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Fort George G. Meade: The First 100 Years

You may know Fort George G. Meade as a cyber and intelligence hub, but did you know that the installation used to be the home of Army Tank School after World War I? Or that it housed an internment camp at the start of World War II for primarily German-American and Italian-American citizens and foreign nationals? Learn more about the fascinating history of the third largest Army base in the U.S. in terms of number of workforce in this book.

You may know Fort George G. Meade as a cyber and intelligence hub, but did you know that the installation used to be the home of Army Tank School after World War I? Or that it housed an internment camp at the start of World War II for primarily German-American and Italian-American citizens and foreign nationals? Learn more about the fascinating history of the third largest Army base in the U.S. in terms of number of workforce in this book.

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graduating classes of soldiers who might be replacements<br />

for casualties, to the nucleus of a newly forming battalion.<br />

AGFRD#1 would ensure that the soldiers were trained,<br />

received the appropriate shots, had the proper uniforms<br />

and equipment and they inspected those uniforms and<br />

equipment to ensure it was serviceable.<br />

<strong>The</strong> 1322 Service Unit<br />

<strong>The</strong> 1322 Service unit was the “permanent party" unit<br />

of <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Meade</strong>. <strong>The</strong>se were the soldiers that were the<br />

lifeblood of <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Meade</strong>. While other units around them<br />

prepared to go off to war, these soldiers ensured the<br />

installation ran so everyone else could train. <strong>The</strong> unit had<br />

one of the largest WAAC/WAC detachments on the east<br />

coast. <strong>The</strong> WAAC detachment on <strong>Meade</strong>, besides handling<br />

its regular duties, was also given the mission of outfitting<br />

and training French WAACs for the Free French army.<br />

And when the war would finally come to a close, these<br />

WORLD WAR II YEARS<br />

were the soldiers who would helped demobilize the Army,<br />

process soldiers out at <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Meade</strong> and get them on their<br />

way home.<br />

***<br />

(Pg. 128) the 34th Infantry Regiment marching in review<br />

was reorganized to become the Army’s first mechanized<br />

infantry regiment.<br />

(Pg. 129) John Dixon, from Buckingham County, Virginia,<br />

left the family farm when he was drafted at age 22, and was<br />

sent to <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Meade</strong> for basic and tank training while assigned<br />

to the 70th Tank Battalion. Dixon took part in the Carolina<br />

Maneuvers and was in the audience when Gen. Patton<br />

delivered his “Blood and guts" speech.<br />

(Left) 1st Sgt. Whaskell of the 603rd Engineers (Camouflage)<br />

does paperwork. (Below) Members of the 603rd Engineers<br />

(Camouflage) put up camouflage netting.<br />

131

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