In 1938 the U.S. Army established Brookley Air Force Base on the shore of Mobile Bay, Alabama.
During World War 2 Brookley became the main supply base for the U.S. Air Force in the Southeast and Caribbean.
In 1944 the Army took advantage of Brookley's large, skilled workforce for the top-secret "Ivory Soap" project, designed to accelerate U.S. victory in the Pacific.
U. of South Alabama archives
Brookley Field Recreation Center, sometime in the 1950s-60s (U. South Alabama Archives). After more research, I'm pretty sure this is the building I'm exploring. Because the ceilings seem too low for working on aircraft. Also the windows look the same. The outside is currently red bricks but could have been added at some point.
After World War II the base continued to serve the Army, maintaining aircraft and employing over 16,000 workers until it's closure due to budget cuts in 1964.
Brookley was Mobile's largest employer for nearly 30 years and it's closing was devastating to the local economy, to say the least.
