Veterans News

November, 1947

V.F.W. Seeks Farragut Site As Rehabilitation Camp For Veterans

POSSIBLE acquisition of a large portion of the former U. S. Naval Training Center at Farragut, Idaho, by the V.F.W. for use as a rehabilitation camp for ex-service men and their widows and orphans was revealed last month in Seattle.

Robert A. Yothers, Department Senior Vice-Commander of the V. F. W., said that a non-profit corporation, the V.F.W. Rehabilitation, Widows and Orphans' Home, Inc., consisting of state departments of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and the Territory of Alaska have submitted a bid for the purpose of obtaining the facilities at the ex-Navy Base.

Facilities Now Idle

The facilities, now idle, comprise the areas known as Camp Gilmore, Camp Waldron, Camp Ward, and the former N.T.C. personnel buildings and athletic areas. The area extends over 770 acres, and includes over 300 buildings. Yothers said that the corporation was first proposed by the Department of Idaho, V.F.W., and that the plans for the project were completed after discussion with the other departments August 29 when corporation papers were approved and filed at Boise, Idaho.

Release of the property was authorized October 13 by the War Assets Administration, the controlling agent at the present time. The Office of the Administrator of the Veterans Administration in Washington, D. C., has endorsed the plan, Yothers said.

The corporation was approved as a non-profit income tax exempt organization by the Bureau of Internal Revenue October 8.

The V.F.W. bid ranks fourth in priority for the project—governmental agencies, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and state and local governments superseding the veterans priority, which is classified as a non-profit corporation.

The bid was placed asking that the V.F.W. Rehabilitation, Widows' and Orphans' Home, Inc., be given the property at a fair value less any public benefit allowance. Exact amount of the bid was not disclosed.

The V.F.W. plan is to furnish hospital, medical, psychiatric and recreational facilities for veterans widows and orphans, without any discrimination as to race, color, creed, political, veteran or fraternal affiliations.

Facilities would be extended to all persons qualified—the basis of qualification being an Honorable Discharge from the Armed Services for the veteran, or proof of relationship on the part of the widow or orphan. The V.F.W. program, endorsed and supported by the National Veterans of Foreign Wars organization, will be launched immediately if the bid is accepted, Yothers said.

Bids closed October 23 at 4:30 p. m. at the Seattle Regional office of the War Assets Administration.

Yothers said that the Farragut site was picked because of its strategic geographical location, easily accessible by residents of seven states and Alaska territory.

The institution is contemplated to be self-supporting.

Yothers cited that "there is a definite need of a supervised establishment to further the rehabilitation of those veterans of the Wars now hospitalized in the agencies controlled by the Veterans Administration and the United States Government."

The estimated number of veterans that the Veterans of Foreign Wars Rehabilitation and Widows and Orphans' Homes, Inc., could maintain is approximately 600 to begin with, and can be enlarged to encompass any and all needs that would occur from the Agencies, Departments and States participating in the project.

Yothers said that the Regional offices of the Veterans Administration of the seven states and Alaska have expressed their approval of the plan.