Some History On Fort McClellan
Fort McClellan Army Base In Anniston Alabama
Fort McClellan has a proud and fascinating history which dates
back to the
Spanish-American War. The seeds of military life were fostered during the
first World War and raised to maturity during
World War II. The Choccolocco foothills, part of the Appalachian Mountain
chain, surrounds the post. A spur ridge of the Choccolocco foothills crosses the
main post from north to south. The ridge first attracted military interest
during the
Spanish-American War, when the mountains were discovered to form an
excellent background for artillery firing.
The War Department formally established Camp McClellan on July 18, 1917. The
camp was named in honor of Major General George B. McClellan, General-in-Chief
of the
U.S. Army from 1861 to 1862. McClellan was also the Governor of New
Jersey from 1878-1881. Although it is unusual for a
Southern fort to be named for a Northern general, there are strong
indications that McClellan's name was a logical choice. Camp McClellan was a
mobilization camp used to quickly train men for WWII. General McClellan is
credited with the quick training and mobilization of the Army of the Potomac
during the Civil War. Most of the first soldiers arriving at the camp were from
the North. In fact, the first group to train at Camp McClellan were from
McClellan's home state of New Jersey.
The newly activated 29th National Guard Division from the Mid-Atlantic states,
commanded by Major General Charles G. Morton, arrived in August 1917. Two months
later there were more than 27,000 men training at the camp. The 29th went to
France in June 1918 and suffered almost 6,000 casualties in the Meuse-Argonne
offensive. Morton Road, near Baker Gate, is named in honor of MG Morton.
Camp McClellan was redesignated Fort McClellan, a permanent post, on July 1,
1929. New construction began immediately and the post grew rapidly. The 27th
Division arrived from
New York during October 1940. One of the first units to depart for combat
in WWII, the 27th had orders to report overseas 12 days after the Japanese
attacked
Pearl Harbor. The Division fought in the Marshall and Gilbert islands,
Saipan,
Guam and the
Philippines, and was later on occupational duty in
Japan. A reunion took place here in the summer of 1980, bringing many old
soldiers back to where they first smelled gun powder and heard taps.
A 3,000 capacity Prison Internment Camp for prisoners of war was built during
1943 when Fort McClellan became the temporary home for many captured enemy
soldiers. Their artistry talents are preserved in Remington Hall, formerly the
Fort McClellan Officers Club. While held here, many POWs painted murals on the
walls of Remington Hall, depicting memories of their homeland. A memorial
cemetery located near the western corner of the post is the final resting place
for 26 German and 3 Italian prisoners of war who died during captivity.
Nearly 500,000 men were trained at
Fort McClellan during WWII, including a company of Japanese-Americans who
helped familiarize American troops with methods used by Japanese soldiers. Many
individuals and units trained here received the highest military honors and
decorations during the war.
During 1943, the Branch Immaterial Replacement Training Center at
Fort McClellan was replaced by the Infantry Replacement Training Center,
which trained recruits in basic soldiering skills. When the war ended, the
center trained soldiers for occupation duty until November 1946, when the fort
became a recruit training center. The Recruit Training Center was inactivated
and the number of soldiers on post dwindled rapidly after the war. The
installation was placed on inactive status on June 30, 1947. Only a small
maintenance crew remained on the post. Plans were made during 1950 to again use
the area for National Guard training. The replacement training center for the
Chemical Corps was activated during 1951, with Fort McClellan as its permanent
home. In 1962, the name of the activity was changed from the Chemical Corps
School to the
U.S. Army Chemical Center and School, until it was disestablished in
1973. The Women's Army Corps School was founded at
Fort McClellan on September 25, 1952. Approximately two years later,
official ceremonies were conducted to establish the post as the first permanent
home of the U.S. Women's Army Corps Center. Fort McClellan remained its home
until the Corps was disestablished and its flag retired in 1977. Participating
in the final ceremony was Major General Mary E. Clarke, the last director of the
Women's Army Corps and destined to later become the Commanding General of Fort
McClellan, the first female officer ever to command a major Army installation.
Another activity, the
U.S. Army Combat Developments Command Chemical Biological-Radiological
Agency, moved to Fort McClellan in 1962. It was later disestablished along with
the Chemical School in 1973. To meet the requirement for the
Vietnam War, an Advanced Individual Training Infantry Brigade was
activated in 1966. With the mission change, the fort was renamed the
U.S. Army School/Training Center and Fort McClellan. Due to continued
force reductions in
Vietnam, the brigade was deactivated in April 1970, after training more
than 30,000 men. Official ceremonies were held July 11, 1975, marking the move
of the
U.S. Army
Military Police School from Fort Gordon, Georgia. A major reorganization
of the post began in the fall of 1976 and was completed on May 13, 1977, when
the colors of the Women's Army Corps Center and School were retired during
ceremonies on Marshall Parade Field. After reestablishment in December, 1979,
the
U.S. Army Chemical School relocated here from Aberdeen, Maryland, and
joined the
Military Police School and the Training Brigade to make Fort McClellan
the only military installation in the United States with three major missions.
Fort McClellan has been 'home' for an average military population of about
10,000 people, including about 5,000 who are permanently assigned and employed
about 1,500 civilians. In 1995 the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)
Commission voted to permanently close Fort McClellan. The official closing
ceremony ending Fort McClellan's illustrious past was held on 20 May, 1999. At
the time of closure, Fort McClellan was home to the
U.S. Army Chemical School, the
U.S. Army
Military Police School, the Training Brigade, and the Department of
Defense Polygraph Institute. The Chemical School,
Military Police School, and the Training Brigade relocated to Fort
Leonardwood, Missouri, integrating with their Engineer School to form the
U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center (MANSCEN). The DoD Polygraph Institute
relocated to
Fort Jackson, South Carolina. The history of Fort McClellan extends
beyond this military presence. Prior to the Army's arrival, farmers and tenants,
shopkeepers and manufacturers shaped the landscape on this stretch of the north
Alabama hillside. Their legacy is still present on the post and witnessed by
historic cemeteries, old home sites, the remains of iron furnaces, and other
tangible pieces of the past.
I DON'T GIVE OUT LOCATIONS. I DON'T KNOW IF THE BUILDINGS ARE FOR SALE. I DON'T KNOW IF THE BUILDINGS ARE STILL STANDING.
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