Fort Oglethorpe During World War 2
World War 2 was a fascinating and dynamic era during the fort's history. It can be broken down into multiple periods, each with its own distinct history.
Below is a brief sketch of the WW2 era followed by a PowerPoint used by the author in public presentations of the fort's history. For now, the PowerPoint will have to suffice until the individual period webpages can be built out.
Major Chapters of the World War 2 Era
Pre-World War 2 to Pearl Harbor Period (1933-1941)
This period is dominated by the process of mechanization that was transforming the US Army. While the 6th Cavalry Regiment was the most well-known unit, the 33rd Surgical Hospital and the 65th Medical Regiment were leading the technological revolution in battlefield medicine. When the attack at Pearl Harbor forced America into the war, these units were called to duty and left the post within 2 months.
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Post-Pearl Harbor Period (1942)
The vacancy created by the departure of the previous units was filled when the US Army's Provost Marshal General (PMG) School was transferred from Fort Lee, VA. Among other divisions of military police training, this school introduced formal hand-to-hand combat training for the first time in US military history. This period also saw the arrival of German National Enemy Alien prisoners, although this was not nearly the endeavor that it was during WW1. After the invasion of North Africa, the PMG School moved to Camp Custer, MI, and on the heels of this departure the War Department announced that Fort Oglethorpe would become the Third Women's Army Corp Training Center.
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Women's Army Corps (WAC) and Post-War Period (1943-1946)
This significant period of Fort Oglethorpe history would witness the training of 50,000 women into combat support roles in the US Army. The training center lasted for two years and became the largest and most well-known WAC training center in the country. MGM Studios made it even more famous when they came to the fort to film the Hollywood movie "Keep Your Power Dry," starring Lana Turner. The period also saw the formation of the 6888th ("The Six Triple Eight") Central Postal Directory Battalion, which became the only black women's unit to be transferred overseas to a combat zone during the war. They gained notoriety by clearing out the backlog of mail that was not getting through to the troops in Europe after D-Day. "No Mail, Low Morale," became their battalion motto. This period also saw the arrival German prisoners of war (POW) that were members of Rommel's Afrika Korps, captured after their surrender in North Africa. As the war began to wind down, the training center was eventually closed, and the fort became a Redistribution Center. Thousands of troops were shipped here from overseas to either be sent to their next duty station or sent home following their service commitment. The post was officially decommissioned on December 31, 1946.
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The following PowerPoint was presented to the Catoosa County Historical Society on October, 13, 2025. This is an outline of a central timeline of events through World War 2, from 1939 to 1946. Over time, this author will add additional webpages that delve deeper into the topics seen in this slideshow. This author is available to present to your group as well, see the Contact page.