US Army Training Center - Yearbook (Fort Jackson, SC)

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ir year the 30th Old Hickoryi' Division, also nick- named in honor of Andrew Jackson, moved in. A 52,500,000 program of permanent-type building construction was started. A S500,000 small-arms range with 400 targets was placed into operation. Over one-hundred miles of hard-surfaced roads were constructed and appropriately named for South Carolina Revolutionary and Civil War heroes. Carolina maneuvers in 1941, which saw an additional 200,000 acres of land in sixteen North and South Carolina counties requisitioned for training areas, found divisions molding themselves together as fighting teams. Divisions, some destined to be famous in World War II, trained here for their subsequent roles as combat divisions in Europe and the Paci- fic. It is estimated that over 500,000 American Hghting men received some phases of World War II training at Fort Jackson. The Army Service Forces Personnel Replace- ment Depot Was located here in May, 1945. Fort Jackson became a replacement training center in November, 1946 and in June, 1947 it was design- ated as one of four permanent replacement train- ing centers in the United States. The famous 5th Infantry Division Was subsequently reactivated on the Post as a training organization. ln April, 1950 the 5th Infantry Division, after three years of creditable performance at Fort Jackson as a replacement training organization, Was inactivated and the Post prepared for a standby status. This status never fully material- ized due to a series of world events which influ- enced the continuance of the Post operations on an active status. The immediate reactivation of the 8th Infantry Division as an element of the Third 1. Post chapel No. 1 2. Fire station No. 1 3. Sports arena, 4. Post Officers Cafeteria Mess 5. Post theatre No. 2

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what The a Works, Plays and Lives ,Forti Jackson is one of the United States Army's largest military reservations, and is con- veniently situated just outside the city limits and five miles east of the business district of Columbia, the capital site of South Carolina. Columbia, a busy, progressive city, offers the soldier numerous places of interest, entertainment, education and religious Eworship. This 77,000 acre post, located in the heart of the Palmetto Ca treej State, was named in honor of Andrew Jackson, born in New Lancaster, South Caroli.na,' a major-general of the Army who ,dis- tinguished himself as a hero in 1814 at New Or- leans who later became the Nation's seventh President. This fpost, terrained with tall-pine forests and several picturesque lakes, a sportsman's paradise, was founded and opened as Camp Jackson with formal Congressional approval in June 1917. A year later, 45,000 officers and enlisted men under the banners of the 30th and the 81st Divisions Were trained here as World War I troops to be sent to Europe to bolster General Pershing's American Expeditionary Forces, After the 1918 armistice, the general demobilization of the Army took place, and in 1921 the need for the Camp as a full-time regular army garrison was past. During the period 1925-1940, it Was State-controlled as an encamp- ment area for the State National Guard troops. In 1940, the Camp, primarily designed as an In- fantry training post, reverted to federal control and became Fort Jackson, a permanent-type Army installation. On 1 July that year the Sth Infantry Division was activated here and later in the same

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N00 mess Army was directed by the Department of the Army and was effected on 17 August 1950. Every effort is made to provide the soldier with wholesome recreation and entertainment on t1ffe'Post. There are located on the Post a gymnas- ium, a field house with 3,500 seating capacityg a football field with cinder trackg a stadium with 4,500 seating capacity, three regimental baseball fields, fourteen softball fields, six of which are lighted, volleyball, handball and basketball courtsg four tennis courts, two cement swimming pools and three lakes equipped with beach material, two bowling alleys of six lanes eachg and an 18 hole golf course. Other facilities include three service clubsg four libraries, a hobby shop and camera shop, four theaters, and resting rooms through platoon level. There are eighteen chapels located on the post, providing opportunity to worship to each individ- ual, regardless of faith. For the servicemen who are desirous of con- tinuing their formal education, on-post classes are offered through the medium of the Army Educa- tion Center and the United States Army Forces Institute at no cost other than a 52.00 registration Top: Service club No. 1 Bottom: Service club No. 2 fee. Night classes are available at minimum cost at the City High Schools and the University of South Carolina, located in nearby Columbia. The military atmosphere at Fort Jackson be- fittingly perpetuates the significance of the South Carolina State motto, While I Breath, I Hope. Guest house