U. S. Naval Hospital Okinawa Historical Timeline

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by  U.S. Navy. Naval Hospital Okinawa

U. S. Naval Hospital Okinawa
Historical Timeline
2012: construction on the
main hospital and supporting
structures, BEQ, central utility
plant, public works building,
and warehouse is complete.
Government of Japan conducts
inspections and system testing
and turns facilities over to
Navy Medicine West Detach-
ment June 29. Outfitting be-
gins.
2009: Construction on the new hos-
1964: A south wing was 2013: The U.S. Naval
pital facility officially begins in
constructed and opened to Hospital Okinawa staff
March. Along with the main build-
1945: Allied forces invade the Ryukyu
provide an additional 250 completes the physical
ing, work also commences on the
Islands on April 1, conducting amphibi- bed capacity. The new 1982: Camp Kuwae is officially renamed Camp move from the old hos-
1954: Construction begins on a Central Utility Plant, Warehouse,
ous landings on the main island of Oki- wing was capable of ex- Lester in Honor of Hospital Apprentice Fred pital on Camp Lester
new hospital located at Camp Public Works Building and HazMat
nawa at Motobu, Yomitan, Onna, and panding to a further 75 Faulkner Lester, a 19-year-old Navy Corpsman 1992: The U. S. Navy and U. S. 2004: Contractors and all services are up
Kuwae in Chatan to replace the storage building.
Katsuren. After the conclusion of the beds, giving the hospital a posthumously awarded the Congressional Forces Japan submit a formal begin drafting the and running at the new
Quonset hut facility at Camp
Battle of Okinawa on June 21, the total capacity of 700 beds, Medal of Honor for heroism while serving with request seeking PACOM spon- new hospital de- facility on Camp Foster,
Mercy in Ginowan City.
United States assumed administrative including expansion beds. a Marine infantry unit during the Battle of Oki- sorship of hospital replace- sign. except for satellite facili-
control of the Ryukyu Islands. nawa. Although the installation has carried Les- ment project on Camp Lester. ties currently under
ter’s name for over 25 years, some local resi- The initial request was not ap- construction at the new
dents still refer to the base as “Camp Kuwae”. proved. hospital compound.
1945 1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015
1995: The U. S. and Japa-
1946: After World War II, military hos- 1996: SACO Final Report released, announc- 2015: Remaining
1967—1969: U. S. nese governments con-
2007: Cultural Asset Sur-
pital facilities on Okinawa, originally in- ing the SACO "Final Agreement". Part of the supporting struc-
1958: Construction is Army Hospital 1977: The hospital is vene the Special Action
veys begin at New Hospital
dividual isolated field hospitals set up agreement between U. S. and Government of tures and satellite
completed on the new Ryukyu Islands op- turned over to the Navy. Committee on Okinawa
construction site as part of
during the war, were organized into a Japan calls for construction of a new Naval facilities are com-
250-bed (expandable to erates at maxi- U. S. Army Hospital Ryukyu (SACO) to discuss the re-
the agreement with the Gi-
strip of Quonset huts situated in pre- Hospital replacement facility at Camp Foster. pleted, outfitted,
375 beds) medical facil- mum capacity of Islands is decommissioned, duction of the U. S. foot-
nowan City government to
sent day Ginowan City and known as According to the agreement: and operational.
ity on Camp Kuwae, 700 beds during and the 400-bed facility is print and thereby
approve construction of the
Camp Mercy Hospital. The camp occu- A new hospital and 11 supporting facilities When all hospital

and U. S. Army Hospital the peak casualty commissioned as a U. S. "reducing the burden on
facility. The surveys will be
pied an area located in the approximate will be built on Camp Foster to replace the operations are
Ryukyu Islands is com- period of the Viet- Naval Regional Medical the people of Okinawa
conducted prior to building
area of the Okinawa Convention Center old facility on Camp Lester moved to Camp
missioned. nam conflict. Center on February 28, and thereby strengthen
construction to determine if
and Tropical Beach, extending to High- Replacement will be “function for function, Foster, U. S. Naval

1977 under the command
the Japan-US alliance."
there are any buried ar-
way 58. to current criteria, with no services to be Hospital activities
of Capt. C. S. Lambdin.
cheological items of histori-
added or discontinued aboard Camp Les-
cal or cultural significance.
New hospital will be approximately 40,000 ter come to a halt.

square meters compared to old facility’s
20,000 square meters.