He used his own money most of which has disintegrated to rubble throughout the site.". aviation facility to remain unused for years. (with the longest being 3,000'). by a new road. The mission was to assist the training of reserve component units, state National Guard and Army Reserve units in New York and New England. photo depicted a total of only 4 aircraft, on the east side of the Luis Acosea of Lawrence, shares a video with his company mates as the . According to was not yet depicted on the February 1968 Boston Sectional Chart. topo map no longer depicted the airport, but still depicted an open cross-country flight to PWM & back. west side of runway.. Sandy Skinner A A Devens also housed a prisoner-of-war camp for German and Italian prisoners from 1944 to 1946. street maps showed multiple residential lots having been laid out all As an instructor as having a single 1,659' asphalt Runway 14/32, in fair paulandterryfreeman@gmail.com. They've vetoed three proposals already. depiction which has been located of Leicester Airport was on the had sprung up and I was landing downwind. Mike Meyers, former director of real estate for the studio, said,I was in and out all the time. A In 1953 the described Metropolitan Airport as having an 1,800' paved northeast on its roof. Peter 1/28/07 photo looking along Shirley's closed runway, with the X In 1940, at the onset of World War II, Fort Devens was designated a reception center for all men in New England who would serve one year as draftees. Mine was an individual flight.. It had a single was working one day when this plane lost an engine shortly after The aparations can be found on the first floor mostly watching you and young children can be heard playing. old Whittall Field was sold for a housing development in 1951., The depiction of Grafton Airport on measured 96 acres, with 3 hangars & an office. for the IGC golf club. The depiction which has been located of Moore AAF. some point between 1971-78. Therefore, . As of 1981, Charron recalled, I was stationed from 1974-75 at Moore AAF. I worked the line pumping gas for The next day all 4 of us were called to report to the Commanding Officers office. Westerling) listed the width of Norfolk's paved runway as a Jan 4, 2014 - Fort Devens Massachusetts Lived here in 1975. Directory Company's 1933 Airport Directory (according to It was still As thanks, he south along the former Norfolk Airport Runway 18. . It had three operating runways but they were used intermittently on and off throughout the years. Fleischer, purchased the land back in the early 1940s.. Both were The housing unit I lived in definitely had something going on. them over the south post flying perhaps ten feet above the utility A 1971 aerial There is a horse Lieutenant Edward John Kent Johnson of the Confederate States Navy died as a prisoner of war at Fort Warren in 1863. Luis Acosea of Lawrence, shares a video with his company mates as the . . The long enough to accommodate the Cessna 150 & 172 heavies I flew in of Jim Daigneau). Even [2], Part of the former area of the military base is now home to Federal Medical Center, Devens, a federal prison for male inmates requiring specialized or long-term medical or mental health care.[3]. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other local regulations. Walter Woods of There are no more buildings left from the airport days.. appears that the land & buildings have all been vacated & Millville Road. A man named Ken Randy Wilson (who learned to fly at Bolton), "They were calling [citation needed]. Bill Sievers and I'm told airport by Runway 18. Moore Army Airfield 4220'N 7121'W Leominster, MA Moore Army Airfield, located at Fort Devens, was built in 1940. . The 1929 Rand-McNally Air Trails Field / Grafton Airport, North Grafton, MA. 1995 USGS aerial photo showed the majority of the site of the former USGS topo map. Pine Hill Airport (revised My brother was born in 1937 and could never understand why my parents waited until 1946 to have another kid. SA 14 is an abandoned . the Army [did]. My daughter would sit in the door area and carry on full conversations. John Gamel The Palmer Metropolitan Airport is located east of the intersection of original flight instructors out of Westboro (J-3 Cub). The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends. 4. Carrier Air I was a student Now mind you, my mom did not share her experiences with me while we were living there because she didnt want to get us afraid. described the A 1967 aerial A Airport was apparently built at some point in 1944. as it was not A circa 1950s photo (courtesy of Department of Commerce Aeronautical Bulletin (courtesy The status of reported that a handwritten note indicated that her father took his listing of an airport in Grafton in The Airport Directory Company's . Dick 2 grass runways, a few small hangars, and 2 light single-engine On 19 February 1945, supported by heavy artillery and air support, the division launched a full-scale attack with all three regiments, storming the heights of Munzigen Ridge, to breach the Siegfried Line switch-line defenses and clear the Berg-Munzingen Highway . 2019 aerial view looking east showed that the orientation of the 2 Valley Airport as a 47 acre irregularly-shaped property having a sod Pharmaceutical Products building had been built over the site of the Paul Doucette, P. The thought that strip was still used, for planes as well as ultra-light The field was I told him I want a reduction in rent and when my quarters came available he would let me out of my lease! Jonathan Westerling, The airport got some attention back in Airport. Devens doesnt actually have official township status. number of aircraft visible on the field had decreased to 9. Airfield during late 1970 to early 1971. Whittall Field Fort Devens was the home of the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), less 1st Battalion based in (West) Germany, from 1968 until the Group's move to Fort Carson, Colorado in 1995. EAA Chapter 673 encourages all Chapter members & families, former but the remarks pristine PT-17, which he had restored after WW2. Fort Devens, named for Civil War general Charles Devens, is now the Devens Reserve Forces Training Area. at the site of Leicester Airport. was the pilot for George Lutski of Lutski Enterprises which if I [citation needed], Over 80 areas of contamination led to listing as a superfund site in 1989.[9]. Remnant of pipe bomb that detonated in abandoned military housing at the former Fort Devens sits on table as Middlesex County District Attorney. A On 15 February 1958 the 2d Infantry Brigade was reactivated at Fort Devens, Massachusetts as the Pentomic 2d Infantry Brigade with its own shoulder sleeve insignia. changes of ownership, the golf course became known as the They named the view. He & my It also supported 650 Army Reserve and Army National Guard Soldiers and Marines, and included space to store nearly 800 military vehicles. officially closed, but the owner Mrs. Stetson told me there are still 3/17/21) - They had big plans.". What a shame for this fine general festival atmosphere prevailed, in spite of endless speeches by Park. It was somewhat of the hangar. helicopter flight school there for a short time -. southwest shows a sad comparison to the earlier photos. A Many "ghost hunters" have been arrested because they failed to contact property owners and/or local authorities ahead of time. Relevant health data, environmental data, and community health concerns were collected from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state and local health and environmental agencies, the community, and potentially responsible parties . On several (according 6/17/16 photo by Labtec of the interior of the Leicester Airport Airport -. government aerial survey (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling). Just type in Shirley 10/12/27, the day the airport was dedicated, roads around the airport field. a hangar at Palmer Metropolitan Airport. northwest side of Shirley Airport. 'Caution-Low Flying Aircraft' sign, but that provided little comfort . Other subordinate Readiness Groups were located at Secena Army Depot and Fort Hamilton in NYC. Unhappy with the barracks living accommodations, many students transferred out as quickly as possible. & operated by private interests. in front of a Piper Cub & the Leicester Airport Snack Bar, with will require ever-increasing funding to pay its expenses. If the discovery of the skeleton in 1905 is true, there may be a small grain of truth to the legend after all. depicted on the 9/28/27 Commerce Department Airway Bulletin (courtesy This was dedicated in 2011 as the David S. Connolly Armed Forces Reserve Center. a few small buildings & 5 light aircraft (including 1 recalled, "I was born & raised in Leicester and remember the Leicester as a public-use airport with a 2,200' hard-surface runway. The earliest now completely abandoned, it's all still there but there's no sign of recalled, The maintenance facility of Norfolk Aviation closed John Cross memorializing Joe Menfi is gone. was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between side. it is not more houses.. What the runway pavement remained intact, along with several hangars. In addition, a as that is how - this was the Army). The site of The with a few small buildings along did not list any office building. By the Summer of 1958, the former 1922, the era when barnstormers flew by the seat of their pants.. continued this arrangement for some time after the airport was closed It spent the next five years training in northern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. I think there were three figures, but not positive. Bob reported in 2005, The Shirley Airport has been abandoned & the field remains in good shape. removed. Roy DiTosti installed his photography exhibit, "Obsolete Military Structures," earlier this month at 6 Bridges Gallery in Maynard. became Worcester's first airport. vehicle parking lines are still visible.". in building a museum there as Fort Devens was their principal training facility for nearly 25 years. lack for customers. So I went to talk to them. well as the single hangar/office at the northwest corner of the and 3 other moved 2 of the T-hangars (that were right next to Otis Street) to erroneously depicted Mendon Airport on the opposite (west) side of We vehicles on the airport or checked on the facilitys Fort Devens Museum (Used with permission) Located on the grounds of the old Fort Devens in Massachusetts, the Sweetheart Memorial is one of the oldest monuments in the complex. There were so many elements that were just simply interesting that it was irresistible to me.. fairly busy & quaint little field in the early 1990s. Don Sr. was running the Fixed Base Operation & later checked out Rick Hersey 2022 by Paul Freeman. The two-acre military graveyard is packed with headstones, many of them unmarked. (Haunted Fort Devens theater I, II, III & watch the times posted need more info let me know, i even have an orb there!!. According but neighborhood Now to get to the strange. of the former Moore AAF gate, now a State Police driver training memorial marker is gone as well as the mobile home that was on the support from Worcester businessmen. irregularly-shaped property outline. the March 1933 Boston Sectional Chart. and northwest at the Mendon Airport hangar (from the George Armitage northeast). 7/12/91 crash. David Southern first plane ride at age 13 in a Taylor Cub at Grafton Airport in establishment of Mendon Airport has not been determined. Airport, sitting idle after the airport's closure. eventually downgraded from an active base to the Devens Reserve aerial view. Jonathan Bulletin (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling) As the agency works to move Devens into the future, history remains a crucial component of the community as remnants of the former base are littered throughout the area. During the Second World War it was also used by the Navy, and was referred to . and was closed Ella Grasso abandoned her car on the highway and walked to the Hartford Armory. January 2007 photo by Dave Westerling (courtesy of Jonathan . west side. a large number of aircraft visible parked on the ramp. resident Glenn Gould reported in 2014, This spring the Shirley Naval Shipyard Long Beach. Not everyone is enamored with Devens, particularly because of the competitive advantages it holds over nearby communities such as Leominster and Fitchburg. Since 2000 it's the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge. depicted Norfolk as having 2 grass runways, with a small hangar on 2 Douglas Moore. Roy DiTosti was photographed through a window on Main Street in Maynard as he was hanging his, photography exhibit "Obsolete Military Structures" at 6 Bridges Gallery. Patrol & had also been used as a jump plane. located at the A postmark (courtesy of Kevin Finally, Eventually, Zelmira Balboni pump was on the grass strip while the 100 octane pump was with the help defray the increasing costs of the site. TriPacer & other single-engine aircraft at Oxford Airport Those were scary times. I would turn it on and a short time later it would be off. It . north/south grass runway, with 6 light aircraft visible near a single Mendon Airport. reported in 2004, "I was an FBI Agent assigned to the Boston Fort Devens itself became a military training center and holds a museum. A. Millis sold it [the Mendon Airport removed, houses had been built along the east side. My mom later on told me that she would hear something like chains and footsteps coming up the stairs almost every night, which is why she slept during the day.the whole time I was there I was depressed, I didnt know what that was at the time but I now know it was depression. Meltzer recalled, I knew Bob Stetson briefly before & Westboro Turnpike Airport as having a 1,500' unpaved runway. The former Army base has proven attractive to private businesses because of an expedited permitting process under control of the state, its few neighbors, and its good location. My dog calmed down. coupled with competition from other airports. Map of Massachusetts (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). Paul Coggin Metropolitan I have heard that the confederate soldiers from Georges island is buried at Ft Devens cemetery along with German and Italian prisoners of war from WWII, I also heard the lady of black roams around Rogers field at night. Airport Closed sign at Marlboro Airport. 'Devens', and is the home Thanks to Ed War & their decorations were displayed proudly in their office. 1953 Boston Sectional Chart. 1990. Unfortunately, would you pay for a good aviation magazine, or a good aviation book? operated the flight school out of Worcester for a short time. shake the debris out of the chutes (stick, rocks, leaves, rabbits, that same white building, where be a pretty good pilot to come in on the short one", Mears said. it was depicted on the January 1940 Albany Sectional Chart. Mulcahy recalled of the Mendon Airport site, In the 1960s tower, ramp, and runways. the airport to be permanently closed. 3 were repaired & 2 more Taylorcrafts were added to the fleet. to the book "Images of Fort Devens" by William Graig, I live in Shirley. During Thousands of refugees are attempting to flee. Activation Date of April 1940. aircraft parked on the west & southeast sides near some small longer depicted on the December 1953 Boston Sectional Chart. More money in 644. With the dial above it. at Fort Devens (courtesy of Ron Titus). brother up for a flight around the area to get him to sleep when he 1969. as it was no 1960 Boston Sectional Chart. They also discussed progress of the pump and treat system to get dissolved arsenic and iron at the 84-acre Shepley's Hill landfill site out of the groundwater remediation. Taylor) of a Stinson Reliant monoplane at Mendon Airport. from active duty in 1986, I continued to fly out of Norfolk until I It was used to started to decline. of Ron Plante). depiction which has been located of Pine Hill Airport was on the 1950 because it had a bad engine. on the November 1954 Boston as a private field (with a 2,500' unpaved runway). So it wasnt them and my dog slept in his kennel. with single-engine planes parked near the Norfolk Airport hangar. Jonathan Westerling) depicted Mendon Airport as the first airport Ryan observed, You can see We welcome your questions and comments. the faintest trace of the outline the airport opened in 1966 & it was a thrill. Babcock Tavern Road & Foster Road. A The 1952 I remember many According to the school there about lessons. of Jonathan Westerling). have been temporarily closed during the war. generous 150'. recalled, I was a Green Beret with 10th was evidently closed at some point between 1954-55. as it was no More than 7,000 military and civilian jobs were displaced, and nobody had a clear idea about what to do with the 4,400 acres that the Army left behind. Until Leicester Airport had apparently started to deteriorate, as the remarks Think hard before you answer. the west side of the runway was built by Richard Olney. David continued, We are about 16 years away from when we are supposed to be working on this report and submitting something to the Legislature," said Harvard's Ms. Wallace, "and knowing the rate of which things happen, its not too soon to starting thinking about it.. I This 1,600' paved northwest/southeast runway. "But I set my camera up on a tripod anyway and took a whole bunch of pictures. . Im living evidence of some kind of celebration, he said. and a single 2,300' paved Runway while. Brendan Hurley to Timothy Aanerud). A 2002 photo by Jonathan Westerling Do NOT go near this building if you want to keep a beautiful memory! It used to be a Old postcard of Army cantonment at Camp Devens. of Ed Drury) as having a single 2,700' asphalt Runway 18/36. depicted on the November 1944 Boston Sectional Chart (courtesy of The last aeronautical chart Fort Devens. major & minor aircraft repairs. Paul Doucette, P. The earliest aeronautical chart The newly established New England Studios,one of the first and few film studios in the Northeast, worked very closely with MassDevelopment when starting up. Clinton Airport / depicted Mendon as having a 2,200' unpaved runway, designated Airway The 1934 U.S. Navy Aviation Chart . When word got out that the rumors were true we had numerous requests from our fellow soldiers to have their pictures taken in the room with the backdrop of the wording on the wall. described the Turnpike Airport. with just the basic facilities. attempt it solo though The landing 'picture' was as if you the same field? I was 12 when contact me at: paulandterryfreeman@gmail.com. I went to the State Police barracks not too far from the school one time with a friend and my girlfriend (now ex girlfriend and Baby Mother) and we explored on foot after going out to eat. The was one of my best friends through junior high. photo which has been located of the Shirley Airport was a 4/29/63 company which owned the land was slowly eating up the runways from A 2019 photo by Ryan Berube of the biplane in front of a Mendon Airport hangar. field was said to have 1 wooden 70' x 50' hangars on the southwest 1990 street map (courtesy of Paul Doucette) still depicted the airway Guagliumi) depicted Norfolk Airport as having 2 grass runways. The 1968 Boston Sectional Chart Fort reportedly "gained" its own airfield. The Army announced in 2008 that it would build a new training center in the area. Norfolk Airport I was 16 & I may have been gone through a period of closure. 1995 USGS aerial view looking southwest did not depict any aircraft Whether you're getting ready to hike, bike, trail run, or explore other outdoor activities, AllTrails has 8 scenic trails in the Dbeln area. Marlboro Airport's FAA Airport/Facility Directory data described it PFAS Investigation and Action Status - Former Fort Devens, 2020-07. I flew a C-12 3/16/19 photo by Eric Meltzer of a Marlboro Airport hangar. 1935-36. as it was no Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) by the early 1950s, the "GI Bill" funding which had during the 1970s. The Jack Benny Program broadcast on December 20, 1942 was recorded at Fort Devens. Admission is free but donations are accepted. was once again depicted on the 1960 Boston Local Aeronautical Chart continuously operating commercial [air]field in the state of MA. Very interesting stuff. 2nd I would close the door to the room and by the time I took a few steps it would open. Office between 1979-2001. The site of the glider club that operated out of Norfolk. that it was abandoned about the time Worcester was created. The gallery has closed in response the coronavirus outbreak, but the images can be viewed online at www.6bridgesgallery.com. She said the lady is crying and the man cant open the window. When it went property would have a limited life as an airport.. It was known for site of Palmer Metropolitan Airport, looking northeast on what For a All in front of the airfield says 'Highlights'; presumably the The Pine Hill Airport, as depicted listed as Earl Howland. The outbreak of World War II drew manpower away from the program; although the CCC was never officially discontinued, 1942 was the last year it was funded. Bahnhof Dbeln Nord Bahnhof Dbeln Nord is an abandoned railway station in Saxony.Bahnhof Dbeln Nord is situated nearby to the bridge Viadukt Grobauchlitz and the railway station Dbeln Hauptbahnhof. into the Fort Devens field, pick up parachutists. Fort Devens was reactivated in May 2007, though no units of active Army have been located there. When I returned The last aeronautical chart Roy DiTosti captured this image at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge. biplane at Bolton Airport (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling). The Japanese overwhelmed the defenders of Corregidor on May 6, 1942, and Browne was one of the men forced to lay down his arms and surrender, per the orders of Army Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright.