Fort William Henry Harrison is the

Montana National Guard The Montana National Guard consists of the Montana Army National Guard and the Montana Air National Guard. Structure and mission When National Guard troops are called to federal service, the President serves as Commander-in-Chief. The federal ...

’s training facility, located near Helena, Montana. It is also home to the Fort Harrison VA Medical Center and Montana State Veterans Cemetery, located adjacent to the military installation.

History

Fort

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was the ninth president of the United States, serving from March 4 to April 4, 1841, the shortest presidency in U.S. history. He was also the first U.S. president to die in office, causin ...

(1895–1913) was authorized by a Congressional act of 12 May 1892 which was intended to establish, as a part of a greater consolidation program, concentrations of troops in a few larger installations so that smaller installations could be abandoned. The post was first named Fort Harrison after the sitting President of the United States,

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...

, on 13 December 1892. Some years later on 16 February 1906, the name was changed to Fort William Henry Harrison because it was discovered that there had already been an Army

fort A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...

named for Benjamin Harrison in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

. Fort William Henry Harrison was first garrisoned with troops from Fort Assinniboine near Havre, Montana 23 September 1895. These initial troops were withdrawn in 1913. Fort William Henry Harrison's most famous contribution during the 20th century was its 1942 use as the organization and training area for the U. S. Army's

1st Special Service Force The 1st Special Service Force (FSSF) was an elite joint American–Canadian commando unit in World War II, formed by Lieutenant Colonel Robert T. Frederick of the Operations Division of the U.S. General Staff. During the Italian campaign of ...

, a joint World War II American-Canadian light infantry brigadeBurhans, Robert D. (1947). The First Special Service Force: A Canadian/American Wartime Alliance: The Devil's Brigade. Washington, D.C.: Infantry Journal Press Inc. made famous by the 1966 book, ''The Devil's Brigade'', co-written by Robert H. Adleman and George Walton, and '' The Devil's Brigade'', the 1968 American war film.

Current operations

The post is now home of the Montana National Guard's Joint Forces Headquarters, 95th Troop Command, 208th Regional Training Institute, Training Center Headquarters, 190th Chemical Reconnaissance Detachment, Montana Medical Readiness Detachment, 83rd Civil Support Team, 1049th Fire Fighting Detachment, and I Company 145th Forward Support Element. Additionally, there is as an Army Reserve training facility and Veterans Administration Hospital.

References

{{Coord, 46, 37, 25, N, 112, 05, 50, W, display=title Buildings and structures in Lewis and Clark County, Montana Installations of the United States Army National Guard

1892 establishments in Montana

History

Current operations

See also

References