# Oops...Navy barracks shaped like swastika **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 26, 2007, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570 "2007-09-26T17:42:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/1 "2007-09-26T17:42:05Z")
[CNN video here](http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/09/26/sot.swastika.cnn). Apparently in the 1960’s the Navy built some barracks in Coronado, CA. Not until the advent of Google Earth did they discover that the buildings formed a swastika shape. Now they’re talking about spending much taxpayer $$$ to disguise them with landscaping or other modifications. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/2 "2007-09-26T17:46:21Z")
Okay, that’s the first time I’ve ever laughed at a swastika, and then only because there’s no way it was intended to represent such. Gee, what a colossal blunder but it does call to light the fact before it became a hated symbol it was just a logical, geometric expression. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/3 "2007-09-26T17:51:10Z")
We had a thread about it a [while back](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=6397208&highlight=Bougainville#post6397208) (link in the first post is still active). ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/4 "2007-09-26T17:59:07Z")
Big deal. :rolleyes: **lieu** is right, it’s just a coincidence. I suppose it’d be OK if it were changed now, seeings how poisoned the symbol is. They should raise money from people offended by it. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/5 "2007-09-26T18:04:28Z")
This was mentioned in the LA Times today. The Navy has budgeted up to US$ 600,000 for the next fiscal year to “fix” the view of these buildings from the air. Los Angeles Times: [Navy to mask Coronado’s swastika-shaped barracks](http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-swastika26sep26,1,96691.story) (By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer, September 26, 2007) > [@](#): > > The four L-shaped buildings, constructed in the late 1960s, are part of the amphibious base at Coronado and serve as barracks for Seabees. > > From the ground and from inside nearby buildings, the controversial shape cannot be seen. Nor are there any civilian or military landing patterns that provide such a view to airline passengers. > > But once people began looking at satellite images from Google Earth, they started commenting about on blogs and websites about how much the buildings resembled the symbol used by the Nazis. You mean the people looking at the original blueprints in the 1960s didn’t notice? [US Navy Seabees Barracks, Bougainville Road, Coronado, California](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=fr&geocode=&q=Bougainville,+Coronado,+California&sll=32.67627,-117.17094&sspn=0.001154,0.001966&ie=UTF8&ll=32.676082,-117.157685&spn=0.002307,0.003932&t=k&z=18&om=1). ([maps.google.com](http://maps.google.com)) ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/6 "2007-09-26T18:08:56Z")
I can think of several dozen other things the Navy can do with $600,000 than “fix” something this trivial. Guess the bar is never too low for the idiotic indignation. ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/7 "2007-09-26T18:24:36Z")
Are the buildings keeping up with capacity? Is the green areas between the buildings there for recreation? Is there a need for expanding the capacity of the building? The buildings are probably fulfilling needs, despite the unfortunate aerial view. Honestly, I don’t know how someone can get up in arms about something so trivial, but this isn’t the first “OMG, a swastika! Oh noes!” news tidbit I’ve seen this month. There must be an awful lot of people out there with blood pressure issues from letting recreational outrage get the best of them so often. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/8 "2007-09-26T18:29:38Z")
We shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss the influence that architecture can have on its surroundings and people. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from reading H.P. Lovecraft, it’s that strangely shaped buildings can emanate evil miasmas that will affect a person’s sanity or even his very soul. I think that the Navy should commission a study to determine if there was a higher incidence of toothbrush mustaches amongst Navy personnel who spent time in those barracks. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/9 "2007-09-26T18:30:56Z")
I’m getting pretty sick of the Swast-ysteria. Look, Nazi’s put triangles on people too. Wanna run around crying about those, too? How about the colors they used? Wanna ban color? Ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/10 "2007-09-26T18:31:23Z")
[QUOTE=Arnold Winkelried] You mean the people looking at the original blueprints in the 1960s didn’t notice? [/QUOTE] I was wondering the same thing. And if not the blueprints, isn’t a model usually built? Models are short. Wouldn’t most people look down on them? ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/11 "2007-09-26T18:31:46Z")
I can’t say I give a shit. I certainly don’t give $600,000 worth of shit. But that’s probably just because [I am one of those asshole liberals who only care about racism and racist symbols when they are directed against blacks.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=437970) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/12 "2007-09-26T18:45:06Z")
[QUOTE=Sophistry and Illusion] I can’t say I give a shit. I certainly don’t give $600,000 worth of shit. But that’s probably just because [I am one of those asshole liberals who only care about racism and racist symbols when they are directed against blacks.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=437970) [/QUOTE] How is it I knew exactly what you were linking to? ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/13 "2007-09-26T18:54:05Z")
[QUOTE=Arnold Winkelried] We shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss the influence that architecture can have on its surroundings and people. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from reading H.P. Lovecraft, it’s that strangely shaped buildings can emanate evil miasmas that will affect a person’s sanity or even his very soul. I think that the Navy should commission a study to determine if there was a higher incidence of toothbrush mustaches amongst Navy personnel who spent time in those barracks. [/QUOTE] Oh, I don’t even think a study is necessary. It’s just common knowledge that sailors that served there both preferred a fine toothbrush mustache and genocide. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/14 "2007-09-26T18:53:54Z")
I don’t beleive for one minute that nobody noticed this. Even on the ground, I would construct an map in my head to get around and realize what it was. At the least, somebody wasn’t thinking when they built it. I realize though, that there may be some efficiencies in the design that made it useful. As for spending 600,000$ to fix it … I’m indifferent. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/15 "2007-09-26T19:01:41Z")
[QUOTE=Arnold Winkelried] I think that the Navy should commission a study to determine if there was a higher incidence of toothbrush mustaches amongst Navy personnel who spent time in those barracks. [/QUOTE] I know just [the guy](http://www.flickr.com/photos/upyerbum/1301020099/) to conduct it. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/16 "2007-09-26T19:02:14Z")
I just wanna know what the hell is up with the field just immediately northeast of the Evil Nazi Barracks. It’s all…circle-fied. Oh yeah, and this is also _obvious_ proof of the (_shuffles Conspiracy Of The Week cards, draws one_) Jewish aim for eventual global domination. ---
**Author:** ![Hakuna\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hakuna\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hakuna_Matata)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/17 "2007-09-26T19:48:17Z")
As an Architect my take on it is that likely each phase was done at a different time and thus no one noticed that the overall image was a swastika. Today this would be much less likely as the whole thing would be on a computer based drafting program and all the surrounding area would be included. These drawings all would have been hand drawn at the time and there would not be very many reasons to include phase 1, 2, 3 and 4 in a drawing that was used to construct Phase 5 for example. At most you would include the adjacent portion of a building if it touch and intersected your current building. Doesn’t preclude that there was a master plan done for the whole thing—that is a very likely scenario. But given that these are government buildings it is just as likely they built and designed each piece individually as needed. Master planning wasn’t done on every government building. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/18 "2007-09-26T20:01:16Z")
[QUOTE=levdrakon] I’m getting pretty sick of the Swast-ysteria. Look, Nazi’s put triangles on people too. Wanna run around crying about those, too? How about the colors they used? Wanna ban color? Ridiculous. [/QUOTE] Absolutely. We should go back to living in black and white like it was before color TV. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![nonymouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@nonymouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonymouse)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/19 "2007-09-26T20:19:49Z")
[QUOTE=levdrakon] I’m getting pretty sick of the Swast-ysteria. Look, Nazi’s put triangles on people too. Wanna run around crying about those, too? How about the colors they used? Wanna ban color? Ridiculous. [/QUOTE] You know who else would say something like that? Hitler! That’s Who! ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570/20 "2007-09-26T20:37:51Z")
[QUOTE=Sean Factotum] I can think of several dozen other things the Navy can do with $600,000 than “fix” something this trivial. [/QUOTE] $600,000 doesn’t do much these days. It would only fund the Iraq occupation for 3 minutes, for example. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-navy-barracks-shaped-like-swastika/420570.md?page=2)