Vint Hill Farms in Fauquier County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Vint Hill Farms Station
Photographed By J. White
1. Vint Hill Farms Station Marker
In June 1942 the U.S. Army established a top-secret post at Vint Hill Farms to intercept enemy radio transmissions. These barns housed the monitoring station. The Signal Corps’ cryptographic school, which taught personnel to encode, decode, and translate messages, was moved here. Pvt. Leonard A. Mudloff is credited with intercepting a message here from Oshima Hiroshi, the Japanese ambassador to Germany, on 10 Nov. 1943. It described German coastal fortifications in western France, troop strengths, and contingency plans. The “Oshima Intercept” was a crucial contribution to the planning for D-Day, the Allied invasion of Europe. The post operated through the Cold War, closing in 1997.Erected 2018 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number FF-14.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Science & Medicine • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources series list. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1942.
Location. 38° 44.556′ N, 77° 40.544′
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Grapewood Farm Engagement (approx. 0.6 miles away); Greenwich (approx. 1.6 miles away); Stony Lonesome Farm (approx. 1.6 miles away); a different marker also named “Greenwich” (approx. 1.6 miles away); Buckland Mills Battle (approx. 2.4 miles away); Buckland (approx. 2.6 miles away); The Buckland Mill (approx. 2.7 miles away); Second Manassas Campaign (approx. 2.8 miles away).
Also see . . . Marking the history at Vint Hill. An article about the marker's dedication by James Ivancic in the Fauquier Times. (Submitted on September 14, 2018, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)
Photographed By J. White
2. Vint Hill Farms Station Marker
Photographed By Craig Swain, September 22, 2018
3. Vint Hill Farms Station Marker
Photographed By Craig Swain, September 22, 2018
4. The "Barn's Silo"
For security, some of the station's offices were disguised as a barn. The silo appears to be a normal silo from a distance. But notice the chimney at the top. This was the chimney used by the incinerator used to burn classified documents.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 8, 2018. It was originally submitted on September 14, 2018, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 681 times since then and 153 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 14, 2018, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. 3, 4. submitted on October 8, 2018, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.
