Camp Fannin
| Company type | Military training facility |
|---|---|
| Industry | Military training and prisoner-of-war camp |
| Founded | May 1943 |
| Defunct | 1946 |
| Headquarters | Tyler, Texas , United States |
Area served | United States (training and POW facility) |
Camp Fannin functioned as a U.S. Army Infantry Replacement Training Center and a prisoner-of-war facility situated between Tyler and Kilgore, Texas. Established in May 1943, the camp remained active for four years, during which it trained more than 200,000 American soldiers, with a peak population reaching approximately 40,000 at one time.
Originally intended to be an installation for the U.S. Army Air Corps, Camp Fannin was built in the spring of 1943 and named in honor of Col. James Walker Fannin, a notable figure from the Texas Revolution. The initial plan to develop an airfield on this site was later redirected to Pounds Army Air Field, now known as Tyler Pounds Regional Airport.
Throughout World War II, the facility also operated as a detention center for German prisoners of war, where two escape attempts were promptly suppressed.
Following its closure in 1946, the property underwent conversion for civilian purposes. A portion was transferred to the state of Texas and transformed from a military hospital into the East Texas Tuberculosis Sanitarium, which eventually evolved into the University of Texas Health Center at Tyler. The remaining structures were sold to private developers and currently accommodate various commercial enterprises and storage facilities.
A commemorative monument sponsored by the Camp Fannin Association is located on the grounds of the UT Health Center at Tyler.