From 1942 until the end of World War II, 411,429 men and women trained to defend our freedom at the Sampson U.S. Naval Training Station in Romulus, New York. Today, the Sampson World War II Navy Museum commemorates the efforts and sacrifices of these brave young patriots. The museum is housed in the original brig on the site of the training base, which is now Sampson State Park.
With the war effort in full force, the Navy needed to train large numbers of men quickly. The large expanse of land on the 66-square mile Seneca Lake was purchased in May 1942. The $56 million plan called for 498 training and administrative buildings, 300 dwelling units, dormitories for 250 civilian workers, 53 miles of road, a 2 million gallon water reservoir, a fire station and a sewage treatment plant. Most of the buildings were constructed from wood because of demand for steel in the war.
Very few of these buildings remain today. The brig in which the museum is housed was scheduled for destruction until the Sampson World War II Navy Veterans and Auxiliary got involved. According to Steve Bull, President of the association, it continues to be a project made possible by the hard work and resourcefulness of the veterans. “We had all kinds of skilled tradesmen in our organization who donated thousands of dollars worth of labor to help refurbish the building,” he said. A partial list of projects included electrical wiring, the installation of 96 new windows, a major cleaning and countless hours of painting.
Upon entering Sampson State Park, one of the first landmarks you come to is the statue of the Sampson Sailor sculpted by Felix DeWeldon. The statue depicts a graduate, his belongings slung over his shoulder in a sea bag, waving farewell as he departs to join the war. Situated outside the brig are two guns taken from World War II Navy ships. A 3-inch gun is aimed to the north and a 5-inch gun is aimed west across Seneca Lake.
In the West Wing of the museum, visitors can view the cells that held misbehaving sailors. Although the cells are cramped, one particular sailor didn’t mind spending the night there. He was reprimanded for going AWOL to visit his girlfriend in a nearby town. They were later married, so the punishment was worth it. The West Wing also houses a room filled with class photo albums which allow visiting veterans to find their class.
The East Wing houses exhibits on “Life at Sampson.” An audio tape features veterans describing their first experiences at the training station. The room also contains presentations on how the United States became involved in the war, the construction of Sampson, and displays of equipment found on Navy ships such as an anti-aircraft machine gun.
A crowd favorite is the 45-foot periscope from the ex- USS Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640), on loan from the Navy. It extends from the floor through the roof of the brig allowing visitors to view miles of beautiful countryside. This includes the land and the lake upon which Sampson veterans trained. The view from the periscope alone is enough to justify a trip to Sampson.
Members update and change displays as well as work on various new projects. One such project was the addition of the Sampson, a retired Coast Guard buoy tender that can be toured in the marina at Sampson State Park. A project is in the works that will honor Sampson sailors who lost their lives in the war. Sampson members spent countless hours on computers compiling the names of those who died.
To veterans, the museum offers a chance to reconnect with the past. For younger generations, it is a lesson on what our parents and grandparents went through to protect the freedom we enjoy today.