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 It was 1958 and the height of the Cold War. Dwight Eisenhower was president. The fear of a nuclear encounter with the Soviet Union was so great that Eisenhower ordered the construction of a top-secret military relocation facility beneath the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. It was called project Greek Island, and its purpose was to assure the continuance of the U.S. government in a national emergency.
 Since its beginning, the 112,544 square-foot bunker was maintained in a constant state of readiness by a small group of government employees. Protected by a 25-ton blast door, the bunker included 18 dormitories designed to accommodate more than 1,100 people… the president, vice-president, both houses of Congress and high ranking military and civilian personnel.
Dependents – children, spouses – were not included. There was no room. The bunker contained a power plant, a clinic area with 12 hospital beds, medical and dental operating rooms, a pharmacy, an intensive care unit and a communications room for broadcasts to the nation. The Greenbrier was chosen for the bunker site because of its proximity to Washington D.C. – 250 miles – and its easy access by air, auto and train.
This facility, an important part of both the Greenbrier’s and the country’s history, has been closed for renovations and repairs since 2004. In the summer of 2006 it reopened for tours.
Some of the new enhancements include an exhibition gallery showing artifacts and reproductions representing the security and communications area, dormitories, VIP lounges, the medical clinic, photos and materials relevant to the facility and a video on the history of the Cold War.
The Washington Post exposed the top secret facility in 1992, and in 1995 the U.S. government ended its lease agreement with the Greenbrier. That December, tours of the facility were offered to the public for the first time.
Public tours, lasting 90 minutes, are offered on Wednesdays and Sundays. For reservations and information contact Linda Walls at the Bunker Office at 304/536-7810. Children under 10 are not permitted, nor are cameras or video cameras.
—Linda Kramer
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