Fort William Henry Harrison facts for kids

Fort William Henry Harrison, 1894

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 (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, on 13 Dec 1892. Some years later on 16 Feb 1906, the name was changed to Fort William Henry Harrison because it was discovered that there had already been an Army fort named for Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, Indiana. Fort William Henry Harrison was first garrisoned with troops from Fort Assinniboine near Havre, Montana 23 Sep 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 These initial troops were withdrawn in 1913.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, a joint World War II American-Canadian light infantry brigade 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 and 1049th Firefighters, as well as an Army Reserve training facility and Veterans Administration Hospital.