Naval Air Station Lakehurst

Naval Air Station Lakehurst paranormal

Photo by: http://www.navair.navy.mi...
Location submitted by: sdonley on 11/07/2013
DBA Approved: Y

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PANICd#: 1280

Previously known as Naval Air Station Lakehurst, the installation is most famous as the site of the Hindenburg disaster on 6 May 1937.

Route 547
Lakehurst , NJ 08733
Phone: 732-818-7520
Open to the public: Yes

http://www.navair.navy.mil/lakehurs...

Lat: 40.0370187
Lon: -74.3033993

Database Summary:

Demographic Rank: 6
History: 1
Stories: 2
Claims: 10
Evidence: 0
Resources: 5
Retrievals: 7689
Vistor Rating: 0.0
Votes: 0

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History

History information is some background and history about the location. This is meant to be a basic summary. Below the history records you will find sources in which you can click on to find out more information. There may be multiple history records per location.

Previously known as Naval Air Station Lakehurst, the installation is most famous as the site of the Hindenburg disaster on May, 6 1937. Despite the notoriety and well documented nature of this incident, today there is a simple memorial that denotes the location of the crash at then-NAS Lakehurst in the field behind the large airship hangars on base. A ground marker, painted black, and rimmed by a bright yellow painted chain, locates where the gondola of the German zeppelin Hindenburg hit the ground.

Prior to this event, NAS Lakehurst was the center of airship development in the United States and housed three of the U.S. Navy's four rigid airships, (ZR-1) Shenandoah, (ZR-3) Los Angeles, and (ZRS-4) Akron. A number of the airship hangars built to berth these ships still survive. Hangar One, in which the Shenandoah was built, held the record for the largest "single room" in the world. According to an article in the January, 1925 issue of National Geographic Magazine, the airship hangar "could house three Woolworth Buildings lying side by side."

Maxfield Field was named 6 January 1944 in honor of Commander Louis H. Maxfield, Naval Aviator No. 17, who lost his life in the R-38/USN ZR-2 airship crash, 24 August 1921 at Hull, England.

The base housed many Navy non-rigid airships, otherwise knowns as "blimps," in several squadrons before, during, and after World War II. This included the U.S. Navy's ZPG-3W (EZ-1C), which was deactivated in September 1962. In 2006, after a 44 year hiatus, the U.S. Navy resumed airship operations at Lakehurst with the MZ-3A.

The former NAS Lakehurst also hosted the U.S. Navy's first helicopter squadrons, HU-1 (later HC-1) and HU-2 (later HC-2); the "A" and "C" enlisted training schools for the Aerographer's Mate (AG), Aviation Boatswain Mate (AB, ABE, ABF, ABH), and Parachute Rigger / Aircrew Survival Equipmentman (PR) ratings until their transfer to other Naval Air Technical Training Centers; and an Overhaul & Repair (O&R) facility for fixed-wing aircraft, the forerunner of the former Naval Air Rework Facilities and Naval Aviation Depots (NADEPs) now known as Fleet Readiness Centers (FRCs).

Today the base is used for various Naval Aviation development programs. NAES Lakehurst's main airfield has two 5,000 foot runways under its own control tower, while a separate 13,000 foot test runway equipped with a separate control tower and pavement-mounted catapults and arresting gear for testing aircraft carrier suitability of new naval aircraft and new flight deck systems is located approximately a mile to the northwest. In the 1950s, rail guided jet donkeys pushing dead loads at 200 knots tested carrier arresting gear cables and tailhooks.

Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst is an activity of the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIRSYSCOM) and is part of the Navy Lakehurst / Fort Dix / McGuire AFB Complex.

Added by: sdonley on 11/07/2013 DB#:151
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Air_Engineering...

Stories

Stories are just that. Stories and personal accounts that have been reported about the location.

While the Hindenburg crash is among the worst disasters in New Jersey history, some people claimed over the years to see ghosts from the Hindenburg at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station. Reports of seeing ghosts of Hindenburg crewmembers and even a shadow of the Hindenburg itself have been reported for decades. The SyFy Channel's hit show 'Ghost Hunters' paid a visit to the Lakehurst Naval Air Station a few years ago, to investigate the ghosts that were spotted.

Added by: sdonley on 11/07/2013 DB#:1107
Source(s):
http://ocean.happeningmag.com/3-ghosts-ocean-count...

As fate would have it, a gentleman and several friends from Columbus, New Jersey made an eleventh hour decision to travel to Lakehurst, New Jersey, to be on hand for the Hindenburg's scheduled 7:25 P.M. arrival that evening, May 6, 1937.

The group, barely arriving on time, seeing the giant airship was already visible in the stormy sky over Lakehurst, rushed to where most of the spectators were gathered.

As the men worked their way through the crowd, chaos broke lose, people began running from the tremendous flash of the explosion - the Hindenburg was being consumed in flames and the aluminum structure was beginning to crumble, as the giant of the sky crashed to the ground.

Among this confusion, tiny pieces of the "skin" (outer covering) of the airship fluttered to the ground, one piece near where the gentleman from Columbus was standing. Still aflame, he immediately stepped on it to extinguish the fast burning flame; he wanted to have it as a remembrance of what had just happened.

When the entourage from Columbus arrived back home, he thought it a good idea to cut the post card size piece into slivers, so that each of his friends would have one.

One of the skin slivers resides in the WW2PO archive collection, where a several-phase investigation for a paranormal connection was conducted on April 15, 2005, by the New Jersey Ghost Organization (NJGO).

Through one of NJGO's spirit intermediaries, help was asked in determining who, if any spirits other than the ones that may be connected to the artifact, were attempting intervention.

At the conclusion of the session our psychic held the artifact, indicating that her hands became very hot, revealing screaming, running and a great deal of terror; a woman's face was briefly envisioned by Lisa. Lisa stated that the piece (outer skin) came from the top, right hand portion of the Hindenburg.

HAUNTED HANGER No.1

Believed to be haunted is the old tarmac area in front of the famous Hanger No.1, and the hanger itself at the NAS (Naval Air Station) in Lakehurst, New Jersey. Voices have been heard reliving the disaster of that infamous evening of May 6, 1937, when thirty-six lost their lives.

From inside the hanger, at times during daytime hours when no one is supposed to be present, the whirring of engines can be heard, when no like equipment is in use.

A lone, misty figure has been seen at times, high on one of the overhead catwalks near the roof line. When called to, there is no reply.

On some evenings, near one of the night security lights inside the hanger, what appears to be a figure is seen standing and when security personnel move closer, it seems to vanish.

Now most who go on the conducted tours of Hanger No.1, reach the restroom area about halfway through. Only after everyone has taken the opportunity, they are told that area, before it was converted into restrooms, was used as the morgue for the victims of the disaster. One may have the feeling that someone is looking over his or her shoulder...?

This story was shared by Richard Kimmel

Added by: sdonley on 11/07/2013 DB#:1108
Source(s):
http://www.sjpr.org/2013/04/09/hindenburg-ghosts/

Paranormal Claims

Here are the paranormal claims for this location. These have been found through Internet research, reports from members, or reports from personal interviews. To add a claim, please contact PANICd.com, and we will review and add your information.

Claim #	Added	Added By	Claim
1627	11/07/2013	sdonley	Disembodied footsteps have been heard.
1628	11/07/2013	sdonley	Door have been heard rattling by themselves.
1629	11/07/2013	sdonley	Loud unexplained crashes have been heard at night.
1630	11/07/2013	sdonley	Lights have flashed on and off for no reason.
1631	11/07/2013	sdonley	An apparition of a naval officer has been seen walking around Hangar No. 1
1632	11/07/2013	sdonley	Apparaitions of an airman waring vintage gear from the 1930s has been seen walking around Hangar No. 1
1633	11/07/2013	sdonley	Voices have been heard saying "Away the lines, away the lines!"
1634	11/07/2013	sdonley	Voices have been heard saying, "She's afire!"
1635	11/07/2013	sdonley	People have had the feeling of being touched in Hanger No. 1
1636	11/07/2013	sdonley	Doors have slammed shut by themselves.

Navy Lakehurst Historical Society Added: 11/07/2013 By: sdonley	Preserving the Heritage of Naval Air Station Lakehurst, A New Jersey Non-Profit Corp.
National Paranormal Association Post Added: 11/07/2013 By: sdonley	"Hindenburg Ghosts make their presensce known" - blog post about this location.
Wikipedia Entry Added: 11/07/2013 By: sdonley	Wikipedia Entry for this Location
Wikipedia - Hindenburg Disaster Added: 11/07/2013 By: sdonley	Wikipedia page about the Hindenburg Disaster
Ghost Hunters Investigation Added: 11/07/2013 By: sdonley	Summary of the Ghost Hunters investigation for this site.

Naval Air Station Lakehurst

Database Summary:

History

Stories

Paranormal Claims

Paranormal Evidence

Additional Resources

Location Comments