Fort Lee (Prince George County, Virginia)
Prince George County · Virginia · World War I, World War II, Cold War
History & Significance
In April 1917, the War Department selected a site in Prince George County, leasing 450 acres for the cantonment and 15,000 acres for maneuver training. Camp Lee was designated the home of the 80th Division, the 'Blue Ridge Division,' which officially unfurled its colors on August 5, 1917.
With more than 60,000 soldiers trained there, Camp Lee became one of the largest cities in Virginia in 1917, serving as a major depot brigade training center. The 80th Division's approximately 23,000 soldiers arrived in France by June 8, 1918, and saw major combat in the Second Battle of the Somme and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
Following World War I, the United States closed the cantonment in 1921; all buildings except the White House were torn down and the land reverted to a state game preserve. In October 1940, as the United States remobilized for World War II, the Army reopened the camp, establishing the Quartermaster Replacement Training Center to prepare soldiers for key support specializations.
More than 50,000 officers attended Quartermaster Officer Candidate School, and over 300,000 quartermaster soldiers trained at the camp during World War II. In 1946, the War Department announced that Camp Lee would be retained as the center for quartermaster training in the Army. The post now serves as headquarters for the Combined Arms Support Command and the Sustainment Center of Excellence.
Key Facts
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Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Lee_(military_base)
- https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/fort-lee/
- https://www.army.mil/article/189328/the_three_lives_of_fort_lee_virginia_world_war_i
- https://home.army.mil/lee/history