Walter Reed Army Medical Center closes its doors in final ceremony

Walter Reed Army Medical Center closes its doors in final ceremony
By Laura Koran, CNN
August 28, 2011

The flag was lowered for the final time Saturday as Walter Reed Army Medical Center closed it doors.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Military hospital lowers its flag
Walter Reed completes merger with center in Maryland

Washington (CNN) -- Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington closed its doors Saturday, completing the military hospital's merger with the Bethesda National Naval Medical Center. The event was marked with a flag-lowering ceremony, which followed the transfer of Walter Reed's 18 remaining patients to the combined medical center's Bethesda, Maryland, campus.

The official closing was conducted a day earlier than originally planned in order to avoid the worst of Hurricane Irene, but the ceremony was still marked by grey skies, heavy rain and strong winds. This somber weather caused Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, the Army surgeon general, to remark in his closing speech, "clearly the heavens are struggling with the finality of this too."

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