The World War II Histoiy ofNAD Crane
Chapter 2: The Construction - From Wilderness and Wasteland Key Leaders; LCDR/CDR Wallace B. Short- Officer In-Charge (OIC) of Construction - Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Wallace B. Short arrived at NAD Burns City in December 1940 to take charge of overseeing the construction planning effort that would turn the Martin County wilderness into NAD Bums City and the Navy's second largest ammunition depot in the Country. LCDR Short hailed from the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida where he served as Assistant Public Works Officer. LCDR Short was a 1924 graduate of the Naval Academy, attended the Navy Post Graduate School and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where he received his Civil Engineering degree. CDR Short remained the Commanding Officer ofNAD Bums City until CAPT E.G. Oberlin took command before the commissioning of the NAD Bums City on 1December,1941. CDR was also the Officer in Charge of Construction and the first Public Works Officer at Crane. After a 19 month tour of duty at Crane, CDR Short reported to Hastings, Nebraska to oversee the construction of the NAD there. Retired Vice Admiral Short attended Crane's 50th and 60th anniversary celebrations in 1991and2001 at the age of88 and 98, respectively. He retired from the Navy in 1964 and passed away in 2003 at the age of 100.
LCDR G.H. Carrithers- OIC of Construction-August 1942 to March 1943
LCDR A.P. Pasquariello - OIC of Construction -AP Pasquariello was on NAD Bums City/Crane from 14 June, 1941, to 5 May, 1945. He departed NAD Crane for Davisville, Rl. Foundations for a few buildings in the industrial, residential, and storage areas had been completed and construction was just getting underway when LCDR Pasquariello reported aboard. From his arrival he served first under CDR W.B. Short, the Depots first Construction Officer, and later under CDR G.H. Carrithers. He witnessed more than 2000 buildings, 150 miles ofrailroad, and 300 miles ofroads completed. On 11 March, 1943, LCDR Pasquariello became the officer in charge of construction and in that capacity had much to do with the economical expenditure of the $58,000,000 that was allotted by the Navy for new construction at NAD Crane. His department operated under a separate command building the various structures and then turning the facilities over to the NAD for operations and maintenance. LCDR Pasquariello graduated from Yale
in 1933. Before entering the Navy, he spent a number of years in construction work in New York and in Connecticut. He was married and had two daughters while at Crane.
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