FORT KNOX, Ky. — Major Gen. Adna Chaffee was born in Junction City, Kansas in 1884, and from virtually his first breath he set his pace of life at a sprint.
Mildred Gillie, author of “Forging the Thunderbolt: A History of the Development of the Armored Force,” said his zeal drove him to greatness.
“That Adna Chaffee became the leading exponent of blitzkrieg warfare in America should have occasioned no surprise to those who knew him,” said Gillie. “No ordinary pace suited him. All his life he did things in a hurry.”
In the book, Gillie quoted Austin Lake, from the Boston Sunday Advertiser, saying, “Chaffee never strolled. Chaffee cantered.”
Chaffee’s father was Lt. Gen. Adna Chaffee Sr., a well-known cavalry officer.
Gillie said Chafee’s avid love of horses by the age of 10 came natural as a result. Like his father, Chaffee would go on to make a prominent name for himself as a rider during his time at West Point Military Academy. He became the “Army’s finest horseman” before commissioning as a cavalry officer in 1906.
Though he loved the profession, horsemanship would not become his legacy.
Did you know: Chaffee Jr. and his family placed a flagstone path at Fort Knox’s Quarters One in the 1930s during a surge of living quarters renovations.
By his 30s, Chaffee was revered for his abilities during World War One as a planner – an ability that would serve him well later in his passion for forming a mechanized force. He worked on the general staff throughout the war, coordinating large-scale actions and aiding in establishing multiple divisions and corps.
According to Ty Reid, director of the General George Patton Museum of Leadership, Chaffee’s role as a division and corps planner was similar to that of an orchestra conductor. He had his hands on everything and already understood the big picture as a young officer – again demonstrating his ability to fast track life –earning the Distinguished Service Medal as a result.
“Lieutenant Col. Chaffee is a man of marked energy, strong force of character and of unusual ability,” said Omar Bundy, commanding general of VII Corps, in a letter recommending Chaffee for a promotion to the rank of colonel.
Following the war, Chaffee returned to the cavalry until he picked up an assignment at the War Department, again as a planner. In 1928 and 1930, he assisted in the organization of a U.S. Army experimental mechanized force demonstration. It was then that Chaffee seized on the idea of building a fully mechanized force for the U.S. Army.
“The papers saluted [the Force] as the ‘pride of the Army,’ with, ‘terrific smashing power,’” said Gillie.
Chaffee saw the same potential in a mechanized force and in 1931, wrote his now famous “Mechanization in the Army” paper.
According to Gillie, the paper outlined the first definite plan for creating an armored force. Chaffee’s $4 million four-year plan was to create a “completely mechanized; self-contained; highly mobile regiment,” which he believed would be “a great part of the highly mobile combat troops of the next war.”
“To live and move quickly against the gun requires protection,” said Chaffee in his paper. “Armor gives protection in movement. … If we neglect to study every possible usage of this asset in our next war, we should not only be stupid, we should be incompetent.
“And so, we come to what is called mechanization.”
In 1932, Camp Knox was chosen as the future home of the mechanized force. A World War I training camp, Reserve Officer Training Corps and National Guard summer training camp, the camp was reestablished as a permanent Army post and renamed Fort Knox.
Chaffee, along with Lt. Gen. Daniel Van Voorhis, advocated for the force to be stationed in Kentucky because the land afforded them a perfect training site.
Did you know: At the time, personnel were issued government owned Fort Knox license plates, which they were required to turn in upon changing duty stations – Chaffee received a letter requesting the return of his plate. No record of return was ever found.
According to Gillie, Chaffee essentially brought Fort Knox back to life when advocating for then Camp Knox to be the home for the Army’s new mechanized force. While working to build the nation’s mechanized force, the 7th Cavalry Brigade (Mechanized) also spent a great deal of time working to enhance the quality of living on post, all at Chaffee’s insistence.
“He invested a lot in this installation,” said Reid. “When he got here, the living conditions were atrocious. He was constantly balancing health and welfare along with advancement of the force.”
Oftentimes when the men were not conducting training, they were making repairs to their new home station. According to Reid, Chaffee’s determination and strong will often aided in these efforts.
“One of my favorite stories is about him turning down a choice assignment, for an assignment in Washington D.C. as a congressional liaison for military budgeting at the War Department,” said Reid. “He used the four years away to find ‘excess’ funds to send back to Fort Knox – truly a man playing 3D chess in a world playing checkers.”
Today, Chaffee is most often remembered for his contributions to the modern Armored Force, but he also contributed significantly to the restructuring and modernization of Fort Knox at the time. Roads were paved, barracks were renovated and new barracks added, a hospital and more were built, all under Chaffee’s leadership.
Chaffee died of cancer in 1941, unable to witness of the fruition of the Armored Force on the battlefields of World War II. Because of his contributions to modern combined arms and Fort Knox, however, his legacy lives on as a symbol to future leaders at Fort Knox.
Visitors who enter Fort Knox must travel through Chaffee Gate and potentially onto Chaffee Avenue.
“To me, Chaffee is the embodiment of selfless service and confidence,” said Reid: “pushing ahead by whatever means he could, even when others were perfectly happy with stagnation.”
Editor’s Note: The historic information contained in this article was provided by General George Patton Museum of Leadership officials.
Visit Fort Knox News at www.army.mil/knox for all of Central Kentucky's latest military news and information.
| Date Taken: | 04.29.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.29.2025 14:44 |
| Story ID: | 496490 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 8 |
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