Courtesy Photo | A scene from 1942 is shown where the cantonment area of then-Camp McCoy, Wis., is...... read more read more
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Fort McCoy, Wis., was founded in 1909. Here’s a look back at its history from August 2022 and back.
80 Years Ago – 'New Camp McCoy' Opens; 50,000 visit
On Aug. 30, 1942, Camp McCoy hosted an open house for public inspection of the “new” Camp McCoy. According to Provost Marshal, Capt. Hans Biegel, the crowd was nearly 50,000 visitors for the historic day.
Fort McCoy was established in 1909 in the location many know today as South Post. It originated as the Sparta Maneuver Tract, which included Camp Emory Upton and Camp Robinson. This area was renamed by the War Department to Camp McCoy in 1926 after the passing of the area’s visionary — Maj. Gen. Robert Bruce McCoy.
In February 1942, the War Department announced the building of a cantonment area, referred to as the “New Camp,” which is still Fort McCoy’s cantonment area today.
The new camp site was all countryside consisting of scrub oak, jack pine, and wild grass in early 1942.
More than 1,500 buildings were constructed by more than 8,000 workers, which took nine months to complete at a cost of $30 million (approximately $545 million today). The triangular share of the cantonment area, or the “triad,” was designed to allow troop units to live and train efficiently under one headquarters.
“The most memorable part of the whole operation was the wonderful cooperation of everybody in the surrounding communities,” said Lt. Col. D.C. Lamoreaux, the area construction engineer in 1942 in a local news article. “They (the community) contributed a tremendous amount to the success of the camp.”
Similarly, an article in the Aug. 28, 1942, edition of The Real McCoy newspaper also discussed the opening of the “New Camp McCoy” as it was announced by then-Camp Commander Col. George M. MacMullin.
“Huge is not the name for it,” the article states. “The camp is larger than many of the cities within the territory, and plans for training, according to Col. MacMullin, will bring in more Soldiers than there are civilians in several of the nearby communities.”
The Real McCoy article also discussed the actual construction of the cantonment area.
“Actual building and grading operations for the erection of the hundreds of buildings began March 20, 1942, although the original survey by a corps of engineers was made in July 1941. Authorization for construction was given by the War Department on Feb. 9, 1942.”
The article also states, “Each of the new buildings is of the most modern military design for comfort and welfare of the Soldiers. All are equipped with the latest of scientific appliances. The first Soldiers to move into the new area were the Camp McCoy Military Police. Hundreds of mechanics of every type and description were employed to grade and construct the hundreds of buildings, warehouses, recreation centers, chapels, and other necessary buildings. A few months ago, this new camp site was a countryside consisting of beautiful hills and valleys studded with scrub oak, jack pine, and wild grass. Today it is one of the finest military camps in the world.”
| Date Taken: | 08.23.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.23.2022 17:05 |
| Story ID: | 427895 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 161 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, This Month in Fort McCoy History — August 2022, by Kaleen Holliday, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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