Fort Leonard Wood 1941 - 1991 Essayons

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A SPECIAL 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

FORT LEONARD WOOD 1941-1991

ESSAYONS June 27, 1991 Table of contents War nerves Trouble In 1939 Europe. Asia lead to U.S mllrtary growth and b,nh of Fon Leonard Wood 6

Sea of Mud First construction crews worked In a sea of MIssouri mucic

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Engineers and more

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Soldiers from five divIsIOns shared the post with Army engineers

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Office of the Governor State of Missouri

Tides of war

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Units Iraln here to JOin the push to defeat the AxiS•••••.•...••..••••.••.•.•••..••••••••.•......•.............• 15

Proclamation

'Temporary' since 1941

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Post historic district preserves World War lI·era buildings

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Roots of the Corps

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Congress apPOinted the first engineers before the DeclaratIOn 01 Independence.......... 22

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Vanished!

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Local commun~les disappeared with growth of Fon Leonard Wood 34

POW

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A German looks at Fon Leonard Wood from behind barbed wire

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Traces of the past From prehistoric times on, area inhabitants have

left their marl'-And more

WHEREAS, throughout the past half century more than three million men and women have been trained at Fort Leonard Wood in skills vital to the nation's defense; and WHEREAS. Fort Leonard Wood has been a positive force for economic progress surrounding communities and the state of Missouri; and

Who was Leonard Wood?

The one·tlme doctor is still largely unknown today

WHEREAS, in 1991, Fort Leonard Wood celebrates 50 years as a major United States Army training center; ana

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WHEREAS, the consolidation of U.S. Army engineer training at Fort Leonard Wood underscores the installation's significance to Missouri, the United States, and the wor:d; and WHEREAS, the military and civilian personnel who live and work at Fort Leonard Wood are recognized in Missouri and throughout the U.S. Army for their skill, dedication, and sacrifice in the cause of peace and freedom; and

WHEREAS, the continued support of Fort Leonard Wood by the residents of Missouri fosters a unique spirit of civilian and military Cooperation that will propel Fort Leonard Wood and the civilian community successfully into the 21st century: NOW. THEREFORE, I. JOHN ASHCROFT, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI, do hereby proclaim 1991 as

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FORT LEONARO WOOD'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR

THANKSTO ...

We would like to thank everyone who made thls supplement possible.

Publisher: Rick McMillin Project Officer: Maj. M.J. Milner Editor: Rick Brunk Special menllon goes to the Public AlTairs Office staJT. especially Lt. Col. Da\1d Rus· sell. public alTairs officer; Dr. Virgie :-1ahan. deputy public aJTalrs officer: and the enUre Essayons starr.

ComposlUon by Colette Michaels. Kathy · lc~1illin. l.a\·eta MUier and the rest of the DaLlv Guide stalT. Darkroom techmclanDonna Carlson.

Photography credits; Front co\'er: Traming AudlO\1.SUal Sup· pon Center-Photo and Graphics branch· es. e-peclaliy Mike Curtis. Joan Ozment.

J.m Anderson. Jim Summey and Darrell Bradfor: and U.S. Army Engtneer Center ·

eUffi.

Htsloncal photos; Courtesy of the U.S. Armv Engineer Center command historian.

All photos are Army photos unless other· wise noted. , Special thanks to the contributors to. and enters for. thIS supplement. IncJuclin Dr. · larvtn Cain. Dr. Larry Roberts. Mr. Raben Combs and Mr. aLII Waddley. flnalIy. thanks to the advertisers who made this publication possible.

in Missouri and urge all Missourians to show their support of the U.S. Army Engineer Center at Fort Leonard Wood by joining in the planned celebrations and observances.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Missouri, in the City of Jefferson, this 23rd day of May, 1991.

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GO\tnlor

Allest

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ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

To the Colors Leonard Wood will celebrate this year's Fourth of July by holding special events and activities here throughout the first week In July.

"Red, White and Blue Week" Is a special week of recognition for soldiers who participated In Desert Shield/Storm and their familles, and Is four days for the entire Fort Leonard Wood community to celebrate the installation's 50th Anniversary, traditional Independence Day ceremonies and the United States 2I5th birthday.

Most of the ceremonies and special activities are scheduled between Monday and Wednesday, with the traditional Fourth of July band concert and fireworks display on Thursday. There will be activities for all ages.

Post organizations, famllies, and friends from surrounding communities are encouraged to take part In the festivities dUring these days.

RED, WHITE & BLUE WEEK 1991 Monday. July 1 WWII Museum Dedlcatlon 9 a.m.

Free swlmmlng....................•........................11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Hay Rides 11 :30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Concessions 11 :30 a.m.-l0 p.m.

Displays, Children's Rides, Demonstrations, Game Booths and Bands 12:30---6 p. m.

Colyer Pool Flshlng 1.....j) p.m.

Softball Tournament , 1-1 0 p.m.

Bowling (reduced cost) 6-9 p.m.

Tuesday. July 2 Firecracker SK Run 7-9 a.m.

Engineer Memorial Plaza Dedlcatlon 9:30 a.m.

Free swimming 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Hay Aides 11 :30 a.m.-S p.m.

Concessions....................................•...... 11 :30 a.m.-1 0 p.m.

Displays, Children's Rides, Demonstrations, Game Booths and Bands 12:30---6 p.m.

Movies 1 p.m.

Bingo (Davis Club) l _ p.m.

Fun Shoot

1-5 p.m.

Golf Tournament Softball Tournament...

1-6 p.m.

1-1 0 p.m.

Bowling (reduced cost) Battle of the Bands Bass Tournament (LORA)

6-9 p.m. ·· 6-1 0 p.m. . ht 6 p.m. -M"d I OIg

Wednesday. July 3 Desert Storm Ceremony 9 a.m.

Free swimming 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Hay Rides 11 :30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Desert Storm Family Plcnlc l1 :30 a.m.-l 0 p.m.

Concessions 11 :30 am.-l 0 p.m.

Displays, Chlldren's Rides, Demonstrations, Game Booths and Bands .12:3D-l 0 p.m.

Softball Tournament...

1-5 p.m.

Bowling (reduced cost) 6-9 p.m.

Pool Party (Wallace) _ 6-10 p.m.

Thursday. July 4 Museum Tours, Movles ~ 11 a.m.-l0 p.m.

Salute to the Union, Engineer Regimental (399th Army) Band concert...•....••..........._ 8-9 p.m.

Fireworks display 9:30 p.m.

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T LEONARD WOOD COMMISSARY emories 0

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Inside of the commissary in the early 1940's.

••• Inside the new building early 1991.

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Everyone is a \l.1.P"

If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase from any department please see Mr. Bufalo

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Front of the new commissary.

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Fresh Bakery, Cakes, Etc. Fresh Deli (Hoagies, Party Trays)

Fresh Pizza Fresh Fish

Over 3,000 New Items 16 Scanning Registers

Meat Department.

Expanded Flowers Expanded Meat Department Twice the Produce Items International Foods Attached Warehouse

Produce departmen t.

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ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

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1939 war jitters force U.S. military expansIon Fort Leonard Wood part of urgent move to prepare for war in Europe. Asia

By Dr. Larry D. Roberts Engll"leer center HlslOnan

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lfty years ago. engineers and contractors began to carve a major Army training center out of the rugged terrain of the Ozarks.

The real story. however. beglns 15 months before workers poured the footings of the first barracks buUdlngs In December 1940.

Gennan annored and mechanized forces had invaded Poland. and by the end of the first week In September 1939. most of Europe was caught up In yet another continental war.

For the Unlled States. this new European war was a concern that overshadowed arudelles about the nallon's economIc depression. and added to Its troubled thoughts about Japanese expansion in China.

A major world war. to which the Unlted States had conlrlbuted many of Its people. had endedjust20 years before. Amerlcans were tom between wanting to avoId another war and wantIng to help tho e fighting Nazi and Japanese aggressIon. Many. Including President FranklIn D. Roo evelt. beUeved that we would ultimately become Involved in this spreading conflagrallon.

Although the nation's preoccupallon with neutrality kept our leaders from providing open and substantial upport to European democracies. and to a I s er degree. to China. most American did supportlmpro" 11Ig our nallon' defen e . Addi 1I0naltralnIng centers would be needed to upport an Increa ed military po ture.

The Inltiallocallon for one uch center. to be named Fort Leonard Wood. wa ncar Leon.

Iowa Closer scrutiny by the orp of Engine r howed that ill water tabl In th t area had dropp d l~nlncanl1y Inc World War I. Th Iowa training enter would r qulr on truc-

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This picture map Ippeared In the Springfield News·Leader and ahowl Fort Leonard Wood In January 1941.

lion of a huge wa t r reservotr to The ground was rugged. an advantage for training. but a defi support the camp. nite challen!1:e for construction An alternallve to Iowa wa an area in the Ozarks suggested by Also. only part of the land selected wa federally owned. the Missouri Adjutant General More than two-thirds would <,nd preferred by the Seventh Corps commander. In November have to be acquired from prlvate owners.

1940. the War Department SIgnificant as the e problems abandoned the Iowa project and concentrated Its allention on an were. th sen e of urgency that area in the Mark Twain National dominated the nation's leadership prompted the War DepartFore t near Wayne ville. MI mentto go ahead with th MI ourl.

Th Ite wa by no means per- sourl sileo That decIsion f t. a contractor and archlchanged forever life In thI p rt t tural ngIneer soon learned. of the state.

The small towns and ham! of the ar a were ovelwhelmed an army of con truction work that u lImatel numbered ~ than 30.000. Housing demandl Increased a thousand-fold.

Tools. equIpment and lumber were almost 1mpo Ible to nnd.

The actual pace ofUfe. hlcb on observer d crlb d as qui and leisurely. shift d a1most overnight tnto ov rdrlve.

For some. the n w post m chang much more profound than a qUicker pa e orure. n tratntng enter' bound·

ESSAYONS June 27, 1991 A major factor in the region's support of the post was the belief that the nation demanded their sacrifice. aries encompas ed a number of small hamlets. such as Bloodland and Tribune. that would soon disappear.

Mr. Lee York. age 86. had lived lo the area for more than haifa century. One observer noted that the cookstove in the kitchen had remained lo the same spot for 63 years.

Mr. D.S. Mlller had been born on the farm he owned. Now. forty years later. he had to move.

Despite these drawbacks the people of the region maintained a remarkably positive attitude. The huge Army post would be a tremendous economA little rain often went a long way where Missouri soli was concerned.

Ic asset to the region. The fort offered employment and prosperity to an area that had suffered from the depression.

However. a major factor in the reglon's support of the post was By Dr. Lany D. Roberts to get the new post ready for Inbased on the beBef among Miscoming soldiers.

Engineer Center Historian sourians that the welfare and The sea of mud dominated year before the safety of their nation demanded both the cantonment areas and Japanese attack on the roads leading to them. their sacrtfice.

Pearl Harbor was to Equipment needed to clear land Their radios nlghUy told of the plunge the United for bulldings or to construct the advance of Nazi armies and the States into World War II. lo De- rallroad to the post was often diIsolation of embatUed Brltalo.

Their president explained that cember 1940. workers began verted to do road work. Bulldozthis nation had to become the constructing the Seventh Corps ers had to drag lumber-laden Area Training Center lo Mis- trucks through the axle-deep arsenal of democracy. else the world would sink Into a fac;lst souri. muck. River rock dumped on nightmare.

Planners and bullders faced the prtrn1tive roads sank out of These people answered a call many challenges In carvlng out sight. Water supply and to na tlonal service as grea t as a major training center from the drainage trenches fllled with that ofbrloglng thousands of rugged Ozark landscape. Bitter water ovemlght, or collapsed cold and unseasonable ralos under the force of rain and young men loto uniform. The plagued engineers. architects. wind. history of Fort Leonard Wood and construction workers trying truly began with them.

Workers bullt drawbridges

Building in a sea of Missouri mud

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across muddy thoroughfares.

Once across the "street." a pedestrian raised the footbridge so It wouldn't be destroyed by the next vehicle trying to negoUate the mud.

The correspondlog shortage of heavy eqUipment delayed the construction of the ra1l spur linJdng the post with the Newburg railhead twenty mlles away. Without these ralls. supplies stockplled at Newburg had to be trucked to the post. either over US Highway 66 or a newly constructed supply route.

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ESSAYONS June 27. 1991 i.J

Build

From prevIOus page

Only one and one half miles of track were on level %und. Dozers and grading machines orepared more than 60 cu ts arid fI1ls along the rou teo The twisting spur. with 70 curves. was a test of engmeertng sklli.

Other problems Involved bringing power to the installation War Department officials oblaJned contracts with regional power companies for temporary and permanent electrical power.

However. workers had to build the transmission lines from the nearest transfer station to the post. The power grid on post was constantly shifted as adJuslments were made to the location of buildings. roads. and other utilities. Utilities workers used more than two million feet of supply and service wire on the post. as well as 2.500 uWily poles.

Construction workers layout yet another building.

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ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

In just seven short months, almost 1,600 buildings had been completed.

By March 1941. a virtual

army of construction workers. numbering more than 30.000. were working on the new traInIng center. Many were unskilled workers who came from hundreds of miles away for the employment offered at Fort Leonard Wood. Many lived out of tents or automobiles because the local housing market had been swamped by the tnflux of people. Local residents converted barns and garages In an effort to provide some form of housing. The area surrounding the new training center resembled the mining camps of bygone Gold Rush days.

By the end of June. major construcllon was complete and the primary contractors turned over the Installation to Army management. In seven months. almost 1600 buildings had been completed along with all of the supporting facilities and training ranges.

Throughout the war. additional buildings and tratntng facilities were added to adapt the installation to unique training reqUirements.

However. this follow-up construction was never near the magnitude of illort of those hectic months from December 1940 to June 1941. In that ttme. workers completed more than 600 barracks. hundreds of dayrooms and administrative buildings. and dozens of large storage buildings. .

More than fifty miles of sewer lines and all weather roads were bullt. Fort Leonard Wood cost taxpayers slightly more than $37 million for 5.3 ml1llon square feet of construction, or about seven dollars per square foot. Compared to construction costs of more than $100 per square foot today. the nation received a bargain In the construction of the mid-Missouri post.

The offiCial records reveal facts about construction schedules. materials ordered and problems encountered. Unfortunately. we know far less about the thousands of workers who labored to overcome obstacles and build a great tratntng center. , •

(TOP) Some 01 the more than 30,000 construction worker. hired between January and May 1941 work on a 63·man mobilization barracks.

(LEFT) Two worker. put the finishing touches on a barracks.

(ABOVE) One row 01 barracks nears completion. By the time the malor con· structlon was IInlshed In May 1941, almost 1600 buildings had been complet· ed.

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ESSAYONS

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June 27, 1991

Did you know?

During the first year of operation. the railroad line rarried 1.500 tons of supphe each day on 20 to 25 railrars.

Additionally. the line pro\ided excursion transportation for 700 to 1.000 soldier each week. The train departed each Friday e\'ening for St. Louis and returned on Sunday afternoon.

Mr. Lambeth bought the property complete with a frame house in 1903. He remodeled the house In 1925 Into a two-story stucco cotla~e. Later additions induded a smokehouse. car shed with a cellar. and finally. a bam In 1938.

Central Ozarks Medical Center Family Practice and Internal Medicine

Joseph Lambeth raised five daughters on his homestead. It was doubtless a sad day for him to relinqUish his home when the government bought his land by condemnation In order to build a temporary mobilization training center called Fort Leonard Wood.

Leonard Wood graduated from Harvard Medical School. He did his tnternship at Boslon City Hospital. but was later fired for failing to follow procedures.

Gen. Wood died tn that same hospital in 1927.

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(314) 765-5141

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ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

omeo en

• Ineers

Post links to Engineer Corps forged in its earliest years

By Dr. Larry D. Roberts Engineer Center Histonan

stabllshed early in

1941 as the lhrea t of war in Europe began to pervade the United States. Fort Leonard Wood·s primary mission was to train soldiers for war.

This training took two forms.

Flrst. the new post was to be the home of one of the Engineer Replacement Training Centers (ERrC). providing soldiers to both establlshed and new engineer units ulUrnately destined for action In Europe or the Pacillc.

Second. the post was a trainIng center for divisions. During World War II. five dlvislonsthe 6th. 81h. 75th. 97th. and 70lh Infanlry Divisions trained at the Missouri fort before deploying overseas. In addillon. a number of smaller organlzallons. such as the 72d and 76th Field Arlillery Brigades sharpened thelr warfighling skills althe new post.

For most oflls 50-year existence. Fort Leonard Wood has provided basic and advanced training to newly inducled soldiers. This was the primary mission of the ERrC.

Two soldiers from the 6th Infantry DIvision use the buddy technique to breach a barbed wire obstacle.

Originally. new soldiers were to receive 12 weeks of training.

The first weeks were spent on basic soldier skJlls. such as marching. weapons firing. military courtesy. and military hygiene. The remaining time was spent training on such combat engineer subjects as bridging. river crossing operations. construction and demolitions.

Ironically. the flrst troops to arrive for training in April 1941 did not get the full training schedule. Thelr training was cut short at eight weeks and

they were sent to units preparing for the Louisiana maneuvers to be held later that year.

During the first year

following Pearl Harbor. trainIng cycles were repeatedly cut as the demand for soldiers Increased. A number ofsoldiers left the post after an abbreviated lO-week training period.

Unanticipated changes in the training requirements. and the sometimes erraLic arrival of new soldiers made the scheduling of classrooms and

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training sites a constant challenge. Instruction was often changed to renect developments occurring on front lines.

The requirement to run two parallel courses - one for white soldiers and the other for black soldiers - also added to the difficultic:s.

Even before the end of the first year of operation. the Fon Leonard Wood ERTC's training mission was broadened by higher headquarters. Soon. cadre conducted preliminary training for candidal es slated to aLlend Officer Candidate Schools. and for refresher engineer training of reservists called to active duty.

mlssioned officers. Later named the Leadership Training Course. the program provided two weeks of classroom instruction and an additional six weeks of practical exercises.

Some of these new NCOs were used as cadre at the ERTC Itself. while many ultimately found their way Into unJts goIng overseas.

By the end ofthe war. the ERTC. which was renamed the Army Service Forces Training Center. had tralned thousands of individual soldiers and a number of engineer units for war.

Some of the fust troops to arnve at the new post were members of the 6th InfanlJy Division. one of ten Regular Army divisions. These regular divisions. which were often scattered among numerous small posts. needed time to weld their units together Into a fighting force.

InJtially. the War Department belleved that a division could prepare for combat withIn one year. The first weeks were devoted to individual skills. Thirteen weeks were to be spent on urnt training up to the regimental level.

The division then spent 14 weeks on combined arms training; that is. getting the various combat arms and support services to work as a team.

During the last eight weeks.

The ERTC was charged with providing "off duty" instruction for those who had not had the benefit of a complete public education. Classes included math. Engllsh. geography. and history.

By 1943. however. many of the kinks were worked out of the Induction and mobilization process. TralnJng cycles increased first to the original 12 weeks and finally to a 16-week program.

Several other changes were implemented that year. The Center began tralrung selected engineer units. such as dump truck companJes. And in October. the ERTC opened a school for noncom-

LEBANON 1-44 SPEEDWAY

Bayonet training was an Integral part of basic and divisional training.

the division conducted final maneuvers. and received additional instruction on the war's newest dimenSIOns - air and armor.

Training divisional units and training basic and engineer

soldiers on Fort Leonard Wood were separate and distinct missions. The cadre for each organl7.ation competed fiercely for See HOME ext page

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346-BOAT (262

ESSAYONS June 27, 1991 Division created a Ranger training course which sought to Instill aggressiveness and sharpen the Infantryman's combat performance. The 8th also built a mock city fortrainIng In urban fighting, which the 97th rebuilt and expanded.

::lHome From previous page

the limited availability of ranges and training facUlties.

The shortage of facilities and equipment. coupled with the constant 10 s of trained personnel as fillers for deplOying units and the Influx of new personnel often stretched a division's training to almost two years.

Much of the divisional trainIng at Fort Leonard Wood focused on individual and unit training reqUirements. DIvision-level maneuvers often reqUired units to move on to large training areas in California, Tennessee, and Louisiana.

As a result. the time spent here was oflen measured In months.

The 8th Infantry Division followed the 6th, arriving In late i 942. The 75th, the only division actlvaled in Missouri, was activaled at Leonard Wood In April 1943. With thetr departure, the 97th Infantry Division

Divisional unit's training

Soldiers prepare to move out on small·unlt maneuvers. During the war years, more than 300,000 soldiers were trained at Fort Leonard Wood.

took their place. The last units of the 97th closed on the post In February 1944. The last division to traIn at the post was the 70th, which arrived In Au-

gust 1944.

Each unIt tended to add something new to the post In order to Improve its soldler's combat skills. The 8th Infantry

at Fort Leonard Wood also benefilted from better river crossing, mine warfare, and demolitions training than thetr counterpart divisions at other posts due to the ERTC presence.

Since its Inception, Fort Leonard Wood has focused its time, allention, and resources to training soldiers [or the demands of combat. The thousands of men who trained here in the 1940's were bu t the first generation to gain their mUllary skills here. To date, more than three million men and women have been trained at Fort Leonard Wood.

These soldiers have left behind a legacy that Is sure to continue as Fort Leonard Wood looks toward the next 50 years.

Founders' legacy will live on at Heartland The building that was to become Heartland Hospital was purchased for $10,000. 's • pile:. tNt

wCUd do IlVfOlW a world fA good SpacIOUS gtlSSY ICttS under bU CoOlJf1ty .y ALmI'lg horses ......, ptrClualod orty by _no lrom somew~ wtl'wI bbsSOfnIl"lg teef. bud ,....s.

Who could eonc.w 01 • benet pIKe lor ItOI.bIltd chIldrtl\ adolescents, and

,''''''' Heatll.nd HospUI ptOYdes such •

nav.n to,

ehidttn. IdoIescents. and .dUts, who somehow have betn Slopped or Sll.l'lled In lher dewlopmenl lowatd a healthy Iif, MlJCh of Ht.rllancl IS housed ., a bulding tftdtd ., 1916 by F"ranclSCatl nf.m The bullding was a lonner c.lholie COl'l\it"', OtPhanaoe, .nd • boarding house .nd • high school lor gltls For nearly 90 yea" me S.sleB 01 51 FrancIS played • ,lgn~gnl roltl ,n NltYad.', hcs· lory AAhough !he molller house lhey lounded was sold 10 Rapheat Center ., lQ81 and IIl1er sold 10 Heal1land In 19B4, lhe leg;acy th. ,isleB lell WII IonO be reo

menilered The 3000 orphans lhal en· lered ., doors IoLnd • walm wok:ome al Sf Franc., Conwr.c lor over a hal certu-

"

IS w,fltn lhat • was Scster ThotnasN ..ho SCMJl"ded the a1ltm wheh c:ot'lnJtd 10 tW'IfiI through Iht rooms oolll the wals cobp'td WI smoIdeMg nM'lS rwo twrs t.:er Some lhougtu • lvIlem hanQlnliI lrom a hot' mUSl have 6-opptd and started the flt8 Qhers Ihougt1 a chkI had an .c::cdtrt, hJng hIS wei sheets dose 10 the kerosene lamp 10 '*Y and I Igf'll'Ied One area mdenll, A.E Watson,

leared lhal he colAd have been 10 blame Mer IMng II Iht orphInage WIth his two yOlnjjl8' btor:hers to, live )"BaB, he had gone 1t'll0 Ihe dark slof'ag& room on the 100M lloor thai very day and SltudI. malches 10 he~ wle lhell 1rUt* be· cause lhey were moW'lg 10 SedaJIiI The noos II worbd lranllcally thai nQh~ urd ~ was feared lhe rool would colapse, trying 10 save some ollhe bulldlng's conlenls, by Itw'owll"lg lhem OUI !he windows The firemen and voIunleers had 10 resltain them from emerll10 the btKrw1g buikill"lg There was ~It saved.

Every busl19$S man came Iorward to ~ the SISler'S, Harry C Moore lost no lme haVIng subsc~llons of donallons Clttt.'laled. Gene Todd stal1ed lhe "Of· phans' Sack 01 Floor Caro" .nd put a coJ. 1ec1l0tl bot ltl hIS Todd·Oalon clolhmg stor. lor often,..", A benell baseball game was planned and Mayor OU..... s~ geslecl lhal ~ry business man In Iown close II 101M' o'cIoc:k 50 lhal everyone colAd anend. The ladIeS 01 Nevada orga nlled a clolhng dnYIlOf 1M chben and lhe DIlly MailHerakl, PoSI ~ set up special commlltl$ 10 ICCtpc moo. e, Olers were made 10 take U. children InlO pnYalt homes bf.C MOlhtf John waited fltm 10 my logelher

The OAJNI butting thai OCC\4>led the pttserlf SIlt was bu• ., 1889 by lhe CNdlIM Church IOf a new Utwtrslty, and purchased ., 1890 by !he 8enedlc:.

IN N::Jwt of ~liCo, Mansas, ~ be used IS • bo~ school The bIIlding was PLrChased. sJgti unseen. n 1892, by Iht FranCIscan nuns IOf $10.000 Aliff sPendlr9 I.n monIhs Itlff'llng Eno"sh. lhe FtiAClSCan .rn'tl'ld ., Nt'lada ltOlTl Iht 5was Alps on Seplem· bff 3, 1893 The opened the doors lor school Septtmbtf 15 The debrIS was soon hl1Jed away and In JanUll'Y of 1896, ... dowtd "" ro• • narntd Hogan had no one 10 eart lhe 'lll'Tlh a ~tl.lt I'le~ If'O(rt ct'lllcbn lor ,. 101M' amalf ch.idrtn. and as).ed and mud! assatMlCt from Brae,., Bene~Ihtt John 10 QIYIlhen a home Word dlCl. dYned mote Nn 150,000 ~ 1"'fuNd and IOOf't the tud:no "IS I ltd o~ brc::ks 10 be used agan ttl ,,. new .. ~h ht.I1drIds 01 poOt. home•• 11iI16, •• ~....,.,. loeby On Juno 11. 'lrtlln Ihe I'ItW Wlf'9 IOQtthtr ..1h IhI old I,!!' .." ~rslO ... 41lY ktol co Qt bu*l"l: bufNld 10 I liI'OLQj ~ l s.~tQClly 0('11 par !rtf h new

'I"'1S "'*'

"*',

Wah .,. cbslng of lIw:

Vlilf'1llt term .,

1952 Iht grade school was d.lSCOflWlt.ed and the &SIttS sadly S&Id ~ 10 It-.. yrow'QIr c:harges. The buldlng was "modeled and SI FrancIS ()rphanigt ot· laaly becllme 51. Ft;lnclS Academy, a

-no 1m "911C11>o1 kw i1rls

A3 lhe Scsten pl'tpared 10 leave IheI"

h6loncat P«:t 01 Vernon Cour.cy ., 1982. 0,.. 01 lhe I'UlS lhoogtcS on mod1m family ~slyles made one reallZl 'NISI and cotngeous lhese eatI"9 women In.ir are She leh modem pal.rts were 100 p.ffTIISSlve In alowng lher" chidren 10 mw !hell' own decISIOns "The need IOf boatd.ng schools where VOtxlg peop.lt may find nd dual .nellIOn, s\.P8M$lOn and love 1$ grealer today then be/ore due 10 more wol'kll"lQ mothers and brolo.en homes " TI'le 5l Francis Sislers are now happt.

Iy relocaled on an 82 acre wooded Slle al 2100 N Noland Rd Il'l Independence, Mo SUI the halls of Heartland HospItal hold their presence and thetr decfcallon 10 needy yoLJh. As the hlslOry of the building unlolds day by day, b mlSSlOO IS perhaps best desclibed by words Jound In an old btoclxJ,. Heartland's S1atlleels these words are as symbolIC loday as lhe day lhey Wttt Wrlllen "We wart OUt swderllS 10 learn 10 Sllt'ld on Ihett own two fee~ 10 acqun lrue deals a balanced OlJ~ook on 11, and a Irut ser5t 01 $pfrluaJ v.wes: These ItwIgs I«m • baSIS 01 lhe Irves lhey lead II's., lhe very air and $pint of lhe place and I \i S rooc and grows n ther hI",s They carry c away .. • them ..hen lhey ltave and I and \ill. and ad dntttnlly lha res! or thn hies becaLlY olll' (This IItlde WlS compilld by Lorrl. "'Iatd lrom mll.rtals gathertd lrom N.vad. Dilly MaY news arhelas, Nev• da and V.mon County f'M.y History "Ioo~ us,,:.tN3 alid tf!st0f\'. of "'rhon Coumy.)

•

The St. Francis Convent as it stands today as Heartland Hospital.

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â&#x20AC;˘

ESSAYONS June 27. 1991

â&#x20AC;˘ 1

es

o ar Fort Leonard Wood units learn from Allied defeats, join push to beat Axis

By Dr. Marvin R. Cain Professor 01 Hislory University 01 Mlssoun. Rolla

nJanuary 1941, more than 30,000 construction workers began converting a one-hundred-square-miJe area of Ozark foothills into what officially had been designated as fort Leonard Wood.

By late spring, construction was compieted. and the Seventh Corps Area Training Center began operations.

In addition to the divisional units that would train at the Missouri post. an Engineer Replacement Training Center (ERTCl was established under the command of Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant m.

At the time. the country was slowly being drawn Into a war that Hitler's aggression started two years before In Poland. In 1940. Nazi Germany overran france and much of Europe. and despite losing the Battle of Britain. still menaced England.

In the Far East. Japan expanded her conquests In China and formed an alliance with Germany and facist Italy. During the summer of 1941. Hitler's army Invaded the Soviet Union. while the Japanese occupied french Indochina.

American leaders regarded these ominous events as a threat to the country's security.

Congress extended the 1940 Selective Service Act. and more training centers. such as the one at fort Leonard Wood. were activated throughout the country. [n Washington D.C.. U.S. and Japanese negotiators conducted dramatic talks concernlng America's oil embargo of Japan and freezing the assets of that militantly aggressive lsland-nation whose goals Included a PacWc empire.

U.S. avy vessels e~cqr,te? t ' , me~hant ships tu Br(taln a,lld

I

Soldiers of the 70th Infantry Division occupy the German town of Saarbrueken In the spring of 1945.

fought German U-boats In the camouflage and concealment. unofficial BatUe of the Atlantic. tactical dispersal under enemy American leaders saw air attack and preventive meaOfficially. war came on December 7. 1941. when Admlral sures to reduce the effectiveness the events of 1939 and of enemy booby traps.

Isoruku Yamamoto executed his 1940 as a threat to the brilliantly planned carrier air The 75th Division strike against the U.S. Pacific country's security. fleet at Pearl Harbor. received the latest in armored In those months preceding capability when the 772d Tank Pearl Harbor. the tempo of actlvBattalion arrived \vith Sherman country and the United States.

Ity quickened at fort Leonard tanks eqUipped with 75mm Wood. The 6th Infantry Division On the other side of the world. guns. the Germans pushed across and the 72d field Artillery By the fall of 1944. the 70th North Africa and were at the Brigade arrived as part of the and 97th Infantry Divisions along with two Engineer groups "Ninety Dlvlsion Gamble." a plan gates of British-held Cairo.

However, in early summer. were aSSigned to the post. A that the country's leaders regrowing support element. which the U.S. Navy won a nearly cently adopted to fight a twomiraculous victory at Midway included a larger station hospitheater war Instead of the 213 Island. and American and Austal and units of the Women's divisions originally called for In tralian forces held onto New Army Corps. facilitated services. the 'Victory Program." Another Guinea. [n late 1942. U.S. forces administration and training for of these divisions. the 8th Inlanded in North Africa and tothe post. fantry, also arrived at fort gether with the British, began a Late In the summer of 1943.

Leonard Wood that year. campaign agamst Rommel's the 6th Infantry Div;sion completed their training and departAfrica Corps that would ultiThe first half of 1942 ed for Hawaii. By the time the was one disheartening defeat af- mately remove the azi presdi\'ision arrived in the Pacific. ence in tha t region. ter another for the U.S. As solThe following year. veterans of the Japanese ad\'anc rad been diers were being trained here. halted, and the Allies had these early campaigns came to Japanese troops conquered the fon Leonard Wood to help train pushed the Germans and ItalPhilippines. Dutch East Indies. ians out of North Africa and had the soldiers of the 6th and 8th Malaya. Singapore and Hong taken Sicily. In September. the Di\.;sions. the newly activated Kong. and advanced into the U. . and Brlsi h MImes landed 75th Infantry Di\;sion and the Solomon and Bismark Islands.

76th field Artillery Brigade. The in Italy.

Japancsc forces also captured training Included better prepaPort Moresby in New Guinea. ra,tion pfra,sty field fortlficaand threatened Australia and See TIDES , the vttilll1fe1lne'between that tions,.more~. enSive u e of.

Page 8 . , r,

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ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

REY

WILL

ENGINEERING UMITED

Manufacturers of the Medium Girder Bridge (MGB) and Engineer Regimental Association

of

Congratulations on your 50th Anniversary! he Fort Leonard Wood 50th Anniversary logo Is a simple, yet distinctive symbol which highlights the golden annlversary of Fort Leonard Wood.

The logo symbolically bridges 50 years of service to the natlon with the tralnJng of more than three million men and women from World War II through the war In the Persian Gulf. The

T

and a British Well Done for your Professionalism and Dedication

portraits of the soldiers, vintage World War n and present day, face ahead together toward the future.

The casUe remtnds us that among the first soldiers trained at the post were engineers. Today. Fort Leonard Wood has become the premier engineer tralning center worldwide. and Is now the home of all U.S. Army engineers.

J.M. MACKENZIE North American Operations 5012 Sideburn Road Fairfax, Virginia 22032 Telephone: 703-323-6112 Fax: 703-323-6209

For Those Who Protect Our Changing World

50th Anniversary Events •

Jan. 9, 1991

Special Member-Only Privileges Guaranteed Acceptance In AUSA's MastercarelP)

50th Anniversary Kick-off

May 15-18, 1991 Missouri Special Olympics Armed Forces Day

American troops protect the security ofour ever changing world -- keeping peace among nations, fighting for freedom and democracy and providing leadership.

Jul. 1-4, 1991

Fourth of July - Desert Storm Homecoming Celebration • July 1 - World War II Historic District Complex dedication and post-wide Fourth of July activities

Retiree Open House Retiree Review Gen. Leonard Wood's Birthday Veteran's Day Pearl Harbor Day

Clip the coupon below for FREE, no-obligation information about MaSlercare.

AUSA membership gives you special privileges.

Founded more than 40 years ago, AUSA provides • :rm:AI..ARMY... AND SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES, LIKE MASTERCARE.

• July 3 - Desert Storm Homecoming and post-wide Fourth of July activities

Sept. 21, 1991 Sept. 21, 1991 Oct. 9, 1991 Nov. 11, 1991 Dec. 7, 1991

And acceptance is guaranteed regard. less of heallh. No physical exams. No questions.

As a nalion, we stand proud. And as the Association of the United States Anny (AUSAl, we salute and honor you.

• July 2 - Engineer Memorial Plaza dedication and post-wide Fourth of July activities

• July 4 - Salute to the Union, 399th Army Band concert and Fireworks Display

Mastercare helps take care oryour medical bills once CHAMPUS pays its share.

Or call TOLL FREE 1-800-241-1988 Masrtf'CDrt IS _Jtdt".nl't" by Hariford up IttnrQltCt C6fIt I'fInv, Hanford, CM",tlll'.1 SAort Ttn<! Mttlteol ,,.,. Q .Jtdt"","lIt" In- rrllW' lowo11lJKt COffIPD"v. M,I.."d", ..., ''''IU JJd1"l1lluttrtd ~ KIN hI! OrJJdot 1~nJ.

Mastercare, rully endorsed by AUSA, provides outstanding CHAMPUS supplement coverage whether you're active duty or retired

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To all the dedicated ~le ed ot 1\mericis 1\rm Forces ies andtheir lltoUd tamil , ion -Please accellt our uwitat to visitdour tamily t'neme llarks as our nonore guests this summer. 'ie\\<N< Ribbon summer is our small vr;ry ot sa"mg thank yOU andwelcome s r 'nome to our te . gtrOOll . d For all yOU do, were lltoU ot yo.1

-~ f1<Jid' 'j'alnP' llaY.

s SaJl t\nu:Jl.1o. 1'exa ()f\.,..oo. f1<Jid'

SaJ\ p;eg<l. californ"

"",_.oni<>

"'\\l\aros~{g. ",{'gin,a

he people of An Companies and ~euser-Busch Americans in hono .usa join all tary men and w nng our mili~geoos fam~ens and their ,ellow Ribbon

.

familY theme par;ummer at our s starts Day,00and May 18, Anned Forces

continues throu weekend. gh Labor Day

Workin . off' g WIth the usa d enng free admis . ' we are SIOO to active uty and activ ?f the U.S. ~:erve members Immediate d Forces and the' PI ependents IT ease be our guests. for a day _ __

of fun at ~.e ~ 0 f our your Recreation ~kS. Cootaet after May 1, 1991 6 ces.Office Come and .. or detaJ Is looking VISit US, were . forward to welcoming you. o 1991 AnlInIs<r

~_

"...... 50 L.w<.. 10 Busch Com

ESSAYONS June 27, 1991 training to use and made an assault crosstng oflhe Roer River.

After the operation. the division fought its was across the Cologne plain and. as part of Gen. Matthew Ridgway's XVIII Airborne Corps. helped reduce German resistence In the Ruhr Pocket.

On May 1. 1945. the division crossed the Elbe River and was in Schwertn when the war ended a few days later. Two soldiers of the 8th Division were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. and thirty-three received the Disltnguished Service Cross.

JTIDES From page 15

Some months later. the soldiers of the 6th Division dis Un!.(uished themselves. at the cost of one thousand casualties. as part of Gen. Walter Krueger's Alamo Force in ew Gutnea. In January 1945. the 6th landed at Lin!.(ayen Gulf tn the Philipptnes and fought in Luzon. at Bataan and around Manila unW VJ Day. By the time the division left for occupation duty in Korea. two of its soldiers had been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. and ten received Disttnguished Service Crosses.

A few months after the departure of the 6th Division from Fort Leonard Wood. the 8th Infantry Division was transferred to Iceland.

Following the Allied landings in France on D-Day in June 1944. the division was assigned to the American First Army and

The men ofthe 75th

Two soldiers from the 70th Division check out a bunker while on exercise at Fort Leonard Wood.

participated in the rapid drive across Europe into Luxembourg. Later that year. the 8th engaged in bloody combat in the

dark wilderness of the Huertgen Forest.

In February 1945. its soldiers put their Fort Leonard Wood

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Infantry Division re:l.ched England in November 1944 and a few weeks laler were rushed to the Continent to help check the German counteroffensive in the Ardennes. The division was sent into the line near Dinant where in bilter cold and deep snow Its soldiers experienced the terror of combat and the agony of lrenchfoot and froslbite.

The 75th helped stop the German offenSive. and in early January 1945. relieved the 82d Air-

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to other areas for a small charge) OPEN: Mon.-Thurs.

4:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.

Friday &: Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.

ESSAYONS June 27, 1991 During 1943, veterans of the early campaigns in Europe and the Pacific came to Fort Leonard Wood to help train engineer and divisional soldiers.

Troops learn Individual tasks belore moving up to collective unit tasks.

A 6th Division soldier lies In wall.

borne Division along the Salm River. The following month. as part of the Ninth Army. the division helped liberate Colmar. It then operated between the Rhine River and the Vosges Mountains before crossing the Rhine and assisting In the capture of the Dortmund-Ems Canal In Holland.

After the war In Europe was

placements to Gen. Omar Bradley's 12th Army Group. which was engaged In desparate fighting In the Ardennes.

The remainder of the dlvlslon was assigned to SeventhAnny, and some of Its units. which were or~anlzed Into Task Force Herron. participated In the final stages of the Battle of the Bulge.

Afterwards. the 70th took up

over. the 75th Division was assigned to the occupation of Westphalia. Four members of the division were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross At the urgent request of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. the 70th Infantry DIvision was sent to Europe. However. before it left England. many of the division's riflemen were reassigned as re-

positions along the west bank of the RhIne River. and In the spring of 1945 crossed the Saar River and attacked Saarbrueken. Weeks later, the division pushed through the Seigfried Line and fought In the Saar Basin.

See TIDES Next page

Happy 50th Anniversary!

HIDDEN VALLEY PlAZA ST. ROBERT, MO.

HOME CENTERS

•

336-4716

Happy 50th Anniversary Ft. Leonard Wood from your area

Building & Home Emprovement Center Serving

• Ft. Leonard Wood • St. Robert • Waynesville • Rolla

•

ESSAYONS •

June 27, 1991 TIDES From prevIous page

(ABOVE) The first machlnellun squed 01 Company M, 1st Inlantry, 6th Division trains at the post In January 1942. From the left are Pic. Charles W. Robey, Pv1.

Eugene G. Gerrish end Cpt. Edward J. Republic.

(RIGHT) The IIrst squad Is shown here under tu II camouflage.

ONE-OF-A-KIND ATTRACTION AT THE LAKE OF THE OZARKS Duncan

n Jewelry Gold & Snversmiths

For the first time ulsltor to DWlCan U. Irs an element oJ surprise.

Duncan's Is not your ordinaryJewelry store... .Jar.from II actuaUy!

For

Irs a reJreshing step back to the Hmes when lhtngs were taken more personal and al a slightly slower pace. When people were Indiulduals with names. names thaI become.friends.

Duncan U has a special atmosphere. unlike any place that we haue been Jor qulle a while. The electric train ihat encircles the building tntrlgU2s both young and old alike. as do the exotic caged birds. The collecHon oJ ant!qU2 jlre arms Is quite inieresHng also. second only to the totaUy d!fferent wrought iron window treatments. And belleue It or not, they eoen haoe a play section Jor the children. complete wtth free pepsi & roolbeer.

Now. if you're not totaUy enraptured by aU the Hlile extras that Duncan 11 has to offer. you will be won ouer by their remarkable crajlsmanshlp.

You would haue to go a long way tojlnd suchjlne work and uaried looks.

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Thirteen soldiers of the 70th Division received the DIstingUished Service Cross.

ally boosted the morale of the soldIers.

The 97th Infantry Division. originally scheduled to deploy to the PacIfic Theater. was also sent to Europe as the result of Eisenhower's anxious requests for new troops to relieve his depleted and battle-weary units.

The 97th particIpated In the assault on Dusseldorf, and then provided Gen. George Patton's Third Army fiank protection on Its drive Into Czechoslovakia.

Shortly after the fighting In Europe ended. the division began redeployment 10 lhe Pacific.

Bul the war with Japan ended before lhe division saw action in lhallhealer. One member oflhe division received lhe Congressional Medal of Honor. and one lhe Dlslinguished Service Cross.

Although training soldiers for war was the primary mission al lhe Missouri fort. the soldler's welfare was not forgotten. Programs at the posl and In surrounding communities continu-

appearances by Hollywood slars. and atWelic events, including exhJbltion games with lhe SI. louis Cardinals baseball team. were scheduled at what a few years earlier had been an Ozark wilderness.

The citizens oflocal communities. such as Waynesville.

Lebanon. Springfield. Rolla and others. assisted post officials In providing entertainment and services for lhe soldiers.

The training received at Fort Leonard Wood increased the readiness of the divisional units. as well as the Engineer troops lhat were trained by lhe ERTC. and helped America fight and win a war thai extended across lwo lheaters.

Together. the officers and soldiers of Fori Leonard Wood and lhe area ci Uzens loiled In a historic collective effort in the greatest of all American wars.

usa shows, personal

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o

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1-800-492-4333 Did you know?

Construction of the Frisco railhead in Newburg began in early December 1940. and the first train rolled inlo Fort Leonard Wood on April 19. 1941.

The 27 miles of railroad wound ilS way through some very uneven terrain and included two major steellruss bridges over the Litlie and Big Piney Creeks.

Only one and a half miles of level track existed on the roule.

•

The railroad llne from Newburg 10 Fort Leonard Wood was buill with used lrack and railroad accessories. The Santa Fe line sold lhe Army abandoned track from Colorado. The Army look up the track. moved ilto Missouri and relaid it. Hence. some of the date nails are from the 1920's - long before the post was built.

ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

, buildings

District saves 'tempor In peak of construction one structure built every 45 minutes at Fort Leonard Wood his collection of restored World War IT temporary mobilization bulldlngs represents Just a few ofthe hundreds ofthousands of Identical buildings buill from Maine to CalifornJa between 1939 and 1945. DurJng the peak construction perJod here In 1941. these buildings were being completed at the rate of one every 45 minutes.

As rnllitary trainJng began at Fort Leonard Wood In May 1941. soldiers began filling these new buJldlngs. One company would be housed In two barracks. one mess hall. one day room and one orderly room.

Several companJes would be grouped together Into a battalIon or regimental area with the additions of headquarters and admlnJstraUve buildings. Bachelor Officer quarters. motor pools. and a gyrru.aslum. ThJs larger grouping would be combined with other slrnllar areas to create a brigade area and eventually an entire division area.

All the buildings whJch make up thJs hJstorJc dis trlct were built between December 1940 and May 1941. These temporary buildings. along with 1600 others on post. were built to last only 10 years.

Building 1307 - ThJs building was originally built as a brJgade dispensary. CurrenUy. It houses the adrnlnJstrative offices of the Englneer Center command hJstorlan.

u.s. Army Engineer Museum /

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1":.YJ7· Historian Offices

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t's time to rummage around In that attic or closet. OffiCials at thls 50-year-old traJnJng center are 100kJng for old photographs. letters. documents. maps. dlarJes and other materJal pertatnlng to the his tory of Fort Leonard Wood. the Corps of Engineers or unJts that have served here.

Fort Leonard Wood is celebrating Its 50th Anniversary In 1991.

Due In part to the closure ofthJs south-central MissourJ post after World War II and Ils temporary stalus until 1956. the hJstorical record of Fort Leonard Wood suffers from persistent gaps In archJval malerJal. HistorJans see our golden anniversary year as an appropriate time to launch a concerted campaign to recover that hJstorJcal record.

The Engineer Center historian. Dr. Larry D. Roberts. and the Engineer Museum director. Mr. Robert Combs. would like to talk \vith persons Interesled in donating historical materials 10 the post.

Please talk with them before sending any matertal.

Persons who possess matertal that may have historical signJllcance are encouraged lo wrtte these officials in c/o Engineer Museum. Building 1607.

Fort Leonard Wood. Missouri 65473.

I

World War II Historic District ...

Historical items requested

1309· Commander's OuatlCfs 1314· Day Room· Goo Wood exhIbit 1315 - Moss Hall (Workshop"" 1316· Barracks·' 1317 - Barracks (ClasSloom)"" 1318· OfdCl'ly Room· vchlckl exhibit 1319· Moss Hall 1320 • Orderly Room 1321 • Barracks 1322· Barracks 1323· Day Room (Storage)"" 1324· Day Room (Storage

r-

-- Nol proscnUy open to lhe public

Building 1309 - ThJs small. two-room structure was built as a regimental commander's quarters where the Colonel In command lived.

Building 1314 - Day rooms. such as thJs one and buildings 1323 and 1324. were used recreation and relaxation facilities. ollen contalnJng a pool lable. reading materJal and comfortable chaJrs. This day room now houses an exhJblt deSee DISTRICT Next page

Dayrooms such as Ihls one in Ihe 61h Division area were buill as relaxation and recreallon lacUllles lor Ihe Iroops.

ESSAYONS June 27, 1991 uDi

mct

From previous paga

tailing the life and career of Major General Leonard Wood.

Building 1315 - Originally built as a mess hall. like buildIng 1319. this faclllty houses the museum's exhibit production lab and workshop.

Building 1316 - nus 63-man temporary mobl1lzation barracks Is Identica1to others In the complex. ThJs one. however. will soon house the museum's Fort Leonard Wood hJstory gallery.

Building 1317 - nus barracks now serves as the museum's classroom where companies of basic trainees learn of the hJs tory and traditions of the U.S. Army.

Building 1318 - BuUl as an orderly room. this building conlatns displays of some of our smaller vehJcles and other large equipment.

Building 1319 - nus completely restored mess hall originally served family-style meals until the more efficient cafeteria service was Introduced in 1944.

Painting depicts the first pontoon bridge built by engineers training here.

Corps of Engineers rooted in history

n February 1986, Building 1320 - Orderly the Corps of Engineers rooms such as this served as the joined the Army Regimencompany headquarters containtal System. A short time ing the company commander's before. the ChJef of Staff of the and first sergeant's offices and Army had approved the organithe all important company sup- zation of the Engineer Regiment ply room. to include the entire Corps of Engineers. Although thJs Is a new idea for young soldiers toBulldJng 1321 - Restored as It day. the regimental system and would have appeared in 1943. thJs barracks was built to house the hJstory of Amerlca's military than the naengineers Is older 63 men. Toward the end of lion llself.

World War II. however. this For centuries. national govbuilding housed as many as 125 ernments and monarchs have soldiers. organized their armies Into regiments. In fact. the word regiment comes from a base word BuildJng 1322 - Another barracks.likebuUdings 1316. 1317 meaning "to rule." In the early days of the American Revoluand 1321. thJs one Is being relion. the colonies and the Contistored to Interpret barracks lJfe nental Congress organized their In 1967. the peak tratningyear respective forces on the British at Fort Leonard Wood. regimental pattern. The colonists borrowed heavily from Buildings 1323 and 1324their British adversaries. Rank Originally buill as dayrooms. structures. command arrangethese buildings are presenUy ments. and the existence of cernot open to the publlc. tain special staff positions were

similar.

From the beginning of the struggle with England. there was a recognized need for an engineer element In the colonial force. The Continental Congress made provisions for one chJef engineer and two assistants In 1775. almost a year before the Declaration of Independence.

Four years later. the Congress established the Corps of Engineers.

However. trained engineers were scarce In the colonies. The first Chief Engineer was RJchard Gridley. a former British officer with considerable experience.

Uilimately. a large number of French officers. utilizing the

The regimental system and the history of America's military engineers is older than the nation itself.

training and experience they had gained In Europe. served as engineers in the Continental Army.

In establishJng the "Corps," Congress was using the term In its most basic form. The corps. as a tactical unit, would not appear until the Napoleonic wars.

As applJed to the engineers. and later the quartermasters. ordnance officers. and signalmen. the word corps meant a body of Indlvlduals with a unique specialty.

For the next 70 years

the Corps of Engineers would be prlmarlly officers. Congress would not Include enllsted engtneers In the Army until the days of the Mexican War. It was also during the Revolulion that the histories of the engineers and the artillery were intertwined. Commanders and civilian leaders perceived both services to be very technJcalin nature. Both tended to become involved in batlie during the ea-

ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

•

tabllshm nt or tta k of fortification . Both r !Jed on maU1 In establishing the "Corps," Congress was using matic and ili len sa th Ir ba du ational dl Iplln . the term in its most basic form. The corps, as a The slmllarltie prompted tactical unit, would not appear until the Napoleonic ongres to pl. c U1 two branche In ilie am orp for a wars. As applied to the engineers, and later the hort tim all r lh R volution. quartermasters, ordnance officers, and signalmen, Ll. 01. t phen Ro h fontaln \Va ili ommandant ofili the word corps meant a body of individuals with a orps of Artl11erlsts nd Englunique specialty. For its first 70 years, the Corps of n ers from 1795 to 179 . His uc e or H my urb ck. om· Engineers would be primarily officers. manded the orp untllil wa r or anized In 1 02 s paratin ilie two branches. called. and ilie orps engine r In the following decades. number of engln er companJes was ilie orientation of their the army organized numerous to U1fee and formed iliem Into a work. The orps tended to concavalry. Infantry. and arWlery battalion. Regimental-sized encentrate on fortifications and regiments. The Corp of Eng1gineer units did exist. but mainother mllltary englneeIing. The neers rematned primaIi1y a coIly In the volunteer and mJ!Jtla le tion of om ers performing a Topographical Engineers beunits formed by the states. ame heavily involved In ilie civil vaIiety of services to ilie country. The most slgnifi ant change works projects which open d A large part of the in ilie engineers wa ilie creengineer work done during the the American West to selUe· ation of the Topographical Engi- ment. and which Improved Civil War was by iliese citizen soldiers. For example. a Michineers. first as a part of the transportation and commerce.

Corps. later as a separate bugan regiment of "engineers and When war erupted between mechanJcs" supported Union reau. and finally agaln as part of the Norili and South In 1861. forces during ilie baltle of the Corps. the Regular Army engineer esChickamauga. The UnJon forces The major disllnction between tablishment was sllghUy inthe "topogs." as iliey were creased. Congress Increased the also had ilie services of a Mis-

sourl Pioneer Brigade during ilie same campaign. Pioneer troops were habl tually organized wiili the Infantry. but performed basic engineer duties.

Between the CIvil War and ilie first World War. the engineer establlshment remained comparatively small. Engineers conlin' ued their work on coastal fortin· caLions and on civil works such as harbors. rivers and roads.

In 1901. Congress expanded the Corps. converting each of the companJes of the Engineer Batlallon to Individual battal· ions. For the Army as a whole. the baltallon and regiment were the principal tactical organIza· tions. In fact. prior to 1912. the Army did not have a tactical division. Years of existence of small. scattered frontier garrisons prevented the service from developing a divisional structure until the eve of World War!.

In 1916. fearing Involvement In the European conflict.

See CORPS Next page

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ESSAYONS June 27, 1991 .JCorps From previous page

Congrt"ss began to alter the size and composition of the Anny.

Amond their actions was an expansIOn of the Corps. The engineer balta IOns In existence were expanded to regiments. In Europe. the engineers handled everything rom harbor construction to combat duties In the trenches. The expenences of World War I generally set the pattern for the second confilct two decades later.

World War II brought significant change to the engineer force structure. The War Department established. deactivated. and re-establlshed all manner of units. By the end of the war. the figh ting Anny had one engineer battalion In direct support of each division. and a number of other battalions.

SOITi\': orgafliz路 d intv groups. in general support. nus pattern has remained relatively constant to today. However. the

The major distinction between the "topogs," as they were called, and the Corps engineers was the orientation of their work. The Corps tended to concentrate on fortifications and other military engineering. The Topographical Engineers became heavily involved in the civil works projects which opened the American West to settlement, a d which improved transportation and commerce.

Idea of "the regiment.. never died.

In 1957. the Secretary of the Army approved the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS). The purpose of CARS was to Improve efficiency and morale In the fighting forces by stimulating pnde In the unit to which soldiers belonged. The record of past achievements of that unit. and Its traditions. were U1<: basis for tha t pnde.

The CARS approach was an altempt to perpetuate the her-

ltage ofthe regiment. pnmarlly for the combat arms. even though the battle group and baltalion had replaced the regiments as the basic tactical units.

Now. 25 years later. the Anny is again advanCing the reglmental idea. The reasons are basically the same as those prompting CARS. The regiment today exists ..to enhance combat effectiveness through a framework that provides the opportunity for affiliation. develops loyalty and commitment. fosters an ex-

tended sense of belonging. improves unit espnt. and institutionalizes the warfighting ethos."

In developing the regiments. branches were given several options. They could establish one regiment for the whole branch. functionally structured organizations. or regional regiments. Most of the combat'arms decided to organize a number of regunents. The leadership of the Corps of Engineers. believing that the pIinclpIe traditions of the engineers were at the battalion and with the Corps. decided on a single regiment.

Today. every soldier who wears the castles of the engineers can become a member of the regiment. In the single regiment are the customs. traditions. and hentage of countless thousands of engineers who have come before us. The history of the Corps of Engineers. one spanning two centunes. Is now the history of the Engineer Regiment.

TO: Those who troop the lanes SUBJECT: 1940

'BIVOUACERS'

They scraped away the topsoil, Lay bare the timbered hills, Shoved rocks into the sinkholes, Dumped red-clay in the nIls,

'Drove' pilings in the Piney, Built a railroad track, Hauled in tons of stuff, 'Heaped' it in a stack.

They scattered the wildlife, Polluted the springs, Shook the ground with monstrous machinery, And fleets of warlike things.

Us 'good ole boys' shook our heads, MarveIled at the Sight, While they fouled the deer runs, 'Goofed' the noodling at night.

The bluffs and the 'hoIlers,' Will never be the same, But the rough bit was giving thisCatastrophe a name.

'Aus weIl that ends well.'

So the saying goes, When the Hitlers and the Saddams, Attempt to bloody our nose.

Among the oaks and hickories, Wouldn't rename it if! could, Seems so right and proper, To call the old Fort Wood.

By Bill Wadley

TASTE OF

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Cold stee or hot lead Lt. Col. (ret) Bill Wadley began his military service In 1942 by enlisting In the Army Air

Corps, which later became the Air Force. He first became associated with Fort Leonard Wood working a brakeman for the Frisco railroad operating between Springfield and Newburg.

He related that when the railroad was built to Fort Leonard Wood, part of the tracks ran by some of the old flrtng ranges.

When going past the ranges, the workers had to lay down on their stomachs on cold sted decks to avoid stray bullets.

Said Wadley, "l didn't think I'd mind getting shot. but r sure didn't want to get shot by friendlles."

He retired from both the Air Force and the Frisco Railroad, and now lives In KImberling City, Mo.. with his wife, Lee.

ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

The

Behind the

Colorful namesake only vague shadow to this generation erhaps the most remarkable commentary on the remarkable life story of Major General Leonard Wood Is the fact that he has not been accorded the acclaim hJs fabulous Ilfe and achievements demand.

The fort that bear hJs Illuslrlous name has become a household word throughout Missouri and the nallon a well. But the man who stands b hJnd the spirit and accompli hments of Fort Leonard Wood rematn . In a large mea ure. only a vague hadow to thJs generallon.

The eareer of Leonard Wood was replet with d eds qUietly. unostentatlou ly and em lenlly perform d. Few Amerl ans who wrot thetr Ind IIbl tgnature ero th page of hi tory could point to a bu I r. mor u eful and uc ful r cord. '" Ie omblned In v ry hJgh d gr ." wrot Th odore Roo. veil. "th quality of ntire lll<llllln wlth nllre uprlghtne nd I anllne of hamcter. It w路\ I pi a ure to deal with \ mJn ofhtgh Id also who corn d cverythlog m an nd b \' . md who lop tho' ro u t nd hardy quailllc' orb d n mind fer th II k r whl h no mer ly n < llv virtu <Ill \ t Oil . " Wh w \ en r 1 Leon'lTd V ot! 1 H w \ \ '01 In tht'

MIJ, Con, Loon rd Wood

wlld me ,a lone hetman fightlog th lonely. thankl batU for pr paredne In a time when war wa tn vi ble, when an admlnl tr lion had ju t b en return d to po r on a platform of "th y k pt u out of war." h atchword ofthJ country today hould b l ad!} and th I g n hould b law Wld ord 'r. Hold on to th thin that nl.\d u hat' r. tand for

gOY rum nt under the Constltutlon. Sland for th homely. platn lhJn whJch really lie at th foundallon of our ov rnm nL We want to land wlth our ~ t quarely on th earth. our e on God. our Ideal hJgh but teady...

Th peaker 1ajor General Leonard d at a time wh<;.ll h cam n rer to 'Clclng th th u h of th Amerl n nation

than the ho t of polltlcal prophets who ha rnlsgulded countrymen.

ESSAYONS June 27, 1991 The American movement

toward CalifornJa was In full swing as the young lieu tenant took up his post as assistant surgeon In the campaign against Geronlrno. How well he distinguished himself against the outlaw chieftain and his tribes is demonstrated by the little known fact that Ueutenant Wood was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his part in the campaign.

General Wood was marked as a man of destiny as he advanced to the rank of colonel when war with Spain broke out In 1898.

One of his first tasks was to organize a volunteer cavalry unlt - a group ofhard-rlcling. hardfighting men whose profiCiency at marksmanship was exceeded only by their skill on horseback.

The group was subsequently renamed the Rough Riders.

When Wood was named brigadier general of volunteers.

Colonel Theodore Roosevelt assumed command of the Rough Riders. The close friendship between General Wood and Roosevelt dated back to when Roosevelt was Assistant Secretary of the Navy. and continued until the great Preslden t's death.

When the war ended. General Wood was appointed governor of Santiago. then as governor general of Cuba. winnlng glory for himself and his country. He later served as governor general of Moro provlnce In the Philippines.

Ironically. General Wood's name was. for many years. better known In Cuba than In the United States. During his tenure as military governor of C..tba. he worked tirelessly to bring the fiedgllng nation's standards in llne wi th the res t of civilization. School laws were written. sanltary regulations were enforced throughout the Island. and laws of public works and charlUes were revlsed and rewrltten.

General Wood was

made Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army on July 6. 1910. and held lhe office untU AprU 1914. He took to his task quile naturally.

One of his biographers has described the aplomb with which he faced his job: 'The Boston physician. who had Joined the army as contract surgeon. had now scaled his way to the peak of the military struclur lIa~1ng r ached that point. he \V<lS In a much more favorable po Won to pro eed with his pn:parcdn plans."

In simple terms which even the non-military educated layman could comprehend, General Wood detailed the tragedy which was to become World War I. Had his advice been heeded, one can only conjecture how many needlessly sacrificed lives could have been saved.

Leonard Wood and mule "Shafter" during the Geronimo campaign.

"However, his position

of prominence had Its disadvantages. As head of our military establlshment. he was certain to draw sharp fire from the apostles of pacifism and from eloquent men and women who really knew nothing about European political conditions and the war dangers of the Old World. but were masters of beautiful theories whereby they could prove to most any Intelligent but uninformed audience that war on a great scale was an absurdity."

In simple terms which even the non-mUitary educated layman could comprehend. General Wood detaJled the tragedy which was to become World War I. Had his advlce been heeded. one can only conjecture how many needlessly saCrificed lives could have been saved.

For it was not untU August 1918. sixteen months after America entered the war. that the.first U.S. airplanes were used. Fully nineteen months after doughboys started to move 'over there: not a single field gun had been used In battle: indeed. only 109 had landed on European soU at all.

Floyd Gibbons. soldier of forlune and correspondent. reported tha t he saw hi first tank In See WOOD Page 31

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ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

Rough roller Breaching mineflelds during World War /I offered the same challenges as during the Persian Gulf War 50 years iater. TIE 3 la the army's name for the British mine exploding apparatus shown here In October 1944 mounted on an M4A1 medium tank. This model was an Improvement over ear· Iier models because of Its chaindriven exploder disks. The new model had a higher degree of indestructibility. greater maneuverability and could be driven in mud 18 inches deep and across broken terrain. This tank preceeded other vehicles and equipment to explode mines which might otherwise cause damage and casualties to unprotected personnel and motorized equipment.

Did you know?

The land needed for the Missouri post was obtained In three ways: - 16.000 acres from the Forest Service.

- 20.000 acres from direct purchase.

- 31.757 acres from condemnalJon and the Federal courts.

The price paId for the land ranged from $2 to $5 per acre.

In 1946. Fort Leonard Wood was closed. and the land was leased to an Oklahome cattle rancher. For four years. the post was the Bar-O-Bar ranch. and cattle grazed between the buUdlngs. The Army kept only a caretaker detachment here to repair the locked buUdlngs.

Despite the hardships of winter and mud. nearly 1.600 buUdlngs were finIshed between December 3. 1940 and May 1. 1941. Also complcted were 56 rnUes of roads. 60 miles of water lines, 52 mJles of sewer lines and 34 miles of electrlca111m·s.

Psalm of Army Life Author Unknown •

Tell me not in squads and numbers Life is of no use at all And the bugler never slumbers When it's time for morning call.

Life is drill and life is "tenshun'" And the mess is not its goal Dust thou art to dust returnest Was only meant for Hitler's soul.

On the camp's broad fields of drilling And the barracks every night Let's not complain the work is killing It's but a year so just sit tight.

Cause anyhow we're all just soldiers Living down life's span ofyears With each his burden on his should Each his hopes, his cares, his fears.

So let us then be up and going Sergeants are not what they seem Stick - and when it gets tough rOWing Grin - and come in on the beam.

Apologies to Longfe

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ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

With many buildings going wp simultaneously, the fort was often a bUsy and confusing place.

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World War I 11 th tep f th lubllc Library up n hi r tum to c\ Y rk. Thl rem. rk \Va lllndem re Itterb• th r: t thnlthewr tnh, d 10 tan e whll 'g in!-\ ov r th ,t P \ th t\mcri an 'oldier . Am ri un -I od up to ma hlne gun In World War I with n -h, nd blood. not uperl r w'ap n .

With th outbr ak of World "'ar I. the nallon' \\, r can't

t30y arsa ther ult fan n ident in uba. < nd only a d zen p opl ev r kn wit.

III

HI final operation for a tumor und r ILls skull w under 10 al n sth la. 0 that he r m, In d on lous. and In ted nin hour. 1Ie Joked with the do tors though he kn w his lire hung in Lh bal, n e. '" Ilis cour, g \Va t st d first In Lhe pache ampaign. when he t\VI e rode alone long distan e through Indian ountry. carrying me sages. om ers spoke of hi - cooln s und r nre at Lhe Bloody Ford in the fight at San Juan 11111.... When the government and the people of Lh counLry opposed miliLary preparedness he foughL for iL though he knew the danger he \Va running.·As soldi r.' he told a friend. '1 am supposed to risk my life In the service of my ountry. Should I not be willing to risk my commission?'"

And what of the young menthe recruits. the privates. those who. In reality. compose the backbone of the anny? To Genral Wood. the anny was. first and foremost. an aggregation of human beings. gallant. lovable. wonderful human beings who might be made craven or glorious according to the leadership given them. It was ollen said that "other generals drove men.

Wood led them." Others used bodies of their men to carry strongholds; Wood kindled the spirits of his so that they became not only better soldiers but better citizens.

h.lppen" ,dvo ate be am even more embittered at n ral Wood. He \\, s cnli lL d nd not allowed to lead th E.F. In Europe.

As one of thos harged with training troop . how v r. h was 'ent on a tour of the Europ an front. His mls ion was int rru pted when he wa seriously wounded. After a number of weeks in Fren h milltary hospital. General Wood returned to the front and ompleted hi task. War' end found hln1ln command of the 10th Divl Ion. The fame of a wartime general 1 • at best. a fieellng thing. Fortunately. thl wa not the case with General Wood. His farreaching observations and analySiS of\Vorld problems made so deep an impression on the public that In 1920 he was a leading candidate for the Republican nomination. The convention. however. thought It knew better and chose Warren I larding.

General Wood accepted the presidency of the University of Pennsylvania in 1921 but asked for a leave of absence soon thereafter when President Harding appointed him governor genAn army is composed eral ofthe Philippines. The eight of men. weapons and the mateyears spent in this territory saw rials of war. Yet these men and General Wood rise to new heights as a humanitarian as he their deadly equipment are not in themselves the anny. any strove to bring order and prosmore than the studenL<: ".nd the perity after eight years of misarchitecture compose a univergovernment.

What sort of man was Leonard sity. Between the raw materials of an establishment and the esWood? Perhaps it would be well tablishment itself are the Ideas. to take a few lines from a radio the traditions. the organization broadcast given in 1931 by Herwhich make it a living force. man Hagedorn: "Let me give you General Leonard Wood devota picture If I can. His physical ed 42 years of his life to the serstrength and vigor were phevice of his country. He rendered nomenal. It was said that he this service with a single-mindwas the only man in the anny ed devotion from the day that he who could run down an Apache started chasing Indians in 1885 on foot. ... He was a good deal of to the day he died. still a soldier. a Spartan. When he was cut in 1927. over the eye once In a football scrimmage. he stood before a mirror and sewed up the wound {ReprintedJrom Spotlighting MisAJ}. U).~eJf" I;l~.-W fJm:(!f9 ,al-, ......~O.W}.·••9Cl:••t~60). :1'"..... "'--", ..

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Fort Leonard WI od PX Salutes the Men & Women, past & present of Fort Leonard Wood.

Defenders of the right for independence & fi.路eedom - You make us proud to be Americans.

Welcome Home Happy Anniversar

Americas Finest Stop By Our BooUt At The July 4th. Celebmtioll

ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

Going...

Going...

More than a dozen local communities vanished in wake of Fort Wood's growth

For 25 years, the general merchandising store of R.A. Hicks served the residents of Bloodland.

towns on the reservation proper went down.

The boom which caused housing shortages as far away as Rolla and Lebanon. also meant the end for an esUmated 17 towns situated on or near the boundaries of the new post.

The largest town in the area was Bloodland. With a population of 150-200 It boasted a post office. three grocery stores. a cafe, three service stations. two churches. and an almost-new high school. used by children in the surrounding communlUe .

When the school was forced to lose because or the military moving in, a school was built Just over the county Une In Texas county which r tal ned the name of Bloodland.

The old Bloodland school sUll stands on pos , In the approximate ccnter of the reservaUon. In the laller part of 1941. It wa used for a targ t ror field arUllery pracU e Th community or Dry Creek.

In the area of th aln PX. Is r 'pres nted by lls churrh and cemetery, WI ·tandlng acro rrom the PX. 1 he rhllrch Is now u 'cd ror the storal(e or chap 1 ·lIpplles. \ hll' lowns a t the north el.d or Ihe post, like ookvllle.llannah Uu t outside th fort). and Wildwood (10 ated al'Ound the lin Cnte) w abandon~d,'"

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some of the towns In the southern part of embryo Fort Wood Just moved.

Palace and Evening Shade.

which used to be within the boundaries. stU! exist on Highway 17 south of the Fort.

Tribune. another small community. was located In the area of Edwards Service Club. and did a land office business with the nglne r when the post got tarted. But like the others. it too wa forc d out.

In addition. many vacation spot along the Big Piney and Roubldoux RJv r wer closed.

IVlllan hunter 10 t one of the be t deer areas in the state.

(U. pnrlledJrom PorI Wood

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ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

World War II era wooden buildings served until 1965

.-":'.-:,~""::~-::~~"!' lin I

he 200 acres of ground upon which the U.S. Army Engineer School is built was a teaching site even before the school was constructed. Previously it was the site of the StaUOn Hospital. bullt in 1941 as a temporary unH to treat U.S. troops and later. POWs. Inltially the Station Hospital Included 92 buildings. but by World War II that number grew to 120 buildings. From June 1941 through May 1947. its matn function was providing medJcal care. From June 1947 unUlAugust 1950 it was inactive. having been placed on standby status.

The Station Hospital was reactivated In 1950 after the ou tbreak of the Korean Conflict. In

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The old Station Hospital Is now the site of the Engineer Center headquarters.

1954. the 12th Field Hospital. the 606th Medical Units. Dental Unit 5017. and the 218th Medica! Company were placed under the proficiency training command of the Fort Leonard Wood Station Hospital.

By 1957. the hospital was responsible for training personnel

from three general hospitals. two medical depots. and another station hospital.

Those temporary. wooden World War II buildings served as Fort Leonard Wood's hospital unW 1965 when the General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital was built. The 120

buildings occupied 556.287 square feet of space. were connected by 41.500 square feet of open walkways and 62.200 square feet of covered walkways.

The main heat source was steam. and some nine miles of water and steam pipes serviced the buildings.

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ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

•

ame changes but post mission remains-- training 1940, It seemed inevitable iliat ilie United States would become involved In ilie war already ragtng In Europe. As that conl1Ictdeepened toward World War a America needed to prepare for battle.

In response to iliat urgent battle cry ilie U.S. Army looked to the Ozark foothills of souilicentral Missouri. There a major Army training center would be bullt to toughen young men for thebatUefields of France. Belt)um. Holland. Italy. Africa and later. the islands of ilie Pacific.

And so the stage was sei for a solemn ritualiliat took place on Dec. 3. 1940. It was a Tuesday morning. cold and dreary. when the first shovelsful of hard earili were ceremoniously lifted from the site dubbed ilie S venili Corps Area Training Center.

D

8eeMISSION HtxI page

Soldiers of the 6th Armored Division march past Nuller Field House during a ceremony circa 1952.

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ESSAYONS June 27, 1991 -.J

Mission

From prevIOus page

Lured by jobs paying up to 75 cents per hour, more than 32,000 construction workers swarmed to the area.

The name dldn't lick for long.

Just a month later the post was officially acllvated with a new name. chosen In honor of a prominent Army surgeonMaj. Gen. Leonard Wood.

Wood was a colorful figure. He fought gallantly in the campaign to subdue renegade Apaches led by the infamous Geronimo. earnmg a Medal of Honor. He preceded Theodore Roosevelt as the first commander of the "Rough Riders" in Cuba. He was ton. The 8th Infantry DivJsion. military governor of Cuba from The 70th Infantry Division. The 1898 until 1902. From 191097th Infantry Division. In April 1943. the 75th Infantry Divlsion 1914 he was Army chief of staff.

Later. dUring World War I. he or- was acllvated here -the first ganized and trained two dividivision ever activated in Missions (the 10th and 89th) at souri.

Camp Funston. Kan. In 1920 he By the time the 75th came to life. the fort was filled with the made a bid for the Republican sounds oftraining. A daily averpresidential nomination. losing on the lOth ballot to Warren G. age of 40.000 soldiers were beHarding. When Harding became ing trained in engineer. ordpresident he appointed Wood as nance. quartermaster. medical. governor-general of the PhilIpchemical. military police. armor. artillery and postal skills. pines. a post he held until his Later that year. some 5.000 death in August 1927. more soldIers arrived. There were no ceremonious greellngs.

In March, the fort's name changed yet again. The acronym no fanfare. for these men. though. They were German and ERTC was added. indicating that the installation was now an Italian prisoners of war. The Engineer Replacement Training camp that held them remained in operation until 1946.

Center. commanded by Brig.

Gen. Ulysses S. Grant III. Its iniBy then. World War II tial mission was to train engineer replacement troops. Army was already consigned to histoGround Forces and Army Serry. On March 23. 1946. training vJce Forces units. The first engi- halted. The hills and ridges neer trainees arrived in April. which had stood witness for five

By May the local population years. as 320.000 officers and (about 300) was engulfed by enlisted soldiers processed and more than 32.000 construction trained here for every theater of workers. lured by jobs that paid a global war. were silent once as much as 75 cents per hour. again. A week later the fort was The locals must have been inactivated and left in the hands thunderstruck watching more of a few caretakers. than 1.600 temporary mobili7..aWhlle Army Reserve and Nalion buildings. barracks. day tional Guard units still trained rooms and mess halls go up at here dUring the summer the astounding rate of one every months. the land they trained 45 minutes. on was not called a fort at all.

That same month. the first of The entire post - all 100 square a number of major units which miles - had been leased by an train d here World War II -the Oklahoma rancher who named 6th Infantry DivJsion from Fort it the Bar-O-Bar Ranch. ThouSnelling. Minn. - rolled onto sands of head of callie grazed post. II was the start of a distin- where formations of troops gUished battle career: by war's trampled not long before. end. the "Sight-Seeing Sixth..

For the next four years. the inwould set a record for consecustallation was relatively quiet. tiv days of combat against the until a war in Korea drafted it J;]panese from New Guinea to into service once again. the Philippines and bring home The post was reactivated Aug. a Phihppinc Pr('sidcntlallJnit I, 1950. \'Vhen the first troops Citation. an'ived for training a month latOlher units soon followed. er, they started a tour of duty 'I'l!" nod Field Artillery Ballalthat has continued uninterrupt-

Did you know?

Original studies completed in 1918 recommended a si te near Leon. Iowa. for an Army training center. Construcllon of the center began there in the summer of 1940. Additional studies re-

vealed. however. that the water table had dropped 60 feet and would not support a large post. The present Missouri site was selected in November 1940.

ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

Military Police check all cars coming onto Fort leonard Wood.

ed to thJs day.

In the hands of the 6th Armored Division (Training). which operated the post. Fort Leonard Wood performed a replacement training role. providingbasic Infantry. advanced engineer and engineer specialist training.

The fort's role as a U.S. Army recepUon station began in 1953.

With the passage of the Reserve Forces Act in 1955. the fort's role as a training center grew once more. In October the first group ofvoh:.nteers arrived on post for a new six-month active duty program for the Army Reserve.

The installation took on yet another new title on March 16.

1956. The 6th Armored was inactivated and the fort was redesIgnated the U.S. Army Training Center. Engineer.

Five days later. Secretary of the Army William M. Bruckner finally declared the post a permanent Installation. The post.

In operation for 15 years. had been called a "fort" since Its inception. a title usually reserved for permanent rnilltary facilities.

Now the title rightfully belonged.

The change In status didn't change the fort's training mission, but It did allow permanent Structures to finally be built here. No time was wasted.

In the fall of 1956. a building boom began with the construc-

tion of 33 desperately-needed family quarters. ThIs was quickly followed by another quarters project the following spring. the post's first permanent troop housing facility In the summer of 1958, and Gen. Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital in 1965.

Vietnam was the focus of '60s. as war in Southeast Asia pressed the fort into service once again as a basic combat and engineer training center.

Activity here peaked In 1967, when about 123.000 soldiers were trained here.

Construction didn't stop entirely during the war. By 1972. most training on post was operating from permanent facilities.

But many of the fort's staff agencies were still housed in agIng World War II-era temporary buildings. Efforts to expand were redoubled after the war.

They reached a hJgh point In 1975. when the planned transfer of additional engineer courses from Fort Belvotr, Va. helped the fort acqutre $60 million In construction and expansion contracts.

The fort also significantly expanded its training role that year. A construction equipment operator training course for U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps personnel. as well as Canadian en-

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ESSAYONS June 27, 1991 oMission From prevIOus page

gineers. was added to the growing curriculum. Combat engineer One-Station Unit Training started the followlng year.

While engineers had been trained here for many years. It wasn't until February 1985 that the Secretary of the Army decided to move the U.S. Army Engineer Center to Missouri from Fort Belvoir.

On June I. 1988. the center's colors were lowered In the Virginia sky for the last time. and raised for the first time in the Ozarks. The followlng winter the center's stalfmembers began moving Into the current state-ofthe-art. $60 million-plus school complex.

The Engineer Center has brought tremendous changes wlth it to Fort Leonard Wood.

Within months after the new complex was occupied. the first engineer officer students began graduating from its courses. The fort also inherited the responsl-

Between World War II and the Korean War, the post ray dormant except for cows that grazed among bUildings thst Just s few years before housed thousands of troops.

bUily of developing new engineer doctrine and equipment for tomorrow's balUefields.

There are still a few of the old wooden World War II structures standing. The post museum

maintains an entire restored World War II company area. to show visitors the fort Is proud of where it came from.

But there are new boundaries to explore. from batUefield tac-

tics and combat engineering to computer simulation and space technology. Today. after 50 years of service. Fort Leonard Wood stands. more than ever. poised for the future.

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June 15 thl\J Aug 18 Aug, 19thI\J Sept. 2.. " 11 a.m. - 7 30 p.m (Closed until 4 p.m. on June 29 only)

Big Shot Family Action Park Adjacent to Big Surf Hours: Open daily 10:00 a.m. until Midnight from May 5th thl\J October 7th. Open weekends spring and fall beginning March 2nd.

Admission and Ride Rates: There is no admission charge to enter Big Shot Family Action Park. Attractions are moderately priced on a per ride basis.

Group rates and Programs available.

For information call (314) 346-6111.

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ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

Fort Leonard Wood's headquarters and service area soon alter troops started arriving In 1941.

In the days when horses had to rescue "Cats" ers and jeeps - sometimes he geologists said the region had a thin layer of horses came to the rescue of the "cats,'路 bulldozers. and jeeps. topsoil. then a thick layHeavy equipment qUickly er of clay. and below that a layer of hardpan. The hardpan churned the light-duty roads already in existence into sticky prevents the soil above it from ravines of mud. It was a mess. dralnlng properly. so the clay The fort site swarmed with holds the moisture a long time. workers. trucks. tractors, road The workmenjust said it was machinery. workers' automo路 hell.

From the moment work began biles. and civilian guards. The workers wore large numbered on Fort Wood. the area was a badges of three types: yellow for virtual quagmire. Mud. mud. contractor's employees. blue for mud - more mud than there civilian employees of the Army. are rocks now.

Trucks bogged down in the See RESCUE mud by the thousands. to the rescue came "cats" and bulldoz- Next page

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ESSAYONS June 27. 1991 JRescue From prevIOus page

and white for members of the architect engineer's force.

All wore boots or galoshes for protection from the everywhere present mud, which made a step off a duckboard walk a venture and held back the work.

But the work had to be done and 12.000 people worked 24 hours a day to bulld the Seventh Corps Area Training Center.

Later, as many as 32,000 were reported working here.

The date originally set for completion was April 15. but then the cost was expected to be only $3.400,000. After two months of work thejob was about 13 percent complete. The cost estimate was raised to 30 mJlJIons and the expanded plan was to quarter 37.500 soldiers.

The actual groundbreaklng for Fort Wood was on December 3, 1940, and the first post bulldlng was not officially completed unill October 1941.

But two months after con-

struction had begun, a mess was Impossible to spot where it hall was serving meals for 3,000 had landed with binoculars so a persons. and there were second round was fired. Again bunkhouse accommodations for the soldier put in a powder 1000 workmen. charge that was too powerful.

Soon the unit discovered What is now the main office for the Post Exchange. BuUding where the two wayward shots had landed. The first had saUed 603, was known as 'The Old over Highway 66 landing in the Yellow Dog" and served meals woods behind what is now for 35 cent., to office and conEgan's Garage. The second struction workers as well as Army men. landed in the middle of Highway 66, just in front of a truck load Despite the fact that local newspapers of the day claim of chickens being driven to marthat the boom did not make for ket. any rowdy night life, oldtlmers So Fort Wood began to grow will tell you that the nightspots up, the home of the Sixth Diviwhich used to stand on Highway sion. an Engineer Replacement 66 at the entrance to the Fort Center. and the Seventy-second would make today's "strip" look National Guard Field ArtIllery like a day school.

Brigade.

And here's a story that no one On July 25, 1941. the Sixth will verify, but an oldtlmer Division was using simulated claims as true: weapons to train here because After the field artillery units there just weren't enough to go seWed down at Fort Wood they around. Mass production of began to fire for practice. One many types of weapons was just day a young soldier made a getting underway. wrong choice; he put the wrong DummJes, so realistic they powdercharge into one of the would reportedly defy distincguns. tion at 50 feet. were used In The first round was fired, It place of 37 mm cannon. An antl-

ou're

erever et

e

est

tank company whose

TO&E strength called for 12 of the guns, had four, and they were rotated around the company so that every man could be schooled in operating them.

During maneuvers, a visiting officer kicked over a simulated machine gun constructed from oak-boughs, propped up on forked sticks. A soldier rushed up and set It on Its "tripod" again, exclaiming, "That's our machine-gun, sir."

Fort Wood was beginning to attract attention. Final construction of Fort Wood is scheduled for 1974.

In addition to the $3.594.448 barracks and ness hall renovation plan underway here now, the $572,314 construction of 33 frame houses for officers Is almost complete.

Bids have been taken for 1329 units to be built under the Capehart Housing Law, the first part of a proposed request for about 3600 sets of quarters.

Fort Wood Is still growing.

(Reprinted from Fort Wood News, 1957)

• OIOg •••

ea

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Did you know?

By the summer of 1941. a half a dozen small Ozark communJtleswere consumed by the construction of Fort Leonard Wood.

Towns such as Bloodland.

Wharton. Wildwood.

Cookville and Tribune. as well as others. had ceased to exist.

Buildings were not the only construction required.

Because the area was a wilderness. water and sewer lines had to be laid. roads and streets built. and elcctricallines installed. A railroad line from Newburg also had to be built.

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As the base continues to expand in the future, Waynesville looks forward to continuing it's association with the U.S. Army Engineer Center and their neighbor for 50 years, Fort Leonard Wood!

ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

German prisoner. of war march from a railhead en route to their final Internment kJeation.

A German soldier tells what it is like to visit Fort Leonard Wood in 1943 as a

(When America went to war on December 7, 1941.jew could haue imagined the proJound change which the nextJour year would bring. DaWe great and mall produced heroes and owards: aoag brutality with WI DC asional gllmp oj human (liqnUy: th del lopment oj a weorne 'apons; and millions oj pn oner oj war F1 I' uch prison 'I' • th ' war W(lS an nUl' Iy (/Ill 'I' 'Tit ' perit'nc 'Jr m that liar d b'l til 'IT mrad' at th ' I. lit A{I 'r< aplur ' til ' I u· 'I' ' pr~ { f ' , .(/ aTl(/ htppt.·(/ til u WId o/Hlllc 10 pri oner communi lie u'/,( • 'Ill I con '(1 OIl! n 'W. if (. mp(Jrun/ Ill.' (or tI nr ,It,~

in the midst oJtheir enemies.

Some prisoner oj war. such as Americans in Japanese hands or Gennans captured by the Russians.jared badly and were oJtenJortunate imply to urviue. German prisoner in Am rica had a much better time in capUvity.

rrtlz En

lin U!<lS a tanker in an annorcd regiment who. after captur III orth ~Vri a. am d CIt th Fort Leonard W PrisonI' if War amp in JWl 1943.

In 1 2. fl'. Ens lin wrot a lett '1' I' OWltlllg hi n n a a pn on'r oj u:or in A rica TI at letter. pnnt d in its nil" 11.

lolloll! }

ir5t of aU I would Uke to express my gratitude toward those individuals who would like to Include a story of us fonner POWs In the history book of Fort Leonard Wood.

We were all soldiers of General Field Marshal Rommel's AfrIka Corps. who Just a few months earlier. had the chance to view the towers of Moscow on 5 December 1941. durtng a temperature of minus 54 degrees Centigrade.

I wa a tank gunner tn an armor d regtment and I am familIar with the war only from that perspective. If sam one wants to come to a conclusion about communi m with all of Its brutality. I believe h should leave the Judgment up to u .

Tho e from my regiment who un1 'ed the war in the vi t Uni n . re 'Withdrawn and cnt to Nrl a. As far a Nrlca one m d, I ha\l' th follo rtng _ in~ 1 m r d that c r bit the qui k h 'II 1Ill;hi•• . board d an Am,crlcan tran port hlp tn r 0, and n r d, f II land.

F

ESSAYONS June 27, 1991 wire at one place. Between the barbed wire fences there were numerous observation towers manned by guards with submachine guns. Thousands of fistsized moths could be seen In the lIghl screens In front of the spotlights. It was an unforgettable first impression.

Beyond the locked gate. we could see dark barracks with no sign ofllfe In lhem. They were made to house 50 men. The Inside of those barracks was a pleasant surprise for us. Namely. each of us had a bed which one could call his own. a mattress. two blankets. and a pillow. We had the feeling of being in a Hilton Hotel. For years we had been sleeping eIther insIde or on top of our lanks. somelimes just on the ground In the deserl.

Someone called out in broken German. "Hurry up.

Germans. you will get something to eall" About one o'clock in the morning we were served a "dream meal" that a reputable hotel could not have cooked better. Some of us were kiddIng and made such remarks as: "If

''If you behave yourselves. you

German prisoners are thoroughly searched for contraband, military Information (and sometimes just for souvenirs) before being transported to the United States.

we had only known. we would have sneaked across earlier instead of Dghting until we ran out of ammunition." They let us sleep until noon. since we were

exhausted by our journey.

Through an Interpreter. the camp commander. who was a major. made the following announcement to our formation:

will be treated well. Those who approach the fence will be shot."

It was understood and was clear to us.

We received clothmg whic consisted of used GI uniforms dyed blue. A large POW was printed on the back. knees.and rear-end of our uniforms.

We had the opportunity to sel up ger,eral housekeeping within the barracks dUring the following few days. However. dUring Ihe day our camp looked somewhat depressing. lliooked aImost like the Sahara Desert since there were no trees. grass. bushes. or fiowers within our camp. We did our beslto improve the appearance of our camp with the help of our camp commander who brought us grass and Dower seeds. Our camp looked like a virtual paradise wilhin a few weeks. To our major's great salisfacUon. the occupants of the barracks competed against each other in which barracks had the nicest garden.

See PRISONERS Next page

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ESSAYONS June 27, 1~91 Prison r From previous poge

For the u e of 100 POW , there was a barracl s equipped with a bathroom and toilcl . We were surprised to flnd Ulatit wa possible for u to use the bathing facility where Ulere was hot and cold running water at any lime of the d y.

We were required to do our own laundry. For that purpose we w re given an ample number of wash basins and washboards daUn back to grandma's tin1e. and again. to our surprise. we had access to almost unlimited quantities of real curd soap.

We did not have the chance to enjoy smoking for sL'C weeks. Every smoker knows what a punIshment that is.

The voluntary work began approximately 10 days after our arrival. Thirty men were needed for the laundry but only 10 volunteered of the 1000 POWs. We were all curious to find out from the volunteers at the end of the

day about thclr perlence In th laundry. Th m gl words from the vol lint rs was that ther were "< L1east J 00 girls there In all shades and olors": the same day anothcr 60 mcn volunteered, From then on. U1C laundry was operaLlona124 hours a day, With 30 POWs on all shifts. I was working on a three-meter-wid steam press. pressing the Grs beddLng and ho pltallaundry. I was working with a black girl named Laura who was my boss. She was a real beauty: a m1Aiure of black and white with a touch ofAsiaUe in It. The regulations prohibited conversation dUring work. Only matters pertaining to workwere allowed to be discussed. Love matters. parLlcularly, were strlctiy forbidden, and If someone was caught. both would be severely punished, There was one guard assigned to every 10 prisoners during work. They tried to make themselves look in1portant Ln the eyes of the girls. To show ofT. the guards would sometimes use the stocks of their weapons on us. It was

to subdue a helpless POW.

At first, only 10 men volunteered to work in the camp laundry. Then word got out that there were "100 girls there in all shades and colors."

The same day, another 60 men volunteered and the laundry was operational 24 hours a day. also a laughing matter to us that the guards habitually had their flngers on the triggers ofthelr weapons. ready for use on us If needed.

The American women and the engineers respected and treated us as their co-workers and there were never any problems between us. The guards. however. were always looking for trouble.

They were ridiculed even by their fellow Americans on occasion when they used their power

The boss ofthe laundJy. who was a strong as a bear. was Impartial and fair. He detested discipline and often closed his eyes to malters thal olherwlse could have harmed us POWs. My co-worker. Laura. was very shy and reserved at first. She sang almosl the whole day. I can still remember and probably repeal the songs she sang then.

Ilere are a few I remember: Good Night. Wherever You Are; Somewhere Over The Rainbow: Spring Fever; How Many Hearts lIave You Broken: Sweetheart Rosemary: and Won't Be Sallsfied UnUl YOIl Break My Heart.

Despite the strict regulations she managed to smuggle me a 20-pack of Chesterfield cigareLtes every day.

Meanwhile. the POW camp was filled to a total number of 3000 men. It was divided Lnto three parts by a barbed wire fence.

All enlisted men were reqUired to work. NCOs and officers were not required to work but even they worked. We were assigned

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une 2 . to the following work details In groups of 10 to 30 men and worked as quartermaster. post en~neers. mess hall. shoe repair. road construction. police of the exercise areas. lawn mowIng. and garden maintenance around the barracks. sowing grass seeds around the post. and removal of trees where roads had to be widened.

Except military duties we were assigned to all Imaginable work details like pin boys In the bowlin' alleys. firing offumaces in the officers' quarters. garbage removal. inclnera tor workers. cleaning crews for office buildings and clubs painting. carpentry. cabinet making and the like.

We worked eight hours per day and were paid ten cents per hour. To have cash In possession was strlctly forbidden. therefore we were paid in fivecent and ten-cent money certifiFuneral for Soldat (Private) Richard Jasker who died 01 natural causes on Aprl 22 cates. Stores were established In 1944 each 1000-man camp where we were able to purchase all our peanuts. etc. At the end of each toilet articles llke the finest necessities and many luxurles workin day we a 0 received a soaps. after shave lotion . halr lIke chocolate. mineral water. ration for two bottles of beer at grooming lotions. afety razors. ten cen each. The beer wa brew d In SI. Lou and wa

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ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

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Prisoners

even a dance group consisting of 12 "girls" trained by a ballet From page 47 master. Among the specatators of this dance group were many wllh the Poh"h c,u:;rd . who hat- American officers who attended ed us pas onall'l\ When one of the performances on a regular basis. They were awed by the us had been mIstrcatcd b the guards. the ('nur(' camp ,,cent on dancing girls who were actually boys. by their genuine looks and a strike F r t ~ ,hI;, meant li,1n performance. Girlish-looking on bread an water for one to boys were picked for that role. three days and the kitchen and They were well drUled and with the store were pia ed oIT-limits. the perfect makeup. they looked There was total silence in the almost real. camp dunn~ these limes.

Each barracks In the camp received one copy of the St. Louis Meanwhile, we were intePost Daily free of charge. We ofgrated into the Fort Leonard ten found articles written about Wood labor camp force to such us In this newspaper. At flrst. an extent that if for some reathese articles were fair and person. the POWs missed one day tinent. while later they became of work due to a sLrlke it would more negative. If you consider have a very negative eITect on the camp's operation. Our camp how many people read this paper. the purpose was ob\1ous. commander always Ironed out Besides the lnformation portion these problems by re-establ1shof the newspaper. we were Ing normal operations of the amused by the day-to-day carkitchen and store. then everytoon series called "Sad Sack". thing would be back to normal The story portrayed a GI who unUlthe next incident. had to suITer a lot In the Army Meanwhile. artistic groups because everything he did was were formed within the camp wrong. The men who were assuch as cabaret theater and

.J

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We had no contact with the American soldiers who received their training on the base. To us, they were friendly and ... shy, like all recruits of all armies .... signed to the Incinerator and garbage removal brought us large quantities of other magazines and newspapers so that we had a good Inside \1ew oflhe American press. Here are just a few that 1 can remember: New York Times. Washlngton Post.

Newsweek, Life. EsqUire. Stars and Stripes. Reader's Digest. and a number of comics. We were con\1nced after a while that the Intention oflhe entire US press was to create a nega-

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I stated in the beginning that we had no trouble with the American civilians - this qUickly changed later. We found out In a huny why. It was reqUired from everyone who was employed by the Army to watch a mo\1e durtng dury hours every second week. Afterwards these people behaved as If they were brainwashed. They would not speak to us anymore and you could see the hatred sparking from their eyes. It took days until they simmered down. but by then it was time for the next mo\1e made In Hollywood. Some of us managed to see some segments of these mov1es - they were hair-ralslng.

We had no contact with the American soldiers who received their tralnlng on the base. To us they were friendly and looked somewhat shy. like all recruits of all armies do during basic

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training.

Every moming before we went to work we had to stand in the formatlon by the gate for a headcount. After the head-count we had to sing and march to a cadence to work. Each group of workers had to carry his own food ration in boxes which had a cret double bottom. These double bottomed boxes were u,,;ed by us to bring forbidden Hems into the camp.

The smuggling went on unnollced for a good while unUi one day we had a big shakedown Inspection. We had a short-wave receiver in the camp and were able to listen to Radio Germany. On one occasion we even had a chance to llsten to one of Hitler's speeches.

Sundays were the worst days for us. bu t everyone of us had some kind of hobby. WoodcarvIng was in at the time. We also had some specialists who were making ladles' purses out of snake hides. The snakes were caught locally and the purses were sold to the American offi-

Typical street and barracks 01 a POW camp. Prisoners made Improvements such as ditches, bridges and lenc...

cers to have them as presents for their wives, Some POWs were melting empty toothpaste tubes to make copies of German medals and decorations out of the lead. The medals looked

genuine and no American could resist bUying a few for souvenirs.

Many of us were occu pled by sports actlvlties. Sports equipment was not available. howev-

er, we were able to fabricate some out of available material .

Acrobatics and clrcu artistry See PRISO ERS Next page

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ESSAYONS June 27. 1991 .J

Prisoners

From OflUOr...S pagE:

,

were amon~ the most popular spons WIthin the camp. Professional cIrcus anlsts were the coaches. We a so had a group that performed on .rampolines With such accuracv and professlona Ism that th(""1 could have well performea .n a cIrcus.

There were large farewell ceremomes conductea on Fridays on a lar~e exerose flf'ld for the units up to batta lon-SIZe who were leaVln,{t for OVf'rseas. For us It was a very touChll1g experience because the soldiers recelv('d goodbye kIsses from pretty girls. Such things were enUrely new to us.

We were very much impress d by the WACs and their smart-looking uruforms.

Also. by the hospital nurses who were all officers. We all agreed that their umforms looked much more Impressive comparison-wise than the clothing worn

by German Red Cross sisters.

A new morale booster appeared for the GIs one day. They were called the Victory Girls Watchln~ those girls left our mouths and eyes Wide open.

They pulled up their skJns and fumbled around with their garters for the Gis All this happencd In public. otherwise we would not have had the opportunity to .new such pectacles.

Scenes such as these were painted by Amencan artists and are so'd today for from SIO.OOO to 520.000.

In the meantime. It was spring of 1944 and the slluation greatly ( hanged. Hatred against anythll1g German developed into a domll1eerlng role. I was fonunate enougfl to be transferred. . long WIth 30 pows, to work on a farm in Missouri. There the people were uncomplicated: .ood work wa rewaraed with ~oo treatment . .\1any such ~roups of POW workers were asSIgned from Fort Leonard Wood in all pOSSible directions to help harvest cotton. sugarbeets. peanu ts. com. spinach. melons, potatoes. etc.

I expenenced the "Day of Victory In JelTerson Barracks.

There the rouUne was about the same as in Fort Leonard Wood With the only difference beln~ that the general circumstances were rougher. The camp itself was located only a few yards away from the Missouri River. I Will never forget the day of the VIctOry. We had the chance to VIew the world's largest fireWI rKS show over St. LoUIS. and could hear PreSident Truman's peech over KWK Radio from SI. LOUIS The following sentence In hIS speech I WIll never forget: "LIberty and peace is coming to all the nations big and smallexcept to Germany.· Look around today and see what Is

A new morale booster appeared for the GIs one day. They were called the "Victory Girls." They pulled up their skirts and fumbled around with their garters for the GIs. All this happened in public, otherwise we would not have had the opportunity to view such spectacles.

left of it.

My last job was In the

mess hall which served meals to soldiers returning from overseas. They were dlschar ed from the Army from here. The mess hall served three meals a day to 3000 soldiers. Many of the GIs spoke to us by saymg.

Deu tschland Ka pu Lt. Hitler Kaputt: and slIlUlar statements. ~1eanwhiJe we learned how to

shun rather than provoke unnecessary ar uments. but some msisted on an an wer. 'We conquered Germany. what do you have to say about that?" We almost all had the same answer.

It's OK. but the worst yet to come. T'.ameJy the \"Iet Union.. ·Oh. that's typIc NazJ propaganda. conquered and t I arrogant. We are om to beat the rrulitartsm out ofvour bones. \'O~ . 'azi bastards. The press

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commented the same way.

There's silll a lot to say on this subject. but let's forget It. The first POWs were brought back to Europe In the spring of 1946. not to Germany. but to France. There they were released by the Americans and turned over to the French to perform forced labor. They were required to work that Job. Many POWs died performing that kind

ofJob. All this after three years of US Imprisonment; three to four years of forced labor. This report may appear extensive. however. I have said very little.

Last but not least. I would like to bring back some memories of the widow of President Roosevell. She suggested that German POWs be allowed to stay In the US if they desired. President Truman. however. said. "No Nazi

can remain on this continent."

Mrs. Roosevell will remain In our memories as an honorable person. I would ask you kindly not to take out those memories that are pertinent to Fori Leonard Wood.

I am giving you my word of honor that all this is the absolute truth.

Sincerely.

IslHerr Fritz Ensslin

rs. Roose e t . l reainn oure ories as an honorable person. I would ask you indly not to take out those memories that are pertinent to Fort Leonard Wood.

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ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

Early inhabitants left cultural imprint on area he regional history of the are, on \ hi h Fort Leonard \ ood eJ st I one of early s tUemcnt by the Mound Builders. lat r by lhe American Indians and cxo ,g lribe. mall r lrib s of plorers. and finally. by s tUers.

Peola. hawn .Delawar, Each of !he e setUem nts lell a Klckapoo and Planl ashaw wer cultural impact upon the area callered throughout the area. which can be seen today.

The major 0 age village was The first inhabitants of the located In Camd n County \vi!h area were tile Mound Builders. other village In Miller. Laclede Today. only a few traces oflhJs and Pulask1 counties. TIle pre-histortc race of people exist Shawnee trib occupied an area to reveL I !heir early culture. It I that I now part of Phelps and maintained lhatthey were scmJ- Maries counties. Other small cl\ilized people. imilar to !hose Iribes mainlalned seLUement who Inhabited parts of Central throughout the surrounding America. counties.

Uncovered bits ofpollery and There were no major eonolher artifacts dl close !hat they were a people who practiced . fronlatlons between the Indians agriculture ra!her !han hunting. and the while seLUers of IhJs Today. the only evidence of !heir area. Most of the Indians had leflthe area before any great existence are !he large mounds number of people settled. alof rock. which are belleved to have been burtal mounds. though groups of indians reThe next sertes of Lnhabltants turned pertodlcally for hunting were the Arnertcan indians. The excursions. principle trtbe in !he Fort Traders and trappers also ocLeonard Wood region was !he cupied !he land surrounding the

From mound Builders to fur trappers, traces remain in nearby Ozark hills

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present site ofUle post. These Individuals did not stay long moving on when game ran out.

Another reason for Ihe lack of seW ments was the la k of good agriculture lands. which caused early sell1ers to seek homesteads elsewhere. As a result. the early setllemen ts followed rivers leaving the hill country \rJrlually unpopulated unlll!he lale 1800·s.

The admission of Missouri as a slate In 1821 brought !he first seWers to !he area to establish homesteads. The majority of these sell1ers came from the sou!hern states of Kentucky.

Tennessee. Virginia and !he Carolinas.

Again. !he lack of good soils and other resources kept the area from heavy agriculture development. Thus. !he people de-

pended upon olher occupations such as hunting. lumbering and mining to provide a means for xl tence.

The lack ofa good transportation systC'm also hurt development of lhe area and was a contributing factor to the Isolation of the region from the outside world. As then and somewhat still today. the south central parI of Missouri Is an area of scallered families and numerous small lowns.

During the Civil War, the regions of the state were Widely split between pro-Union and pro-Confederate sentiments. More battles were fought in Missouri than any other state excepl Virginia and Tennessee. the mosl notable of which was the BalOe ofWllson's Creek near Springfield.

While !he history of Fort SeeIMPRlNT Next page

•

ESSAYONS June 27. 1991 .Jlmprint From prevIous page

Leonard Wood began \ ith World War II. the O/.ark hills of this region first knew the sound of the military during the Ci\;l War. Union troops assigned to guard roads again t Confederate ad\'ances camped in the hills where Fort Leonard Wood is now located. Soldiers traveled on the "Old Wire Road," which follows generally the route of old U.S. Route 66.

After the war, growth

increased sllghlly due to the mIgration ofsetUers from the south and the infiuence of the railroad. The railroad produced dramatic impact upon the predominately self-contained rural communilles by introducing luxuries and supplies not produced in the Ozarks. Various towns along the rail line became shipping points where goods manufactured in the area could be marketed. thus changing their llfestyle from a rural to a

The advent of the railroad brought change to the region. business atmosphere.

The feder&1 government had very litLle influence upon the area in the late 1800's and early 1990¡s. Two pieces oflegtslallon. one federal and one state. concerning the purchase of land changed this Situation.

The Federal Weeks Act of 1911 and the state Clark-Mcary Act of 1924 enabled land in this area to be purchased and deSignated as national forest.

I fhe state legislation was quite restrictive an was amended in 1930 to allow more land to be obtained.

By the start of World War II. I :;lighLly more than 1,250.000 acres had been approved for I purchase by the Nallonal Forests Reservation Commission and two National Forests. the Clark and the Mark Twain. were establlshed.

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ESSAYONS June 27, 1991

Engineer Schoollinked to West Point beginnings s the oldest service school in the nation. the Engmeer School can ce its history to the estabHshment of the military academy at West Pom!. N.Y.. in 1802. West Point was under the Jurisdiction of the Corps of Engineers until 1866 when the Secretary of War assumed direct control of the school.

From that pomt until 1882 there was no separate or officially recognized engmeer school.

In 1866. the same year that the engineers lost control of West Pomt. Gen. Andrew A. Humphreys. chief of engineers. visited the new engineer post at Willets Potnt. N.Y.. (now Fort Tollen). He envisioned a school of practicaltrammg m the engineer field.

Maj. Henry Abbot. the post's commander. seemed to share his enthusiasm and was already drilling the officers and enlisted soldiers on infantry tactics. pon-

-

toone ring and field battery construction.

It was Humphreys' decision notlo seek recognition for the chool from the War Department.

Sometime in that year. the school became known as the U.S. Army Engineer School of Appllcallon. although the school was offiCially founded m 1855.

Almost all the post's activities centered around education and training. Departments for astronomy. underwater mining. military photography. military engIneerIng. and civil engineering were formallzed.

Despite its unofficial status. the school managed to make valuable contributions to the techniques of bullding bridges. It also mvented the first pracllcal mine and improved

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Links

From pre., ous page

ing more precious. By the time the sinking of the Lusilania had involved the United States in the war. the crowded conditions at Washington Barracks were intolerable. Clearly. it was time to move the school.

military photography.

The school's observatory. buiil in 1879. was considpred the best in the country for teaching practical astronomy. It is creditIn 1910. the government ed with disCO\'ering that the purchased nearly 1.500 acres at earth oscillates as it rotates upthe southern end of the Belvoir on its axis. peninsula to build a youth reforExcept for a few name matory for the District of changes. the school continued Columbia. Local citizens panwith Iitlle alteration until 1902. at which time it was moved to icked over the prospect of a Washington Barracks. D.C. huge JuvenIle hall so close by. (now Fort McNair). and persuaded Congress to An enlisted school. with change the plan.

Congress gave the land to the courses in masonry. carpentry. blacksmithing. drafting. photog- War Departmenlln 1912. which raphy. and surveying. was In turn signed the land to the added. In 1903 a shortage of en- Corps of Engineers three years gineer officers caused the susla ter. pension of the school for two As America entered World years. When it reopened. It was War I. the area was officially named. simply. '"The Engineer designated Camp A.A. School."

Humphreys and a temporary In the years leading up to training school for engineer offiWorld War I. Washington Barcers was established. In Decemracks gained other tenants. most notably the Army War Col- ber of that year. It was designated an engineer training and relege. and room for the expanding Engineer School was beeom- placement center for enlisted

soldiers as well. The Engineer School was formally re-established at Camp Humphreys June 1 . 1919.

In 1922. Camp Humphreys receh'ed permanent status from the War Department and was renamed Fort Humphreys and eventually Fort Belvoir. The temporary ",-arlirne shelters were replaced with red brick and granite structures. The first to be completed was Abbot Hall. the headquarters for the Engineer School.

The "limited emergency" period of 1939-40 and the war years of 1941-45 saw the termination of regular courses and the establishment of a mulUtude of special courses intended to meet the needs ofa greatly expanded Army and Corps of Engineers.

A more stable program was developed following World War II. designed to meet the longrange educational needs of the corps. The post-war educational system for officers at service

schools was based on the fmdings of the "Gerow Board" which provided for officer courses on two levels - basic and advanced - and in two c1assificationsre ular and associate. The horter associate courses were intended primarily for Reserve and 'alional Guard officers.

The chool continues to be structured this way to this day.

Meanwhile. Fort Leonard

Wood had become home to the enlisted engineer school. Consolidation of the enlisted and officer traini:1g centers had been di cussed many limes over the years. Finally. in February of 19 5. the Secretary of the Army announced :hat the lrairting centers would be combined at Fort Leonard Wood.

The last engineer officers to allend classes at Fort Belvoir graduated from the basic course Dec. 19. 1989. The first class at the new U.S. Army Engineer Center at Fort Leonard Wood began Jan. 29. 1990.

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