McAAP history dates back to World War II

Apr. 16—The McAlester Army Ammunition Plant continues to be McAlester's largest employer, with the facility having its beginnings during World War II.

U.S. Navy Rear Admiral John Cotton, retired, recounted how the history of the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant has intertwined with his own, when Cotton served as featured speaker for the 2018 annual Armed Forces Day Luncheon.

That year the Missing Man Table honored employees who lost their lives while working at the ammunition plant. Items such as a white tablecloth, a slice, of lemon, a bit of salt, a lit candle and a red rose symbolized those who were being honored.

During his military service, Dr. Cotton served as the last senior medical officer at U.S. Naval Ammunition Depot prior to the facility's name being changed to the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. He also served in numerous other capacities for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Naval Reserve before he retired on Jan. 1, 2002, at the rank of Rear Admiral, Upper Half.

At the 2018 luncheon, Cotton recounted the ammunition plant's origins.

"It dawned on me my life story and the story of this facility has run parallel," Cotton said.

Cotton was born in 1941 in Magnolia, Arkansas. As he grew up, he became aware the McAlester-based Puterbaugh Fuel Company had a facility in Magnolia.

The same year Cotton was born, the U.S. entered World War II after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec, 7, 1941.

"We were very unprepared," Cotton said. "By June of 1942, the Navy decided to build three ammunition plants," he said, with the idea of placing them in the middle of the country, where they would be less exposed to enemy attacks on the East or West Coasts. The government decided to build one plant in McAlester and the other two in Arkansas and Nebraska.

A contract to construct the McAlester plant was issued in June, 1942. Construction began in August 1942, with one year allotted for construction of the facility. Cotton quoted from an issue of the McAlester News-Capital of the day, which stated no words could adequately describe the impressiveness of the construction process.

The site consisted of 100 square miles encompassing 45,000 acres. Speaking of what it took to construct the base, Cotton said approximately 20,000 people were employed constructing the facility — making the population of workers at the base much larger than the 12,000-person population of McAlester at the time.

"All available rooms in McAlester were rented," Cotton said. Some workers lived in tents or buildings at the construction site. Others made it to work every day by riding a mule or horse to a site where they could catch a bus to take them to the job.

With construction in full-swing, workers completed the plant then known as the U.S. Naval Ammunition Depot in 1943 — three months early.

"By late December, 1943, there were 40 million pounds of high explosives" at the plant, Cotton said, along with 30 million pounds of other munitions-related material.

In the first major accident at the facility, 11 men were killed when one of the production buildings exploded, Cotton said.

He also spoke of a then-secret order the base received to begin working on two bomb projects code-named Pumpkin and Camel.

Not much is known today about the Camel project, but the Pumpkin was a huge bomb filled with 12,000 pounds of explosives, Cotton said. He thinks it may have been a forerunner of the atomic bomb.

"Without a doubt, I think the Naval Ammunition Depot in McAlester played a tremendous role in bringing World War II to an end," Cotton said.

Cotton also said he would feel remiss without mentioning the tremendous role women filled by working on the production lines at the base while many of the men were away fighting the war. They women were called WOWS, or Women Ordnance Workers.

Cotton also recalled the plant's role during the Korean and Vietnam wars, and on through Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield. Workers continued supporting the war fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Reporting for duty at McAAP in 1969, Cotton served as a medical doctor at the plant, which then had U.S. marines and sailors stationed on the grounds.

"There were lots of dependents living here then," Cotton said. "I took care of a lot of people."

Cotton said there was another explosion at the plant in 1971. He and another medical officer, Lt. Roger Johnson, were in town when Cotton received a message stating "Come quickly. There's been an accident." Cotton soon learned there had been an explosion at the plant. Three men were killed and many others were wounded.

Cotton said he and Johnson worked through the night, treating the wounded who were later transported to the then-General Hospital in McAlester.

In October, 1977, ownership of the base changed from the U.S. Navy to the U.S. Army.

"The mission changed," Cotton noted. "You have a lot of joint-service responsibilities."

Cotton also spoke of the Natural Resources Conservation Program at the plant.

"I'm proud to be here with ya'll to celebrate the 75th Anniversary," Cotton said in 2018. He added that he thinks it's safe to say McAAP will continue supporting the nation's military for a long time in the future.