Camp Fannin

Numerous military bases were expanded or established throughout Texas during World War II. Originally planned as an Air Corps installation, construction of Camp Fannin began in late 1942. Named in honor of Texas revolutionary hero James Walker Fannin, Jr., the camp opened in the spring of 1943 and was formally dedicated in September. The main purpose of the camp was an Infantry Replacement Training Center (IRTC), and during its peak operation as many as 35,000 to 40,000 men were trained every four months to replace troops killed, wounded, or recalled from the war's battlefronts. In addition to the infantry training center, the camp also included a German prisoner of war facility from 1943 to 1946, and a Women's Army Corps (WAC) installation in 1944. Camp Fannin had a tremendous impact on the local economy, employing about 3,000 civilian workers and giving rise to numerous new businesses catering to the military trade. Many of the camp's facilities were later acquired by business interests and are still in use. Soldiers stationed here, as well as at least one former German prisoner, returned to East Texas to settle after the war. (1989)

Camp Fannin is a historical marker in Winona, Smith County, dedicated in 1989. It is one of 90 historical markers documented in Smith County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 272 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.4299, -95.1958 near Winona. The nearest cataloged historic site is Camp Fannin Internment Camp World War II P.O.W. Camp (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include McDougal Cemetery, Center Cemetery #2, and Center Cemetery #1.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5423007708. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.