The long-term goal of Wilbur D. Jones, Jr., co-founder of North Carolina's World War II Wilmington Home Front Heritage Coalition, "We are, after all, America's World War II City." Displays of the Home Front are on display at the Hannah Block Historic USO Building at 120 S.Second Street.
The building was constructed in December 1941 and was one of 14 USO facilities in and around Wilmington and New Hanover County during the war. After the war, it became the Wilmington Community Recreation Center and today it has expanded to being an arts place along with the museum.
Back in 1941, it was built by the Army Corps of Engineers for $80,000 ($4 million in today's dollars). Another one to provide for black soldiers was built at 9th and Nixon streets. These facilities served soldiers from nearby Camp Davis which trained Army anti-aircraft men and the USMC base at Camp Lejeune.
The various centers would serve 35,000 military personnel on liberty on the weekends. There were also facilities at Second and Orange streets, a YMCA, YWCA, National Travelers Aid Association and the National Jewish Welfare Board.
Wilmington's population, swollen by all the defense workers (mostly at the NC Shipbuilding Company), neared 100,000 during the war. The USO was open seven days a week with Big Band dances, plays, music recitals and art exhibits. As many as 63,000 military personnel would pass through the city most weekends.
In 2006, $2.1 million in repairs were done to the building which reopened in 2008 and was named for Hannah Block, noted Wilmington philanthropist.
I Really Have to Check This Place Out the Next Time in the Area. --GreGen
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
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