Fort Ord (Monterey Bay, California)
Monterey Bay · California · World War II, Cold War
History & Significance
In 1917, the U.S. Army created the nearly 16,000-acre Gigling Reservation as an artillery impact area to train soldiers stationed at the U.S. Army Presidio of Monterey. By 1933, the artillery field became Camp Ord, named in honor of Union Army Maj. Gen. Edward Otho Cresap Ord (1818–1883).
By 1940, the 23-year-old Camp Ord was expanded to 2,000 acres with the realization that the two-year-old conflict of World War II could soon cross the Atlantic Ocean to involve America. The 7th Infantry Division was activated by order of the War Department on 1 July 1940 at Fort Ord with the soon to be famous Brigadier General Joseph Stilwell as its first commander.
During World War II, the 3rd Infantry Division trained here before heading to the East Coast and landings in North Africa in November 1942, with the 159th Infantry of the 40th Infantry Division replacing them at Fort Ord. From 1947 to 1975, Fort Ord was used as an Army basic training center and became a starting point for many soldiers serving in Korea and Vietnam.
The post trained nearly 1.5 million soldiers for World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and subsequent conflicts. Fort Ord finally closed in 1994, and most of the land was returned to the State of California, becoming the home of the new California State University, Monterey Bay.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Cold War-era military buildings and training grounds visible across expansive grounds
- Extensive trail network through coastal dunes and restored habitat
- Fort Ord Dunes State Park offering beach access and native dune ecology
- Environmental restoration projects demonstrating land reclamation from military use
- Views of Monterey Bay and Pacific coastline
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Ord
- https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/california/fort-ord-national-monument
- https://www.militarymuseum.org/FtOrd.html
- https://fortwiki.com/Fort_Ord