WARD "A" AND "B", WW2 STATION VETERINARY HORSE HOSPITAL, FORT ORD

T-3142 and T-3143 buildings: Horse Wards, Office of the Quartermaster General – O.Q.M.G. Plan number: Series 700-486. Includes rooms for attendants, ward treatment room with horse dressing stock, and 16 single and 6 box stalls. Two concrete water troughs. The capacity of the wards are 30 animals each, materials wall: Frame; foundation: concrete, roof; asphalt shingles, floor; concrete, Size; 29.6 x 130 feet

Wards "A" and "B" at the Fort Ord Station Veterinary Station were used for the horses and mules recovering from illness and injury when the hospital served as a horse hospital during WW2. Included rooms for attendants and heater, treatment room with dressing stocks, and 24 single and 6 box stalls. The dressing stocks were removed at sometime but their remains can still be seen on the floor. As you walk into the first sliding door of each Ward (east end) you will notice another sliding door that is a little hard to notice but take a good look and you will see. Between these two door is the Ward Dressing and Treatment area that was originally an open room now divided by walls. On the north side of this room there are now two small rooms where what remains of the dressing stock can be seen. (These rooms are private and are usually locked). If you walk through the second sliding door on the south side you can still see the attendant’s room in Ward A.

Ward "A", Ward "B" can be seen in the left background, Fort Ord Station Veterinary Hospital, 2009

Marina Equestrian Association (MEA) leases all the buildings of the Station Veterinary Hospital from the City of Marina and should be considered private and respected. Looking around outside the buildings is fine and you should seek permission to enter any buildings or the stables.

Layout of Ward A and B in 1941.

The above drawings are of the veterinary wards that were at Fort Robinson and are a 800-1303 series Veterinary Ward. Fort Ord's Veterinary Ward were a 700-486 series building. Drawings 800-1301 through 800-1308 superseded drawing 700-486, dated 5 Nov. 1940, Veterinary Station Hospital: Veterinary Ward; Veterinary Contagious Ward; and Colic Building. The Series 700-486 were very similar to the Series 800-1303 in there layout and size.

Office of the Quartermaster General –O.Q.M.G. Plan number: 800-1303 series

According to Table 46 of the Veterinary Constructions plans of 1941 (See the main website) Veterinary Ward, Type VW-30, Drawing 800-1303-04-05, Dated September 24 1941, and Authorized 1 per camp for each 600-1,200 animals strength. Included rooms for attendants and heater, treatment room with dressing stocks, and 24 single and 6 box stalls.

WARDS A AND B STATION VETERINARY HOSPITAL FORT ORD, CA Series 700-486 plans for A and B wards at the Station Veterinary Hospital at Fort Ord are a little different than the Series 800-1303 wards at Fort Robinson. These wards do not have windows on the east face of the wards and does not have a coal furnace. Weather condition of the location played a role in what the construction engineer would install. The wards have the ward attendant’s entrance room and side door. Two watering troughs were in the center of each ward where the concrete blocks are or were today. These wards also have the side doors. Also At Fort Ord there are 5 roof ventilators and the wards at Fort Robinson have 6.

WARDS AT FORT ROBINSON INFORMATION:Construction started on two standard veterinary wards in January 1942. These wards were built in accordance with Plan 800-1303 with the exception of the following changes, which were approved by the service command engineer:

The outside entrance to the heating plant was stricken from the plan and an entrance made from the dressing room; the side doors and alleys with watering troughs were stricken from the plans and this space utilized for additional stalls; the stall closest to the dressing room on the left was replaced by a sealed tack room; the stall on the opposite side of the building was replaced by a feeding room and coal bin. Thus, the coal was delivered from the driveway of the building and the ashes removed from the dressing room. The buildings were completed in June 1942. The Wards were removed in 1960.

Office of the Quartermaster General –O.Q.M.G. Plan number: 800-1303 series

The capacity of the wards are 30 animals
Total Cost to build: 13,101.18
Materials wall: Frame
Foundation: concrete
Roof: Asphalt Shingles
Floor: concrete
Size; 29.6 x 130 feet

Information: Thomas R. Buecker (Curator of the Fort Robinson Museum)

In this picture taken at Fort Lewis in 1942 is a Series 700-486 Ward identical to Fort Ord's Ward "A" and "B" in the background. The number of roof ventilators did vary in different locations throughout the country.

98th Field Artillery Musical Chairs With Mules 1942 Fort Lewis, Washington. (R.B. Lawson Collection)

We have discovered one of the water troughs that were in "A" or "B" Ward and it was right under our nose all the time. It is in the above picture close to the left front corner of Ward A. What a find!

The dimensions of the concrete ward water trough are: 8 feet long 29 inches wide. It looks like a simple casting that was probably made on site.

Margaret has pointed out to me that there are two water troughs in the first and second turnout that were probably in Ward "A" or "B". Note; Ward A can be seen in the back ground.

Close-up of one of the water troughs from Ward "A" or "B". I am hoping at sometime these water troughs will be place back on their stands in Ward "A" and "B". These are wonderful example of a 1940's Army Horse Ward water trough.

Ward A south side these are the concrete blocks where the water troughs once were located. It is 7 feet from outside of block to outside of the other block. (Look at the above drawing) The faucet for filling the trough is on the left side. The large pipe on the right side is the vent to the roof.

Ward A north side, the mounting blocks have been remove on this side. The filling faucet is still there.

Ward A south side the concrete blocks where the water troughs once were located. The faucet for filling the trough is on the left side. The large pipes on the right side is the vents to the roof.

Ward B water trough mounting blocks on the north side next to the alley door. The filling faucet has been removed but the vent pipe is still here. There is a drain between each set of mounting blocks

Ward B water trough mounting blocks on the south side next to the alley door. The filling faucet has been removed but the vent pipe is still here. There is a drain between each set of mounting blocks

A nice view of where the water troughs were once. Looking south to north side of Ward B

What is left of the dressing stock in Ward A. You can still see where the pipes were cutoff. The Ward Dressing and Treatment room has been broken into four rooms, two rooms on the south side of the center corridor and two on the north end. The above stock is between the two rooms on the north side and the wall between the two rooms is running down on top of the center of the stock.

What is left of the dressing stock in Ward B. The Ward Dressing and Treatment room has also been broken into four rooms in this ward, two rooms on the south side of the center corridor and two on the north end. The above stock is between the two rooms on the north side and the wall between the two rooms is running down on top of the center of the stock just like in Ward A. In this picture you can clearly see how the wall has divided where the stock was once installed.

The above is what is left of the dressing stock in Ward B. Wood slats cover the drain below.

A view with the wood stats removed

Another view.

A view taken from the north east corner of the room looking out to the center corridor.

WARD A: WEST END OF BUILDING
This area is where the tractor is kept today. We recently had a chance to investigate this area more thoroughly and were delighted what we discovered. First, this area, west end of Ward building A is in mainly in its original condition and is a good example what the interiors or both Ward A and Ward B must have looked like. The west ends of both wards were originally single stalls from the water troughs to the sliding doors on the west ends. The stalls are still numbered on the walls and the original kick boards appear to be still in place of the south side. You can see where the stall boards were slid in place in this area. Heavy kick boards are in place as you walk into the west end sliding doors on both sides. I do not believe the kick boards on the north side are original, but it is hard to tell and further investigation is needed. Other things we discovered were what appears to be original white picket fence, which was common at the station veterinary hospital, stables, blacksmith shops area and throughout the early Fort Ord post. Also there appears to be two ww2 period stretchers in the artic rafters. It is probably that a lot of today’s wood to make the tact rooms was part of the original stalls and stall doors. After over two years of research we continue to make interesting discoveries.

Looking east from the west sliding door of Ward A.

Looking at the north wall of Ward A.

Looking at the north wall of Ward A. Each single stall had a window.

As you walk into the sliding door from the street this is the left corner of Ward A.

Each stall is numbered; here is stall 17, 18, and 19. (North wall of Ward A)

This is the south side of Ward A. I believe the kick boards on this side were original.

This is where I believe the side stall boards slid in. This is the south wall of Ward A. (red arrow)

WW2 period stretchers probably.

Probably one of the last extinguishing sections of the original picket fencing that can be seen in many old pictures of Fort Ord.

This could be original feed cribbing (in the background hanging on the wall).

JIM YOUNG COMMANDER OF THE 56TH MEDICAL BATTALION FORT ORD 1976-1977

Here is a picture of Tracey (my daughter) on her horse at Fort Ord stables.

Your website is a great effort and it really brought back old memories. I was the Commander of the 56th Medical Bn in 1976-1977 at Fort Ord. I was told early during my tour that my additional duty was to manage the "Horse stables", which was next to the Vet clinic.

As I recall there were about 65 privately owned horses there and the place was pretty run down. I got the owners together, got some old bleachers from the G3, enlisted the help of an Engineer Bn CDR, and with the help of the owners, rebuilt the existing stables.

My wife came to visit one day and bought a Tennessee Walker that was being stabled there (KingPin). Then she got a starved rescue horse from the SPCA, So my horse ownership all began at Ft. Ord.

Greg in 1976-78 the vet clinic was on the corner of the stable area.. There were a couple of other buildings there one close to the vet clinic was where I held meeting with the horse owners.

My wife indicated that they kept Tracey's and her stuff in the barn. I know that there was an animal clinic in that first building on the corner. The vet (Colonel Liadie ) or something close to that, was a small animal vet, hated horses, and tried to get the CG to close the place down. I spent a lot of time in his office explaining that it was a great recreational outlet for the kids and it should remain open... I think the vet hated me.... but I won and it was active at least until I left and moved to Ft. Jackson (Moncrief Army Hospital) . We brought the 2 horses that we acquired there and bought a 4 acres place here for them... but that's a whole different story.. :)

Again, Thanks for keeping this history alive.

Jim Young

Note: Battalion Commander, 56th Medical Battalion, Fort Ord, California. Jim led a multi-purpose 465-member medical command consisting of a 200-bed field hospital, a 350-bed field holding and treatment facility. A 7 helicopter Air Ambulance Detachment, and a small Preventive Medicine Activity. Responsible for everything they did or didn't do.

CAMP LOCKET ARMY VETERINARY BUILDINGS FROM THE 1940's

Veterinary Ward building C-633, Drawing 700-486 at Camp Lockett, Ca in 1941. This is the same type of Veterinary Ward that is Fort Ord. Picture courtesy of the Mountain Empire Historical Society, Campo, California

Veterinary Ward building C-633, Drawing 700-486 at Camp Lockett, Ca as it looks today. Picture courtesy of the Mountain Empire Historical Society, Campo, California

South end of Veterinary Ward building C-633 as it looks today. Picture courtesy of the Mountain Empire Historical Society, Campo, California

North end of Veterinary Ward building C-633 as it looks today. Picture courtesy of the Mountain Empire Historical Society, Campo, California

Inside of Veterinary Ward building C-633 as it looks today. Look hard and you can see the feeding manger for each stall. Picture courtesy of the Mountain Empire Historical Society, Campo, California

Rich Borstadt tells us that the above picture is what the stall gates look like. Picture courtesy of the Mountain Empire Historical Society, Campo, California

Note: I would like to thank Rich Borstadt, Curator of the Mountain Empire Historical Society for all his help on my research and providing the wonderful above pictures.

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U.S. ARMY VETERINARY CORPS HISTORICAL PRESERVATION GROUP

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“Working Hard to Preserve Our Country’s History wherever it is being lost”

U.S. Army Veterinary Corps Historical Preservation Group is a group of individuals that are concerned about the preservation of the History of the Veterinary Corps, Remount Service and Cavalry or wherever our country’s history is being lost in conjunction with our beloved “Horse and Mule”. There is no cost to join and membership is for life. We believe by uniting together in numbers we will be a more powerful force to be heard. Our membership list is private and only used to contact our members. Email us and become a member.

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