US Army Training Center - Yearbook (Fort Leonard Wood, MO)

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After the 6th Division Qnot to be confused with the 6th Armored Di- visionj came the 8th, the 75th, the 97th and the 70th, all of which trained one after the other prior to either maneuvers or overseas shipment. The ERTC continued to function and was later called the ASFTC fArmy Service Forces Training Centerj.iThe Post trained more than 300,000 men between 1941 and 1946. At one time the population was around 50,000. In 1946 the Post was inactivated. Some 50 civilians and about 5 ofhcers remained to safeguard the build- ings and property. Soon the buildings began to fade and grass grew wild over the once busy training areas. For four years the Post lay dormant. The Korean conflict brought demand for more trained troops and Fort Leonard Wood sprang to life once more. It was reactivated in August, 1950 and the 6th Armored Division was designated as a replacement training di- vision. The training program now includes basic military training, advanced engineer training, common specialist training, engineer specialist training and the leadership school.

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1 is Lt. Col. Leo Crabbs was the first Post Commander, with his Head- quarters at 11th and Colorado Avenue. The Post then consisted of four bar- racks for enlisted men and one for officers. No modern facilities were avail- able and baths could only be obtained in local towns. Construction of build- ings continued and early in the spring of 1941 there was enough housing for the first cadres. The Engineer Replacement Training Center was organ- ized under the command of Brigadier General U. S. Grant, III. More and more barracks were being built and the railway was extended from the town of Newburg, 21 miles away. The 6th Infantry Division arrived from Minnesota by train in May, 1941 and the 72nd Field Artillery Battalion came by motor convoy from Fort Knox. N Rx -.5 I ,,kk -W...-. -ts .mv Rt

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Fort Leonard Wood continues to function mainly as an Engineer Train- ing Center. Its location and its terrain features make it well suited for the training of Engineer Troops. Today a modern 4 lane highway makes the approach to Fort Leonard Wood a pleasant one. The reservation is more than 70,000 acres in size. It was part ofthe Mark Twain National Forest until its acquisition as a military reservation. It is in the northern end of the Missouri Ozarks. Nearby cities are: St. Louis, 130 miles northeastg Springfield, 88 miles southwest and the Missouri State Capitol at Jefferson City, 75 miles to the north. Fort Leonard Wood is located about halfway between the towns of Rolla and Lebanon on the famous highway 66. Waynesville is the nearest towng it is about five miles from the post and is the county seat of Pulaski County. 'Sm XS, ix