Clarksville, Tenn.–Happy 80th Birthday Fort Campbell!
On July 1, 1942 one officer and 19 enlisted men from the 1580th Service Command were the first troops officially assigned here. As a result of the US entering WWII, construction began six months earlier for what was then known as “Camp Campbell”.
Within that short period of time, 26 million square feet of facilities were constructed to train soldiers to fight at the European front. Shortly after the arrival of the 1580th, the first tenant unit – the 12th Armored Division, arrived in September.
Camp Campbell was initially intended to be a temporary training installation. In 1950, it became permanent and changed its name to Fort Campbell.
Photo: Fort Campbell construction, 1942. Fort Campbell Public Works photo.