Fort McCoy (Monroe County (between Sparta and Tomah), Wisconsin)

Monroe County (between Sparta and Tomah) · Wisconsin · World War II, Korean War, Global War on Terror

Quick BriefEstablished as the Sparta Maneuver Tract on 14,000 acres in 1909, Fort McCoy began as two separate artillery and maneuver camps divided by railroad tracks and was formally unified as Camp McCoy in 1926. The camp's major expansion was completed by August 30, 1942, after which it served as a critical training hub and prisoner-of-war facility during World War II and the Korean War.

Active base today

History & Significance

The post was first formed as the Sparta Maneuver Tract on 14,000 acres in 1909, conceived by Robert B. McCoy, a Sparta resident who served as lawyer, district attorney, county judge and mayor. In 1909, two separate camps—Camp Emory Upton and Camp Robinson—were established; these were joined in 1926 to form Camp McCoy.

In 1938, the Army began major expansion, adding over 45,000 acres and new structures, formally inaugurated on August 30, 1942. During World War II, the installation served multiple critical roles: it held approximately 170 Japanese and 120 German and Italian American civilians arrested as "enemy aliens" in 1942; training units from across the country, including the segregated all-Nisei 100th Infantry Battalion; and housing 4,000 Japanese and German prisoners of war.

The camp was deactivated after World War II but reactivated during the Korean War in 1950, remaining operational until 1953. On September 30, 1974, it was officially redesignated as Fort McCoy. Today, more than 100,000 military personnel are trained at the fort annually.