Fort Ritchie

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For the larger census-designated place, see Fort Ritchie, Maryland.
Fort Ritchie
eponym: Albert Ritchie
Part of United States Army
Washington County, Maryland
Fort Ritchie barracks MD1.jpg
Finger Buildings on Barrick Avenue
Coordinates39°42′19.1″N 77°29′45.6″W / 39.705306°N 77.496000°W / 39.705306; -77.496000Coordinates: 39°42′19.1″N 77°29′45.6″W / 39.705306°N 77.496000°W / 39.705306; -77.496000
Site history
In use1926–1998
Battles/warsWorld War II, Cold War
Garrison information
Past
commanders		Colonel Butz

Fort Ritchie at Cascade, Maryland was a military installation southwest of Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania and southeast of Waynesboro in the area of South Mountain. Following the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission, it closed in 1998.

Buena Vista Ice Company[]

About 1889, the Buena Vista Ice Company of Philadelphia purchased 400 acres of the land on which most of Fort Ritchie now stands. The company planned to cut natural ice from a manmade lake and ship it to Baltimore, Washington, and southern markets via the Western Maryland Railroad's Baltimore-Hagerstown line. The first artificial lake was built in approximately 1901 and named Lake Royer (the "Lower Lake").

A railroad spur off the Western Maryland line was built alongside the southeastern shore of Lake Royer. Unfortunately, the locomotives' exhaust laid soot on the ice in the lake, so a second artificial lake (the "Upper Lake") was constructed far enough away from the track so that the ice would remain clean for cutting. The Buena Vista Ice Company's Lake Royer also served as a recreational spot during the summer tourist season. Demand for natural ice declined over the years, and the Buena Vista Ice Company discontinued operations at the site.[1]

Maryland National Guard[]

In 1926, the Maryland National Guard investigated several locations in searching for a new summer training camp. A decision in favor of the ice company property was primarily based upon its proximity to the Western Maryland Railroad and the telegraph line.[2] The site was controlled by the Maryland National Guard from 1926–1942.[3]

Camp Ritchie[]

Camp Ritchie had German and Italian POW Camps during 1942–1945, housing mostly Africa Corps Officers and Italians captured during Operation Torch.[4] The US Army activated the Military Intelligence Training Center (MITC) on June 19, 1942, and trained 19,600 intelligence troops, including the Ritchie Boys.[2]

was a United States Navy shore activity during World War II. 3rd Mobile Radio Broadcast Company activated 29 December 1943 at Camp Ritchie.

Nisei women joined the Military Intelligence Service as translators and interrogators and attended a rigorous six-month study course designed to educate women on the Japanese military language.[5] Upon graduation, most of the women were assigned to the Pacific Military Intelligence Research Section at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, and worked with Japanese documents to uncover military plans.[6][7]

Following the War, Camp Ritchie was involved with yet another top secret effort known as 'The Hill Project' in which German POWs were responsible for working directly with Allied forces to conduct research on "subjects which will aid in preserving military security in Europe'; research "in prosecuting the war against Japan'(A goal which proved to be unnecessary following their surrender); and research in "improving intelligence organization and techniques and to other selected matters on which important lessons van be gained from studying German methods in detail". While only 150 POWs worked directly on the Hill Project, many of them high ranking of the Wehrmacht, it is estimated that by March 1946, over 1500 POWs were at Ritchie and actively involved during the scope of the Project.[8]

Camp Ritchie Notables & Ritchie Boys[]

The Ritchie Boys included a number of men who went on to notable careers after the war:

Known Prisoners of War[]

Closure[]

Support for Raven Rock Mountain Complex transferred to Fort Detrick on October 1, 1997.[citation needed] Fort Ritchie closed in 1998 under the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission. The property was sold to Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) for mixed-use development.[31] As the 2007 recession pressed on, PenMar Development Corporation took back ownership of the property in 2012.[32] Fort Ritchie housed a military preparatory academy under the direction of Dr. Robert Alexander; National Role Models Academy, also known as "College Corps", 2000-02.[citation needed]

After that, the PenMar board worked to have Fort Ritchie designated as a "sustainable community" by the State of Maryland, which would have qualified the property for tax advantages and grants. The property had been cleaned up and a new project manager was hired to market the property in an effort to bring back some of the jobs lost when the Army departed. Several alternative uses for the property were being explored which would have created a mix of uses that were to have included residential, commercial, recreational, and some office/light industrial uses.[32]

Ultimately, PenMar fell into financial ruin and the grounds were returned to the Washington County government which generally viewed the site as a financial loss. In an attempt to stop the monetary hemorrhaging, several members of the Washington County government travelled to South Korea in connection with a contractor called JGBLI which secured approximately 60 acres of ground on the opposing side of Lake Royer for development. The manner in which that land was transferred was highly controversial, with many residents and politicians citing violations of Maryland's public meeting laws. Many Cascade residents who had lived on the site for decades were forced to move despite the fact that their homes were not directly affected by the sale. After many failed attempts to come to an agreement on how the premises would be developed, JGBLI backed out of the total purchase of Fort Ritchie. Subsequent to this, several individuals came forward in an attempt to secure the grounds for themselves, including a vineyard owner from Potomac, Maryland, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. In 2020 Fort Ritchie was planned to be sold to John Krumpotich, a local resident, for the cost of 1.85 million dollars. Krumpotich had made statements to the effect that he would like to preserve most of the Fort while making some of the property mixed use development in order to breathe life back into the quiet mountain town.

In March 2020, a lawsuit was filed against the county government and Krumpotich by a property investor from Frederick County, Maryland. A court ruled in favor of Krumpotich and the county; however, an appeal was filed. As of June 30, 2020, the transfer of the property to Krumpotich had been further delayed due to an appeal. According to a news article in local news outlet Herald-Mail Media, "A Washington County official said Tuesday that resolving litigation affecting the sale of the former Fort Ritchie Army base should be wrapped up within a year, possibly sooner."[33]

Revival[]

On April 7, 2021, John Krumpotich became the owner of Fort Ritchie and has expressed his plans to revive Ritchie and the Cascade community by bringing businesses, historic preservation, and housing to the former 500+/- acre Army Post. Krumpotich has stated that it is a "paramount priority" to rehabilitate the stone structures on site to maintain its historic integrity while bringing each building back to life.[34] In a matter of months, Fort Ritchie has begun to see a fair amount of promising revitalization. The former post liquor store, once known as “Class 6” has been converted into “Mountain Top Ice Cream Shop” which sells Hershey Creamery Company ice cream. Additionally, local events are held frequently in the former post officers club, now Lakeside Hall. Housing is in the final stages of rehabilitation and a museum to honor the history of Ritchie obtained its 501c3 status.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "U.S. Army Garrison Fort Ritchie, Upper Lake Dam, Fort Ritchie Military Reservation, Cascade, Washington County, MD". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Roberts, Angelica (June 30, 2008). "Fort Ritchie has storied history". Herald Mail. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  3. ^ "Fort Ritchie BRAC/Environmental Impact Statement". Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved 2010-01-29.
  4. ^ List of World War II prisoner-of-war camps in the United States
  5. ^ "Japanese American Women in World War II". javadc. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  6. ^ Asian American women in World War II
  7. ^ American women in World War II
  8. ^ https://www.academia.edu/12122243/Western_Allied_Intelligence_and_the_German_Military_Document_Section_1945_1946, Derek Mallett, 2011 (p.390-91).
  9. ^ Dahlit, Brin (2005-11-08). "Appendix A: Andrè Kostolany (1906 - 1999)". Dissertation: How can Strategic People Networks (SPNs) be successful? - An inquiry into the causes and nature of social networks striving toward a mutual goal. Leuphana University of Lüneburg. p. 82. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2021. I met a number of interesting men at Camp Ritchie who would intersect with my life later on: Phillip Johnson, then a junior architect who had already been involved with the Museum of Modern Art; John Kluge, who was born in Germany and later would found Metromedia; John Oakes, who later edited the ‘New York Times’ editorial page; and Fred Henderson, part Apache Indian and a regular Army officer who made a career with the CIA after the War. His son, Brian, joined Chase in the 1960s before going on to a senior position at Merrill Lynch.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b "Ritchie Boys: The secret U.S. unit bolstered by German-born Jews that helped the Allies beat Hitler". www.cbsnews.com.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Wertheim, Jon. "The secret U.S. unit that helped the Allies beat Hitler". WGHN. (Transcript) Produced by Katherine Davis. Associate producer, Jennifer Dozor. Broadcast associate, Elizabeth Germino. Edited by Stephanie Palewski Brumbach and Robert Zimet.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k Lota, Jiesie. "Ritchie Boys". Katie Lang-Slattery. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e
    * Dahlit, Brin (2005-11-08). "Appendix 5: David Rockefeller (1915 - )". Dissertation: How can Strategic People Networks (SPNs) be successful? - An inquiry into the causes and nature of social networks striving toward a mutual goal (PDF). Leuphana University of Lüneburg. p. 82. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2021. I met a number of interesting men at Camp Ritchie who would intersect with my life later on: Phillip Johnson, then a junior architect who had already been involved with the Museum of Modern Art; John Kluge, who was born in Germany and later would found Metromedia; John Oakes, who later edited the ‘New York Times’ editorial page; and Fred Henderson, part Apache Indian and a regular Army officer who made a career with the CIA after the War. His son, Brian, joined Chase in the 1960s before going on to a senior position at Merrill Lynch.
    * Rockefeller, David (2002). Memoirs (1 ed.). New York: Random House. ISBN 0679405887. OCLC 1192858054.
    * Dahlit, Brin (2005-11-16). Dissertation: How can Strategic People Networks (SPNs) be successful? - An inquiry into the causes and nature of social networks striving toward a mutual goal. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021. Networks of social relationships are becoming increasingly important in today’s business environment. By cooperating in such structures players seek to overcome the shortcomings of the alternative forms of exchange, namely markets and hierarchies, and to realise (greater) information benefits. This is done through the reduction of complexities and uncertainties, as well as by increasing the speed of information flows and decision-making within networks. Traditional network research has focused on company networks and neglected the assessment of the underlying constituents of social networks. Studies concerned with the use of social ties for economic goals are generally not scientific and lack the theoretical foundation ti guide such an analysis. For these reasons it is the aim of this research paper, based on a theoretical framework, to systematically examine the underlying factors that lead to successful co-operations within a social network seeking to reach a common goal. The results of the current qualitative research study indicate that the factors suggested in the literature as significant for successful networking (e.g. common base; common language; mutual goals; sympathy for each other; a general interest in social contacts, combined with the necessary skills to act within social contexts) do indeed impact this type of co-operation as proposed. In addition to what is put forward in the literature it became evident that all successful individuals have a passion, besides their business activities, such as music, art or sports. This ardour also serves as a platform on which valuable contacts are established and maintained. Dokument 1.pdf (872 KB); Dokument 2.pdf (876 KB); Dokument 3.pdf (677 KB); Dokument 4.pdf (375 KB) ; Dokument 5.pdf (938 KB)
  14. ^ "Edmund I. Kaufmann, founder of Kay Jewelry Stores, also was a philanthropist. 7". July 18, 1950. p. 2 – via newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Fox, Margalit (4 February 2010). "Hans L. Trefousse, Historian and author, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  16. ^ Thomsen, Paul A.; Spivak, Joshua (April 2002). "Through an Interrogator's Eyes". Military History. 19 (1): 58. Archived from the original on 2015-01-18. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  17. ^ Cooney, Jerry W.; Whigham, Thomas L. (1989). "Harris Gaylord Warren (1906-1988)". The Hispanic American Historical Review. 69 (3): 562–564 – via JSTOR.
  18. ^ Bethune, Brian (20 July 2017). "The untold story of the Ritchie Boys". Macleans.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b Dolibois, John E. (2000-11-16). Pattern of Circles: An Ambassador's Story. Kent State University Press. p. 60. ISBN 9780873383899. OCLC 231054588. Camp Ritchie had been the Maryland National Guard Camp for years....There was a prince of Bourbon-Parma
  20. ^ https://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/FOHU_oral_history/transcripts/PO%2520Box%25201142_Kluge_John_2016.pdf
  21. ^ Gilbert, Lori (May 28, 2012). "San Joaquin man part of unique WWII band of brothers". The Record. Stockton, CA: Gannett. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021. I was assigned to write the Red Book, the 'Order of Battle Book of the German Army
  22. ^ Bies, Brandon; Santucci, Vincent (February 15, 2008). "Interview with Paul Fairbrook" (PDF). P.O. Box 1142, Fort Hunt Oral History Project. Stockton, California: National Park Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-04-03. Retrieved 12 May 2021. Paul Fairbrook...And it took a year and a half before it was finished. And, when it was finished, some of us -- I mean, here’s the order of battle book and I have it -- and when it was finished I believe that -- I mean it was dated 1st of March, 1945.
  23. ^ Creamer, Maggie (July 11, 2012). "WWII veteran Paul Fairbrook recounts decoding German documents". Lodi News-Sentinel. Lodi, California: Central Valley News-Sentinel Inc. Archived from the original on 16 November 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2021. They had about 30 classes at Camp Richie, and Fairbrook was in the fourth class before the barracks were even built....He was then transferred to a secret camp called P.O. Box 1142, between Alexandria and Mount Vernon, Va....He worked on a book titled "The German Army Order of Battle 1942," writing the first chapter describing the various German army units.....He also prepared a study called "Political Introduction and Morale-Building in the German Army." ...He served as dean of the Culinary Institute of America. He also spent 20 years as the Director of Auxiliary Services at University of the Pacific, overseeing housing and food services.
  24. ^ Perkner, Stanislav (June 2014). "Our Interview with Paul Fairbrook from Germany and Palestine to the United States" (PDF). Newsletter Supplement. Humphreys College. Spring Quarter. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021. In 1959, with four children and a small dog, we moved to North Haven, Connecticut. There I worked for three years as Dean of the (now famous) Culinary Institute of America.
  25. ^ Fairbrook, Paul (October 26, 2011). "Guide to: Paul Fairbrook Collection". Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center. Library of Congress. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  26. ^ "Fairbrook, Paul". Holocaust Memorial Center. 21 January 2021. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021. Mr. Paul Fairbrook was born in 1923 in Berlin, Germany as Paul Schoenbach, the son of Alvin James and Lotte Schoenbach.
  27. ^ "Small Manuscript Collections (Composite Collection), FY 1964-2019" (PDF). DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY. ABILENE, KANSAS. Paul Fairbrook [August 28, 1946 letter from Fairbrook D. Eisenhower re: verdict in an Army court martial case, Eisenhower's response of September 7, 1946]
  28. ^ "Rudolph Edward Schirmer '41". Princeton Alumni Weekly. Princeton University. 21 January 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2021. During WWII he was in military intelligence (Field Interrogation Unit).
  29. ^ Rudy Michaelis at WikiTree
  30. ^ Angress, Werner. "May he rot forever!". Jewish Museum Berlin. Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  31. ^ "Fort Ritchie at Cascade". 5 July 2008. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2021. Fort Ritchie is a new mixed-use development on a 591-acre former Army post in Cascade, Maryland. Corporate Office Properties Trust
  32. ^ Jump up to: a b Sherman, Natalie (August 8, 2014). "Years after Fort Ritchie opened for redevelopment, base remains shuttered". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  33. ^ jgreene@herald-mail.com, Julie E. Greene. "Fort Ritchie sale could be held up for months". Herald-Mail Media.
  34. ^ Greene, Julie E. "Sale of Fort Ritchie closes: What's next?". The Hagerstown Herald-Mail.

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