for sure were “CAROUSEL” which I had never seen before and “OKLAHOMA!” because I remember one of my friends in the barracks commented after the movie about how Curly was so cocky. Little did I know at the time that later I would be a Naval Air Crewmen flying into NAS.