Fort McClellan (Anniston, Alabama)
Anniston · Alabama · World War I, World War II, Cold War
History & Significance
The federal government acquired 18,952 acres near Anniston in March 1917 for $247,000 to establish a World War I mobilization camp. The camp featured rapidly constructed wooden buildings including 26 training blocks with mess halls, barracks, and support structures—approximately 1,500 buildings total to handle draft inductees and National Guard units.
Following demobilization, the facility was placed on caretaker status in 1922, but in 1926 Congress approved funds for permanent construction, including headquarters, officer quarters, barracks, and a central hospital. The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed additional buildings, a golf course, railroad spur, gasoline storage, and an airfield during the Great Depression.
During World War II, the installation trained an estimated half-million troops and housed thousands of German and Italian prisoners of war. During the 1930s, the Army 22nd Infantry Regiment served as post garrison, training reserve units and National Guardsmen while administering 45 Civilian Conservation Corps camps in four states.
Following postwar inactivation, the post was reactivated in 1951 with missions to operate a National Guard Training Brigade and Chemical Corps replacement training center. The Chemical Defense Training Facility became the only facility in the country where live chemical agents were used in training, with all military personnel who worked with chemical weapons required to train in the sealed chamber. The Base Realignment and Closure Commission voted to close the fort permanently in 1995, with the official closing ceremony held on May 20, 1999, after more than 81 years of service.
Key Facts
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Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_McClellan
- https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/fort-mcclellan/
- https://aptv.org/apt-news/mcclellan-a-life-saved/
- https://alabamanewscenter.com/2019/07/18/on-this-day-in-alabama-history-camp-mcclellan-was-established-in-east-alabama/
- https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/anniston/
- https://publichealth.va.gov/exposures/fort-mcclellan/
- https://clui.org/ludb/site/fort-mcclellan