US Army Training Center - Yearbook (Fort Eustis, VA)

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HISTURV 0F FORT EUSTI5 Forf Eusfis, locafed along fhe banks of lhe James River in 'lhe fhree Virginia Counfies of Warwick, York, and James Cify, was named in honor of Brig. Gen. Abraham Eusfis, a nafive Vir- ginian who af 24 years of age commanded a regimenf of Maine Volunfeers in fhe War of I8I2. He was also fhe firsf commanding officer of Forf- ress Monroe, Virginia, upon ifs complefion in I824. Mulberry Island, which comprises fhe larger porfion of fhe fiffeen square mile fracf, was well known fo fhe sefflers of fhe Jamesfown Colony. Several families living on fhe Island were murdered by fhe indians in fhe Massacre of l622. A famous landmark on fhe Eusfis fracf is fhe MaHhews Jones house, which was originally builf in fhe I7fh Cen- fury and remodeled in l727. Forf Eusfis' hisfory as a milifary reservafion dafes back fo l9l8 when if was esfablished as parf of fhe Coasf Arfillery Training Cenfer wifh fhe mission of organizing, equipping, and fraining heavy arfillery unifs. The reservafion comprises lhree former Army insfallafionss Camp Abraham Eusiis, Camp Wallace, and fhe Balloon Observers' School. In I925, fhese fhree were combined and designafed fhe Forf Eusfis Milifary Reservafion. From I925 unfil I930, Forf Eusfis was under fhe confrol of fhe Coasf Arfillery Corps. The Army, however, had complefely vacafed Forf Eusfis by l93l, and fhe area was furned over fo fhe Deparfmenf of Jusfice for esfablishmenf of a prison camp. Subsequenfly, fhe reservafion was employed for various camps confrolled by fhe Federal Emer- gency Relief Adminisfrafion, fhe Virginia Works Progress Adminisfrafion, and fhe Nafional Youfh Adminisfrafion. Lafer, if was used as a maneuver area and bombing range under fhe direcf super- vision of Langley Field. ln l94I Forf Eusfis was again faken over by fhe Army and used as a Replacemenf Training Cenfer by fhe Coasf Arfillery. In I944 a Third Service Command Personnel, Sfaqing, Assignmenf, and Training Cenfer was esfablished af fhe Forf. Also, during World War ll, fhe reservafion served as a prisoner of war camp and fraining school for Transferring a heavy fank from ship 'ro flaf car. . ..m.......1......... -as W...

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STHFF. FREDERIC A. WARD Colonel Chief of Slalf BEN N. YELASQUEZ Lieulenanl Colonel Depuly Chief of Sfaff JOHN ALBIN PHILLIP I. KLEIN BERNIE D. JOHNSON JAMES W. BENDER Lieufenanl' Colonel Maior Lieulenanf Colonel Colonel G-I G-2 G-3 G-4

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fhousands of German, Japanese and lfalian pris- oners of war. If is esfimafed fhaf approximafely I6,000 prisoner of wars were processed and frained fhere during fhe war years. ln February I946, fhe insfallafion was placed under fhe iurisdicfion of ihe Chief of Transporfa- fion, and an Army Service Forces Training Cenfer was esfablished af Forf Eusfis for fhe purpose of conducfing basic milifary and fechnical insfruc- fion. Wifh fhe arrival of all deparfmenfs of fhe Transporfafion Corps School by I9 May of fhai' year, fhe firsf cenfralized Transporfafion Corps fraining insfallafion was complefe. The insfalla- 'I'ion, under fhe command of Maier General Ewarf G. Plank, was organized info fhree general unifs-fhe sfafion complemenf, which operafed fhe general housekeeping funcfions of fhe posf, fhe Army Service Forces Training Cenfer, and fhe Transporfafion Corps School, which was fo provide special courses for officer candidafes and advanced 'Technical courses for officers and enlisfed men. W h e n fhe Transporfafion Corps School arrived in May, fhe greafesf acfivify in basic milifary 'iraining was in fhe Firsf and Sec- ond Training Regimenfs of ihe Army Service Forces Training Cenfer, 32 companies were en- gaged in milifary fraining. Upon complefion of 'l'his insfrucfion, fhe recruifs and enlisfees making up lhe companies became can- didafes for basic and advanced fechnical fraining in 'l'he skills re- quired by fhe Transporlafion Corps. Technical insfrucfion was given by fhe Fourfh Training Regimenf. The amphibious pro- gram was well under way. A flee? of 84 amphibious frucks was in consfanf use in highway and wafer operafions. The facilifies of Forf Sfory were used for fhis work, as ihe James River did nof offer suifable means for surf and beach fraining on an unprofecfed shore line. Rail- road fraining was conducfed by fhe 7 I4fh Operaf- ing Baffalion and fhe 765+h Shop Baffalion was in 'ihe sfage of on-fhe-job insfrucfion. Equipmenf of fhe Claiborne-Polk railroad had been removed from Claiborne, La. and was being overhauled. All rail work on fhe posf was being done under ihe direcfion of 'ihe 709fh Railway Grand Division, which has since been 'iransferred fo overseas dufy. Two off-posf insfallafions had been acquired fo fake care of fhe marine fraining assigned fo fhe 25fh Training Baffalion. The small boaf basin and FRANK A. HEILEMAN MAJOR GENERAL Chief of Transporfafion 259'