THIS BOOK DEDICATED TO ALL OF THE MEN AND WOMEN, IS BOTH MILITARY AND CIVILIAN, PAST AND PRESENT, WHO HAVE FAITHFULLY SERVED CORPS AND FORT HOOD DURING ITS III PROUD FIFTY YEAR HISTORY. LTG H. G. TAYLOR COMMANDING GENERAL 50TH ANNIVERSARY MESSAGE As Fort Hood marks Its Golden Anniversary, we can look with pride on the accomplishments of its soldiers and civilian workers. Its personnel have defended our nation, preserved freedom and provided humanitarian aid since the early days of the Tank Destroyers. Today, as in the past, we continue to perform these vital missions. Even though the Cold War has ended, we recognize from experience the need for vigilance and combat readiness. This demands vigorous training, high standards and personal sacrifice from all our ranks. The outstanding efforts of Fort Hood personnel to maintain and improve our readiness posture has been a significant contribution to the military strength of our nation. The contribution each Fort Hood soldier makes would not be possible without the support of our families and the surrounding communities. From the beginning, they have given us their full support and understanding. As we celebrate 50 years of solid achievement, we can look forward with confidence to a future of continued growth, accomplishment and service to our nation. GENERAL JOHN BELL HOOD John Bell Hood (1831-1879), American soldier and Lieutenant General in the Confederate Army, was born in Owingville, Kentucky, and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1853. Hood served as a cavalry officer in service against the Indians. In 1861 he resigned his commission to join the Confederate Army. He was quickly promoted to Brigadier General and placed in command of the famous Texas Brigade of the Army of Northern Virginia. At Gettysburg he command- ed a division under Longstreet and was severely wounded. Later in 1863 he served with the Army of Tennessee as a division commander and was again wounded at the Battle of Chickamauga. This wound resulted in the amputation of his leg. In 1864 he was placed in command of the Army of Tennessee and opposed Sherman’s Army during the infamous “March to the Sea.’’ After the war Hood became a businessman in New Orleans where he died of yellow fever on August 30, 1879. FORT HOOD On January 15, 1942, the War Department announced the selection of Central Texas a1s08t,h0e00site for the Tank Destroyer Tactical and Firing Center. An initial acquisition of acres was made, and it was estimated that the camp would cost $22,800,000 for the land, facilities, and development of utilities. The date of completion was set for August 15, 1942. In mid-August the camp was occupied and the official opening took place on September 18, 1942. The original facilities provided hous- ing and training sites for nearly 38,000 troops. In January 1943, an addi- tional 16,000 acres in Bell County and 34, 943 acres in Coryell County nearGatesville were pur- chased. The site near Gatesville was known as the sub-camp and later ON JANUARY 15, 1942 KILLEEN WAS SELECTED AS THE SITE FOR THE TANK as North Fort Hood. DESTROYER TACTICAL AND FIRING CENTER. During the war years. North Fort Hood housed nearly 40,000 troops and 4,000 prisoners of war, and was the site for the southern branch of the United States Disciplinary Barracks. At the end of 1942, there were about 45.000 troops living and training at Camp Hood. Camp Hood reached its peak population of almost 95.000 troops in late June 1943. These IN MID-1954, III CORPS MOVED TO FORT HOOD FROM CALIFORNIA. strengths were main- tained until early 1944. In 1944 the number of tank destroyer battalions in training at Camp Hood declined rapidly. They were replaced by field artillery battalions and the Infantry Replacement IN AUGUST1942CAMPHOODWASOFFICIALLYOPENEDAND BECAMETHE HOME FOR NEARLY 38,000 TROOPS. Training Center in March 1944. By September, the Infantry Center was the largest activity on post, reaching a peak of 31,545 troops. The total camp population on last day of 1944 was 50,228. The last year of World War II saw a major shift of emphasis in Camp Hood’s mission and a drastic reduction in population. As the war came to an end, the training of troops slowed and equipment reclamation and demobilization planning became the priorities. A separation center was establish- ed in September 1945, and as the year ended, post strength had fallen to 1,807 prisoners and about 1 1,000 troops. In January 1946, the 2d and 20th Armored Divisions arrived from overseas. This resulted in IN SEPTEMBER 1944INFANTRYTRAININGWASTHEPRIMARY MIS- SION OF CAMP HOOD. only a temporary increase in troop population since the 20th Armored was inactivated on April 2, leaving the 2nd Armored Division and its attached units as the only tactical troops at Camp Hood. At the same time, all of the prisoners of war were returned to their homelands. In June, Camp Hood became an installation of the 4th Army, and the com- manding general of the major tactical unit, the 2d Armored Division, also became the com- manding general of the post, in the later part of 1946, North Fort Hood was closed and the post population dropped from about 15,000 to less than 5,000. Camp Hood was also named as the permanent home of the 2d Armored Division. From the end of 1946 to 1950, Camp Hood changed little. The 2d Armored Division was designated as a training unit, and field facilities at the post were used by Army Reserve units, ROTC, and the Texas National Guard. West Fort Hood, once called Killeen Base, was constructed in 1947 and manned by U.S. Air Force personnel until CAMP HOOD HAD A LARGECONTINGENT OFWACS (WOMAN’S ARMY CORPS)TO PERFORM ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES DURING WORLD WAR II. 1952. North Fort Hood was reduced in size and used primarily for summer training of National Guard and Reserve units. DURING THE 1970S MOSTOFTHEWORLDWAR ERA BUILDINGSWERE REPLACEDWITH MODERN, PERMANENT II STRUCTURES. On April 15, 1950, Camp Hood became a permanent installation and was redesignated Fort Hood. During the Korean War years, the post continued its training mission and provided individual replacements for many of the units involved in that conflict. In mid-1954. III Corps moved from California to Fort Hood. The corps supervised the training of combat units at Fort Hood and other Fourth Ar- my stations from 1954 to May 1959 when Corps III was inactivated. Also during this FORT HOOD’S UNITS ARE FULLY MODERNIZED WITH EQUIPMENT LIKE THE M-1 ABRAMS MAIN BATTLE TANK. period, the 4th Ar- mored Division was reactivated at Fort Hood and deployed to Germany as part of the “Gyroscope” concept of unit movement. Additionally, Killeen Base was renamed Robert Gray Air Force Base. In September 1961, Fort Hood again became the home for the III Corps, and in February 1962, III Corps was assigned as part of the U.S. Army Strategic Army corps (STRAC). In September 1967, Fort Hood was officially designated a two-division post with the 1st and 2d Armored Divisions. In October 1969, Killeen Base was redesignated as West Fort Hood and the airfield’s name was changed to Robert Gray Army Airfield. During the late 1960s Fort Hood trained and deployed a number of units and individuals for duty in Vietnam. As the United States ended its role in that conflict, thousands of returning soldiers completed their active duty with one of the Divisions. In 1971 the 1st Cavalry Division came to Fort Hood from Vietnam and replaced the 1st Armored Division when “Old Ironsides” deployed to Germany. The inactivation of the 2nd Armored Division was announced by the Department of the Army in January 1990 and took place in May 1991. During 1990 the post developed plans and pro- grams to expand the installation and facilities to support units deployed from or mobilizing to Fort Hood for Opera- tion Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Southwest Asian deploy- FORT HOOD’S SOLDIERSARE WELLTRAINED, WELL LED, AND HIGHLY MOTIVATED PROFESSIONALS. ments from Fort Hood began on September 9, 1990, and continued through March 1991. Fort Hood deployed over 25,000 active and reserve soldiers in support of that operation. Fort Hood is the largest armored training installation in the free world. As it has throughout its proud history, Fort Hood continues to be the source of the best trained and equipped soldiers in the United States Army. Corps History Ill The III (Phantom) Corps was organized on March 30, 1918 at Langres, France. It was activated on May 16, 1918 at Mussy-sur-Seine and participated in the Aisne-Marne, Champagne, Oise-Aisne, Lorraine, and Meuse-Argonne campaigns. Its MAJ GEN WILLIAM M. WRIGHT MAJ GEN ROBERT L. BULLARD MAJ GEN JOHN L. HINES JUN 1916 TO JUL 1918 JULY 1918 TO OCT 1918 OCT 1918TO JULY 1919 World War commanders included Major General William M. Wright, Major I General Robert L. Bullard, and Major General John L. Hines. Following the end of the war, the corps was demobilized at Neuwied, Germany, on July 1, 1919. On August 15, 1927, the corps was reconsti- tuted in the Regular Ar- my as XXII Army Corps, and was redesigned as Army Corps on Oc- III tober 13, 1927. The corps was recalled to active duty on December 18, 1940, at the Presidio of Monterey, California, and remained to par- ticipate in the defense of the west coast following the Japanese attack on IllCORPSGOESINTO BATTLEFORTHEFIRSTTIMEON 4AUGUST1918DURINGTHE AAINSDNET-HMEARFNREEONPCEHRA4TTIHOND,IVCISOIMOMN.ANDINGTHE3RD,28TH,AND32NDU.S. DIVISIONS Pearl Harbor.