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 . '' Despite the weather , a sizeable crowd of Walter Reed staff and military personnel attended the outdoor ceremony with their families . For many of them , the closure of the Walter Reed facility marks the end of an era . The hospital center has been in operation for more than a century and has provided medical care to many of the nation 's wounded soldiers . It has also served as a leading center for medical research . The new combined facility , known as the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center , is now the country 's largest military medical center . It will be run jointly by the Army and the Navy .
Military hospital lowers its capacity . Walter Reed Hospital merger with center in Maryland .