Camp Upton, continued...
 Among
the members of the 77th was one individual who was already famous, and
whose fame would grow after the war. This was Sergeant Irving Berlin.
While at Upton, Berlin wrote "Yip, Yip Yaphank," a military
musical based on his life at the camp. The show was produced on
Broadway, with Berlin's fellow soldiers filling the cast. From this show
came one of Berlin's most famous songs, "Oh, How I Hate to Get Up
in the Morning."
With the war's end in November of 1918, Upton's use was limited. The
camp served as a demobilization site for returning veterans. The Army
decided that Camp Upton was of no further use, and it was deactivated. A
public auction in August of 1921 saw everything from stoves to complete
structures bought up and removed from the Yaphank base. By the fall of
that year, all that remained of the great military city of 1917 were the
roads. Many of the temporary buildings do still exist, having been
converted to homes by Long Island residents.
For almost twenty years, the site remained quiet as Upton National
Forest. Then, in 1940, the Yaphank wilderness came to life again. The
war in Europe and in the Pacific (of which America was not yet a part)
gave rise to a drive for military preparation among some members of the
government. Since the Yaphank land was still available, the decision was
made to rebuild the camp. Once again, plans were drawn up for parade
grounds, barracks, and the like, and, again, before the construction
could commence, the undergrowth had to be cleared. However, this time it
was not to be the struggle it had been in 1917. This time there was only
a twenty year growth to contend with. Also, part of the site had already
been reforested by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Sewage systems were
installed to help drain the water that often accumulated on the roads
and parade grounds, and the road system was improved.
 Again,
the raw recruits started entering the camp. Once war was declared, the
camp was filled to the brim with men and machinery. But the camp was not
used solely as an induction center. After the war effort moved from the
European to the Pacific Theater, the induction center was moved to Fort
Dix, N.J. The camp was then expanded to convert it into a convalescent
and rehabilitation hospital in September of 1944. Bowling alleys,
swimming pools, and tennis courts were added to serve as recreational
therapy for the patients. Upton became a showcase for the type of
treatment the returning wounded veterans would receive.
The camp was again deemed unneeded once combat in the Pacific ended,
drawing a close to the Second World War. It was officially declared
surplus on June 30, 1945. However, this time the base was not
dismantled. A number of suggestions arose as to how the base and its
facilities could be put to the best use, among them a plan to use Upton
as a vocational school for the youth of Long Island. The final accepted
proposal, however, called for the former army camp to be converted into
a research center for the peaceful uses of atomic energy. Barracks were
to house the equipment to be used by the scientists. Thus, in January
1947, Brookhaven National Laboratory was born, and Camp Upton had
finally completed its service to the nation.
The Camp Upton Historical Collection video, From Basic Training to
Basic Research, is available
here.
(RealPlayer required,
details.)
The Camp Upton Historical Collection has recently
been digitally cataloged and moved to storage in a
climate-controlled building. Look for exhibits during the
Laboratory’s free
Summer Sundays Tours Program at Berkner
Hall. Due to
space limitations, the Collection is unable to accept donations at
this time. If you would like to learn more, please call (631)
344-2397.
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