Fort Ritchie
Encyclopedia
Fort Ritchie was a military installation south of Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania
in the area of South Mountain (Maryland and Pennsylvania)
. The installations's closure under the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure
was nearly complete by 1998: "Out the Gate, by 98" (commander).
(the "Psycho Boys" were at the Camp Sharpe annex
on the Gettysburg Battlefield
). Overlooking the lake was the "Castle", the fort's signature building. Several features of the base were built with the same "European Fortress" look, including several gates and a few other buildings. Support for Raven Rock Mountain Complex transferred to Fort Detrick
on October 1, 1997.
Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania
Blue Ridge Summit is an unincorporated community in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States, southwest of Gettysburg in the central part of the state, adjoining Pennsylvania's southern border with Maryland. It is less than 3 miles east of Pen Mar, Maryland...
in the area of South Mountain (Maryland and Pennsylvania)
South Mountain (Maryland and Pennsylvania)
South Mountain is the northern extension of the Blue Ridge Mountain range in Maryland and Pennsylvania. From the Potomac River near Knoxville, Maryland in the south, to Dillsburg, Pennsylvania in the north, the long range separates the Hagerstown and Cumberland valleys from the Piedmont regions of...
. The installations's closure under the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
was nearly complete by 1998: "Out the Gate, by 98" (commander).
History
In 1815, the Buena Vista Ice Company constructed two lakes at the site. Controlled by the Maryland National Guard from 1926–1942, the US Army subsequently activated the Military Intelligence Training Center (MITC) on June 19, 1942,http://www.nasaa-home.org/history/schools.htm and trained 19,600 intelligence troops, including the Ritchie BoysRitchie Boys
The Ritchie Boys was a US special military intelligence unit in World War II comprising mainly German-speaking immigrants to the USA. They were predominately Jews, most of whom had fled Nazi persecution...
(the "Psycho Boys" were at the Camp Sharpe annex
Camp Sharpe
Camp Sharpe was a World War II military installation on the Gettysburg Battlefield that trained soldiers for psychological operations in the European Theater of Operations Camp Sharpe was a World War II military installation on the Gettysburg Battlefield that trained soldiers for psychological...
on the Gettysburg Battlefield
Gettysburg Battlefield
The Gettysburg Battlefield is the area of the July 1–3, 1863, military engagements of the Battle of Gettysburg within and around the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Locations of military engagements extend from the 4 acre site of the first shot & at on the west of the borough, to East...
). Overlooking the lake was the "Castle", the fort's signature building. Several features of the base were built with the same "European Fortress" look, including several gates and a few other buildings. Support for Raven Rock Mountain Complex transferred to Fort Detrick
Fort Detrick
Fort Detrick is a U.S. Army Medical Command installation located in Frederick, Maryland, USA. Historically, Fort Detrick was the center for the United States' biological weapons program ....
on October 1, 1997.