Camp Butner Hospital
Opening with the rest of the camp in 1942, the Camp Butner station hospital was fully capable of caring for any injury or illness that could occur during training but also treated injuries sustained by local civilians who might not have survived being transported to a hospital in Durham.
Due to the number of injuries sustained on the battlefields of both fronts, it was designated as a convalescent hospital in August, 1944 and the increase in staff began immediately. By February, 1945 the first patients were admitted .
The official mission statement of the convalescent
hospital “To offer a comprehensive therapeutic regimen
of reconditioning activities for patients being returned to
duty as well as for those being discharged on certificated of
disability.” It is clearly seen by the astonishing numbers, they took pride in their mission. Although officially in operation for only 10 months, the Camp Butner Convalescent Hospital treated almost 14,000 patients. Besides rehabilitation, they offered social readjustment and guidance, technical and exploratory training, vocational guidance, and general education.
They tried to make the soldiers as comfortable as possible and besides some of the best care available, the hospital had its own library, recreation building, chapel, and even a sports equipment and bike shop where soldiers could sign out equipment in hopes of speeding their recovery. With a staff of of 2200 by late November 1945 (assisted by 414 German prisoners of war) those recovering would received round the clock attention.
The Camp Butner Separation Point opened on September 17, 1945 to help speed up discharges following the end of the war. When the last soldier checked out on December 10, 1945, a total of 1,050 officers and 9,111 enlisted soldiers became civilians once again.
This page is dedicated to the 83 soldiers and civilians, and 10 prisoners of war who died by illness or injury while at Camp Butner.
The Camp Butner Society and Museum is lucky that we have in our collections a hospital Thanksgiving Day menu and program from 1943, 1944, and 1945. In each year, they list the names of the hospital staff at that time. Below you will find these rosters of personnel.
