Comments on: Site R

By: Boris & Natasha

Boris & Natasha — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 03:40:37 +0000

Boy what memories of things like the dome area, nine and three shifts, submarine watch and blowing the valves.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:59:03 +0000

the golf course and NCO Club was ok.

By: Jack Marks

Jack Marks — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:57:25 +0000

Stationed at Ft. Ritchie in 1963 to 1965, as an MP K9 man,,, we lived in the old WWll wooden barracks until sometime in 64 when we moved into the new brick bldgs down by the mess hall. I mostly worked at the top of the Mt. at site R with my dog “SIR”,,, he had a great reputation as the meanest dog in the unit,, He saved my butt a number of nights when the Sgt. of the guard tried to sneak up the road to catch us off guard (sleeping)… We also had a micro wave site a bit closer to the Ft. that a K9 unit would be assigned to on the night turn,, this site was actually on the Appalachin trail… and hikers were always a welcome sight to us lonesome soldiers!!
I have returned to Ft Ritchie which is no longer a military fort,, a number of times,, it’s in a most beautiful setting and I never regretted being stationed there,, I spent many Sunday’s at the local drag strip “Mason Dixon” in Hagerstown MD. and I enjoyed many local friends that I still visit on occasion!! Anyone feel free to contact me at armyk91965@yahoo.com

By: Frank Brandt

Frank Brandt — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:38:07 +0000

I also served as a Platoon Sergeant at the site from basicallly 1979-1982. Does anyone recall the “submarine drills” conducted @ the resevoir for the “newbies”?

By: Bob

Bob — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:46:20 +0000

Site R MP’s can be found at http://www.572ndmpco.com or on Facebook under “572nd MP Compant”

By: CBO Boy

CBO Boy — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:44:37 +0000

I liked the faux windows in the mess hall, it did my heart good to see “outside” whilst Happy Jack dished up food…

By: SGT Bob Behler

SGT Bob Behler — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 01:10:43 +0000

I left there in 1990 after 3 years as Patrol Sup/SOG. Hunting was no longer permitted on the property, and was closed to the public. We worked in 12 hour shifts, leaving after each shift (every day), back to Ft Ritchie.

By: John Doe Smith III

John Doe Smith III — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 22:45:57 +0000

I have been on the roof of the Site R building, and clearly I saw a squared roof, under a huge single man-made cavern. It is a single building and not five buildings as stated. His recollection is older than me !

By: M Penkrot

M Penkrot — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:19:53 +0000

I was stationed there for almost 5 years, leaving in 1981. Contruction inside the site was still in progress when I departed.

One rumor that was never quashed was that Fort Dietrich would use the incinerators inside Site R for “Their Mistakes”. The site also had a signifcant shredder/mulcher. It looked like a giant garbage disposal.

The “Plant” inside the mountain could never stay clean. My tour consisted of 4 days in, 7 days off, 3 days in, 7 days off. My watch was 12 hours on, 12 hours off. For our duty, the only excuse for leaving the 3 or 4 day tour was an emergency or special waiver to attend college classes. I never had either reason to leave. Handkerchiefs were almost pitch black after 4 days of breathing dirty air.

A readiness posture was ALWAYS expected, and I was there for a few “Slam Door” and “Button Up” events, Three Mile Island, the Chinese invasion of Viet-Nam, and two Norad computer errors indicating a Soviet missle attack. I remember one of THOSE being reported some time after the fact.

The presidential suite was located above our computer room. Lots of stories about each president, Nixon supposedly had the suite done for his daughter completely in pink.

The enlisted communication personnel (USArmy) who had a weigh or discipline problem were tasked to climb the towers to chip ice.

While in Vietnam, Black soldiers referred to Fort Ritchie as a punishment assignment. Racial harmony wasn’t welcome then. It WAS the Mason-Dixon Line.

There WAS harmony with the locals, regarding the Site. Deer hunting was permitted certain times during the season. When the foilage needed thinning, locals were permitted to get their firewood from designated areas, under careful watch of course. Some of that harmony disappeared when the Army decided to contract out the job, and then the same contractors would try and peddle their firewood at ridulously high prices.

Enough said for now. I would suspect Dick Cheney will have this in his VP Office safe by Tuesday morning.

By: Sandals

Sandals — Thu, 22 Jul 2004 08:12:57 +0000

Lots of people call them alsations

It kinda bleeds over.

By: old ari

old ari — Thu, 22 Jul 2004 06:58:14 +0000

curious for an alleged american, to refer to German Shepherds, as Alsations, I thought only the Brits called them that, a legacy of WW1.