Haunted house massacre opens at Bliss

16th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Story by Sgt. Robert Golden

Date: 10.09.2013
Posted: 10.17.2013 15:27
News ID: 115308
Massacre on Marshall Road

FORT BLISS, Texas – Autumn has started, warm weather departed. There are ghosts, goblins and ghouls galore, but this haunting is bound to frighten you more.

The “Massacre on Marshall Road” haunted house opened Wednesday in the Trading Post near the corner of Marshall and Haan roads, courtesy of the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation program.

The second annual Trading Post haunted house is designed to keep guests on their toes with zombies and other monsters leaping out to chase their victims.

“It was super scary last year and will be even scarier this year,” said Laura Diem, an FMWR special events coordinator here.

The coordinators chose to extend the spookiness by making the haunted house almost twice as long as last year’s version that attracted approximately 5,300 visitors. It will also be open for more days, every night including Halloween, except for Oct. 20 and 25.

“Setting up big events takes a lot of coordination,” said Diem. “We have been planning this haunted house for six months.”

Even with all of the planning, the event almost didn’t happen, because they didn’t have enough staff. The FMWR needed help to set up and run such a large event, and the coordinators were worried the haunted house wouldn’t be ready in time for their grand opening. Luckily, seven heavy equipment operators from the 47th Transportation Company came to their aid.

“We do things for the soldiers and their families so they have more local activities and we definitely needed the help,” said Marlo Brestar, a Bliss FMWR special event coordinator.

The soldiers, who had recently returned home from Kuwait, listened to guidance from the event coordinators and did everything from darkening long hallways with black plastic to decorating the almost 1,000-foot-long abattoir with ghastly delights.

“I’ve never set up a haunted house before, but I think it’s cool,” said Spc. Octavia Murchison, one of the volunteers from 47th Trans Company.

Patrons can enjoy the haunting starting at 7 p.m. with the final screams to be silenced at 10 p.m. on Sundays through Thursdays and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Visit the FMWR website, www.blissmwr.com, for more information the haunted house and future events like the Trunk or Treat at the Fort Bliss Rod and Gun Club, Friday.