Camp MacArthur, World War I Training Camp
Waco, McLennan County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Named for and dedicated by Lt. Gen Arthur MacArthur, U.S.A., veteran of Civil War, outstanding officer in Phillipines, 1898-1902, Father of Gen. Douglas MacArthur. Founded July 18, 1917, to train 32nd division, National Guard, in First World War. Capacity was 45,074--at time when Waco had a population of 32,000. First had troops from Michigan and Wisconsin; later, Arkansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Texas. The 32nd went to France in Feb. 1918. MacArthur became an infantry replacement and training camp and officers training school. Demobilized 11,000 in Dec. 1918.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Founded in July 1917, Camp MacArthur was named for Lt. Gen. Arthur MacArthur—Civil War veteran, distinguished officer in the Philippines, and father of Douglas MacArthur—and built to train the National Guard's 32nd Division for World War I. Its capacity of more than 45,000 dwarfed Waco's own population of 32,000, filling the city with troops first from Michigan and Wisconsin and later from across the country. The 32nd shipped out to France in early 1918, and the camp became a replacement and officer-training center before demobilizing thousands that December.
Why it matters
Camp MacArthur shows how World War I transformed American towns almost overnight into vast military encampments, welding local communities to the national war effort.
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Related people
- · Arthur MacArthur
- · Douglas MacArthur
Related events
- · World War I
Themes & tags
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