Fort Dix (Haunted?) Hospital
Jacque
(waving to all). I felt compelled to poast after a discussion I had
this past weekend.
I was talking to a young man who is in the Army Reserves, now serving as
a recruiter. He mentioned that he had recently returned from a stint
in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The first leg of his deployment included a
brief stay in the now-condemned (reportedly haunted) army hospital at
Fort Dix. He was quite excited as he described staying on the infamous
3rd floor. He talked about confirmed sightings over the years and
mentioned a web site that detailed the reports. I then had to admit my
interest in his conversation was because I had, in fact, been born at
that same hospital almost 50 years ago. I felt a sense of shock and awe.
Then, I asked him if he knew which floor had been the maternity floor.
Even after calling a couple of buddies over and telling them of his
newfound friend, none of the guys knew if the 3rd floor was the
maternity floor, which somehow became a point of curiosity to me. After
doing a preliminary web wearch, I've found out only one other disturbing
fact, that apparently the Boston Strangler's daughter was also born at
that hospital in 1955. Sigh.
Does anybody out there have any other information aobut the old Army
hospital at Fort Dix, NJ? Good news, perhaps? :) My dad has been gone
for years, and my mother's memory is almost gone too. I'd sure love to
hear anything you might know.
Thanks, in advance.
Jacque
Fort Dix Army Brat
Military-Brats Registry
stage of acm-b :)
--
Marc Curtis
Military Brats Registry
http://www.militarybrat.com
Join us for the "Every Brat has a Story" Inaugural Cruise
April 10-17, 2005
http://www.militarybrat.com/cruise.cfm
"Jacque" <shop...@msu.edu> wrote in message
news:shoppell-526FD8...@msunews.cl.msu.edu...
debbymac
Welcome!
Don't touch the screen. Mike and I both have the flu. He gave it to
me for my birthday. Yuch!
Jill
Welcome, Jacque... glad you *de-lurked*. 8-)
Can't help you out... Dad was stationed at McGuire when I was in elementary
school but I don't remember anything about McGuire or Dix, possibly because
the parental units chose to live in PA.
--
Jill in AR
AFBV64.0147
Jacque
Jacque
In article <B8WdnVElvbl...@adelphia.com>,
Jacque
getting ready to go somewhere or just returning, at 5 months old we
departed for Paris. So, I have no memories of Fort Dix either. Like
many of you, I'm sure, I got my baby shots and overseas shots all at
once.
Jacque
In article <1118a2t...@corp.supernews.com>,
Jacque
Debby. Take care, you two. Going to wipe off keyboard and screen now.
Jacque (just an abbreviation of Jacquelyn)
In article <1108610270....@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
achri...@aol.com
Glad you finally decided to delurk and join us.
Anne
debbymac
Next time I will leave off the s.
Don't lurk -- just come into the brat bar and grill and enjoy all the
conversations going on at once. You never know what you will hear!
Tom Callahan
the hospital. It may no longer be used as a hospital. Read these articles
and try to figure it out:
What's next for Walson?
Renovation, new occupants may give 43-year-old building added value
for Army, Dix
Staff Sgt. Robert Stephenson
ROOM TO SPARE -- The nine-story building that once housed Walson
Army Hospital is now being eyed as office, training and treatment space for
a variety of tenants.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carolee Nisbet
Editor
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you build it, they will come.
That theory of supply and demand may work for baseball fields, but the
Army has a different approach: Show us the mission, and we'll find you the
space.
Both missions and space were on the agenda Oct. 24 at a kickoff
meeting to identify claimants for space in the Walson Building on New Jersey
Avenue.
"I know there are any number of organizations and agencies out there
that would rather be on a protected military installation than in downtown
whatever city,'' said Col. David Lowry, installation commander, at the
opening session of the meeting. Lowry noted that the main choice for Walson
is simple -- spending $11 or $12 million to demolish the building, or using
the sound structure to meet mission requirements.
Immediate interest in the building was voiced by Lt. Col. Don Speers,
commander, Patterson Army Health Clinic, Fort Monmouth. The clinic is
responsible for medical elements of mobilization and training on Fort Dix.
In conjunction with medical services, Paul Legrice, Force Projection
Director, told the group that co-locating the Soldier Readiness Processing
Site would streamline the flow of units and soldiers through post during
mobilization.
Among claimants for the space is the Joint Interagency Civil Support
Training Center.
Col. Jeffrey Johnson, Office of the Chief, Army Reserve Operations,
said Fort Dix will have a role for years to come in the Global War On
Terrorism.
The standard system has always been to mobilize, train and deploy,
Johnson said. Under Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly, Chief, Army Reserves, the
focus will shift to train, mobilize and deploy. "Soldiers will train before
they get called up,'' Johnson said, "and that training will include weapons
of mass destruction response.'' The new center, which began classes on Fort
Dix this month, focuses on specialized training for medical professionals.
Also among the space claimants are the Veterans Administration, the
98th and 78th Divisions and the 77th Regional Reserve Command.
Once the mission or missions are identified and approved, the post
will begin "an aggressive renovation'' of the building, he said.
Renovation comes with a substantial price tag -- nearly $40 million --
but would still cost far less than constructing a new facility, according to
David Peckham, Director of Public Works. Peckham told the crowd renovation
of the building will include a complete overhaul of utilities, and would
take 18 months to two years.
Peckham and Jean Johnson, Fort Dix real property officer, guided the
crowd on a tour through Walson from basement storage areas to ninth floor
offices. Johnson encouraged attendees to submit space requirements as soon
as possible.
Vacant since the Air Force clinic moved out more than two years ago,
the structure fell under the control of the Base Realignment and Closure
Commission in 1992. The strictly-Army operation gave way to a tri-service
operation under the auspices of the Delaware Valley Health Services System.
The hospital then became a clinic, operated by the Air Force.
While the structure technically remains in the Fort Dix inventory and
most steps have been taken to release it from BRAC control, U.S. Army
Reserve Command must approve any reuse of the building. Fort Dix has been
granted a temporary use of the structure to house mobilizing soldiers if
necessary.
When Walson Army Hospital opened its doors in 1960, it was the tallest
building in Burlington County.
The nine-story, pale-gold brick hospital was billed as a "showplace
health center,'' and cost $10.5 million. As if to underscore its value to
the military, Secretary of the Army Wilber M. Brucker delivered the
ribbon-cutting speech March 12 of that year.
In 1967, its peak year, Walson Army Hospital had a staff of more than
1,500, admitted 35,684 patients, and treated 249,906 outpatients.
For the past two years, the empty building has loomed as a reminder of
the base realignment that stripped basic training -- and the hospital --
from Fort Dix. As proposed use after use failed to materialize, other
estimates emerged: The cost of demolishing the unwanted 384,057-square foot
building would top $11 million.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: {March 18, 2004}
PR-28-04
CONTACT: JEFF SAGNIP HOLLENDONNER
(609) 261-5801
www.house.gov/saxton
Pentagon Returns Walson Hospital
to Fort Dix Operational Control
Now used for troop mobilizations; Opens door for a reuse of site
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Walson Hospital has been returned to Fort Dix
control from the Pentagon's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) office,
opening the door to potential new missions, Congressman Jim Saxton (NJ-03)
said today.
"We have been waiting for this news for months," said Saxton. "I was
pleased to learn that the post can move ahead on plans to find new uses for
the site."
Walson, which was turned over to the BRAC office in 1992, operated as
an Air Force Medical Clinic until mid 2001. Since then Fort Dix has had
temporary approval by the BRAC office to use the building as a mobilization
facility for troops deploying overseas.
"Currently Walson is used for mobilizations for Operation Iraqi
Freedom and the Afghanistan operation, but a more permanent use is needed
for the future," Saxton said. "Training for emergency response to weapons of
mass destruction is an ideal use for Walson."
The Army Reserve, which started a Joint/Interagency Civil Support
Training Center (JICSTC) at Fort Dix in October 2003, is one of the federal
agencies that has expressed interest in Walson. Others include the Veterans
Administration (VA), which is considering locating a VA center to screen
returning military personnel at the site, and various Department of Defense
operations.
Planners of JICSTC in the Office of the Chief of the National Reserve
are considering locating the headquarters in the 350,000 square-foot Walson
Hospital. The Reserves would run multi-agency training to respond to
biological, chemical and radiological attacks. Currently the classes are
held at learning facilities in other buildings on post. Prior to October
2003 the training was held in various locations around the country.
"This is a new joint-service mission for Fort Dix that started several
months ago, and I expect it to grow substantially with Reserve and Active
duty personnel from all the services," Saxton said.
The initial JICSTC classes include: an orientation to Homeland
Security; a course entitled "Medical Aspects of Urban Search and Rescue;"
and various classes in chemical defense and treating chemical casualties.
Other courses planned in the future are field management of pharmaceuticals,
medical management of biological and chemical casualties and emergency
response education.
A dozen classes could ultimately be conducted out of Fort Dix. Basic
education would include training medical forces in homeland security and
wartime skills. Most of the 50,000 doctors, nurses, medics and other medical
personnel from the Army Reserve could move through the courses over a number
of years, according to Army Reserve estimates. Additionally, the classes
would draw service members from the Army National Guard, the Navy, the Air
Force, the Marines and the Coast Guard.
The proposal could expand to combine the resources of the U.S. Dept.
of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Dept. of State and the U.S.
Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Saxton, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee's Terrorism,
Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, said the WMD training
at Dix has been a good development for homeland security and national
defense.
"It's a logical use of an existing, secure facility like Walson,"
Saxton said. "Fort Dix has the benefit of being a 24-hour secured post with
its own police department and troops and extensive education facilities
connected to its officer education school."
Saxton said it is also a good fit with the National Guard's 22-man WMD
Civil Support Team approved to come to New Jersey last week. The team,
expected to be activated in about 18 months, is expected to be headquartered
at Fort Dix.
Preliminary proposals envision a renovation of about $24 million to
bring the Walson facility up to modern standards. Walson could be used as a
contingency hospital, and could also be used to pre-position equipment
needed in an emergency response to a chemical or biological attack within
the U.S.
Built in 1960, the towering Walson Hospital is one of the tallest
buildings in the area. Some of the nine floors could be used for office,
administration, and classroom space and student dormitories.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: {May 17, 2004}
PR-47-04
CONTACT: JEFF SAGNIP HOLLENDONNER
(609) 261-5801
www.house.gov/saxton
'Rainbow Division' to Land at Ft. Dix, Walson Hospital
2,400 troops & nearly $2 million in renovations to come to
closed hospital
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Jim Saxton today announced
that 2,400 troops of the 42nd Infantry Division (42nd ID) are coming to Fort
Dix in May and June to train for four to five months before deploying to
Iraq.
"This is the type of mission that Fort Dix can adapt to
quickly in the Post Cold War era and in the War on Terrorism," Saxton said.
"Fort Dix has the space, the modern ranges, the educational facilities and
the air assets at McGuire Air Force Base to handle the mission."
Saxton said he expects division soldiers could begin
arriving within days, and an advance team's arrival is imminent. The post
expects to receive an estimated $1.8 million to update space in Walson
Hospital with telephones and other improvements. Walson has not operated as
a medical facility since May 2001 when the new super clinic opened on
McGuire AFB. Since September 11, 2001, it has been used for Army Reserve
mobilizations at Dix for military deployments.
"The work force at Fort Dix is gearing up quickly for this
mission," Saxton said. "The Rainbow Division will be here soon. They will
find a warm welcome. Work to prepare Walson is already underway."
Saxton noted that in 1999 Fort Dix prepared to receive
4,000 Kosovo refugees within 72 hours. During that time they were able to
take on the new mission while simultaneously continuing the post's primary
mission of training Reserve and Guard troops for the Northeast.
"The storied Rainbow Division is rich in history of
fighting for freedom around the world," Saxton said. "Soldiers from the 42nd
ID fought in WW I and WW II. They rolled back the Nazi Army in France and
Germany, and liberated survivors at Dachau concentration camp. They were in
the first Gulf War. They were at Ground Zero. Now they will come to Fort Dix
to train for a year-long deployment to Iraq."
The 42nd ID, also called the "Rainbow Division," is part
of the New York National Guard, and is based in Troy, N.Y. The division was
created during World War I by then-Col. Douglas MacArthur and other Army
officials who encouraged the creation of a Guard division from units around
the country. MacArthur dubbed the newly created division "The Rainbow
Division" because it was made up of Guard Units from 26 different states
across America. He was reported to have said: "The 42nd Division stretches
like a Rainbow from one end of America to the other."
The elements of the 42nd ID span eight states, Rhode
Island, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut
and New Mexico. A number of the units coming to Dix will hail from the New
Jersey National Guard:
a.. Slated to serve in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, (part of
Operation Enduring Freedom) are 650 soldiers from: the 113th Infantry from
Riverdale, Newark, Jersey City and Woodbridge; the 2nd Battalion of the
102nd Armor from Port Murray, Newton, Dover (Morris County), Somerset, West
Orange and Hackettstown; the 50th Finance Detachment from Flemington; and,
50th Brigade Headquarters in Lawrenceville;
b.. Headed for Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Iraqi
Theater are 1,400 soldiers from: 150th Aviation Battalion out of West
Trenton (Ewing Twp.); the 642nd Division Aviation Support Battalion of West
Trenton (Ewing Twp.); the 50th Main Support Battalion from Teaneck;
Detachment 2 from the 42nd ID of Lawrenceville, and; the 42nd Division
Support Command of Somerset.
The soldiers will be quartered in existing barracks on
post. Walson will be used for administration and planning offices, as well
as training. Fort Dix is a power-projection platform for the Army, and
McGuire is the Air Force's East Coast air mobility hub, with 60
transcontinental planes that carry fuel or cargo.
In 1988 and 1991, Fort Dix was slated for realignment or
closure under Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) hearings. After studying
the post's unique geographic location in the Northeast, Fort Dix's main
mission of basic training evolved to what it is today, the largest Reserve
training center in the Northeast, where over one-fourth of all Reservists
live. Today, the post is busier than at any point in its history as measured
by man-hour training. Fort Dix has mobilized more reserve component troops
since 9/11 than any Army post in the country.
"Fort Dix is the only joint Reserve training center in the
heavily populated Northeast," Saxton said. "Next door, McGuire's mobility
mission has created an 'air bridge' to the Middle East for the active,
Reserve and Guard operations in Iraq and Afghanistan."
More than $130 million in new infrastructure has been
built at Dix in recent years, including modern conference centers, tanks and
artillery ranges, ammunition storage sites, a high-tech battle lab, officer
education facilities and other projects. A joint service, $27 million-plus
military family housing project is also underway at Dix and McGuire.
"Fort Dix is the only Army base in the nation that is
connected to both an active Navy base, Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering
Station, and an Air Force base, McGuire,” Saxton said. “In a time when
inter-service cooperation is being strongly advocated at the Pentagon, Fort
Dix is the model of jointness for the armed services."
"Jacque" <shop...@msu.edu> wrote in message
news:shoppell-3973E3...@msunews.cl.msu.edu...
> Thanks Marc. I'll let you know if I find out any new news.
>
> Jacque
>
> In article <B8WdnVElvbl...@adelphia.com>,
> "Military-Brats Registry" <webm...@SPAM-Xmilitary-brats.com> wrote:
>> Sounds like a real interesting study Jacque! BTW, welcome to the
>> delurked
>> stage of acm-b :)
>>
>> --
>> Marc Curtis
>> Military Brats Registry
>> http://www.militarybrat.com
>>
>> Join us for the "Every Brat has a Story" Inaugural Cruise
>> April 10-17, 2005
>> http://www.militarybrat.com/cruise.cfm
>>
>> "Jacque" <shop...@msu.edu> wrote in message
>> news:shoppell-526FD8...@msunews.cl.msu.edu...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Callahan
says Walson Army Hospital closed down and the troops now go to civilian
hospitals for emergency care. Apparently there is still a clinic at McGuire
Air Force base but no large hospital. Everyone goes to the big civilian
hospital in Mount Holly for emergencies, referrals, etc.
Walson was up for sale but the current idea is for the government to keep it
and make it into a site where testing is done for anthrax and other
dangerous things. Such testing is now done in small labs all over the
country and the danger of a hazardous leak exists. If one central lab is
created there will be safety standards, standardized testing, etc. Someone
thinks the old hospital site will be perfect. I guess some agency like
Homeland Security will have to step in and purchase the building. Who knows
what will happen?
Gene Moser
were serious sports car rallists, we were competeing in the Jersey Lion.
We were down a minute or two but I rounded a corner and there was an
8" towed howiter going into position. I started to slow down and Mickie
said something like, "You can't watch it. We're down. Speed up." It
may have been the last towed 8" howitzer in the American inventory.
