Menlo Park's Historical Army Base Leaves Behind Unexploded Ordnance
Menlo Park, California, is home to remnants of a World War I Army base known as Camp Fremont. Established on July 24, 1917, shortly after the U.S. entered the war, the camp was a significant military installation, housing 27,000 soldiers and 10,000 horses. It was a site for trench warfare training, and its legacy includes unexploded World War I artillery shells found in local backyards as recently as 2015. The camp played a crucial role in a lesser-known military expedition to Siberia, where 5,000 soldiers from Camp Fremont were deployed in 1918. This mission, ordered by President Woodrow Wilson, aimed to secure American supplies and assist Czechoslovak troops. The expedition faced harsh conditions and resulted in 189 American casualties. The camp was also severely affected by the Spanish flu, which hospitalized over 2,400 soldiers and resulted in 147 deaths. The Army abandoned the camp in 1919, and its buildings were auctioned off. 
