IRON MOUNTAIN — The Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center (OGJVAMC) invites the public, media partners and stakeholders to attend its 75th anniversary open house on March 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning in the Urgent Care entrance.

We d like to invite the public to the medical center for tours, a reception and to learn more about our history and the services we have available to Veterans, Medical Center Director John P. Shealey said. The open house will be held exactly 75 years after the OGJVAMC was dedicated, during spirit week, 1950 s day.

With many veterans returning home from World War II with injuries, Iron Mountain, Mich., was chosen in 1945 by the Veterans Administration as a site for one of the 100 new VA hospitals being built across the U.S.

On March 14, 1948, construction began on 31.5 acres that had once been the site for a large sawmill and lumberyard. At a cost of $6.5 million, it was the largest building project ever to date in the Upper Peninsula. The six-story, 265-bed hospital with 360 staff was dedicated on March 5, 1950.

Today, in addition to the main campus, OGJVAMC oversees eight Community Based Outpatient Clinics located in Gladstone, Hancock, Ironwood, Manistique, Marquette, Menominee and Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and Rhinelander, Wis.. The facility serves 24 counties across 25,864 square miles and provides care to approximately 22,000 Veterans each year.

Veterans and the public are encouraged to visit the Iron Mountain VA Facebook page for upcoming event information. For more information, please contact Public Affairs at 906-774-3300, ext. 32001 or ext. 32018.