Camp Fannin was a
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
Infantry Replacement Training Center
The United States Replacement and School Command was a training and receiving formation of the United States Army during World War II.
History
It was established as part of the Army Ground Forces in March 1942, after it was noted that divisi ...
and
prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as Prisoner of war, prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, inte ...
located in between
Tyler, Texas
Tyler, officially the City of Tyler, is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, United States. As of 2020, the population is 105,995. Tyler was the List of municipalities in Texas, 38th most populous city in Texas (as well as the m ...
, and
Kilgore, Texas
Kilgore, officially the City of Kilgore, is a city in Gregg County, Texas, Gregg and Rusk County, Texas, Rusk counties in Texas, United States. Located where Interstate 20 and US 259 converge just south of the Sabine River (Texas–Louisiana), ...
. It was opened in May 1943 and operated for four years, before closing in 1946. It is credited with training over 200,000 U.S. soldiers, sometimes as many as 40,000 at one given time.
Originally planned as a U.S. Army Air Corps station, Camp Fannin was constructed in the spring of 1943, the camp was named for Col.
James Walker Fannin
James Walker Fannin Jr. (January 1, 1804– March 27, 1836) was an American military officer and planter who served in the Texian Army during the Texas Revolution. After being outnumbered and surrendering to the Mexican Army at the Battle of ...
, a Texas Revolutionary War hero, who died at Goliad. The original plan moved to
Pounds Army Air Field (now
Tyler Pounds Regional Airport
Tyler Pounds Regional Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located west of Tyler, Texas, Tyler, in Smith County, Texas, Smith County, Texas, United States.
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 FAA airport cat ...
.)
The camp served as a German
POW camp
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, an ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Two attempted escape, but were quickly captured.
The area where Camp Fannin existed was returned to non-military use during 1946. A section of the land was handed over to the state of Texas, where the once military hospital was transformed to the East Texas Tuberculosis Santorium, later the
University of Texas Health Center at Tyler
The Health Science Center at UT Tyler (UT Tyler HSC) refers to the health science education branch of the University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler) academic campus on U.S. Highway 271. UT Tyler HSC was chartered in 1977 by the University of Texas ...
. Other buildings were sold to commercial and development companies. Many buildings still stand today, most of which are used as location for business and warehouses.
A memorial, paid for the Camp Fannin Association, stands at the UT Health Center at Tyler.
See also
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References
External links
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{{Authority control
World War II prisoner-of-war camps in the United States
Military facilities in Texas
Buildings and structures in Tyler, Texas
1943 establishments in Texas
1946 disestablishments in Texas