US Army Training Center - Yearbook (Fort Polk, LA)

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Main Gate History of Fort Polk, the largest Army installation in Louisiana, is located in Vernon Parish in the Western part of the State, and stretches over 147,000 acres of Kisatchie National Forest. It is located about eight miles Southeast of Leesville and approxi- mately twenty miles North of DeRidder, Louisiana. The Post, originally called Camp Polk, was established in January, 1941, as a result of the now-famed Louisiana maneu- vers of 1941-42 that took place on site of the present installa- tion. Construction work that began in January, 1941, was com- pleted in mid-1942 at a cost of about twenty-two million dollars. Fort Polk was named for one of Louisiana's most beloved figures in the Confederacy days and the first Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana, Right Reverend Leonidas Polk. He was known throughout the Southland as the Fighting Bishop. As a Lieutenant General in the Confederate Army, serving under General Johnson, he distinguished himself in many Civil War battles, especially the battle of Shiloh. He died in action at Marietta, Georgia. During World War II Camp Polk was one of the busiest of all Army posts. More than eight million men trained here dur- ing this period. Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Omar N. Bradley, the late General George S. Patton, Jr., General Walter Krueger, General Alfred Gruenther, and General Mark W. Clark were stationed at Camp Polk during the war. Many famous divisions, whose deeds and accomplishments on the field of battle in the European, Asiatic and Pacific Theaters will go down in history, received their training at Camp Polk. Among these were the Third, Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Eleventh Armored Divisions, the Eleventh Airborne Division, and the Ninety-fifth Infantry Division. After World War Il, Camp Polk was deactivated and put on Golf Course Club House Regimental Headquarters Fort Polk a stand-by status. However, during the summers to follow Na- tional Guardsmen and Reservists kept it partially open for their annual two-week training periods. , The Post was brought back to life in September, 1950, when the nationfs military facilities were expanded to meet the needs 1 of the Korean emergency. Reactivated Camp Polk became! home for the Forty-fifth Infantry Division, Oklahoma National Guard, which trained here before leaving for Japan in the spring of 1951. It has also served as Headquarters for the XV Corps andl later the Thirty-seventh Infantry Division from Ohio and the First Armored Division. The installation was closed in 1954 only to be reopened again the next year. It was then designated a permanent in- stallation and renamed Fort Polk. In the fall of 1955, operation Sage Brush brought over 85,000 troops to the newly designated permanent installation. Exercise King Colel' was also held on Fort Polk. The Post was again deactivated in June, 1959. Summer en- campments of National Guard and Organized Reserve Corps units, divisional and non-divisional from the Fourth Army Area, was the only military activity until September, 1961, when Fort Polk was again reactivated as part of the military build-up caused by the Berlin crisis. First unit to arrive at the Post and assume operational con- trol was the 4009th United States Army Garrison from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A number of Reserve and National Guard support units soon followed. During 1961-62, the Forty-ninth Armored Division, the Lone Star Division of Texas, served its year of active duty at Fort Polk along with other tactical and support units. The Forty-ninth held its major field exercise, Iron Dragoonj, dur- ing this period which saw more than 20,000 troops maneuver- Trainee Barracks .Q ...A X. .

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UNITED STATES ARMY TRAINING CENTER INFANTRY FORT POLK, LOUISIANA ,, fl All Righfs Reserved, ALBERT LOVE ENTERPRISES, INC., Aflanfa, Georgia '33-'Q Wy ,VLC 4 A Eba , ,I LQ .5 4.

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Chapel Visitors Lounge ing in over 1300 square miles of territory. In July, 1962, the first trainees arrived at Fort Polk for Basic Combat Training at the newly established United States Army Training Center, Infantry. In addition the Center also conducts Advanced Individual, Common Specialist, and Basic Unit Training. Its location, climate, and terrain makes Fort Polk an out- standing training area the year-round. The climate is mild, with gulf breezes modifying the summer season and tempering the winter chill. Freezing temperatures seldom occur, although periodic northwestern winds occasion sudden drops in tem- perature, frequently accompanied by drizzling rain. Snow is very rare and the summer nights are generally cool. From their vantage point at Fort Polk, servicemen soon learn that Louisiana has much to offer to the weekend sightseer, out- doorsman and to those just interested in a unique state. Southern towns of great charm welcome visitors looking for a touch of the true aura of Louisiana's history as well as a taste of its excellent French and Latin cuisine. Choice fishing spots near the Post can easily be found and hunters find small game fairly abundant. Cities in the surrounding area offer a wide range of business, educational, recreational, cultural and religious facilities. Today, Fort Polk is a bustling Infantry training Post. Its recreational facilities include baseball fields, softball diamonds, tennis courts, swimming pools, field house, gymnasiums, service clubs, libraries, theaters, and a dayroom in each company. In addition, there is an 18-hole golf course, one of the finest in the Armed Forces. Fort Polk provides a balanced program for its men. The off-duty recreational and cultural activities are some of the best the Army has to offer, at the same time, using the latest and finest Army techniques, it performs the vital mission of turning civilians into soldiers. Swimming Pool . I A . vf23l:g.. ...sam ,.,m.Jg'fi-f'l- 11 iff. 4 .