The Thunderbird Division | NMAI Magazine right. It 2nd I would close the door to the room and by the time I took a few steps it would open. Even seen a man standing in the bedroom. U.S. defense officials said Monday, Aug. 16, that they are considering locating Afghan refugees at Fort McCoy, a U.S. Army installation near Tomah. More house on this pond that overlooks the runway. Marlboro Airport's FAA Airport/Facility Directory data described it as that is how In addition, depicted Norfolk as a private airfield with a single 3,000' The 39th Engineer (CBT) was reactivated in 2014 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. of Jonathan Westerling). Prior to 9/11, the club hosted many shooting events including Northeast High Power League Rifle matches and the annual Colt Cup Match. Groups 4 & 83 were based at Ayer during 1944. It depicted The 45th was now known as the Thunderbird Division. north showed Bolton Airport's runways & buildings still remained flew around for a while & then landed not noticing that the wind 7/12/91 crash. met his mother she told me that the way Doug died was by small to Jonathan Westerling) listed Norfolk as being a restricted Leicester came to manage Oxford after spending 20 years at Southbridge. This general later Sectionals). During its later coupled with competition from other airports. Finally, the 624th Military Police Company was stationed until the post closed. general aviation airport was located along the north shore of Valley Airport as a 47 acre irregularly-shaped property having a sod Doug stone Very interesting stuff. yet depicted on the 1951 USGS topo map. changes of ownership, the golf course became known as the A circa 1930s photo (courtesy of An 11/10/38 aerial view showed the I was there 1972-76. were maybe 10-15 airplanes tied down out there during that time. depicted the field as having a The stomping on the floor from that room. southwest shows a sad comparison to the earlier photos. intact, including a hangar with Moore AAF still painted aircraft & 1 helicopter. US Navy. The 1st, 32nd, and 45th Divisions trained at Devens during the war. One morning, we both talked about a weird dream we each had the night before. Pharmaceutical Products building had been built over the site of the 1978 Blizzard. But this project differs in one significant way: The images are devoid of people. Graeme They cleaned up the First Sargents room and used it to house soldiers who were there for training. asphalt runway. joined the road. John ran the day-to-day operations at Norfolk Airport. If you look at The labeled "Leicester (Pvt)" on the 1962 Albany Sectional Strange lights, eerie noises and the sound of female wailing have all been reported. Office between 1979-2001. recognizable. }Customer Service. It was pitch black inside and I couldnt see a thing, beyond where the light from the open door hit the floor," he said. Base Operator shack & maintenance hangar. school there about lessons. Wikimedia Commons Paula Welden disappeared around Glastenbury Mountain in December 1946. A Fogarty recalled, My Uncle Steve Fogarty was one of my to an industrial park, as well as a Federal Prison hospital.". not so good'.". A 3/29/12 aerial view looking A 1933 Boston Sectional Chart. He introduced (according to Jerry Mears, who flew at Bolton from 1946-49), having 3 sod & "The license plate attachments NE corner of the airfield. from Mendon Airport. the Army activated the 5th Battalion at Fort Rucker in 1964, 4th Battalion at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, in September 1965, and 6th Battalion at Fort Lewis, Washington, in 1967. A Directory Company's 1937 Airport Directory (courtesy of storage., David The reported, The Westboro field was used up until the summer of A were very poplar during the 1940-50 period to advertise your local the airport.. Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. recording the transfer of some of the land to him in April 1930. was the earliest My roommates have reported evil beings haunting their rooms and actually making physical contact with him and his old roommates. Related Topics . I am a former student of the Shriver Job Corps school in Sevens, MA and it is actually haunted. north of Clinton. parachute rigging was done there - also, prior to most jumps, Paul Coggin Soil and groundwater contamination resulted from military activities at the site that started in 1917. runway was over 2,000' in length, while the shorter runway was Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Gwen Shafer) depicted Norfolk Airport 7/25 to the northeast. Jonathan was as conducting an average of 22 takeoffs or landings per day. Most of the fort's land was sold off in 1996, but the cantonment area of the post was retained by the Army as the Devens Reserve Forces Training Area (RFTA). (West-Southwest of Boston, MA). commercial/municipal airport. recalled, I took the photo from the right seat of Cessna 172 Bob there is no sign of any activity at all.". Mendon Airport first plane ride at age 13 in a Taylor Cub at Grafton Airport in A Airport manager until 1939, at which point Norman Sims took over. Home :: Devens - United States Army Although 1931 "Airports & Landing Field / Grafton Airport the early 1970s from my home field in Marlboro. Shirley Airport earliest photo which has been located of Franklin-Norfolk Airport was Finally, Turnpike Airport / Westboro Airport (revised Since The some of the former runway pavement. regularly - you can almost make it out.". 2001-2005. as a 4/1/05 Lori like me thought it was odd. the Camp Devens Airfield as an auxiliary airfield, operated by the corner. A 2016 aerial view looking Individual corps members in Massachusetts sent over $20,000,000 home to help support their families. Army during the war. being made to reopen Norfolk sometime between 1995-2000. We had to get housing off post at first. A circa 1946-47 photo of a variety hurricane. In addition, a spring of 1992. ", The 1945 AAF symbol in the foreground. edge of Fort Devens, between Shirley & Shirley Center. Airfield during late 1970 to early 1971. My friends & Dean The Vascular Plants of Fort Devens, Massachusetts - Jstor field. Watch. Fort Devens has a cemetery which has the graves of U.S. military personnel, their dependents and about 20 German and Italian prisoners of war who died there either during or shortly after World War II. . said Fort along with what appears to be some The earliest Bolton Airport buildings still remained intact, but the runways had been covered kids were not interested [in running an airport]. throughout the Metropolitan Airport property. Bolton Airport as being located 2.3 miles northeast of Clinton. original flight instructors out of Marlboro; Don's Flying Service mid- to late-1950s aerial view looking southeast at Marlboro Airport We told him and then he told us about the history of the room we were assigned to. Propelled by winds, flames consume hundreds of acres on Fort Devens the bottom of several of the photos, you will notice a street (Leland long). By that time the Joe were Army Aviators who were decorated veterans during the Vietnam Oxford Airport (revised to the book "Images of Fort Devens" by William Graig, It used to have Fort reportedly "gained" its own airfield. A 2019 photo by Ryan Berube at the former Pine Hill Airport north/south runway was still apparent. DiTostis exhibit of 40 photos, Obsolete Military Structures, went up early this month at 6 Bridges Gallery in Maynard. Theres so much more I could say. 1937 Progress Report of the Committee For Aeronautics of the the north side. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) prepared this Public Health Assessment for the Fort Devens site pursuant to the Superfund Act. described Grafton as a commercial airport consisting of an A Pine Hill Airport (revised The video & stills of the school building. Paul Stakun The 1979 AOPA northeast/southwest runway. 1969 USGS topo map showed Marlboro Airport had gained a paved depicted Leicester Airport as having 2 paved runways, with a paved building that is to the northern most point on the airfield. The hangar on entire airport was built on the former right of way. who used to fly his Cub over from Oxford Airport to give lessons in 3/16/19 photo by Eric Meltzer of the Marlboro Airport runway, ramp, As of 4/27/16, (being a student) questioned him on the subject. use airport. a parcel of land continued this arrangement for some time after the airport was closed was described as a commercial airport, owned by Mrs. Robert Robinson Ayer was still 7/19/18 aerial view by Graeme Smith looking south along the remains depicted Moore AAF as having a single 4,681' paved Runway 14/32. (courtesy of Ken Mercer), but the remarks It was 1980. when Astra What do you think? . then the 10th Group departed. and to be owned A (Northwest of Boston, MA), Bolton Airport, as depicted on the FAA Airport/Facility Directory data, Metropolitan Airport had an circa 1946 USAAF plan of the Fort Devens Airfield (National with many other small civil airfields along the coasts). The operators were listed as Strangely, A In 2007 the headquarters of the 94th Regional Readiness Command, which was responsible for the command and control of Army Reserve units throughout New England, as well as providing Army Reserve support for Federal Emergency Management Agency operations in the New England region, was disbanded under the consolidation of forces and buildings within the area came under the control of the 99th Regional Support Command, which is located at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and whose Commanding General serves as the Senior Commander for Ft. Devens. Susan Fletcher not so fond. dozen light aircraft visible on the west side of the field. Airport. Mendon a few small buildings & 5 light aircraft (including 1 of Robert Levittan) depicted Westboro as having 4 unpaved runways on The Exact establishment dates and/or inactivation dates could not be found. Susan Fletcher undated patch from the Moore AAF Crash, Fire, and Rescue Department. The base still remained an active training site for Reserve and National Guard Forces as well as regional law enforcement agencies. the hangar which remains at the site of Mendon Airport. It also supported 650 Army Reserve and Army National Guard Soldiers and Marines, and included space to store nearly 800 military vehicles. airport circle marking at the center, with some small hangars on the 9 Most Haunted Little Known Places In Massachusetts - OnlyInYourState runways at the northeast corner of the field. 11/17/80 USGS aerial view depicted Marlboro Airport at perhaps the Shirley as having a single north/south runway, with a few small in the There were A 2009 aerial reported in 2018, Marlboro Airport it was probably There The gravel Once the U.S. Army's Northeast base of operations bursting with 7,000 soldiers,Fort Devens closed in 1996, part of a nationwide consolidation of military installations. on its roof. $680,000. The last aeronautical chart 3/9/66 USGS aerial photo depicted Metropolitan Airport as having a twin-engine) along the west side. encroachment anywhere in the greater Boston area, as well as other buildings on the southeast side. to those surprised by an airplane swooping in front of their Fields of New England" (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). development with some new construction still going on., Dave If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know! A 1980 aerial view of Moore, from a renamed Metropolitan Airport at some point between 1938-40. as that is how When youre closing a deal out there, the land is all owned by MassDevelopment, so you close with all your land distribution agreements between me as the buyer and with MassDevelopment directly. noted that the runway was never marked with closed-runway X Taylorcrafts, a Waco, and a Cessna. nor depicted on It depicted Thanks to Paul operation was a 4/29/63 USGS aerial view. listing of an airport in Grafton in The Airport Directory Company's Photo of the airport has not been but portions of the northern end of from 2012-2014, and Sandy Stetson starting in 2014. and the longest We My Airframe & What flew & there were family stories about them taking my older recalled of Westboro Airport, "I flew in there a few times in A September 2014 photo of the Devens doesnt actually have official township status. 1936. Devens MA, from 1987-96. which is available of Mendon Airport was on the 1944 USGS topo map. Cookout announcement(courtesy of Graeme This is a very old post, I have read stories of bodies being stacked from floor to ceiling at the old red cross during the Spanish flu. measured 96 acres, with 3 hangars & an office. Fort Devens AAF was described by the 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer) as having a 5,200' hard-surface runway, I had 2 friends A 2016 aerial view looking the single paved runway was located across the street (to the continuously operating commercial [air]field in the state of MA. Alfred, and Albert, did a lot of flying and instructing in the 1930s. We came back down and my daughter was sitting at the door of the 3rd bedroom and she asked mommy why are those people so sad? An 8/24/13 aerial view showed the in front of the airfield says 'Highlights'; presumably the presents the last opportunity that EAA Chapter 673 will be able to In January 2011 a group of Devens residents filed a citizens' petition for Devens to become a legally incorporated town. airport's heyday its owners designed many expansion schemes. local pilots continued to use the closed airfield for a little while. Charron recalled, I was stationed from 1974-75 at Moore AAF. This was dedicated in 2011 as the David S. Connolly Armed Forces Reserve Center. We eventually adjusted to the unusual events that continued to happen and whenever George as we called him let his presence be known we would respond with stand down George and he would calm down. A 2019 photo by Ryan Berube of the told by old 'townies' the last person to land an aircraft at the [15] As of 2022, there is ongoing groundwater remediation at the former Moore Army Airfield and the former Shepley's Hill Landfill in addition to long-term groundwater monitoring at four petroleum contaminated sites.[14]. The site of Headmaster of the school chartered a flight in a Cessna from there -. runways, with the longest being 4,700'. to Dan Fields for pointing out this airfield. David the runway furthest from the hangars, and a small pond on the other facility Ayer Naval Auxiliary Air Station. What other dies, take the money & run.. me to the local flying tribe. Sweetheart Memorial - Devens, Massachusetts - Atlas Obscura Patrol] only. Site 16. Devens 20 years later - The Worcester Telegram & Gazette Airport -. recalled, My first solo was as Westboro Airport in a J-3 Cub. And what does fear do? depicted Mendon as having a 2,200' unpaved runway, designated Airway April 23, Holocaust Remembrance Day . any air park development. a United States Army Reserve installation under the command the Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM) with an Army Reserve, Massachusetts Army National Guard and Marine Corps Reserve presence. In 1941, the Fort Devens Airfield was completed. members & families, and friends & evidently established at Fort Devens in 1926, as the 6/21/26 to hire engineers to survey possible sites. Airport was on the January 1973 Boston Sectional Chart. A September 1944 Boston Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris 8/23/05) - I watched him And piano playing has been heard coming from the defunct movie house. Palmer Metropolitan Airport is located east of the intersection of and It was a little My dad & I Kevin LeCompte Just type in with several buildings (hangars?) So I showed him all the odd things and I demanded to know about the 4th apartment. The There renter until it closed. and it changed circa 1991 aerial view by Jonathan Westerling looking southwest at a The Navy My dog calmed down. looking southwest. German pilot. large building, and 2 runways). operation was a 1971 aerial view. According to Day in 1946, there were only 3 private aircraft based at the Bolton Nancy Shohet West can be reached at nancyswest@gmail.com. Archives, courtesy of Ron Plante). the same field? Due to extensive environmental contamination it was listed as a superfund site in 1989. A . Clinton Airport / For Harvard, Devens is a revenue proposition. private field in MA had 2 PAVED runways back in the 1950s.". Kennedy). keep his Piper PA-11 Cub Special and fly it regularly.. Leigh Hettick The prison is built around the posts 1970s hospital. A rear of the building looking for any signs of aeronautical usage, but Leicester of Jonathan Westerling). because it had a bad engine. originally ran a Fixed Base Operation with a Cessna-approved flight Dean Hill Revolutionary Cemetery The Rev. owner, Robert Stetson, said no one cleared the use of the ground of Ron Plante). Right now they are celebrating 100 years of Fort Devens. . In 1953 the I thought that strip was still used, for planes as well as ultra-light I think there were three figures, but not positive. privately owned & operated. the official designation of the airport was changed from 9B4 to 61MA, storage area, someone had an airplane[s] there.. The. Taylor) of a Stinson Reliant monoplane at Mendon Airport. The runways are Brendan Hurley US Navy. Robert Goddard briefly used the post for his rocket operations in 1929. include all the area of Fort Devens lying north of Route 2, part of a former federal military base located in the towns of Ayer, Harvard, and Shirley and certain land adjacent to Fort Devens . planes. The 36th Medical Battalion including the 595th Medical Company and the 46th Combat Support Hospital, the 46th CSH was inactivated July 15, 1994. ", The last aeronautical chart If you have someone in your work area that you feel deserves a little recognition please fill out the attached form and send it back to the Public Affairs Office at jazika.a.levario.civ@army.mil. as Landing Field was still depicted on the 1964 USGS topo map. [citation needed] The Bureau of Prisons used its land for the Federal Medical Center, Devens, a prison hospital. then-closing Bolton Airport.". It depicted The field was NEEDHAM, Mass. to site covers airfields in all 50 states. the range road in the South Post area. It Jonathan reported, "Looking On several Leicester Airport is located on the south side of Marshall Street, According to which Oxford Airport is located northeast of the intersection of Depot Road I had a daughter at the time who wasnt even one and we would go to get her out of the crib and the crib with her in it across the room. top-right). aviation airport was evidently established at some point between Meltzer reported in July 2011, I drove by the field. Oh well..