Though the US did not enter World War 2 until 1941, the military prepared for the possibility a few years prior by identifying facilities across the country to care for casualties. The federal government found the Framingham property attractive and purchased the land in 1942; "not only was the location central to the New England states, with ready access to the Boston and Albany rail lines, but equally important was its proximity to some of the nation's best medical facilities in nearby Boston (p. 6)."
Cushing General Hospital opens its doors in 1944. Named after Dr. Harvey Cushing, the father of neurosurgery, the facility is intended to specialize in caring for injuries to the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system. Psychiatric patients coping with "battle fatigue" and "shell shock" receive tailored care, though it is decades before the diagnosis of ‘post traumatic stress disorder’ is formalized. There are 1,750 beds with special wards for para- and quadraplegics and women. The hospital is operated by the military but also employs civilians. Local volunteer organizations, such as the Garden Club, Boy Scout Troops, and chapters of the American Legion and Red Cross all contribute to the atmosphere in the facility in some way.
The facility expands in 1945 to accommodate up to 2,500 patients. The war came to an end later that year. By 1946, there were far fewer patients, mostly still those who required skilled nursing care or occupational therapy. In October of 1946, after serving 13,800 wounded service men, ownership of Cushing was transferred from the War Department to the Department of Veterans Affairs.