Fort William Henry Harrison is the Montana National Guard training facility. It is also home to the Fort Harrison VA Medical Center and Montana State Veterans Cemetery, located adjacent to the military installation.

History

Fort

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...

(1895–1913) was authorized by a Congressional act of 12 May 1892 which was intended to establish, as a part of a greater consolidation program, concentrations of troops in a few larger installations so that smaller installations could be abandoned. The post was first named Fort Harrison after the sitting President of the United States,

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 23rd president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia–a grandson of the ninth pr ...

, on 13 December 1892. Some years later on 16 February 1906, the name was changed to Fort William Henry Harrison because it was discovered that there had already been an Army

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

named for Benjamin Harrison in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mar ...

. Fort William Henry Harrison was first garrisoned with troops from Fort Assinniboine near Havre, Montana 23 September 1895. These initial troops were withdrawn in 1913. Fort William Henry Harrison's most famous contribution during the 20th century was its 1942 use as the organization and training area for the U. S. Army's

1st Special Service Force The 1st Special Service Force was an elite American–Canadian commando unit in World War II, under the command of the United States Fifth Army. The unit was organized in 1942 and trained at Fort William Henry Harrison near Helena, Montana ...

, a joint World War II American-Canadian light infantry brigadeBurhans, Robert D. (1947). The First Special Service Force: A Canadian/American Wartime Alliance: The Devil's Brigade. Washington, D.C.: Infantry Journal Press Inc. made famous by the 1966 book, ''The Devil's Brigade'', co-written by Robert H. Adleman and George Walton, and '' The Devil's Brigade'', the 1968 American war film.

Current operations

The post is now home of the Montana National Guard's Joint Forces Headquarters, 95th Troop Command, 208th Regional Training Institute, Training Center Headquarters, 190th Chemical Reconnaissance Detachment, as well as an Army Reserve training facility and Veterans Administration Hospital.

References

{{Coord, 46, 37, 25, N, 112, 05, 50, W, display=title Buildings and structures in Lewis and Clark County, Montana

1892 establishments in Montana

History

Current operations

See also

References