Hammond General Hospital facts for kids
Hammond General Hospital, also known as Hammond Army Hospital, was a very large hospital for the United States Army during World War II. It was located in Modesto, California, in Stanislaus County, California. This hospital helped wounded soldiers from 1942 to 1946. After the war, the same place became a different hospital called the Modesto State Hospital.
Contents
A Hospital for Heroes: Hammond General's Story
Hammond General Hospital was built on 267 acres of land. This land was bought from Stanislaus County, California. The hospital was named after Brigadier General William A. Hammond (1828–1900). He was an important doctor in the US Army. President Abraham Lincoln chose him to be the US Army's Surgeon General in 1862. A Surgeon General is the top doctor for the army. William A. Hammond also started the American Neurological Association in 1875.
Serving Wounded Soldiers
The hospital opened in 1942. It had 2,540 beds to care for wounded soldiers. By 1945, near the end of the war, it had grown to 2,556 beds. The hospital was huge, with 240 buildings. These buildings included:
- 78 wards (rooms for patients)
- Convalescent wards (places for recovery)
- Clinics (places for medical check-ups)
- Barracks (living areas for staff)
- Offices and warehouses
- 6 mess halls (dining areas)
- Water treatment buildings
- Laundry houses and utility shops
To move supplies and soldiers, a special train station was built. It was connected to the Southern Pacific Railroad. Hammond General Hospital closed in December 1945. The facility then became the Modesto State Hospital in November 1946.
Vernalis: Recovery and POW Camp
Hammond General Hospital also had a smaller camp nearby. This camp was located near the town of Vernalis, California. It covered 52 acres of land. The Army built 938 temporary buildings there. These buildings were used for two main purposes:
The Vernalis Reconditioning Center
This center was a large place for wounded soldiers to recover. It helped them get strong again after their injuries.
The Vernalis Prisoner of War Branch Camp
This camp held prisoners of war (POWs). These were enemy soldiers captured during the war. German POWs worked on farms in the area. They picked crops like tomatoes and guayule. The camp held 757 prisoners. Many of them volunteered to work in farming jobs. They did this because it meant they would get better treatment. About 250 trusted POWs even worked at the Reconditioning Center. This POW camp opened in June 1945 and closed in March 1946. The camp and center also received some help from the nearby Naval Auxiliary Air Station Vernalis.
