Camp Howze, Texas
Camp Howze, Texas, was an
History
As the army and the rest of the United States, prepared to enter World War II, the active posts of the United States Army were inadequate for training the numbers of draftees necessary to fill the army's wartime ranks. Several infantry replacement training centers were constructed, particularly in Texas, to accommodate the large number of new soldiers. Camp Howze was one such camp, and development began in December 1941. By 1942, trainees began arriving by train and bus from all over the country and the population of both Camp Howze and Gainesville quickly increased.
The first commander was Major General
As World War II waned, the post was declared excess and closed in 1946. Farmers who had voluntarily and involuntarily given up land for the establishment of the camp were allowed to repurchase the property if desired. Some did, but many did not and towns such as Marysville and Sivells Bend never recovered from the war years. Gainesville, on the other hand, benefited greatly from Camp Howze and the $20 million spent by the federal government. Additionally it benefited as citizens of the smaller towns in the area moved to Gainesville to be nearer construction and other jobs, many fueled by Camp Howze.
Today, the Gainesville municipal airport and various industries occupy the former land of the camp. Much of the training area returned to farm land, particularly in the Red River valley. In the 21st century, the army, and more specifically the
See also
- List of World War II prisoner-of-war camps in the United States[5]
- Camp Howze also was a United States Army base in South Korea.
References
- ^ Account 1944-1945 of Camp Howze Archived 2008-04-24 at the Wayback Machine " from a long term resident at the camp written to his girlfriend" 1 Archived 2008-06-25 at the Wayback Machine5 Archived 2008-04-26 at the Wayback Machine7 Archived 2008-04-26 at the Wayback Machine9 Archived 2008-04-25 at the Wayback Machine10 Archived 2008-04-26 at the Wayback Machine11 Archived 2008-04-26 at the Wayback Machine12 Archived 2008-04-26 at the Wayback Machine13 Archived 2008-04-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ THSA Online "A digital gateway to Texas history"
- ^ Oisteanu, Valery (February 2008). "Alberto Burri". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
- ^ Handbook of Texas Online "Camp Howze, Texas" (retrieved October 26, 2007).
- ISBN 0812825713.