Rebecca Okorie

FORTKNOXBANKVAULT Att hement i onofbankv aul t ,ani mageofhi ghsecur i t yi spai nt edi nourmi ndsabouta v er ysecur er oom i nt hebankwhi chcannotbeaccessi bl ewi t houtt hecor r ectent r ycode orkey .Sot hi sgi v esushi ghconf i dencet ol eav ehugeamountofmoneyorv al uabl esi n t hebank, becausei t ’ ssaf ef r om unaut hor i zedi nt r uder s. I tshoul dn’ tbesur pr i si ngt oknow t hatev er ybankhav eav aul twher egol dornewl y pr i nt edbundl eofmoneyi sst or edandonl yt hebankmanagerort hechai r manoft he panel i nchar geoft hev aul twi l l hav et hesecur i t ykeyt oopent hebul kr oom. Amongmanyknownbankv aul ti nt hewor l d, t hebul l i ondeposi t or yoft heUni t edSt at es al soknownast heFor tKnoxbankv aul ti st hemostsecur edandsophi st i cat edv aul t whi chcannotbedi scov er edany wher ei nt hewor l d. I fy oumaywonderhowt hi sv aul twasi nst al l edi nFor tKnoxbank, t henst aygl uedt ot hi s v i deoasweexposeal l necessar yhi ddenf act sy oumaynotknowaboutt hi sv aul t . Wel comet ol uxur yl i f est y l e,I nt hi sv i deo,wewi l lr ev ealt hemostpr ot ect edandsecur e v aul t si nt hewor l dconsi der i ngt hear chi t ect ur all ay out ,i t sl ocat i on,andt heki ndof def ensi v et echnol ogyst r at egi cal l yi mpl ement edt oguar ant eest r ongsecur i t y . For tKnoxBankv aul tor i gi nal l yknownast heUni t edSt at esBul l i ondeposi t or yi sa f or t i f i edv aul tbui l di ngl ocat ednextt ot heUni t edSt at esAr mypostofFor tKnox,and cur r ent l yundert hepr ot ect i onoft heUni t edSt at esmi ntpol i ce. Thedeposi t or yofFor tKnoxwasbui l tonl andandl at ert r ansf er r edt ot heUni t edSt at es Tr easur ybyt heMi l i t ar yi n1935asasecur edpl acet ost or eal ar gepor t i onoft he nat i on’ sgol dr eser v esaswel lasot herv al uabl esbel ongi ngt ot hef eder algov er nment andi ni t scust ody . I n1933pr esi dentRoosev el tsi gnedt hegol dActwhi chr eser v est her i ghtf orpeopl et o owngol daf t eraneconomi canal y si swasl ai doutt hatt heonl ymeanst oboostt he economyoutofr ecessi onwast o sel lt hemi ner alr esour cesl i kegol d,si l v er ,and di amond mi ned by bot h commer ci aland pr i v at e ext r act i on compani es t ot he gov er nmentwhi chwasl at ermel t edandmadei nt obar swei ghi ngappr oxi mat el y27. 5 poundseach. Ther ecov er edgol dwasatf i r stst or edi nNewYor kandPhi l adel phi a.Butwi t ht her i seof Hi t l erar oundt he’ 30s,t heuni t edst at esbecameconcer nedt hatt hegol dmi ghtbe l oot edanddeci dedt omov ei tt oi nl andar eawhi chi sabout100mi l esawayf r om t he pr ev i ousl ocat i on. For tKnoxt hati sl ocat edatt hewestofAppal achi anmai nt ai n, camet omi ndandi twas ar easonabl ebar r i erandhomeoft henewar mor edf or ceoft heUni t edSt at esAr my . For tKnox deposi t or ywas bui l tbyGr eatLake' s const r uct i on companyundert he super v i si onofar chi t ectLoui sA.Si monandEngi neerNealA.Mel i cki n1935bet ween t hei nt er sect i onofGol dRoadandBul l i onKent ucky , andi tcov er s42acr esofl andwhi ch wasdonat edbyt hef or tKnoxmi l i t ar ypostt ot heUni t edSt at est r easur y . Thedeposi t or ymeasur esabout1051by121f eetand42f eetabov et hegr oundl ev el . Thi sv aul twasmet i cul ousl yconst r uct edusi ng16500cubi cf eetofgr ani t ef r om t he Car ol i nagr ani t ecor por at i onquar r ycompl ex,4200cubi cy ar dsofconcr et e,750shor t t onsofr ei nf or ced st eeland 670 shor tt onsofst r uct ur alst eel .Const r uct i ng t hi s deposi t or ycostov erhal fami l l i ondol l ar s. Theuni t edst at est r easur yannouncedt hati ti nt endst oqui ckl ybui l dadeposi t or yf or gol di nKent ucky ,choosi ngt hear eaar oundf or tKnoxmi l i t ar ypostwher egol di nNew Yor kci t yatt heAssayof f i ceandPhi l adel phi aMi ntwi l l best or ed. I n1935,t heKent uckyl andwasgi v enoutt ot het r easur ybyt hemi l i t ar y ,butl at eron,i n 1936,t heconst r uct i onoft hedeposi t or ywascompl et ed,andwaspr epar edf orusei n 1937 when t he f i r stgol d shi pmentar r i v ed,l at er ,some ot hergov er nmentand i nst i t ut i onal v al uabl eswer ekepti nt hedeposi t or yf orpr opersecur i t y . Theuni t edst at esBul l i ondeposi t or ycur r ent l yhol dsanest i mat ed147mi l l i ont r ayt ons ofgol d, i ncl udi ngt heconst i t ut i onoft heUni t edSt at esanddecl ar at i onofi ndependence document s.Al i stofot herv al uabl est hatwaskeptundert hepr ot ect i onofFor tKnox i ncl udet hemagnacar t a, t hehol ycr own, t heswor d, t hescept er , t heor bandt hecapeof sai ntSt ephen, ki ngofHungar y , l at eri n1978, t hesei t emswer esentbackt oHungar y . Thet er m“ assecur easFor tKnox”hasbecomeamet aphorf orsaf et yandsecur i t yand i tsi mpl ysuggestt hatapl acei sunbr eachabl e.Justasexpect edofahal fmi l l i ondol l ar f or t r ess,t hedeposi t or ybui l di ng i sequi pped wi t hst andar dsecur i t yameni t i es,l i ke el ect r i cwi r ef ences,mot i onsensor s,CCTV,r azorwi r esandmi nef i el dscut t i ngacr oss t hef encedper i met erandi t sgr ani t el i nedconcr et ewal l si smoni t or edbyhi ghr esol ut i on ni ghtv i si onv i deocamer asandmachi nesgunst hatgoof fwhenal aseri sconnect edt o t her adarwhi chkeepswat chov ert hear eaandi t ' st r i gger edal ongsi dewi t ht heguar d boxes,eachl ocat edatt hef ourcor ner soft hedeposi t or yandt hesent r yboxatt he ent r ancemaki ngt hear eai naccessi bl ef orev enanunaut hor i zedst af fmembert of r eel y r oam about .Justwhenonemayt hi nkt hatt heai r por tsecur i t yi spr et t yt i ght ,For tKnox r eal l yspi keouri magi nat i onaboutasophi st i cat edsecur i t yi ni t i at i v e. Anunaut hor i zedst r angeri sl i kel ynott ogetcl oset ot hev aul tdoorbecauseoft he scanni ngpassagesy st em t hatneedt or ecogni zedt hei dent i t yoft heper son. Thev aul tdoori sel ect r i cal l ypr ogr amedandmadeofst eelandconcr et ewei ghi ngmor e t han20t onssucht hati tcanonl ybeopenedusi ngaser i esofcombi nat i onswhi chno oneper sonhas,buti t ' scol l ect i v el yshar edamongmember sofst af fwhowi l lneedt o i ndi v i dual l ydi alt hecodest omaket hecor r ectcombi nat i onf ort hev aul tdoort oopen, butt hev aul ti spr ogr ammedt oaut omat i cal l yr epr oducet hecodesaf t er100hour s, whi chi ssentt ot hepr i v at edat abaseofaut hor i zedst af f . Thi s means,af t er100 hour s,t he v aul tcode i sr enewed and anyst af ft hati sn’ t aut hor i zedt or ecei v et her enewedcode, won’ tbeabl et oopent hev aul tnomat t erwhat . Ther ei sal soanemer gencydoori nt hev aul tr oom whi chi s53cm t hi ckandmadeoft he l at estdr i l landt or chr esi st antmat er i al sr esi l i enceenought ol astt het estoft i me,wi t h anescapet unnelf r om t hel owerl ev el soft hev aul tl eadi ngdi r ect l yt ot hemai nbui l di ng i ncasesomeoneget sacci dent al l yl ockedi nt hev aul t ,butt hi sescapet unnelcanonl y beopenedf r om i nsi det hev aul twhenbot ht hemai nandemer gencydoor sar el ocked. Butami dstt het i ghtsecur i t ygadget s,t hev aul tdoorhasbeenf eat ur edi n sev er al i nt er est i ngmov i esl i keJamesbondandGol df i nderwher et het er r or i st shadt omeet eachoft hest af fmember shav i ngt hecodet of or cef ul l ydemandf ori t . Thev aul thadonl ybeenopenedt ot hepubl i cj ustt hr i ce, t hef i r stt i mewasi n1974, when i twasopenedt oj our nal i st sandt hesecondi n2017wheni twasopenedt ot he secr et ar yoft het r easur ySt ev eMnuchi n, andaf ewpol i t i ci ans. Thet hi r dt i mewasi nsi nuat edbyt hesenat emi nor i t yl eaderMi t chMcConnelwho want edt oaddr esst hepubl i candexpr esscl ar i f i cat i onsaboutt her umour sspr eadi ngon how somemember soft heel i t ehadal r eadyr emov edt hegol df r om t hedeposi t or y l eav i ngi tempt y .Hewasaccompani edbyot herpol i t i ci ansandsomej our nal i sti nt ot he l owerl ev el soft hef or t r esswer et hev aul ti sl ocat ed. Butwhenhecameout ,heexpl ai nedt ot hepubl i candaf f i r medt hatal lt hegol dsar e i nt actandsaf e.A whi l eaf t ert hev i si t ,t heuni t ed st at est r easur ysecr et ar ySt ev e Mnuchi ni nat weetexpr essedgr at i t udet ot heUSmi ntpol i ceconf i r mi ngt hatt hegol di s saf e,heal soment i ont hatt hev i si twast hesecondv i si tbyagr oupofpol i t i ci ansand j our nal i stsi nce1974, andheacknowl edgedt obet hef i r stser v i ngt r easur ysecr et ar yt o v i si tt hedeposi t or ysi nce1940. Canapl acebemor esecur e?Yes!Li t t l ewondernoonehasev erdar edt ot r ybr eaki ng i nt of or tKnoxast hatwoul dsur el ymeanhav i ngt ogot hr ought hehomeoft heuni t ed t h t h st at es16 Cal v ar yr egi ment ,t he19 engi neerbat t al i on,t heuni t edst at esar myar mor r d schoolandt he3 br i gadecombatt eam, af eatwhi chf orsur ewoul dbeal i t t l et oomuch f orev enasuperpower edv i l l ai n. I t sl ocat i onal soset si tonhi ghersecur i t yl ev elwi t ht hesev er almi l i t ar yadv ant agesi t br i ngs.Fori nst anceanar myt r y i ngt oat t ackf or tKnoxf r om t heseaboar dt ot heeast woul dhav et of i ghtt hr ought heAppal achi anmount ai nast hedeposi t or yi si sol at ed f r om r ai l way sandhi ghway sf ur t herhi nder i ngenemyat t ackagai nsti t . Unf or t unat el y ,nov i si t or sar eal l owedi nt ot heUni t edSt at esBul l i ondeposi t or yasi ti s consi der edoneoft hemostf or bi ddenpl acest ov i si ti nt heUni t edSt at es. Accor di ngt ot heUr bans,secur i t yatf or tKnoxwasgoodi nt heear l i erday s,buti ti s al mostunbel i ev abl et oday .Backt hent our i stwer eal l owedt ogoupi nf r ontoft hegol d v aul tandt akepi ct ur esbutnowaday si fy ougocl oseenought ot hegol dv aul tandpul l outacamer a, i twi l l beconf i scat edi fnotdest r oy ed. Whatdoy out hi nki nspi r edt hedesi gnoft hedeposi t or yatf or tKnox? Doy ouhav egol dy ou’ dl i ket okeepsaf e? I fy oudo, woul ddoy ouconsi der edf or tKnoxsecur eenought ohousey ourgol d? Hi tt hecommentsect i onandshar ey ourt hought swi t hus. Thanksf orwat chi ngt hi sv i deo, hopey ouhadawonder f ulexper i enceexpl or i ngt heFor t Knoxhi ghsecur i t yv aul ti nt hewor l d,i fy oul i ket hi sv i deoki ndl ycl i ckont hel i kebut t on andsubscr i bet ot hi schannelanddon’ thesi t at et oshar ei twi t hy ourf r i endsand r ememberi t ’ snotonl yt hel uxur yy ouget , butt hel uxur yy oudeser v e. Asy ouhangar ound,pl easecl i ckont hev i deosf l ashi ngony ourscr eenf ormor e cont ent s.