No records were found which pertain to the existence or use of this site at the West Los Angeles Area Station Hospital. However, the Permanent Real Estate Ledger indicates transfer information. Therefore, it can be assumed that the site was used as an Army Hospital during World War II.
The Permanent Real Estate Ledger also indicates that the West Los Angeles Area Station Hospital was formally retransferred to the Veteran's Administration on 2 August 1945.
Site History: A total of 166-acres was acquired from the Veteran's Administration by the War Department by Use Permit on 21 May 1942. No records were found which identified how this site was used by the Army.
Generally, the West Los Angeles VAMC can be divided into two areas, north and south of Wilshire Boulevard. The northern area has many buildings throughout, including several quonset huts. However, VA staff were not aware if these were used or set up specifically by the Army. No known contamination problems have been identified.
The southern portion of the West Los Angeles VAMC includes the grounds of the Wadsworth Building, the main hospital building. This site has a history of supporting several buildings; the Barry Hospital was built in 1900, the original Wadsworth Hospital was built in 1927, and the new Wadsworth Hospital was built in 1975.
A small portion of the original VAMC grounds are currently owned by Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. This land is commonly known as Westwood Park, and is located between Veteran Avenue and the 1-405, about 1/2 mile to the south of Wilshire Boulevard.