Joyce Kilmer, the Author of "Trees." Sergeant Kilmer Was Killed in Action in Europe in World War I
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In 1941, the Federal Government bought 1,000 acres to use as a staging area for troops fighting the War in Europe. It was an active Army installation through the Korean War. In 1956, it was used as America's Reception Center for Hungarians seeking freedom from Communist oppression A portion of Camp Kilmer was returned to use by the township as a park and ball- fields. Today, the Sutton/Kilmer Indust rial Campus is home to many prestigious corporations and is the site of Edison's large Kilmer Mail Facility. The New Jersey Job Corps Center is also located here. The area bears the name of Middlesex County's poet-laureat, Joyce Kilmer, the author of "Trees." Sergeant Kilmer was killed in action in Europe in World War I. Edison Twp. Pub. Library 3 4 0 Plainfield Ave. Edison, N.J. 08817 WiPERfiNCE CAMP KILMER Plainfield Avenue § Kilmer Road ASK AT DESK K»l vvjev-. ^ 9^. >j^US8M4» 4 K {*)! ^ 14 t *#w & * £ (<S <**/ : A > -' , I £ A \ c,6Iv Ca«wt> W\\in e r . Edi ion Tv'p. Pub. library May 11, 1990-ME review- page a ,., "340''fHtawfi6td.» M .mii^M.llV llrdil ,r-T>i...,., ,■,■■■■ I ................................... Gtgwn> N. J. 0M17 NOT TO BE TAKEN MOM LIBRARY From postal center to Army camp, Kilmer lends name to area facilities "%* ■,'<4 tery lies within the borders of By Joseph Kaschak 5 million soldiers stopped Camp Kilmer and to this day EDISON - The name Kil serves as a link and reminder mer is intricately woven into in Edison en route to Europe of the connection between the the history of Middlesex camp and the community. County and Edison. Camp Kilmer was deacti The name is reflected in during Second World War vated in 1949, but it was not names given to parks, road the end of the camp. ways, businesses and an Ame In 1956, it became tempo rican Legion post in the area. rary home for more than Prior to the use of all- 40,000 Hungarian refugees numerical telephone ex who fled the communists dur changes, most Edison resi ing the Hungarian revolution. dents could reach their neigh Histories reflect that this bors by dialing KI5 (Kilmer 5). project was dubbed “Project And the large U.S. Postal Ser Mercy” and that Camp Kilmer vice center near the Kilmer was nicknamed “Camp Mercy” motor vehicle inspection sta during the period, and the tion is called the Kilmer Gen mess hall was “geared to serve eral Mail Facility. 1,500 meals at a setting.” In fact, those two buildings Just as rapidly as the camp occupy land which once was was made America’s Recep part of the sprawling U.S. tion Center, it was deactivated Army Camp Kilmer. in May 1957, and many of the Students who had to memo refugees settled in Edison and rize the poem “Trees” will re throughout the Middlesex call that it and several others County area. were written by New Bruns President Johnson’s “Great wick native Joyce Kilmer. It is Society” began to take shape for him that all these build in 1965, and in June of that ings, businesses, parks and or year, Vice President Hubert ganizations owe their names. Humphrey visited the deacti Of almost equal interest is vated military installation to how Joyce Kilmer came to reactivate a large portion of it bear his name. The son of as the Kilmer Job Corps Cen Frederick Barnett Kilmer and ter. There, young men were Annie Kilbum Kilmer, young trained in vocational programs Joyce was baptized in Christ to enable them to obtain em Church, New Brunswick, on ployment To this day, the Kil December 28, 1886, by the mer (now called Edison) Job Rev. Elisha Brooks Joyce, and Corps trains men, and now one of the baby’s sponsors was wom en. the Rev. Alfred R. Taylor, the curate o f Christ Church. However, this is not the end It was after them that Kil of the Camp Kilmer story. In mer was baptized Alfred Joyce the mid-1960s, Rutgers Univer Kilmer. From early childhood, sity was the recipient of 549 he was referred to as Joyce, acres of the former military and he later “discarded” his post for what was to become first name, Alfred. Livingston College. Kilmer was bom on Codwise Edison itself received 149 Avenue — now Joyce Kilmer acres in the railroad site area. Avenue — in New Brunswick. Kilmer Park is part of that The home still stands at 17 acreage, and it was given to Joyce Kilmer and serves as a the township during ceremo museum . nies attended by Julie Nixon Kilmer attended Rutgers Eisenhower. The Edison Ag- Preparatory School and, later, nels softball field also is lo Rutgers University. There he cated on former Camp Kilmer was an associate editor of The land. Targum and wrote some What is now the Edison pieces for the Red Cross Mes New Brunswick native and famous poet Joyce Kilmer was train station was part of a sys senger arid Red Cross Notes. tem of spurs and switches for The latter two publications quite familiar with the Metuchen-Edison area. After all, he was the passenger and freight rail- were printed by Johnson & married to Arline Murray in St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Met- cars which serviced Camp Kil Johnson, for which Kilmer’s ,0 uchen. He later became a soldier and went to fight on French mer during the war. The site father worked as a chemist soil in World War I. of the township’s municipal The elder Kilmer was head complex and Lake Papaianni of Johnson & Johnson’s scien were once an area which was tific department, and he is European Theater of Opera- and Nellie Potts “always invite occupied by what best can be credited with developing tions, and land was acquired soldiers (from Camp Kilmer) described as a large “jugh- Johnson & Johnson’s Baby in Edison and Piscataway for home for supper.” andle” for the troop trains Powder and the adhesives the purpose o f building such a Mrs. Smith’s husband, Nel- coming from the south to gain used for Band-Aid bandages. facility. son, and she met during the access to he bustling Camp Kilmer attended Columbia The land was primarily war when he was stationed at K ilm er o f the 1940s. University after traveling with farmland, vacant acreage and Kilmer awaiting orders to be Today, much of the land the family in Europe and a poor farm, and it took 11,400 sent overseas, which was Camp Kilmer is a graduated in June 1908 with a civilians four months to trans- -q came to church one day,” large industrial park and bachelor’s degree. form it into Camp Kilmer. Re- Nelson said, “and this girl home to the Piscataway cam He and his wife, Aline Mur ports indicate that the camp caught my attention. She was pus of the Middlesex County ray Kilmer, whom he met consisted of 1,100 buildings, trying to shoo a pigeon from Vocational-Technical School while they were attending “row upon row of wooden two- the windowsill. After the ser- System. Many Rutgers and Rutgers Prep, were married at story barracks, a 1,600-bed viCe, she invited me and my Livingston College offices and St Luke’s Episcopal Church in hospital, a ‘PX’ (post ex- buddy home for supper.” classrooms today occupy old Metuchen the month he gradu change), chapels and a large “Mother and other families army buildings and land. ated. She, too, published garbage incinerator. were always inviting soldiers Headquarters of the 78th works of poetry, and the cou Many local histories credit home,” said Mrs. Smith. “My Division, National Guard, the ple had two children — a boy, Joyce Kilmer American Le- mom would invite four at a Sgt Joyce Kilmer U.S. Army Kenton, in 1909 and a girl, gion Post 25 with having the time when we on]y had one Reserve Center still serves as R ose K ilb u m , in 1912. post named after the famous chicken” concrete reminders of the Kilmer held a teaching posi poet Opposition was voiced by The report continues that once busy army installation tion at Morristown High the Army because, until that Smith was away for three which has added much rich School until 1909 when he time, no Army installation had “sustained through the ness to local history. went to work for the New been named for an enlisted war by the frequent letters Plans are being formulated York Times. There he wrote man, but the post prevailed and spiritual tracts sent by by the Army and National and Camp Kilmer officially Nellie Potts> who wrote faith. book reviews and worked on Guard for a museum on the the Sunday Magazine section opened in 1942. fully to all the servicemen she site not only to chronicle and until he left for service in the It served as a staging area knew 0r had heard about” preserve the military histoiy U.S. Army in August 1917. He for nearly 5 million soldiers Smith returned to Edison af- of the activities over the years served with the 165th Infantry, departmg for European and ter his Army “hitch” to many there, but to shed further light part of the famous 43rd or for those returning to the that “young girl who caught on the impact that the men “Rainbow Division.” states- his attention.” and women who served there While he was serving in It should be noted that the An are still very active mem- had on the men and women, France in March 1918, Kilmer camp also served as the set- bers of the stelton Baptist like Nellie Potts and the Nel was promoted to sergeant He ting for approximately 2,000 church, Plainfield Avenue, son Smiths, who lived in the was killed in action on July 30, weddings per year for the and all will attest to the im- area around Camp Kilmer.