Fort Gillem (Forest Park, Georgia)

Forest Park · Georgia · World War II

Quick BriefFort Gillem was established in 1941 as the Army constructed the Atlanta Quartermaster Depot and Atlanta Ordnance Depot simultaneously, completing most structures by December 1942. The fort was named in memory of Lieutenant General Alvan Cullom Gillem, Jr. An exit ceremony was held on June 3, 2011, and First Army troops were transferred to Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois.

History & Significance

The Army established Fort Gillem in 1941 with simultaneous construction of the Atlanta Quartermaster Depot and Atlanta Ordnance Depot, which were mostly completed by December 1942; the two installations operated separately until April 1, 1948, when they consolidated as the Atlanta Army Depot. First established as the Quartermaster Depot during World War II, the facility was activated with units from chemical, engineering, medical, quartermaster, and signal divisions, and shipped supplies to Army personnel worldwide while housing an automotive school for soldiers.

In 1973, the post was renamed Fort Gillem in honor of Lieutenant General Alvan C. Gillem Jr., former commander of the Third Army. The base housed the headquarters of both the First U.S. Army and the Georgia Army National Guard, as well as the Atlanta Distribution Center of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service.

Fort Gillem was also home to the Third Military Police Group (CID) with a state-of-the-art criminal forensic laboratory and served as a major distribution facility during national crises or troop deployments. On May 13, 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure commission recommended that Fort Gillem be closed, and an exit ceremony was held on June 3, 2011. In 2012, the City of Forest Park purchased 1,170 acres for $30 million and established a local redevelopment authority to oversee the transition.