By Bob Conte Debunking the Bunker

first heard rumors about a bun- ker right after moving to West Virginia in 1977 but before I Iworked at The Greenbrier. A young woman said to me, “Do you know why there is such a large airport in Lewisburg?” I did not. “Because,” she answered, “there is a bomb shelter underneath The Greenbrier, and in case of war high-ranking government officials will fly into the Lewisburg airport.” A year or so later, after I was hired as the resort’s historian, I approached Luther Way, the chief engineer for The Greenbrier, and asked him about this bunker story, calculating that if such a thing re- ally existed surely he must know about it. Luther Way was a fine gentleman, greatly respected, and he simply dismissed my question as “that silly old rumor.” He said that a new West Virginia Wing was built in the early 1960’s at the height of the Cold War when many fallout shelters were being constructed, and people simply jumped to erro- neous conclusions. They knew that the government had been involved Author Bob Conte posed for this photograph on May 1, 1980, in front of the Springhouse at The at The Greenbrier during World War Greenbrier, about 18 months after he began his job as historian at the resort. Photograph by Wade II, that President Eisenhower and Spees. other high-level government offi- cials had visited the resort, that the was clearly a man of integrity. It did transformation of that fashionable hotel includes a large Presidential seem pretty outlandish that there 19th-century summer watering place Suite, and they put all this infor- would be a secret bunker amidst into a major American destination mation together and speculated the lavish opulence of The Green- resort. Apparently rich and famous that there must be a bomb shelter brier. During those early months guests had always been the norm. at The Greenbrier. “We have never of my employment in 1978, I was Amazingly enough “enemy alien been able to successfully put that rapidly learning the resort’s incred- diplomats” representing Germany, rumor to rest,” he said. ible history. Organizing an archive Japan, and Italy were interned in the I believed Mr. Way because he for the resort introduced me to the hotel at the outbreak of the Second

Goldenseal 25 praise for generating a nice article about The Greenbrier. Instead the manager drew attention to the last sentence and said that we do not ever want the subject of a bunker at The Greenbrier to come up in the press, because whenever it does “we get calls from all sorts of kooks out there.” The longer he talked the more agitated he became. Eventually he banged his fist on the desk with considerable force and said most emphatically, “THERE IS NO DAMN BUNKER AT THE GREENBRIER!” I got the message immediately: Under no circumstances do we ever talk about any bunker. Being something of a child of the 1960’s, however, I instinctively concluded that any- thing that vehemently denied was Luther Way was The Greenbrier’s chief engineer for more than 20 years, until his retirement in 1979. Although he consistently denied all rumors of the bunker’s existence, he was in fact probably true. involved in the construction and maintenance of the secret facility from the very beginning of the A month or so later, I thought that project. perhaps I could track down records of the architectural firm of Small, World War. Even more amazingly International (UPI) arrived to do a Smith & Reeb in Cleveland. They the whole place was later converted story on The Greenbrier’s history. did design work at The Greenbrier into a huge Army hospital for the She interviewed me for a few hours from 1928 to 1962, their last proj- remainder of the war. If that weren’t but called back the next day with ect being the West Virginia Wing. enough, a famous New York de- an unexpected question. She said Someone with the local American signer named Dorothy Draper had when she returned to her of- completely redecorated the build- fice, people wanted to know ing’s interior after the war, and then if she had asked the historian people like the Duke and Duchess about the bunker at The Green- of Windsor, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, brier. “Is there a secret bunker Ben Hogan, Prime Minister Nehru there?” I froze. Remembering of India, Prince Rainier and Princess the recent conversation with Grace, and members of the Kennedy Luther Way — and not know- family were all regular visitors. ing exactly what to say — I This was a lot to absorb for a simply repeated what he told young man from California who me. “There is no bunker at found himself working at one of The Greenbrier. That is only America’s most famous and historic a silly rumor that has been resorts. And now there were stories going around for years.” of a secret government bunker? I When her article appeared had only recently completed gradu- most of it concerned details ate school, and with a fresh degree of the resort’s history but the in American Studies, I had worked last sentence was something to at a couple of short-term archives the effect that “the historian and manuscript collection assign- denies persistent rumors there ments. The Greenbrier was like no is a secret government bomb other place I had ever seen in my shelter at The Greenbrier.” life, and I was most interested in Shortly thereafter the general Fritz Bugas was the on-site manager of the holding onto this new job. manager called me into his congressional relocation center from 1971 until the facility officially closed in July 1995. Locals knew him After I had been working approxi- office, and the public rela- as the manager of Forsythe Associates, an audio- mately two months, a newspaper tions director was also there. visual consulting company. Once the bunker closed he reporter from the old United Press I, of course, was expecting supervised bunker tours. Photograph by Dan Dry.

26 Winter 2010 Institute of Architects told me that the firm was out of business, but he knew a woman in town who used See for Yourself to work for them. I called her. The historic bunker at The Greenbrier is open to the public for Not long into our conversation, guided tours daily, year-round. The tour takes 90 minutes, and she started to tell me how back in reservations are required. The cost is $30 per adult and $15 for the early 1960’s members of the firm children between the ages of 10 and 18. Children under 10 are would come back from The Green- not permitted to tour the bunker. Phone (304)536-7810 for reser- brier with stories that a huge hole vations, times, or additional information, or visit on-line at www was being dug in order to build a .greenbrier.com. very large government bunker. Oh, Author and historian Bob Conte welcomes personal recollections it was a giant project, she said, and about the bunker from GOLDENSEAL readers. Those with a story to it was all part of building the West share can contact Bob at The Greenbrier, 300 West Main Street, White Virginia Wing. I remember feeling Sulphur Springs, WV 24986; e-mail [email protected]. quite nervous as she went on. When I hung up the phone, I stared into the distance and thought to myself, “What am I going to do with this information?” She had told me things I was not supposed to know. A couple of days later, I was sitting in the employee cafeteria. As everyone else left the table, I was soon sitting across from Jack Horton, a senior Greenbrier execu- tive. Jack was always one of my favorite people, and we shared an interest in history. Once we were alone he said, “Bob, we don’t call Cleveland.” I had made a couple of long-distance phone calls without using the toll-free line, so I thought this was a reminder to follow cor- rect telephone procedure. He repeated, “Bob, we don’t call Cleveland.” It then dawned on me Part of the display area currently on view during bunker tours is this exhibition of original security and communications equipment: a telephone switchboard at left and a surveillance that he was referring to the call monitoring panel at right. (Note the three maps on the wall showing the locations of alarm with the woman who told me the systems.) The weapons in the center were intended for use in case of disturbances. bunker stories. I am sure I blushed, and I started to stammer about how I was just interested in tracking pursuing that subject. turned around, walked away, and down architectural drawings from One day I was walking around the tried to forget I ever saw it. the 1920’s. That is, I was just doing grounds trying to determine where Every now and then I would meet pure historical research. (Which, in certain 19th-century buildings once people who seemed to know some- fact, was true). He proceeded to tell stood, and I found myself near a thing about the bunker. A fellow me that the woman called the of- family cemetery on a remote sec- employee told me tales how a friend fice of the Chessie Railroad (which tion of the property. A road led up of his was involved in bringing in owned The Greenbrier at the time) to a wide, green wall with a metal some communications equipment in Cleveland and told people there door and a sign on it, “Danger during the West Virginia Wing that some guy from The Greenbrier High Voltage.” This wall and door construction. This was not, he said, had called her with a lot of funny were out in the woods not close equipment that a hotel would ever questions about past construction to anything. I stood there staring use. The person telling the story projects. I stammered some more. for a few moments, wondering if had been in the U.S. Navy and said He repeated, “Bob, we don’t call this had anything to do with that this was the sort of communica- Cleveland.” I got the message one secret bunker I kept hearing about. tions equipment you would see on more time: We will all be a lot bet- I remember thinking, “I am not sup- a battleship. ter off around here if you just stop posed to be seeing this.” I simply Another man’s father had worked

Goldenseal 27 Hall, drive through some out the local phone book, and doors into a freight eleva- started calling. He also found a tor, and be taken down to Greenbrier publicity brochure, the bunker. which inadvertently showed more When Ted Gup, the report- available public space within the er who later broke the bunker Exhibit Hall area than supposedly story in the Washington Post, existed. A few photographs indicat- arrived at The Greenbrier in ed a balcony around the Exhibit Hall early 1992, he wanted to talk that had been boarded up over the to three people: Ted Kleisner, years. These little pieces of evidence the president of The Greenbrier; indicated that there was more to the Fritz Bugas, the man rumored to Exhibit Hall area than met the eye. be in charge of the bunker; and Although Ted Gup never showed me. Mr. Kleisner stopped by my me any of his evidence, it was clear office and told me that if asked from his questions that he arrived questions about “what is under at The Greenbrier knowing quite a the West Virginia Wing,” I was to bit about the whole bunker story. say how it was just an old rumor Several days later I traveled to generated by World War II stories, Marietta, Ohio, to speak at a Rotary An article in the May 31, 1992, Washington Post Magazine broke the story Eisenhower visits, the Presidential Club luncheon. When I finished of the bunker’s existence. For days dozens Suite, etc. In other words, he said I with my slide presentation of The of newspapers picked up the astonishing should repeat exactly what engineer Greenbrier’s history, I asked for news that a secret wartime emergency facility lay hidden for 30 years under the lavish and Luther Way had told me 14 years questions. A gentleman way in the manicured façade of the famed Greenbrier hotel. earlier. back stood up and almost shouted, Ted Gup did call, came to my of- “What about that secret bunker for the telephone company. The fice, put a tape recorder on my desk, down there?” One more time I system installed here, he said, was turned it on, and said point blank, repeated what chief engineer Lu- clearly more than anything neces- “I’m here to talk about what is un- ther Way told me, only now I was sary for a hotel. No doubt, he said, der the West Virginia it was for the secret bunker. Wing.” I repeated what I met a young man once who I had been told to say, asked about the bunker, and when “There is nothing under I responded with the usual denial the West Virginia Wing, he said, “I am the grandson of L.T. etc.” Mr. Gup looked at Nuckols.” I recognized that name me and I looked at him, as the man from the C&O who and it was abundantly had supervised the building clear that he did not of the West Virginia Wing. So I believe one word I said. stopped denying and asked him I had shot all my am- what stories he had heard. He munition, and I had no said that his grandfather talked clue what to do next. So openly about it. This conversation I offered to let him look was taking place right in the hotel’s though all my histori- lower lobby, and again I was afraid cal files and he would someone might overhear what we see that there was no were talking about. information about any Most bunker rumors indicated bunker. that access was via elevators servic- He spent about an ing the West Virginia Wing. As the hour looking through stories went, the elevators could go material from the 1959 much further down to wherever the to 1962 period, includ- bunker was located if you inserted ing old issues of the the right key in the control panel. Brierchat, an employee One person told me how limos car- publication. From those One of many government-issue posters inside the bunker that rying government officials could pages he selected the reminded everyone involved that Project Greek Island was a come from the Lewisburg airport, names of people who classified, top-secret operation and not to be discussed even enter the hotel’s massive Exhibit worked here then, got with family members.

28 Winter 2010 denying the existence of a bunker claimed that they knew about it all where reality was much larger knowing, following my encounter along, but most people felt that this and indeed much more interesting with Ted Gup, that it was only a only confirmed years of specula- than all the preceding rumors and matter of time until the story ap- tion. Many were highly offended speculation. peared in the press. that the press would reveal the se- A few days later public tours On Thursday, May 28, 1992, Doro- cret after the local population had opened to an overwhelming re- thy Miller, a long-time secretary on kept it under their hats for years. sponse. Hundreds of people stood the staff, told me to stay around But most of all everyone wanted to in lines for hours to enter the because there was going to be an actually see this mysterious entity immense secret vault. The media important meeting that afternoon. for themselves. descended in droves to film and She said it was going to be about the That didn’t happen for three interview. Over the next few years bunker. I had never heard anyone years, until the government had interest did seem to wane as Cold in anything remotely approaching moved out and all the legal com- War memories faded. The terror- an official position say that word plexities with The Greenbrier and ist attacks of September 11, 2001, “bunker” out loud except when its owner, the denying its existence. CSX Corpo- The meeting was changed to the ration, were next morning. When I entered Ted r e s o l v e d . Kleisner’s office, there was a curi- Since I give ous mix of people there. I noticed tours as part Fritz Bugas sitting quietly off to of my job, it the side. Mr. Kleisner proceeded fell to me and to announce that The Greenbrier a few others was acknowledging a 35-year se- to guide the cret partnership with the federal f i r s t t o u r s government and explained that the t h a t w e r e story would be in the press that af- o f f e r e d t o ternoon. Stunned and flabbergasted G re e n b r i e r are the only words that describe my employees. reaction. Fritz Bugas stood up and Although no said that in fact what his company, one said so Forsythe Associates, really did was in so many “shelter maintenance” for the U.S. words, these government. I thought I would initial tours fall over. were a kind I spent that afternoon showing a of unspoken reporter around the property, acting “thank you” like I knew the whole story when to employ- Bob Conte today, with the main entrance of The Greenbrier over his shoulder. I was repeating information I had ees for years Photograph by Tyler Evert. only learned a few hours earlier. o f d e f l e c t- When the full Post story appeared ing questions about the rumored however, awakened a seemingly on May 31, I read it with my mouth bunker. insatiable curiosity about emer- open not so much for what it said The vast majority of Greenbrier gency planning, and now, 15 years but simply for the fact that it was in employees had the same reaction I after the bunker’s closure, tours are print at all. After all those years of did upon entering and seeing the going strong. abiding by the unwritten we-don’t- facility for the first time. The bunker Having given many a tour and talk-about-that-around-here rule, was huge, considerably larger than many a media interview, I have the story was right there in black- anyone had imagined. The wider concluded that this intense inter- and-white for the whole world to plan within which it functioned est is also driven by the stunning see. This was simply unimaginable. — a movement of the entire U.S. incongruity of a bunker at The Reaction in Greenbrier County Congress and staff members to this Greenbrier, best expressed by a visi- ranged from a shrug — one em- site where they could continue to tor who said: “In West Virginia we ployee remarked, “I never knew work as a legislative body in the always thought of The Greenbrier it was a secret in the first place” face of catastrophe — was much as the height of civilization. Then — to bewilderment among those more complex than any rumors had we come to find out that on the who had never even heard rumors. indicated. It was a curious sensa- same property there was a facility Of course there were those who tion. Here was an unusual case for the end of civilization.” .

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