Fifty years after it opened, the National Guard armory at Spencer has closed, with training and operations being moved to a new $21 million facility in Jackson County.
Hundreds of Roane and Calhoun men and women have been attached to serve the military at the armory over the years, including 55 current members of the 821st Engineering Company.
Over the last 50 years different military operations have been assigned to the building, the soldiers early-on being sent to Germany and in more recent years to America's war in Iraq. In between, the unit has been activated dozens of times for special reasons, including natural disasters.
The City of Spencer has expressed some interest in the building, but could be reluctant because utilities and maintenance costs $30,000 annually.
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