Camp Wheeler
| Company type | Military installation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Military training |
| Founded | 1917 |
| Defunct | 1946 |
| Fate | Declared surplus and decontaminated; land returned to previous owners |
| Headquarters | Near Macon, Georgia , United States |
| Products | Infantry training, prisoner-of-war camp, military hospital |
Camp Wheeler was a military installation of the United States Army located near Macon, Georgia, utilized as a staging and training site during both World War I and World War II. Bearing the name of General Joseph Wheeler, the camp initially operated from 1917 until 1919, serving chiefly as a provisional training ground for National Guard units and housing approximately 29,000 troops in tent accommodations. This original facility ceased operations on April 10, 1919.
The camp was reactivated on October 8, 1940, with construction commencing in December of the same year. During this period, Camp Wheeler served as an Infantry Replacement Training Center, focusing on individual basic and advanced training rather than collective unit drills. The installation comprised a cantonment area, a maneuver zone, and an impact area, supporting a maximum population of about 17,000 trainees alongside 3,000 cadre members. In January 1946, the site was declared surplus and underwent decontamination before the land was returned to its previous owners.
Among the units stationed there was the 7th Infantry Division. The World War II-era camp also contained a hospital with a capacity of 1,000 beds as well as a prisoner-of-war facility.
In 2011, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted an assessment that revealed the presence of unexploded ordnance and environmental contamination; remediation efforts were expected to span eight years.
Today, the location accommodates the Herbert Smart Macon Downtown Airport along with the Ocmulgee East Industrial Park.
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