Site of Camp Howze
Gainesville, Cooke County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(One mile west) In operation from 1942 to 1946, Camp Howze served as an infantry training facility during World War II. It was named for General Robert Lee Howze (1864-1926), a native Texan whose distinguished career in the United States Army began with his graduation from West Point and included service in France, Puerto Rico, Germany, a South Dakota Indian War and the Philippine Insurrection, 1899-1902. Clifford McMahon of the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce first contacted federal authorities with the idea of establishing a military installation here. Attracted by the community's active endorsement of the plan, the government activated Camp Howze on August 17, 1942, under the command of Colonel John P. Wheeler. In addition to infantry training, the base was also the site of a German prisoner of war camp and an air support command base, now part of the Gainesville Municipal Airport. Services provided for the soldiers included camp exchanges, libraries, chapels, theaters, service clubs and a base newspaper, the "Camp Howze Howitzer." The economic and social impact of Camp Howze on Gainesville was significant and was instrumental in the town's rapid growth and development. (1982)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In the anxious months after Pearl Harbor, the little North Texas town of Gainesville transformed almost overnight into a training ground for war. Activated in August 1942 and named for Texas-born General Robert Lee Howze, Camp Howze drilled infantry for the fight in Europe while also holding German prisoners of war and supporting air operations. Camp exchanges, libraries, chapels, theaters, and a base newspaper — the Camp Howze Howitzer — sustained the soldiers, and the installation reshaped Gainesville's economy and growth.
Why it matters
Camp Howze is a reminder of how completely World War II mobilized the American home front, turning ordinary farm towns into engines of the war effort.
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Related people
- · General Robert Lee Howze
- · Clifford McMahon
- · Colonel John P. Wheeler
Related events
- · World War II
Themes & tags
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