Ascension : Heritage Notes
Submitted by The Islander (Shari Parkhill) 05.11.2009 (Article Archived on 19.11.2009)

This past week the Heritage Society received a couple of valuable donations from the family of Grant H. Carpenter, from Pennsylvania.

Lt. Carpenter was a member of the 38^th Combat Engineering Regiment.  These were the men who arrived on Ascension on March 30, 1942 to build the runway, a feat they accomplished in under three months. 

The donations include a trophy fashioned out of a 37 mm caliber shell, awarded to Lt. Carpenter’s company in a regimental field & track event.  A goldsmith who repaired it at one time commented on the amount of work that went into creating this trophy.  It is a wonderful memento of the time spent by the men of the 38^th on Ascension.  In a compilation of Lt. Carpenter’s letters home to his mother that his daughter also sent us, he mentions the field day.  The letter is dated July 15, 1942, and he states that they have only had two days off since arriving on March 30!  They worked under very difficult conditions.  His letters are a rare and poignant insight into the lives of the men here on Ascension.  They were not allowed to disclose their location, the project on Ascension being a top-secret undertaking.  The men themselves had no idea where they were headed to when they left the United States.  They only knew they were headed to a “tropical” location, code named “Agate”, to build a runway.  Imagine their surprise when they got their first look at “The Rock”!

As well, the Carpenter family had been given a packet of photographs that had been found in the attic of Col. W.W. Wilcox, a doctor from the same home town as their father.  Doc Wilcox also served on Ascension in the later years.  He was instrumental in the building of the 175^th Field Hospital at the base of Green Mountain.  When we received the letters, they were in the original box that they had been sent to Doc Wilcox.  The return address was that of Col. J. Mullenix, who served as Base Commander on Ascension from April 1943 until April 1944.  Col. Mullenix had added notations on many of the photos, and included notes about certain events.  These photographs, over 350 in all, are a precious find indeed!  They include photos of events, places and installations that we have never seen before.

The photographs are being catalogued and will then be scanned.  Copies will be made for a display album, and the originals will be preserved in the archives.  We’ll keep you informed of when they are available for viewing.  The trophy will be on display immediately.  We are also hoping for permission from the family to display a copy of “Dear Toots”, Lt. Carpenter’s letters home.