From its establishment during World War I to its closure at the end of the Cold War, the Army installation best known as Fort Ord made a significant contribution to our national defense. Founded as a training area for Presidio of Monterey troops in 1917, Fort Ord covered more than 28,000 acres near the city of Monterey in its heyday. The local topography made it ideal as an infantry training center, and this was its primary mission throughout much of the 20th century. Most recently, Fort Ord was home to the 7th Infantry Division (Light), which was inactivated in 1993. In September 1994, Fort Ord closed its gates and became a part of military history.
Author Harold E. Raugh, Jr., is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel of infantry who served twice at Fort Ord while on active duty. A prominent military historian, he is now the Command Historian of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center and Presidio of Monterey, and used its archives and others in preparing this book. Dr. Raugh presents more than 200 historic photographs to tell the unique story of Fort Ord and the men and women who built its enduring legacy.