Bill: Make Camp Evans A National Historical Site

Camp Evans would become a living WWII memorial under a bill local legislators have introduced in the state Assembly.

The bill would recognize Camp Evans as a State and National Historic District and support its preservation as a World War II living memorial. It is sponsored by Assemblyman Dave Rible, R-Monmouth, and Mary Pat Angelini, also R-Monmouth.

The bill, ACR-180, was originally introduced in the state Senate as SCR85 by Sen. Sean Kean, R-Monmouth. It passed by a unanimous vote in October, according to joint release from Kean, Angelini and Rible.

Camp Evans, at Monmouth Boulevard and Marconi Road, has played a significant role in the history of America through the development of advanced communications and radar systems, the release said.

Camp Evans -- once a part of Fort Monmouth -- housed the World War II Radar Laboratory where radar devices were built and equipment was designed that was used in every major stage of battle by the Allied nations and helped the U.S. win the war, the release said.

“Camp Evans is a vital part of our nation’s history and we are fortunate to have so many dedicated volunteers that working to keep the history of Camp Evans alive and well,” said Rible, a Wall Township resident, in the release.  “The radar program at Camp Evans helped the United States win World War II and it is appropriate that we recognize the site as a living memorial.”

For the first time in history, radar equipment at Camp Evans demonstrated that it was possible to send a radio wave beyond the bounds of Earth. A radio wave was sent from Camp Evans to the moon and back at the speed of light and this experiment spurred the development of satellite communications and missile guidance systems, the release said.

 Under the legislation, a portion of Camp Evans will be preserved as a historic monument and it will be available to families and school groups to improve the public’s understanding of science and history through an interactive learning center focused on communication pioneers of the wireless, World War I, World War II, space exploration, and the Cold War, the release said.

“We have a historical treasure in our backyard,” Kean said in the release. “Camp Evans was established before WWI and used to develop and advance wireless communication systems and radar. This site is significant for military history, science and technological advances, as well as the history of Monmouth County.”