Corks of History

PAST IS PROLOGUE ]\ :': \ ':. ,,, ,.: \ .,.|: ::.., I Changingthe Corks of History WARRENTON, Vo.- Inthe same VHFS was "one of the pri- space where loquacious visitors mary sources ofAllied in- now press wine glasses to their terception, decryption, and Iips, soldiers decades earlier translation of coded Japanese were forced to remain tight- signals during World War II," lipped. That's because Vint HilI Jason HalI wrcle in lhe Ameri - Craft Winery was a signals in- can Intelligence Journalin 2016. telligence facility during World HaIl is executive director of The War II. ColdWar Museum, which is ad- Wine, like history, has hints jacentto the winery atVint HilI. ofmystery. VHFS formerly encompassed often was shrouded in secrecy. More than 60 yearsbefore it the entire area. But in 1943, an antenna on site housed atastingroom and oak Alongwith a sister station, was used to intercept a message barrels, the winery was part of a T\ro Rock Ranch in Californi4 from the Japanese ambassador 700-acrefarm. VHFS was the main intercept in Berlin to his superiors in The Army purchased the site station duringlvwll. Those who Tolryo, according to a historical in 19 42, and Vint Hiil Farms worked at the monitoring sta- account cite d in The Wash- Station (VIIFS) was created by tion - inside an old barn exterior ington Post 50 years later. The the Army's Signal Intelligence where the winery is now located message subsequently was said Service in the strme year, accord- - gathered signals intelligence by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower ing to National Security Agiency duringWWll andbeyond. to have impacted the following documentation. VHFS's value to the war effort year's Normandy invasion. 193Os An ama- 1942 The Army purchases 700 acres and creates l970s VHFS's 1980s VHFS teur radio op- Vint Hill Farms Station (VHFS), which was used as mission shifts to contlnues erator at Vint a signals intelligence facility during WWll. After the research, develop- to support Hill site picks waf VHFS fell under the Army Security Agency, ment, and support operations of up signals from then the Central lntelligence Agency (ClA), and of intelligence and agencies such Europe. eventually the National Security Agency (NSA). electronic warfare. as the ClA. se I MrLlilRy oFFrcER I ;uly zoeo DIDYOU KNOW? Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War ll is a 2Ol7 book by Liza Mundy on American women who were codebreakers, including some who worked at Vint Hill Farms Station. Unchronic ed For 75 years, the stories of World War Il battles '-' a t) .".: that shaped .n :.: our modern map, of those ".. zI who served and the weapons they used, have been a part of American :1 culture. But not every story remains in the spotlight. To L celebrate the 75th anniversary Vint Hiil was also responsible NATURAL ANTENNA iron oxide." of the Allied for the intercept ofthe key mes- Known as Listening Post #1, Author James Bamford called victory, Military Officer will sage that made the GhostArmy VHFS was one of the four best the area "Washington's giant share stories deception possible during WWII. places in the world to listen to ear" in his 1982 book, The Puzzle that have, for HalI told MOAA he considers radio signals. The reason for this Palace. the most part, this "the single most important is a bit of a mystery, said Hall, The natural antenna ten- slipped through contribution of Vint Hill." but it almost certainly has to do dencies of Vint HiII allowed a modern cultural The Ghost Army, or 23rd with the geology of the area. farmer who happened to be cracks. They are - not meant to tell Headquarters Special Troops, "Guesses include the bedrock an amateur radio operator to - the whole story successfully used deception to beingunusually close to the pick up radio signals from Eu- - but to add convince the enemy that Army surface," he said, "and the soil rope in the 1930s. information and units were operating elsewhere. containing a high percentage of "Think ofthe largest radio insight. 1993 The Base Realignment and Clo- 1997 VHFS 1998 Vint Hill 2oO9 Vint l 2oll The iil "t 20I8 Ir sure Commission recommends VHFS is decom- Economic Devel- HillCraft I Cold War VHEDA fl closure. About 835 military personnel, missioned. opment Authority Winery Museum It disbands, 'l,200 civilian government workers, and (VHEDA) is estab- opens. opens its its mission more than 400 contractors work on lished to redevelop Vint Hill accom- site, according to The Washington Post. VHFS property. site. -..r plished. .+ lr'r- - i July 2020 I mtutranv opptcEn I ss PAST IS PROLOGUE DID YOU KNOW? antennayolr can... [ar-rd] expand Vint Hill's sister its si.ze to 800-plus acres," said :lc; winery, Pear- Hrill. "That's what You've got at VintHill." mund Cellars, produces VHFS also ser-ved rs a traill- a blend iirg center. Beginning in 1943, Bordeaux Black Ops the Signal Corps Crl,ptograPhic called that is a tribute School trained officers and servicemem- enlisted serwicemembers, ac- to They re- cording to Army Intelligence Those who worked bers. ceive a discount, and Security Command. Both at the monitoring station gathered some of the men and women were trained in and signals intelligence proceeds go to crl,ptoIogy. during WWll. In the years that followed, the Vint Hill areawas horne to soL- lEaF ffi?:ffif:l diers who lived lt-r ArmY barracks and - alongside civilians and gimmick, but as abackdrop," said contractors - suPPorted nation- John Mernoli, general manager al secnrity during \\MII and the at the wlnery. Historic Photos ColdWar. and arlifacts are disPlaYed on site. The secret nature ofthe A NEW MISSION building's history also acts as As much as secrecy dominates lnspiration for more J.ighthearted Vint Hill's history, the waY it be- items, including a T-shirt that 5 "You here." came a winery is unciassi.fied. reads: were uever H signa- Chlis Pea lrntrrrd, tnariaging One of Vint Hill's # partner fbr Vint Hill Craft Win- ture wines, Eni.grla, plays on the ery, said he was approached I the clandestine rtature of by the Vint H ili Economic place: The red blend doesn't Development Administratiou space overlooks wine barrel disclose the type or propor- (VHEDA) in 2008 about revltal- storage - an area formerlY fl1led tions ofgrape varietals in the izing the building. with desks and radio equipment. wine bottle. people \TIFS had been used by mil- Pearmund uncorked his first And much like the itary intelligence units into the VintHillwine in 2009. ManY who usecl to work in the build- waYs 1990s, accordingto The Wash- grapes are grown in the region. ing, Peartnund stlll finds ington Post,but the Base Realign- but only a few vines exist on site. to leverage radio signals ofa mertt and Closut'e Cotnnrissiotr sort: Bottles of ros6 wine that .YOU recommended in 1993 that lt be WERE NEVER HERE' celebrate the centeunial of' closed. The base was officiallY Even though decades have women's suffrage Llse near'- decommissioned in 1997 passed, people are careful about fie1d comrnunication technolo- Pearmund, who has been a divulging detaiis of what theY gy to display bios of the women winemaker for more thau three did while stationed at VHFS, on users' smartphones. decades. received a grant frorn said Pearmund, who served in This tirle. history is dernYs- iili the VHEDA and built atasting the Air Force in the 1980s. tified. room on the second floor ofthe The winery atlemPts to use - By LindseY WraY, former baru-turned-offi ce. The its fascinatingheritage "not as a marngings editor 4O Mlr. llARY t,ol,iio'Jrrl5 2020.

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