Camp Curtis Guild is a
Massachusetts Army National Guard camp located in the towns of
Reading,
Lynnfield, and
Wakefield, Massachusetts. It is named after former Massachusetts governor
Curtis Guild, Jr.
During World War II the camp was one of the embarkation camps under the command of the
Boston Port of Embarkation
The Boston Port of Embarkation (BPOE) was a United States Army command responsible for the movement of troops and supplies from the United States to overseas commands. In World War I it was a sub-port of the New York Port of Embarkation. During ...
.
History
During
World War I, the site was leased from the Bay State Rifle Association by the
United States Navy. The area then became known as Camp Plunkett and wooden barracks and mess halls were erected on the site. After the war, the land was returned to the association.
In 1926, and at a cost of $64,000 dollars, the land was bought by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. On March 1 of that year, Governor
Alvin T. Fuller named the camp in honor of the former governor
Curtis Guild, Jr. “in consideration of
ispublic service and intimate connection with the military forces of the state and nation.”
During the time period between 1933 and 1936, a
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
camp was operated by the state on the site. Several wood-frame buildings were also erected on the site during this time.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the camp was operated as a staging area by the
First Service Command under the command of and for the Boston Port of Embarkation.
The camp was also utilized by the
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...
, as well for training.
In 1992, the army conducted a
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a vector-borne disease caused by the ''Borrelia'' bacterium, which is spread by ticks in the genus ''Ixodes''. The most common sign of infection is an expanding red rash, known as erythema migran ...
Risk Assessment and noted that the disease was present in ticks at the facility, as well as the presence of human Lyme disease cases in the surrounding area.
In 1968 the site was selected to host the Boston-area
Sentinel ABM, but fierce public opposition led to the project being put on hold, and then canceled in favor of the
Safeguard Program
The Safeguard Program was a U.S. Army anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system designed to protect the U.S. Air Force's Minuteman ICBM silos from attack, thus preserving the US's nuclear deterrent fleet. It was intended primarily to protect against th ...
, which was located far from urban areas.
In November 1976, the rock band KISS rented out an area of the facility in Reading to rehearse for their upcoming "Winter Tour 76/77" for the album Rock and Roll Over. While there, the band filmed three music videos for the Don Kirshner Rock Concert television show. The videos would air in May 1977.
In 1998, the outdoor firing facility was closed after a stray bullet nearly struck a Lynnfield mother and her toddler.
Between 1967 and 1998, nineteen stray bullets were found in the abutting neighborhood. Prior to the closing of the range, police departments from the surrounding area used the outdoor range for training.
The incident resulted in the building of an indoor range at the facility.
Training Facilities
The facility contains fifteen training areas, two bivouac sites for company-sized elements, a land navigation site, a recovery training site, an engineer dig training site, a helipad, and an Engagement Skills Trainer. Ten miles of unmaintained roads are also present on the site to help with training for wheeled and tracked vehicles.
Tenants
A list of tenants that operate at the facility:
* 151st Regional Support Group
* Field Maintenance Facility #4
* 272nd Chemical Company
* 972nd Military Police Company
* 188th Engineer Detachment
* Camp Curtis Guild Composite Squadron MA-072
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded mem ...
* MA NG Family Program
See also
*
Camp Guild - WWI training camp in
Boxford named for the same person
*
List of military installations in Massachusetts
This is a list of current and former military installations in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Current military installations in Massachusetts Joint facilities
;Bases
* Joint Base Cape Cod (state designation, not federally recognized)
References
External links
Official websiteFlickr images of Camp Curtis GuildDocumentation of rifle training at the camp during World War I
{{Lynnfield, Massachusetts
Military installations in Massachusetts
Buildings and structures in Reading, Massachusetts
Buildings and structures in Wakefield, Massachusetts
Installations of the United States Army National Guard
Works Progress Administration in Massachusetts
Buildings and structures in Lynnfield, Massachusetts
1916 establishments in Massachusetts