Soldiers marching in a formation on the Springfield College campus (July 1943)

This white and black photograph showing a group of soldiers from the Army Air Corps marching in formation on the walkways inside the Springfield College campus. Leading the way is a trainee holding a flag for the Army Air Corps. A wall and lot of trees are also seen in the background of the photo.At the start of World War II, Springfield College served as training grounds for the Army Air Corps, which allotted the college $90,000 for upgrading facilities. In the spring of 1944, the training program was canceled; in order to conserve its assets for expanded postwar operations in the face of decreasing student enrollment, Springfield College negotiated a contract with the U.S. Navy to serve as a Naval Special Hospital. The Navy allotted $75,000 to bring the college up to the mark of a naval hospital, and the first contingent of one hundred and fifty patients arrived on September 22, 1944. It was estimated that five hundred patients could be served. Alumni Hall was used as the hospital, and the old dormitory (now called the Administration Building) became administrative offices and housing for nurses and WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service)