Camp Howze, Texas facts for kids
Camp Howze, Texas, was a large training center for soldiers. It was located near the town of Gainesville in Cooke County, Texas. This camp was named after Major General Robert Lee Howze, who was a brave soldier and received the Medal of Honor.
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Camp Howze: A Training Hub for World War II
How Camp Howze Helped in World War II
As the United States got ready to join World War II, the army needed many more soldiers. The existing army bases were not big enough to train everyone. So, new training centers were built, especially in Texas. Camp Howze was one of these important camps.
Work on Camp Howze began in December 1941. By 1942, new soldiers started arriving. They came by train and bus from all over the country. This made the population of both Camp Howze and Gainesville grow very quickly.
Who Trained at Camp Howze?
The first leader of Camp Howze was Major General John H. Hilldring. The camp was huge, able to train almost 40,000 soldiers at once. It became one of the largest training centers in the country.
Camp Howze helped prepare hundreds of thousands of soldiers. These soldiers fought in both Europe and the Pacific during the war. Some of the army groups trained here included the 84th, 86th, and 103rd Divisions. The camp also housed thousands of Prisoners of War.
What Happened After the War?
When World War II ended, Camp Howze was no longer needed. It closed down in 1946. Farmers who had given up their land for the camp could buy it back if they wanted. Some did, but many did not. Smaller towns nearby, like Marysville and Sivells Bend, struggled after the war.
However, Gainesville benefited a lot from Camp Howze. The government spent about $20 million there. Many people from smaller towns moved to Gainesville for construction and other jobs. These jobs were often created because of the camp.
Camp Howze Today: What's Left?
Today, the land where Camp Howze once stood is used for different things. The Gainesville municipal airport and various businesses are there. Much of the training area has become farmland again, especially near the Red River.
In recent years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has returned to old camps like Camp Howze. Their job is to find and remove any unexploded bombs or shells left over from the training years. This keeps the area safe for everyone.
