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TRAINING CAMP HISTORY
Camp Howze, a United States Army infantry-training camp, was located 7 miles northwest of Gainesville, Texas on 59,000 acres roughly bordered by FM 1200 on the west, FM 1201 on the east, and CR 420 on the north. In December of 1941 the Government started buying land from local owners and actual construction of the railroad siding, roads, and water wells began in April of 1942. The base was activated by Colonel John P. Wheeler on August 17, 1942 and soldiers began moving in while carpenters and electricians continued working on the barracks and other buildings. Camp Howze was named after Major General Robert Lee Howze, twice sited for the Congressional Medal of Honor, who saw action in the Indian campaigns of the late 1800’s, the Philippine Insurrection, and World War I. He was born in Overton, Texas on August 22, 1864 and died in Columbus, Ohio on September 19, 1926 at the age of 62. The Eighth Service Command, headquartered in Dallas, Directed the training facility. The headquarters, supply, service, and police sections were operated by the 1885th Service Unit. The camps first commander was Major General John H. Hilldring. (Need info on John Hilldring) The camp had a troop capacity of 39,963 men and trained several hundred thousand men between 1942 and 1946, including the 84th, 86th, and 103rd divisions. (Need more info on divisions) The camp was also the site of an Air Support Command base that is now part of the Gainesville Municipal Airport. Camp Howze was declared surplus in 1946, disbanded, and leveled. |