America’s first spy school is hiding in this Maryland mountain park

Camp Greentop’s Secret Transformation into America’s Spy School

In 1942, a summer camp for kids with disabilities got a new job: making spies.

When FDR formed the Office of Strategic Services, Camp Greentop at Catoctin Mountain Park became “Area B” – America’s first spy school. Recruits showed up with nothing and got fake names like “Joe” or “Fred.”

The mix was odd – Ivy League grads trained next to con men and burglars.

They learned to fight, shoot, and blow things up in places like the “House of Horrors,” where they shot at Nazi targets in pitch black. The story of this secret training ground in Maryland still waits to be told.

FDR Created America’s First Spy School After Pearl Harbor

After the Pearl Harbor attack showed America needed better spies, President Roosevelt started the Office of Strategic Services on June 13, 1942.

He put Medal of Honor winner William “Wild Bill” Donovan in charge, telling him to copy British secret services. The OSS took over from a weaker intelligence office and fell under military control.

Donovan hired a strange mix of college professors, soldiers, thieves, and con artists – calling them his “glorious amateurs. ” The new spy agency needed training grounds near Washington.

The Government Took Over a Kids’ Camp for Secret Training

In March 1942, the War Department grabbed Catoctin Mountain Park from the Department of the Interior.

The 9,000-acre forest worked perfectly for spy training: far from nosy people, thick woods for hiding, already government-owned, and ready-to-use buildings. Camp Greentop wasn’t built for spies though.

The Works Progress Administration built it between 1934 and 1938 as a camp for kids with disabilities. The mountain kept secrets safe while staying just a short drive from OSS headquarters in Washington.

New Recruits Got Fake Names on Day One

Major Ainsworth Blogg showed up at Camp Greentop on April 1, 1942, as the first OSS commander of “Area B-2. ” New trainees came with only the clothes on their backs.

Staff gave them fake ID cards with made-up names like “Joe” or “Fred” to hide their real identities. The OSS built a wooden barrier with a guard at the main entrance near Lantz to keep people out.

Workers filled the swimming pool with dirt during the war. Training films show both teachers and students wearing black masks.

Spies Learned to Cross Creeks on Tightropes

Early in 1942, OSS workers strung wire across Owens Creek for the first obstacle course. Trainees walked across the wire while holding onto another rope several feet above, carrying full backpacks.

Most fell into the rushing water below. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers cleared a 100-foot by 100-foot area for bomb practice, with a 15-acre safety zone.

This spot, now Chestnut Picnic Area, let recruits practice throwing grenades and firing explosives. For bigger weapons, they went to Fort Ritchie Army Base, five miles northwest.

The Trainazium Turned Trees Into Torture Devices

OSS built a monster obstacle course called the “Trainazium” using about twelve oak trees, each 15-18 inches thick and 18 feet tall.

The wooden structure made a 20-foot square jungle gym to build muscles needed for hand-to-hand fighting. Safety nets hung below to catch anyone who fell during the tough workouts.

The builders never asked permission to cut down park trees.

The course proved so hard that even William Casey, who later became CIA Director, broke his jaw while training on it.

Instructors Blew Things Up to Keep Students Alert

Between Camp Greentop and Camp Round Meadow, OSS staff made a walking path they called the “Demolition Trail. ” As trainees hiked between camps, instructors set off small bombs without warning.

These surprise blasts taught recruits to stay low and keep their heads down in dangerous areas. Only one bad injury happened: a young officer broke his jaw and lost several teeth.

This teaching method got operatives ready for the unpredictable nature of real battlefield conditions they would face overseas.

Spies Practiced Shooting Nazis in Complete Darkness

The British Special Operations Executive designed a training building called the “House of Horrors” that cost around $120,000 in today’s money. It stood where Camp Greentop’s stables are now.

Students entered the pitch-black building carrying loaded . 45 caliber pistols with instructors right behind them.

The floors moved under their feet, rooms had sudden drops, and hidden record players played German conversations.

Paper-mache figures of enemy soldiers popped up as targets to test how well trainees could shoot while scared and confused.

The Camp Doubled in Size as More Recruits Arrived

In September 1942, the permanent OSS staff moved to the former Civilian Conservation Corps camp at Round Meadow, which they renamed “Area B-5.”

This move freed up space at Greentop for more training while giving commanders their own headquarters. Camp Greentop became the main center for Special Operations training, using methods from British SOE tactics.

Classes covered hand fighting, shooting guns, setting bombs, coding messages, reading maps, speaking foreign languages, and copying documents.

The OSS recruited expert safecrackers, lockpickers, and forgers straight from prison.

Final Exams Meant Life or Death in the Field

Trainees practiced “Point and Shoot” pistol techniques on targets that popped up suddenly at the camp’s shooting range.

After weeks of training, students faced surprise final tests in the House of Horrors without warning. Those who passed simply vanished from camp right away, with no goodbye to fellow trainees.

Those who failed got moved to different locations to keep the camp’s secrets safe. For the final test, OSS recruits ran practice missions in nearby cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Richmond.

If local police caught them, the OSS denied any connection.

The OSS Moved West as the War Shifted to Japan

By early 1944, OSS had trained thousands of operatives and started focusing more on fighting in the Pacific. The agency began building new training camps on the West Coast to support operations against Japan.

Area B played a key role in training Operational Groups during summer 1943 and winter 1943-1944.

The last Operational Group finished training at Catoctin in April 1944 as preparations for the D-Day invasion kicked into high gear.

OSS operations had proven successful in North Africa, Europe, and Burma, showing that Donovan’s training methods worked in real combat situations.

The Spy School Left Behind an Empty Safe

In June 1944, OSS completely cleared out of Camp Greentop as operations moved overseas for the final push against Nazi Germany.

The departing spies left behind a locked safe that sat untouched for decades until 2017, when CIA experts finally cracked it open only to find it empty.

In 1945, President Truman shut down the OSS, but its intelligence and counterintelligence branches later formed the backbone of the CIA.

Trainees signed strict secrecy agreements after the war, keeping their experiences classified until the government released personnel files in 2008.

The innovative training methods developed at Camp Greentop directly shaped how modern CIA officers and Special Forces soldiers train today.

Visiting Catoctin Mountain Park, Maryland

You can explore America’s first spy training school at Catoctin Mountain Park on Foxville Road in Thurmont for free.

The Office of Strategic Services trained thousands of recruits here from 1942-1944 before becoming the CIA. Camp Greentop has the original OSS cabins and a 1944 safe you can see.

Groups can rent the camp by calling 301-663-9388. Walk the Demolition Trail between Camp Greentop and Camp Round Meadow to see more history.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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