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and a toehold for the consequential drive into
Germany was established. Although the invasion was a success, it was not without supreme sacrifice. Over 10,000 casualties were suffered on that historic day. Now, 40 years later, we are commemorating this historic turning point with the planting of a tree at Fort Ritchie. It is a fitting place as many of the members of the 29th Infantry Division trained here before the division was activated and sent to Europe where they were among the first to land at Normandy. The tree selected for today's ceremony is fitting because of its strength and independence. The soil used contains amounts of soil from the beaches and cliffs of Normandy. This further symbolizes the fact that the success of the invasion was a joining of the Armed Forces of two great continents. With this tree as a memorial, the sacrifices made forty years ago will be long remembered. It will be tangible symbol of our heritage."
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rehabilitate the stone structures on site to maintain its historic integrity while bringing each building back to life. Following the sale of the property, Fort
Ritchie, under the leadership of the Ritchie Revival team, has opened two manufacturing facilities, a taproom, a art gallery, a primary care facility, a cafe, ice cream shop, and museum. The revival has also spurred a number of successes including a $ 15,000,000 tax credit from the state of Maryland.
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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
336:, approximately 15,200 servicemen, most with high fluency in multiple European languages, for frontlines interrogation, battle-field intelligence, investigation, counter-intelligence, and related work. Approximately 14%, or 2,200, of them were Jewish refugees born in Germany and Austria, alongside American Jewish servicemen, among others. The 'Ritchie Boys' were later involved in the Nuremberg trials as prosecutors and translators.
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against Japan" (a goal which proved to be unnecessary following their surrender); additional research was conducted in "improving intelligence organization and techniques and to other selected matters on which important lessons can be gained from studying German methods in detail". While only 150 POWs worked directly on the Hill
Project, many of those were previously high-ranking
71:
426:. 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.
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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" and "prosecuting the war
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There is a special maple tree at Fort
Ritchie standing by the parade field. The plaque by the tree reads "D-DAY ANNIVERSARY On this day, June 6, in the year 1944 allied forces invaded Normandy - the most massive invasion attempted in history. By nightfall, they had liberated 80 miles of French soil
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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
372:
In 1946, control of Camp
Ritchie was returned to the state government. From 1946 to 1950, Camp Ritchie served as a chronic disease center for the state of Maryland. The repurchase of Camp Ritchie by the United States Army took place in 1948 for what would be called the Alternate Joint Communication
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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. The property also was attractive to Adjutant General Milton Reckord because its
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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 lake (the "Upper Lake") was constructed far enough away from the track so that the ice would remain clean for
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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
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as translators and interrogators and attended a rigorous six-month study course designed to educate women on the Japanese military language. Upon graduation, most of the women were assigned to the Pacific Military Intelligence Research Section at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, and worked with Japanese
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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
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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.
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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
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pressed on, PenMar Development Corporation took back ownership of the property in 2012. Fort Ritchie housed a military preparatory academy under the direction of Dr. Robert Alexander; National Role Models Academy, also known as "College Corps", 2000â02.
433:. 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 newspaper
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documents to uncover military plans. Japanese-Americans also served as translators at this site. One, a male Buddhist Japanese-American from Hawaii, Yoshiaki Fujitani, served in military intelligence in Camp Ritchie during the war.
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Center, Site R. Camp Ritchie was then designated as Fort Ritchie, and from 1964 to 1975, the Army used it as a support base and to engineer, install, and test information systems equipment and communication units.
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cutting. 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.
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altitude and position in the Blue Ridge Mountains could ward off hot Summer temperatures and mosquitoes, unlike other areas of the state. The Camp was named after popular Maryland Governor
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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
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officers. It is estimated that by March 1946, over 1500 POWs were at Ritchie; many of them had been involved in some way with the Hill Project.
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Duncan Ryuken Williams, American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in World War TWo (Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2019), p. 173.
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activated the Military Intelligence Training Center (MITC) on June 19, 1942, and trained 19,600 intelligence troops, including the
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284:'s Baltimore-Hagerstown line. The first lake was created in approximately 1901 and named Lake Royer (the "Lower Lake").
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499:"U.S. Army Garrison Fort Ritchie, Upper Lake Dam, Fort Ritchie Military Reservation, Cascade, Washington County, MD"
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U.S. Army Garrison Fort Ritchie, Upper Lake Dam, Fort Ritchie Military Reservation, Cascade, Washington County, MD
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910:"Hogan Administration Announces $ 15 Million for Redevelopment of Former Military Base in Washington County"
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In March 2020, a lawsuit was filed against the county government and Krumpotich by a property investor from
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305:. The site was controlled by the Maryland National Guard from 1926â1942 and then again from 1946â1951.
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631:"Ritchie Boys: The secret U.S. Unit bolstered by German-born Jews who helped the Allies beat Hitler"
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Fort Ritchie is a new mixed-use development on a 591-acre former Army post in Cascade, Maryland.
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747:"Department of Defense. Department of the Army. Fort Ritchie, Maryland. 1948-7/24/1998"
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Ultimately, PenMar fell into financial ruin and the grounds were returned to the
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691:"Western Allied Intelligence and the German Military Document Section, 1945â6"
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802:"Years after Fort Ritchie opened for redevelopment, base remains shuttered"
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America's Secret Army: The Untold Story of the Counter Intelligence Corps.
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393:. The property was sold to Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) for
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Naval Unit, Air Technical Document Research Unit, Camp Ritchie, Maryland
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953:", 9 photos, 13 data pages, 2 photo caption pages
946:", 8 photos, 11 data pages, 2 photo caption pages
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on October 1, 1997. Fort Ritchie closed in 1998 under the
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Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
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Buildings and structures in Washington County, Maryland
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United States Navy shore activity during World War II
317:(POW) camps during 1942â1947, housing mostly German
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569:"Fort Ritchie BRAC/Environmental Impact Statement"
977:Historic American Engineering Record in Maryland
951:U.S. Army Garrison Fort Ritchie, Lower Lake Dam
835:"Fort Ritchie sale could be held up for months"
967:Closed installations of the United States Army
361:activated December 29, 1943, at Camp Ritchie.
233:Lt. Col Francis D. Clepper Jr. Jun 97 â Sep 98
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8:
751:National Archives and Records Administration
391:1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission
32:For the larger census-designated place, see
873:"Sale of Fort Ritchie closes: What's next?"
38:
651:"Japanese American Women in World War II"
526:
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250:was a military installation southwest of
224:Lt. Col. Robert J Boehman Aug 92 â Jan 93
212:Col. Herbert N. Meininger Nov 82 â Jul 84
191:Col. Herman Ertlschweiger Jul 72 â Nov 73
164:Lt. Col. Roy W. Lonsinger Oct 55 â Jan 56
424:Maryland Department of Natural Resources
230:Lt. Col. James A LaFleur Jul 95 â Jun 97
185:Col. Thomas W. Riley Jr. Dec 68 â Aug 69
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227:Lt. Col. Robert M. Butt Jun 93 â Jul 95
209:Col. Raymond E. Burrell Apr 81 â Nov 82
203:Col. William B. Brumley Oct 78 â Apr 80
161:Col. Maurice C. Higgins May 53 â Oct 55
655:Japanese American Veterans Association
321:officers and Italians captured during
218:Col. Thomas B Edwards June 88 â Oct 90
200:Col. Daniel F Schungel Aug 76 â Aug 78
661:from the original on January 13, 2017
215:Col. Carroll M. Fyffe Jul 84 â Jun 88
197:Col. Harold G. DeMoya Aug 74 â Jun 76
188:Col. Robert E. Dunlap Oct 69 â Jul 72
179:Col. George W. Rhyne June 65 â Apr 68
158:Col. George V. Sotton Nov 51 â May 53
27:Former American military installation
7:
940:Historic American Engineering Record
785:(COPT), developer of the project,...
503:Library of Congress, Washington, D.C
221:Col. Mark A Scureman Oct 90 â Aug 92
194:Col. James A Manning Nov 73 â Aug 74
800:Sherman, Natalie (August 8, 2014).
689:Mallett, Derek R. (April 7, 2011).
531:Roberts, Angelica (June 30, 2008).
206:Col. Dan S. Leonard Apr 80 â Mar 81
870:Greene, Julie E. (July 15, 2021).
833:Greene, Julie E. (June 30, 2020).
723:from the original on June 24, 2021
533:"Fort Ritchie has storied history"
509:from the original on April 7, 2018
359:3rd Mobile Radio Broadcast Company
170:Col. Percy H. Lash Jul 59 â Jul 61
167:Col. James J. Winn Jan 56 â Jun 59
75:Finger Buildings on Barrick Avenue
25:
890:from the original on May 15, 2021
783:Corporate Office Properties Trust
629:Wertheim, Jon (January 2, 2022).
176:Col. Harry W Barry ay 64 â Jun 65
173:Col. David B. Nye Aug 61 â Apr 64
69:
696:Journal of Contemporary History
266:Commission, it closed in 1998.
252:Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania
767:. July 5, 2008. Archived from
182:Col. Otis Koch May 68 â Nov 68
1:
344:Military Intelligence Service
313:Camp Ritchie was the site of
264:Base Realignment and Closure
479:Raven Rock Mountain Complex
383:Raven Rock Mountain Complex
62:Washington County, Maryland
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431:Frederick County, Maryland
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942:(HAER) No. MD-104, "
765:"Fort Ritchie at Cascade"
282:Western Maryland Railroad
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709:10.1177/0022009410392408
949:HAER No. MD-105, "
298:Maryland National Guard
292:Maryland National Guard
275:Buena Vista Ice Company
102:39.705306°N 77.496000°W
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34:Fort Ritchie, Maryland
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443:Trees of Fort Ritchie
395:mixed-use development
262:. Following the 1995
107:39.705306; -77.496000
884:Hagerstown, Maryland
851:on September 4, 2020
845:Hagerstown, Maryland
581:on November 21, 2008
549:on September 3, 2014
543:Hagerstown, Maryland
145:Garrison information
611:Grafton Books, 1989
98: /
814:on October 1, 2014
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54:United States Army
807:The Baltimore Sun
420:Potomac, Maryland
411:Washington County
342:women joined the
254:and southeast of
248:Cascade, Maryland
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16:(Redirected from
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733:academia.edu
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513:December 29,
511:. Retrieved
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474:Ritchie Boys
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387:Fort Detrick
381:Support for
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334:Ritchie Boys
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319:Africa Korps
312:
309:Camp Ritchie
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244:Fort Ritchie
243:
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135:World War II
131:Battles/wars
118:Site history
93:77°29â˛45.6âłW
90:39°42â˛19.1âłN
42:Fort Ritchie
29:
18:Camp Ritchie
585:January 29,
415:South Korea
123:In use
105: /
81:Coordinates
961:Categories
855:August 27,
600:Sayer, Ian
485:References
422:, and the
256:Waynesboro
152:commanders
921:April 11,
717:159459714
397:. As the
367:Wehrmacht
126:1926â1998
894:April 8,
888:Archived
727:June 21,
721:Archived
659:Archived
636:CBS News
507:Archived
468:See also
139:Cold War
52:Part of
44:eponym:
775:May 12,
459:Revival
377:Closure
330:US Army
270:History
715:
616:
602:, and
353:was a
713:S2CID
340:Nisei
923:2023
896:2021
857:2021
820:2014
777:2021
729:2021
667:2017
614:ISBN
587:2010
555:2014
515:2017
328:The
150:Past
705:doi
246:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
