History Ft. Sam Houston

History of

FORT SAM HOUSTON

General Sam Houston

he namesake of the post, Sam Houston, was born in Virginia on March 2, 1793. At age 15, he left home in Tennessee and was adopted by the Cherokee tribe. Houston was called “The Raven” by the Cherokees. He returned to Maryville, Tennessee, and became a schoolmaster. Enlisting in the Army during the War of 1812, Houston rose to the rank of First Lieutenant. Wounded three times at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in Alabama serving under General Andrew Jackson, he resigned from the Army in 1818 and became an Indian Agent. Houston studied law and was elected prosecuting attorney and was then appointed a major general of the Tennessee Militia. At age 30, he became a Congressman from Tennessee and four years later, Governor. Houston married in 1829, but shortly afterward his wife left him. He resigned from the office and rejoined the Cherokees.

There, he decided his destiny awaited him in Texas. Houston arrived in Texas in 1832, became involved in the struggle for independence, and on November 12, 1835, he was elected Major General of the Texas Army. He was delegate to the Convention if 1836 and signed the Declaration of Independence on March 2. On March 11, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Texas Army at Gonzales. Withdrawing to the east, Houston decisively defeated the Mexican Army under General Santa Ana at San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. Sam Houston was elected President of the Republic of Texas under the Constitution of 1836 and took office in October 1836. After the annexation of Texas by the United States, Houston was elected to the U.S. Senate and served from 1846 until 1859. Elected as the seventh Governor of Texas in 1859, he opposed secession from the union. When Texas seceded from the Union, Houston refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy and was deposed on March 16, 1861. He retired to his farm in Huntsville, where he died on July 26, 1863

Fort Sam Houston

The U.S. Army has maintained a presence in the Alamo city since 1845. During that time, the installation has performed five distinct and important roles: headquarters, logistical base, mobilization and training site, garrison and provider of medical support.

At first, the Army leased facilities in the City of San Antonio, including its most famous landmark, the Alamo. In fact, the Army repaired the Alamo structure and added a roof so it could be used as a headquarters. In 1876, the Army began to move its facilities to the present site of Fort Sam Houston upon completion of the Quadrangle. The post has since increased in size from the original 92 acres donated to the Army by the city, to approximately 3,000 acres today.

As it expanded, additional facilities were built to meet the Army’s needs. The headquarters and garrison have always constituted one of the Army’s most important commands. Prior to the Civil War, the headquarters controlled 25 percent of the Army’s forces. From 1910 until World War II, Fort Sam Houston was the largest Army post in the continental United States. Many of America’s most distinguished soldiers have served here, including no less than 13 Army Chiefs of Staff and two United States presidents. The post’s prominence led to significant tactical and organizational innovations.

Military aviation was born here in the 1910s and revitalized during the 1940s and 1950s. Large scale troop maneuvers have

been conducted, including the first effective use of the Command Post Exercise in 1911. Field exercises in the 1930s developed the Triangular Division. This streamlined, mobile organization was the foundation of the Army combat power in World War II. The delivery of troops to the battle field by air was also tested here from 1939-1941.

Aeromedical evacuation of casualties was first developed here as early as 1917. At the end of the Second World War, the Army decided to make Fort Sam Houston the principal medical training facility. In conjunction with this decision came the determination to develop Brooke General Hospital into one of the Army’s premier medical centers.

Today, Fort Sam Houston is the largest and most important military medical training facility in the world. Throughout its existence, a close and harmonious relationship has prevailed between Fort Sam Houston and the City of San Antonio. The two have grown and matured together. The city has often been called the “mother-in-law of the Army” because so many soldiers including Dwight D. Eisenhower met their future spouses here.

The significant contributions of Fort Sam Houston to the United States were recognized in 1975 when the post was designated as a National Historic Landmark. As one of the Army’s oldest installations, Fort Sam Houston boasts the largest collection of historic structures - more than 900 buildings.

Even more consequential than the numbers, is the historical integrity of the post’s different sections which represent the different eras of construction and reflect Army concepts in planning and design. Careful preservations of these areas allows the post to live with its history, surrounded by existence of the traditions of excellence established when the first soldiers arrived here. But Fort Sam Houston does not dwell in the past. It is a dynamic and growing installation, taking on new missions such as the home of the Army Medical Command Headquarters. In addition to command headquarters, Ft. Sam is also home to U.S. Army North, U.S. Army South, Fifth Recruiting Brigade, 12th ROTC Brigade, U.S. Navy Regional Recruiting, The San Antonio Military Entrance and Processing Station and the U.S. Naval School of Health Sciences, and Bethesda Detachment.

Also located at Ft. Sam Houston are Brooke Army Medical Center, the Great Plains Regional Medical Command, Headquarters Dental Command, Headquarters Veterinary Command, the Institute for Surgical Research (trauma/burn center), the Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute and the Army Medical Department NCO Academy.

Designated as a National Historic Landmark, Fort Sam Houston has a collection of historic buildings and sites second to none. Most of these historic points of interest are located within one mile of the National Historic Landmark marker on Stanley Road.

Fort Sam Houston Museum

The Fort Sam Houston Museum tells the story of historic Fort Sam Houston and the U.S. Army in the San Antonio area from 1845 to the present. Central exhibits depict the history of the post in chronological order and are grouped to cover the major periods of development. Each exhibit contains text and images explaining the major events during the period, along with images and examples of the uniforms and equipment in use at that time. Supplemental exhibits focus on common military subjects, military units and some of the soldiers, both the distinguished and the ordinary “GI Joes” who have served here. Audio visual programs are shown daily in the Activities Gallery.

The Museum maintains an expanding collection of 6,000 + artifacts. The collection includes insignia, equipment, firearms, edged weapons, accoutrements, vehicles and artillery from 1832 to the present. Archival holdings include a photograph collection of about 10,000 items, and a small document collection. There is also a reference library of military manuals and publications and secondary sources dealing with the period which covers Fort Sam Houston’s existence.

The Fort Sam Houston Museum is open to the public and admission is free. Hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The museum will be closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

U.S. Army Medical Department Museum

The AMEDD Museum depicts the history of military medicine from 1775 up to the present. It supports the training and professional development of soldiers attending the AMEDD Center and School. Exhibits depict the history of the Army Medical Department with emphasis on the medical field service, the progress in science and technology, the contribution of key members of the AMEDD in peace and war, and the branches of the AMEDD. A display of vehicles used in the chain of evacuation of causalities, including an ambulance train and aircraft, is located adjacent to the main exhibit gallery.

Artifact collections amount to more than 7,000 items and are increasing. These include medical department uniforms and insignia, individual and organization equipment, medical devices, kits and systems and transport used in the evacuation of casualties. The Museum maintains a considerable collection of archival, photographic and reference materials related to the AMEDD and military medicine.

The AMEDD Museum is open to the public and admissions are free. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 1000 to 1600. The museum is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

Calvary & Light Artillery Post

Construction of this neighborhood between 1905 and 1912 made Fort Sam Houston the largest Army post, a distinction it held until World War II. The barracks and hospital have been converted to office space, the Guard House became the Learning Center, and the bakery became the Military Police Station.

Staff Post

Designed by Alfred Giles, the homes on the Staff Post were built for the officers of the headquarters in the Quadrangle. The largest quarters, set aside for the Commanding General, were designated the Pershing house in honor of General John J. Pershing who lived there in 1917. The Post Hospital, built in 1886, has become the Sam Houston House, temporary lodging for VIPs.

Oldest structure on the post, this former Quartermaster Supply Depot served as headquarters for the Third and Fourth Armies. Today, the Fifth U.S. Army/ ARNORTH occupies these historic grounds. The Quadrangle has become the focal point of the Fort Sam Houston National Historic Landmark District. The 624-foot, square limestone structure encloses an eight-acre courtyard. Along the west, south and east sides were storerooms for supplies and equipment. Originally, only the center third of the south side had a second story. There, offices for the supply officers were located. When the Department Headquarters was to move the Quadrangle in 1881, the second story was extended to the remainder of the south side. The 90-foot tower in the center of the Quadrangle originally held a water tank. This was replaced by a clock in 1882. The current faces on the clock were installed in 1907. The expansion of the headquarters’ staff eventually required the movement of all supply functions out of the Quadrangle in 1922. Since then, headquarters has been the sole occupant. Generals Frederick Funston, John J. Pershing and Dwight D. Eisenhower are a few of the distinguished soldiers whose offices were here.

Visitors may take a walking tour around the Quadrangle. Points of interest are marked with explanatory signs. Additional information is available at the kiosk near the Sally Port (entrance). Additionally, military vehicles and artillery are on display west of the Quadrangle.

As an active military headquarters, the Quadrangle is operational around the clock everyday. A Military Police checkpoint is located at the entrance. The public is welcome to visit the Quadrangle from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and from noon-6 p.m. on weekends. The Quadrangle is closed to visitors on Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

Infantry Post

Designed by Alfred Giles and built east of the Quadrangle between 1885 and 1894 for a 12-company garrison, completion of the Infantry Post made Fort Sam Houston the second largest Army Post. Building 688 was home to Lieutenant and Mrs. Dwight Eisenhower from 1915 - 1917.

Camp Travis

Constructed in 1917 for the mobilization of draftees, Camp Travis was comprised of 1,400 temporary buildings covering the area from the Gift Chapel to Old BAMC and as far east as Garden Street. Camp capacity exceeded 50,000 soldiers and 1,500 horses and mules.

Brooke Army Medical Center

Completed in 1996, BAMC is a stateof-the-art medical treatment facility and teaching hospital. It is home to the Institute for Surgical Research renowned burn treatment center. It is named for Colonel Roger Brooke who commanded the Station Hospital at Fort Sam Houston from 19291933. BAMC includes a medical treatment facility, a medical research laboratory and a central energy plant. The multi-storied medical treatment facility is the primary structure in the medical complex. It has 1.5 million square feet of operational space and a normal bed capacity of 450. The hospital is capable of expanding to 653 beds if needed to support a wartime mobilization.

Old BAMC

Completed in 1937 as a General Hospital, it was designated the Brooke Army Medical Center, a role it filled until 1996 when New BAMC was built. Today it is the home to the headquarters of US Army South and Installation Management Command - West.