7/25/2023 0 Comments Missile silo house runway![]() From then until the end of the war, other armored and infantry divisions kept up the din before they too left for overseas duty. The 5th Armored Division rolled into camp in February and March 1942. Īlthough the construction of Camp Cooke continued well into 1942, troop training did not wait. The route led by Colonel Cooke in 1847 opened the first wagon route to California, and today the railroad follows much of the early wagon trails. Perhaps his most enduring achievement came when as a colonel during the Mexican War, he led a battalion of Mormons from Missouri to California. A native of Virginia, General Cooke remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War. He participated in the Mexican War, the Indian Wars, and the Civil War. General Cooke was a cavalry officer whose military career spanned almost half a century, beginning with his graduation from West Point in 1827 to his retirement in 1873. Although its completion was still months away, the Army activated the camp on 5 October 1941, and named it Camp Cooke in honor of Major General Phillip St. Ĭonstruction of the Army camp began in September 1941. ![]() With its flat plateau, surrounding hills, numerous canyons, and relative remoteness from populated areas, the Army was convinced it had found the ideal training location. ![]() Smaller parcels were obtained either by lease, license, or as easements. In March 1941, the Army acquired approximately 35,000 ha (86,000 acres) of open ranch lands along the Central Coast of California between Lompoc and Santa Maria. These areas needed to be of a varied nature to ensure relevant training. In 1941, the United States Army embarked on an initiative to acquire lands in the United States to be used to train its infantry and armored forces. Not to be confused with Camp Cooke (Montana).
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