Camp Forrest
| Company type | Military installation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Military training |
| Founded | 1926 |
| Defunct | 1946 |
| Headquarters | Tullahoma , United States |
Area served | United States Army training operations during World War II |
Camp Forrest, situated to the east of Tullahoma, Tennessee, ranked among the largest U.S. Army training installations during World War II. Operational from 1941 through 1946, it was named in honor of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest.
History
Initially established in 1926 by the Tennessee National Guard as Camp Peay on a tract of 1,040 acres, the site was taken over by the U.S. Army in 1940 and subsequently expanded to encompass 85,000 acres. In 1941, following directives from Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall, the facility was renamed Camp Forrest to align with a policy discouraging naming federal military sites after local political figures lacking military distinction. The Tennessee adjutant general proposed Nathan Bedford Forrest—a native with a contentious reputation—and despite objections, the renaming was authorized.
Camp Forrest functioned as a comprehensive training ground for infantry, artillery, engineering, signal units, and culinary personnel. It also operated as a hospital complex and temporary staging area during military exercises. A notable event included Major General George Patton bringing his 2nd Armored Division for training at this location. Nearby William Northern Field provided specialized training for Army Air Forces crews operating B-24 bombers.
The base was equipped with standard military facilities such as service clubs, guest accommodations, a library, post exchanges, medical centers, a chapel, theater, barracks, and recreational amenities including swimming pools, archery ranges, tennis courts, a sports arena, and a nine-hole golf course. Additionally, it hosted Red Cross and Army Emergency Relief operations.
Beginning May 12, 1942, Camp Forrest served as a prisoner-of-war camp housing Italian and German POWs who contributed labor to hospitals and agricultural work in the area. The camp also detained Japanese, German, and Italian-American civilians under "Alien Enemy Control" orders—many without formal legal proceedings. At its height, more than 700 internees were confined there, including approximately 200 individuals of Japanese descent. Among the German detainees was a newsletter titled The Latrine. In 1943, internees were transferred elsewhere to accommodate incoming battlefield prisoners.
In 1945, an Intellectual Diversion Program was launched at Camp Forrest aimed at educating German prisoners on American cultural values through various educational and leisure activities.
The creation of Camp Forrest profoundly influenced Tullahoma’s economy and population dynamics. Land was seized from local families with minimal reimbursement. The town’s population expanded dramatically from 4,500 in 1940 to around 75,000 by the conclusion of the war due to the influx of military personnel involved in construction and operations. This surge led to significant rises in living expenses and property prices.
Following the end of World War II in 1946, Camp Forrest along with Northern Field was declared surplus property. Structures were either auctioned off or dismantled; infrastructure materials were sold as scrap. The Sports Arena was acquired by Lincoln Memorial University and transported to Harrogate, Tennessee where it now operates as the Mary E. Mars Gymnasium.
Rather than returning the land to its original owners after closure, the Air Force repurposed the site into the Air Engineering Development Center. Officially dedicated by President Harry Truman in 1951 and later renamed Arnold Engineering Development Center in honor of General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, it developed into Arnold Air Force Base where the center continues its mission today.
See also
References
- Camp Forrest. Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee
External links
- Buildings and structures in Coffee County, Tennessee
- Buildings and structures in Franklin County, Tennessee
- World War II internment camps in the United States
- World War II prisoner-of-war camps in the United States
- 1941 establishments in Tennessee
- 1946 disestablishments in Tennessee
- Installations of the United States Army in Tennessee
- Military installations closed in 1946
- Military installations established in 1926