Evening star., 1941-03-17
Modern Camp Lee
MiracuIous|y Rises
On World War Site
Wilderness Becomes
Militory Center
In Four Months
BY NELSON Nj. SHEPARD,
Star Staff Correspondent.


Star Staff Correspondent.
CAMP LEE, Va, March 17.-Fror
a ghost camp site of World Wa
memories, Camp Lee has sprung t
life again. 1t was born anew durin
four months of sweat and labor.
Last November the site of thi
thoroughly modern military reserva
ton was a wilderness. Scrub pine
had overgroWn the training areas
obliterating even the few remaining
outlines of company streets. Of tn
acres of drab barracks that ono
sheltered wartime peak of 5000
traineeS, not one was left standing
Outdated training trenches wer
filled with earth and decay, mucl
the same as one sees in neglected
Civil War battle1elds of Virginia
The old Camp Lee had been blot
ted from the face of the earth
All that remains of the origina
camp today to bring back recollec
ton of World War veterans is /,
dilapidated frame house that for
merly served as the residence of tn,
commanding general and two mac
adam roads.
These relics of other war days art
being put to use now and are filling
an urgent need.
Residence of Commander.
Unpainted and weatherbeaten, 6
forlorn sight on the edge of the new
camp, the house is now the residence
of Maj. Gen. James E. EdmondS, tht
Louisiana National Guard officer ir
command at Camp Lee. The two
macadam roads helped the contrac-
tor fight the mud and clay last
November 25, when actual construc.
ton work started.
Petersburg, few miles distant
has scarcely changed with the pass
ing of % years. Its population even
now exceeds by only 1000 the 10000
Confederate dead that sleep in his
toric Blandford Cemetery on the
side of the boulevard leading tC
Camp Lee. Soldiers of six wars rest
In Blandford Cemetery, for Peters
burg has seen wars come and &C
since 1916, just as it saw the old
Camp Lee disappear after 1918 and
q new one build on its site at the
first gathering of fresh war clouds
But the Camp Lee of today is
different from the mammoth camp
of 1917-1919.
The new Camp Lee prides itself as
being the largest Army training
camp in Virginia, with an eventual
capacity of $4,000 men. But it is ar
infant in size compared with its
predecessor and different, also, ir
its daily routine.
When one looks back four months
the change that has taken place or
this site is breath-taking. Here q
frame city has sprung up as if by
magic, complete almost, with
sewage, water and electricity.
Solid Rows of Buildings.
The Washington or Baltimore boy
who arrives here late at night gazes
at sunrise from barrack windows
over endless stretches of yellow mud
and pine buildings-784 of them-in
solid rows.
To Camp Lees former occupants,
the sight Is much the same except
the new barracks are the best that
the Army is building, green with
yellow painted sides.
The new camp is designed in the
form of a capital letter J. The old
camp was shaped like horseshoe.
Camp Lee is approximately e5
per cent completed. At the peak
of construction, 10000 civilian work.
ers were employed here daily. The
peak pay roll was S434000 weekly,
q sum that was distributed within
50-mile radius from which the
workers commuted.
Yesterday was pay day. With
construction pay roll Of 1857 ,945 to
1857 hourly and weekly workers,
the total pay roll of civilians this
week will be $4O4, 1892 to 1913 en-
ployes. including the semi-monthly
salaries that were due today.
Other Contracts Awarded,
Maj. c. w. OLeary, construction
quartermaster, said all the con-
struction of original contract is
about completed except for four
large theaters and the usual
finishing touches" in addition to
the original construction contracts.
Others have been awarded recently
for erection of IL motor repair
shops, II classrooms, four barracks
and officers quarters.
The camp has 20 recreation halls,
several of which are now in use,
A huge 100000 laundry was put
In operation this week. The station
hospital is practically completed
and covered runways link the 81
hospital buildings.
Ugly in its newness, this $12,0O0,-
900 camp has no redeeming feature
except the excellent workmanship
that has gone into its temporary
buildings. Its three engine compa-
nies keep vigilant watch, for the
hospital is a fire trap, despite all
the precautions taken.
work has progressed on the camp
with amazing efficiency and speed.
There has been an entire absence
OF labor trouble, it is one of the
few great reception and replace
ment camps that has been COM
pleted virtually on schedule.
No Beauty in Site.
Forests in many sections of the
country provided the 34,5OO 900 feet
OF lumber that went into the con-
struction of rows of barracks, mess
halls, warehouses and numerous
other buildings.
Nature did not endoW the site
with any beauty. 1t is bleak and
bare, carved out of second growth
pine that grew up on the original
site. Apparently no attempt has
been made to utilize some of those
trees for shade and protection as has
been done, for instance, at Fort
Benning, Ga. There, the I'd Ar
mored Division dug into a heavily
wooded section of the reservation.
Just enough trees were cleared to
make way for roads and barracks.
The several hundred buildings are
lined with trees, affording a degree