Friends of Fort Ritchie

I have so many favorite memories of Fort Ritchie. We use to fish in what we called the small lake and would swim in what we called the big lake and I remember so well the fish would nibble on you. I was 11,12 and 13 when we lived there. We were living there when the swimming pool was being built. My friends and I also loved to hang out at the teen club, play pool and listen to music.We would ride our bikes across the golf course afraid a M.P. would see us.I went to 6th,7th and half of eight grade at Cascade Middle school.There was always so much to do there.GOOD MEMORIES. Vanessa (McPeak) Panter

Fort Ritchie was a Post Card; it was an outstanding Army experience.  Best memories are of working out and seeing the nation’s capital.

all of them---was military "brat" when the beatles hit the states, was there during cuban missile crisi and remember exactly where i was in school cafeteria when called us out return to classroom and watch the tv coverage of john kennedy's assination. remember snow, laughter, the officer's club, the nco club, swimming lessons a the lake, the movie theater and my best friend----sarah jo duncan, who has since left us. thank you fort ritchie for making my life richer.

Probably the best assignment during my 20+ career with the Army Signal agencies. Site R was something to behold. Worked in the AMPS section on the old Burroughs computer system. Wonderful weather and seasonal changes. Kids liked Camp Royer during the summers and times were good. Loved the golf course where Wayne Cundiff and I would get off work and head for the course. Many, many good memories from that time. Lived in quarters (bldg 461 apt 6). Went back a few years ago to see not much activity there, but the memories will remain forever.

RAISING AND LOWERING THE COLORS, FIRING THE CANNON, PATROLLING AND PROTECTING THE FORT. WHILE STATIONED AT THE MAIN GATE I GOT FRIENDLY WITH A WASHINGTON COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF. HE USED TO STOP BY AND CHAT ON HIS ROUNDS. I DON'T RECALL HIS NAME. VERY FRIENDLY. A BIG FELLOW TOO. ONE DAY HE GOT SHOT - IN THE HAND I BELIEVE - DURING A DOMESTIC DISPUTE. HE WAS BACK ON THE JOB IN A FEW WEEKS. GREAT GUY, I WISH I COULD REMEMBER HIS NAME. BEING A HISTORY BUFF, AND SO CLOSE TO DC AND CIVIL WAR BATTLE SITES, I ENJOYED VISITING THEM WHEN I COULD FIND TRANSPORTATION. I WISH I KNEW THEN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF FORT RITCHIE, ESPECIALLY DURING WWII; THE MITC 'RITCHIE BOYS.' FANTASTIC STORY! MADE SEVERAL GOOD FRIENDS THERE BUT HAVE LOST TOUCH OVER TIME. THEY LIVE IN MY MEMORY ONLY. OUR 'TOP SGT' WAS A GREAT GUY! FORMER SF MAN. THE FINEST SOLDIER I'VE EVER MET. THE 'REAL DEAL!' OUR CO WAS A GOOD FELLOW TOO, ALTHOUGH I CANNOT RECALL HIS NAME EITHER. I REMEMBER ONE OF OUR PLATOON LEADERS - LT. JACKSON. VERY NICE FELLOW TOO. THERE WAS A SMALL EATERY RIGHT OUTSIDE THE MAIN GATE. CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME. IT PROVIDED A GOOD BREAK FROM ARMY CHOW. I WAS SAD TO LEARN FORT RITCHIE FALL VICTIM TO BRAC. I'D LOVE TO VISIT WHAT'S LEFT OF THE FORT SOMEDAY. MAYBE I WILL. GOD BLESS AMERICA AND THE U.S. ARMY!

I WAS AT FORT RITCHIE 1982-1983 & MY BROTHER BRIAN 1984-1987. HEAD QUARTER'S COMPANY > SO MANY GOOD TIMES. I REMEMBER WORKING AT THE SITE R DURING THE BRUTAL WINTER STORM IN FEBRUARY 1983. IN THE MORNING FINALLY GETTING BACK TO SUPPORT COMPANY & ONLY SEEING THE ANTENNA'S ON THE CARS WITH THE MOUNDS OF SNOW ROLLING OVER THE CARS. ME & MY BROTHER BRIAN REALLY LIKED FORT RITCHIE ALOT & WE WILL ALWAY'S REMEMBER THE FUN & GOOD TIMES WE HAD THERE. WE VISITED IT AGAIN IN NOVEMBER 2006 & IT WAS SO DIFFERENT. CHEERS ALWAY'S. "THE MURFS" > ELLENVILLE, NEW YORK

THIS WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PLACE. MANY GOOD MEMORIES GOING TO THE RABBIT'S FOOT IN FREDRICK & THE OLD MILL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HALF MOON. SEEING PINK FLOYD "THE WALL" AT THE LOCAL DRIVE IN WITH ALL MY OLD BUDDIES FROM GIESSEN, GERMANY. GOING UP TO THE ROCK WHERE THE HANG GLIDER'S TOOK OFF. WHAT ABOUT THAT BIG WINTER STORM IN FEBRUARY 1983 & HAVING TO STAY & WORK EXTRA AT SITE R. BEHIND SUPPORT COMPANY ALL YOU COULD SEE WAS THE ANTENNA'S TO THE CARS THERE WAS SO MUCH SNOW. GOING TO LAND OVER MARYLAND TO SEE AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD & VAN HALEN WAS ALSO ALOT OF FUN. GOING TO GEORGETOWN D.C. TO SEE THE NIGHTHAWKS WITH VICTORIA. WHAT A GREAT TIME I HAD AT FORT RITCHIE. ME & MY BROTHER BRIAN WENT BACK IN NOVEMBER 2006 FOR A VISIT. IT WAS SO DIFFERENT. WE VISITED CHOCOLATE PARK & IT WAS KINDA SAD TO SEE IT AS AN ABANDONED FORT. BRIAN WAS STATIONED THERE TOO FROM 1984 TO 1987. WE BOTH LIKED FORT RITCHIE A REAL LOT & WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER IT :)

Chocolate Park, Wooden Nickle, Franks (for a Philly Steak & Cheese), The Anthony Wayne Hotel (for fresh crab), Submarine Watch and SMLM briefings.

Col. Percival Lash was post commander and I was chosen to be his driver. After he retired a Col Nye took command.HAD SOME VERY GOOD TIMES AT fORT RITCHIE, tHE LAKE WAS A PLEASANT SPOT TO PICNIC AND HANG OUT. I had some interesting times at site R with all the dignataries that came from DC to visit.

playing beach volleyball, baseball, and the crazy lightning storm, I am sad that its closed and all torn up

Hello Terry Wallace. We were buds then. Arrived in mid June 63 from Kadena Okinawa, a pretty wild place. I thought I arrived in Podunk. I was adaptable as most brats are so I went for it. I met a few kids in passing during the summer, but got going when school started. Hooked up with my best bud there Carroll M. We hit it off and he taught me the ropes since he was an old hand there and the area. That winter he introduced me to frozen lake hockey. Great fun. He and I plus a lot of otheres went to North Hagerstown Hi so we were Hubs. What the hell is a hub? and who would want to be one??? Good school with great teachers, Ena Long didnt flunk me in algebra so she must be good. Phil Seivers the playboy Spanish teacher, "Silky" Sullivan my English teacher crush, were all good. Football team not too hot, but golf team was pretty good, BMOC Joe lettered...in golf not the important sport of football. Made some Hub friends, Starla W, Dave D, Linda B, and a few others. Things livened up in the summer of 64. I got a girlfriend Dalene B. "Dee Dee" She had the biggest dimples ever. She came into FR in 62 or so from Spain and left in 65 when I did heading for Paris as in France, not Texas. We had a great year together. Sadly we broke up in 67 when I visited her in Fla on my return from Venezuela. Anyway, two of my Okie buddies showed up at FT in 64, Bruce and Mike D. They were pretty wild. Bruce kept busting his Morris Minor, because he drove like a maniac.That summer we moved on base up the hill. There were a lot of people up there, Ethel,Kathy V, Bruce and Mike, my neighbor who quit West Point after summer indoc. We had great times hanging out and visiting. We would get together at each other's house and listen to Joey Reynolds on WKBW Buffalo, or cousin Brusie on WABC Those were the glory days of rock and roll. Down the hill were friends too. Sisters Sandy and Wanda C, Dee Dee, Don D (another close bud) Carroll M who I have recently reconnected after a small 45 year gap. It was quite a crew and we maxed the pleasure with the teen club and all the other facilities there. I used to take delight in ribbing the hubs who lived in Hagerstown about how great it was to have our own private little city called FR. We had it all right there in easy walking distance. They were hugely jealous. The officer club was a real dud after wild Kadena, but it had its own charm. The lakes out back were nice for swimming. Oh the base civil engineer had two sons Bob and Gary D. They were good friends as well. Bob visited me at Luke AFB in 66. He was in the army and at Ft Lenwood Mo. soon to be heading to Vietnam I am sure. Good guy,I hope he made it ok. The first big movie I saw at the theater was the Great Escape with Steve Mcqueen et al. What a movie, It still does the trick for me. I got my driver license there and drove down the hill occasionally to school. Sometimes it was tricky with the weaher. Winter of 63 snow fell day after Thanksgiving and I did not see mother earth until mid Mar. Tough on an Okinawa kid who wanted to play golf. Playing in the snow was ok but it got old when I had to shovel a lot and clean the cars. Ug. You might surmise I dont like cold weather by my current location. I dont particularly like the area, but I have a ton of great memories of my time there. My next base was fantasit as well, Luke AFB AZ. The point is every place we brats went was good in some way or another. The cool thing was there were kids in the same boat as we were so we hooked up pretty quickly and were pretty kind to the new kid on the block. As I reflect back on my life, I have had a lot of ups and downs, but I would not change one single thing because all of those "things" made me what I am now and that is one happy dude. I wish all of you all I mentioned, and all of your who contributed all the very best. We were all lucky to have been at Ft Ritchie. Joe Skelton

I arrived at Fort Ritchie in September 1995 as my first duty assignment out of Basic Training.  I loved the rual and scenic location, playing golf with friends on the 9 hole course, hanging out at the pool during the summer, and having a crush on Teresa the pool lifeguard!  Fifteen years have passed since I arrived at Fort Ritchie, and so many of my friends I made here are still my friends today.  My favorite memory that I will always cherish, is being on the detail that brought down the American Flag for the final time.  It was a surreal event, the end of an era, and as SGT Pennington handed that off that folded flag I almost teared up.  Fort Ritchie was a community, a family, and a life-style.  I was sad to see it go, and sad to leave it behind.

The E.M. officers soft ball game and the nco club

Ft. Richie was a community of friends not just enlisted and officers. Everyone help each other when ask. I remeber getting off swing shift and a few of us would meet at the lower lakes and do some night fishing. I also remeber the MP's stopping people for not stopping for the ducks, I think there were nore of them then us. I love the old stone building all around the post, giving it an old world feeling.

Just an all around great place to live. Had a fantastic time until receiving orders to Korea!

As a military brat, you always long for a place to call home. Ft. Ritchie was the closest thing to it.

one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, and my daughter was born there.

When I first got there Col Guy was JCA commander when I left Col. Barry was. I was 19 just married been in service almost a year...Rented a small apt. on top of Pen-Mar mountain at the wooden bridge where the train ran...my oldest daughter was born at Fort Mead and the oldest son at Waynesboro hospital ..Lots of snow in the winters..

TAHO, Ice Skatting at lower lke, Officers Club, my band the Princemen. Falling in love with Joan Harrison now my wife of 40 years.

WONDERFUL SUMMER WEATHER, VERY LOW HUMIDITY AT FT RITCHIE; FISHING AT POST LAKES, FALL SCENERY.

being the only 11b, tng support personnel to be fighting men, leading raids against site R personnel.Teaching the MPs how to rope repel, seting up the parade field and working at the Rod and Gun Club.

teen club

When I received orders there from Fort McClellan, Alabama, I remember calling my father and asking if he ever heard of Fort Ritchie before.  It appeared very close to Gettysburg and living 30 miles from there in Harrisburg, I never heard of it before.  I soon fell in love with the place and the surrounding area.  I was the personal driver for BG Leonard J. Riley and would love to know what happened to him.  I also met the family of CSM Helton who is now deceased and would love to hear from them.

My first real memory is on patrol during halloween with Sgt. Randy Royals.  I visit Fort Ritchie often as I live fairly close and visit PenMar Park on a regular basis.  Its a real shame what the base closing has done to the area( Deckers closed, banks and supermarkets, Rocky's Pizza).  The surrounding area, Blue Ridge Summit, Rouzerville, Smithsburg, Waynesboro, was a great place to live.

GOING TO THE WOODEN NICKOL IN ROUZERVILLE

Playing Poker at the NCO club Playing golf on base

I am looking for an MP who was stationed at Ft Ritchie up until 1967 by the name of Neil/Neal Lasagne/Lesagne

OPERATED GOLF COURSE THE FIRST YEAR IT OPENED

The best place to work out in the world, we lifted weights, ran the post and climbed the hills. There is no place like Fort Ritchie for outstanding surroundings and the most interesting operations as 7th signal command. I will never forget the great men and women I worked with and learned to serve our country with than at Fort Richie, MD.

Small like my home town, yet much prettier. The fall colors were excellent. Loved the many routes to BRS, PA, Waynesboro. Site seeing at Gettysburg and D.C. What a great place!

My favorite memory was one day I was working the Main Gate on Traffic Control and this vehicle came through and I looked in the window of the vehicle and there was President Eisenhower and Mamie going to the commissary. Also my wife and I spent many wonderful days walking through the snow during the winter. Love the place and hope to return someday.

Fishing at the lake, having a beer at TEA HOUSE, playing baseball

As a young boy, the wonderful Lund family would bring me to Fort Richie were Mr. Lund was stationed.  I have many fond memories of fishing, playing in the water and riding on the paddle boats.  As one grows older they can grow away from the child hood moments that were truly pure and special, I am glad that I can reflect back to those pure and simple memories with the Lund family.  It was truly a blessing to have been watched by such a wonderful and caring family.  I pray that Linda, Robert junior and Robert senior can reflect and hold dear the wonderful and good memories of their family and these memories will help them embrace each other and know that Mrs. Lund is in heaven and in total peace and is watching over them.  

My family was stationed at Ft. Ritchie for about 3 1/2 years I think and I attended Cascade Elementary School  ( I was about 6 or 7 when we moved there) I really enjoyed living there. Aside from the occasional blizzard, the weather was nice. I remember going to the Ft. Ritchie Club (I don't remember if that is what it was called or not) and having dinner with my parents. They would have talent shows, karaoke nights, fashion shows and a lot of fun activities. I loved hanging out there when I was a kid.

RIP Ft. Ritchie. 

I arrived at Ft Richie in Sept., 1968 from Ft. Jackson S.C.  As I recall there were about 12 of us that came to Ritchie from Jackson as wiremen mos.  We were informed that we were going to be MP's, OJT.  I lived off post with my wife Linda as a private.  In November my wife gave birth to twin son's at Waynesboro Hospital.  I remember my CO was Capt. Randlett.  The company got orders for Viet Nam for 40 MP's, which Capt. Ranlett got cancelled because we couldn't continue our mission at Ft. Ritchie. I made Sgt in late '69.  Sgt Robert Wood married to Dee and I was the Best Man.  A fond memory is bringing my family of my wife and twin sons to fish at the stocked lake on a Sunday and also watching softball games between the other Posts.  I wouldn't want to do it again....but glad that I got to do it!

Wonderful memories of the BOQ and friends such as Reggie Jackson, Larry Dutton, Hank Trenk, Bruce Lowery, Jimmy Cole, Ed Wey, John Belkewich, Jon Frank, Bob and Ann Patch, Foot Fortmeyer

Best kept secret (installation) in the Army! I didn't live on post but commuted from Westminster, MD. The "atmosphere" of Fort Ritchie as a place was unparalleled in my 29-year Army career. As a career Military Intelligence Officer, I had a historical connection to Fort Ritchie and was the guest speaker at a reunion of members of the early Counterintelligence Corps who taught interrogation and counter-interrogation in the early days of Camp Ritchie. And so it was a a great place from which to retire on Jan 27, 1993, when the Garrison Commander, LTC Bob Boehman, and me were recognized in the same retirement ceremony. Bob lives in Frederick and remains a close friend. I'll be visiting Fort Ritchie sometime soon on the invitation of Bill Hoffman, whom I met at the Fort Detrick Alliance event in April. I will remember Fort Ritchie in many good ways and hope its development will prosper offering many good ways to many others. All the Best, Ed

Sometime in the late 1950’s, the Baltimore City Police Department maintained a summer camp on the shore of Lake Royer at Fort Richie. I was one of the boys in the Baltimore Police Boy’s Club that was able to spend a week there one summer. I fell in love with the camp and volunteered to work my next two summers as a “Kitchen Boy”. Although the Police officers of the Police Boy’s Club were the counselors to the weekly campers, we Kitchen Boys were almost on the same footing in that when we were on our own when we were finished working in the kitchen. We had use of the swimming area in the lake, participated in the sports, or just went over to the movie theater on the Fort. Of course, there was the girls camp just up the road. My memories of Fort Richie are a lot distorted now, but not so bad that my heart still wants me to go back and drive around the lake and see if I can see something that will kindle a memory or two. From what I’ve read in the articles on this site, I’m sure things have changed a great deal.

I've been in the Army for almost 22 years and Fort Ritchie was my very first duty station.  Some of my best times in the Army were spent at Fort Ritchie.  First, I enjoyed the weather (all four seasons!) and the scenery. Year round the beautiful panaramic views from just about anywhere on post are breath-taking.  I also enjoyed the many activities Fort Ritchie had to offer....the countless weekend cookouts under the gazeebo down by the lake, hanging out playing pool and socializing at the enlisted club, competing in intermural sports against the Navy, Marines and fellow soldiers from Fort Detrick, renting a room at the guest house and just relaxing and sleeping all day, and supporting the local community with everything from state fairs to veteran funerals.  My experiences those first three years influenced my decision to make a career out of the Army.

About five to seven years ago while visiting relatives in nearby Frederick, I decided to take a drive to Ol' Fort Ritchie and see how much things had changed.  I was a little saddened when I got there.  It almost felt like I was entering a ghost town!  As I remember, the front gates were open but the guard shack at the gate entrance was empty.  The gymnasium was abandoned and locked tight.  Same with the enlisted club.  All of the old Army buildings, including my old office, were boarded up and empty.  I drove to the location where the gas station and dining facility used to be located and found an empty lot.  I did notice that there were lots of building material and construction equipment scattered throughout the post.  I circled the lake and then decided to leave.  To this day I always wondered what happened to Fort Ritchie.  Then I visited this website, read the captions and looked at the pictures and I can honestly say it made me feel good.  I was afraid that Fort Ritchie was going to be demolished, but in fact it looks EVEN BETTER than I remembered!  I'm glad to see that Fort Ritchie is still going strong and from the sound of things, it's going to get even stronger.  I want to thank you and wish you much success in preserving history...MY HISTORY! 

Remember playing baseball with my friends every summer afternoon near the pool at the back gate and knocking the baseballs out of the park and off the old buildings.

I enjoyed Fort Ritchie and still think of it after 19 years.

I was stationed with the Joint Staff Support Center at Site R from '95 to late '98.  One of my friends at the Site worked at the Post Theater and he got me and my wife jobs at the Theater.  Long after he left it was an exciting week for the Post Theater as we were getting Titantic in even while it was still playing at the first run theaters.  Well the AAFES projectors were ancient and could only hold 22 minutes of film per reel so you had to watch for a little marker and quickly switch between two separate projectors.  Of course Titantic was a very long movie with a lot of switching back and forth.  The theater was full and the Post Commander and his family were there.  We get to the scene where the two main characters are making out in the car, I see my little marker and I punch the pedal to switch and the next thing you know the ship is already sinking!  Oops!  We had to stop the movie, the manager started handing out free popcorn and the Post Commander came up to help me get the reels organized.  A few minutes later the Commander made an announcement, the crowd gave me a hand and we restarted the movie! 

Our time at Fort Ritchie and Site-R was great and it is a shame that the Army closed it.  For all the good times, we had some of our best times in that little World War II theater! 

Playing Santa Claus at the child care center.  Upper and Lower Lakes Royster.  Solving problems with limited assets.  Never having to go to Site R.  I came from Fort Drum, NY and shortly after my 42nd birthday I was relocated to Walter Reed Army Medical Center and finished out my Army Career there.  Easter 1985, my daughters came to Fort Ritchie for vacation from school.

On the way back to North Carolina, we stopped at Pimlico and hit a Trifecta on the numbers 2 4 6.  It was a community effort.  I loved the weather.  Twice they needed a bus driver.  I volunteered.  One trip was to the White House and the second was a fishing trip to the Chesapeake western shore for Blue Fish.  I caught the first fish.  It was a poisinous Blow Fish and we had to throw it back.  I remember sleeping on the wood cover over the boat.  A lot of great times.

The picture is of my daughters at Kings Dominion.

I was stationed at Ft Ritchie in the Barracks overlooking the gas station (forget what # building); this was an excellent assignment, I got to travel around different states installing computer equipment; my company commander let me get off base rations, and I had an apartment in Pen-Mar Park!

The new commisary was being built when I was there, and the Fire Station was enlarged or rebuilt also; they were only used for a few years, then the Fort was closed!

I'm an RN now, the Army would love to have me back! But this will be my last assignment!  Maybe I'll buy a Condo there!

Summers were always great. I playing baseball at Mounty field. Most summers the Police Boys club from Baltimore would come up. My dad ran the officer's club, which use to be an old ice house. Playing basketball at the gym, swimming hanging out at the teen club, did not realize how care free and fun we had it. That's when all the kids in the neighborhood use to get together.

Once I started driving rock quarries, High point were hang outs......Back then I did not realize Ritchie was so small, but it was like living on a resort.

Now I am a SGM on my second OIF tour and wish the Ft Ritchie's still exsisted.

Sincerely

Luz E. Perez