Name: Nevada Test Site
Brand: Peter W. Merlin
SKU: 9781467117449
Price: 18.74 USD
Availability: InStock

Nevada Test Site

9781467117449

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Since Pres. Harry Truman established the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in December 1950, it has played a vital role in the security of the United States. For four decades, the test site's primary purpose was developmental testing of nuclear explosives. Atmospheric tests conducted over Yucca Flat and Frenchman Flat between 1951 and 1962 involved thousands of Army troops and Marines simulating nuclear battlefield conditions. Civil defense planners studied blast and radiation effects and evaluated bomb shelter designs. Testing moved underground in 1963 to eliminate radioactive fallout. Other projects at the NTS included nuclear rocket engine development for space travel, training for NASA's Apollo astronauts, excavation experiments, radioactive waste storage studies, and aircraft testing. Since the last underground nuclear test in 1992, this geographically diverse testing and training complex north of Las Vegas--known since 2010 as the Nevada National Security Site--has been used to support nuclear stockpile stewardship and as a unique outdoor laboratory for government and industry research and development efforts.

The Battleship Texas

9781467123938

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The USS Texas was built when dreadnought battleships were kings of the seas. It was the world's most powerful battleship when first commissioned in 1914, and for over a century it fought many battles. Some took place while the Texas served as a warship in the US Navy in World Wars I and II. Since becoming a museum ship and war memorial in 1948, it has fought a longer and more difficult struggle as it combats the ravages of time for its very survival. Throughout its existence, the Texas has made history, leaving a wealth of fascinating stories in its wake.

Valley Forge

9780738511177

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Valley Forge is a name that resonates in the minds of many Americans. As the site of the 1777-1778 encampment of the Continental army during the Revolutionary War, it has come to symbolize determination and triumph. While many people know something revolutionary happened in Valley Forge, they do not understand how or why it became a place of remembrance today. Using the rich historical collections of the National Center for the American Revolution and Valley Forge Historical Society, Valley Forge shares the early-twentieth-century history of the area through nearly two hundred images, the majority of which are published for the first time.

Valley Forge offers a variety of historical views and background into the site that became Pennsylvania's first state park. Highlights include Washington's Headquarters and the patriotic and inspiring Washington Memorial Chapel, as well as Revolutionary War artifacts that have found a home in Valley Forge. Thousands of books exist on the history of the American War for Independence, but few describe the events and people who have struggled to preserve that story of independence for people everywhere, as Valley Forge does.

Parris Island

9780738514260

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Proud Marines and military aficionados know some of the tales of Parris Island military base, and now you can experience its history first-hand through this pictorial history of the infamous island.

Located near the Palmetto State's historic city of Beaufort, the United States Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina is one of the world's most famous military bases. Having trained Marine recruits since World War I, the base is the oldest major post of the Marine Corps. It is also the first base commissioned exclusively to train United States Marines, and therefore may truly be called ""The Cradle of the Corps."" Parris Island takes the reader on a visual journey through documented photographs that highlight the base's touchstones. Before the American Revolution, the island was partially owned by Col. Alexander Parris, who became the island's namesake. Plantations flourished on Parris Island until the end of the War between the States. A small detachment of Marines first arrived in the late 1800s. It was not until 1915, however, that the Marines arrived for good. Since then, the base has rapidly expanded, first during World War I and more so during World War II. Over the years, much of the physical appearance of the base has changed; yet, through this collection of photographs, former Parris Island Marines will have a chance to relive some of their memories while new recruits can watch the progression of their base unfold.

Travis Air Force Base

9780738529417

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Soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the Fairfield-Suisun Army Air Base, later to become Travis, was born on the windswept plains of Solano County. To meet the urgent need for an air gateway to the Pacific, the base soon had two runways on a 945-acre site between the twin farming communities. The gusty winds challenged the gutsy young pilots who trained here, many of whom saw the Golden Gate--their last view of the mainland--as they flew out to do battle. Expanding through the next two decades until it encompassed over 6,000 acres, Travis is now the largest base under the U.S. Air Force Mobility Command.

Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego

9780738588780

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Located northwest of downtown San Diego, the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) is rich in the history and traditions of the US Marine Corps. The base was born in part of the perseverance of Col. Joseph H. Pendleton and the efforts of Congressman William Kettner. MCRD San Diego was commissioned in 1921 and officially designated as the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in 1948. It is the oldest operational Marine Corps base on the West Coast and graduates over 20,000 new Marines every year. MCRD San Diego is one of only two Marine Corps recruit-training bases in the United States and is responsible for the basic training of all male recruits west of the Mississippi River. Every Marine begins his career by participating in a 13-week training period that isolates him from the civilian world. Basic training at MCRD San Diego emphasizes physical fitness and adaption to the Marine Corps lifestyle.

Fort Ord

9780738528694

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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.

A History of Fort Sumter

9781626194700

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Join author M. Patrick Hendrix as he follows the tumultuous lives of the men who fought to control the most revered monuments to the war.

In 1829, construction began on a fort atop a rock formation in the mouth of Charleston Harbor. Decades later, Fort Sumter was near completion on December 26, 1860, when Major Robert Anderson occupied it in response to the growing hostilities between the North and South. As a symbol of sedition for the North and holy ground for the South, possession of Fort Sumter was deemed essential to both sides when the Civil War began. By 1864, the fort, heavily bombarded by Union artillery, was a shapeless mass of ruins, mostly bermed rubble and sand with a garrison of Confederate soldiers holding its ground.

Fort Lewis

9780738520513

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The area now known as Fort Lewis was first recognized for its potential as a military reservation in the early 1900s when a series of militia and national guard encampments were held in the area. Camp Lewis was established as the United States entered World War I in 1917 and became the first Army installation in the history of the nation to be created as a direct result of the outright gift of land by private citizens. During World War I, Camp Lewis became the largest military post of the era. Here, thousands of "doughboys" trained for the Great War and began a tradition of training excellence that continues to this day. In 1927, the camp was designated a permanent post and offically became Fort Lewis.

The story of this important military installation is told here in a series of historic photographs, from the collections of Fort Lewis Military Museum dating from the early 20th century to the present. The photographs capture not only the natural beauty of the area and prominent buildings, but also many of the men and women who have served their nation at Fort Lewis.

Togus, Down in Maine

9780738544656

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Togus, located 4.5 miles east of Augusta, Maine, was formerly part of the town of Chelsea. After the Civil War, Congress enacted laws and established a system of facilities that collectively became known as "National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers." The critical need to establish an eastern branch of the National Home led to the selection of the former Togus Spring Hotel, which after some remodeling, opened for Union Civil War veterans in
November 1866. Gathered from cherished family albums, collectors of Togus artifacts, libraries, and archives, Togus, Down in Maine: The First National Veterans Home represents the first published history of the area, and most of the photographs have not been viewed by the public. The images of Civil War veterans are of particular interest, along with views of buildings, barracks, and hospitals from 1866 to the 1930s. From 1932 to 1960, over 60 buildings were demolished, and new buildings with reinforced concrete and brick facings were built.

Fort Bragg

9781467130851

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In 1857, Fort Bragg was an Army post on the Mendocino Indian Reservation. Coastal California north of San Francisco had been home to the Pomo and Yuki people for thousands of years. In the early 1800s, that area was visited by Russian, English, and French fur trappers. In 1850, an opium trader carrying goods from the Orient to gold-rush San Francisco shipwrecked near Fort Bragg. Would-be salvagers discovered giant redwood trees, and lumber mills soon sprang up at the mouth of every stream. "Dog-hole schooners" transported lumber, passengers, and supplies, and the world-wide Dollar Shipping Lines started here. Former reservation lands were acquired by lumber interests, and the city of Fort Bragg sprang up around them, all while photographers, artists, and writers documented the "far West." Today, the former California Western logging railroad transports tourists through the redwood forests. Hollywood movies continue to be set in the New England-style towns along the rocky Mendocino Coast, and Paul Bunyan Days celebrates old-time logging skills. The area's colorful past permeates and enriches local culture.

Rock Island Arsenal

9781467112703

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In July 1862, Pres. Abraham Lincoln signed legislation to create Rock Island Arsenal, envisioning a supply and maintenance facility. After the Civil War, Rock Island became home to a great national arsenal. It made everything soldiers needed and supplied saddles, rifles, canteens, haversacks, artillery, tanks, and ammunition to the Army on the frontier and around the world. Rock Island Arsenal, located on an island in the Mississippi River, has long been the center of the local Illinois-Iowa community and the largest employer in the area. Beginning as a modest wooden fort, the arsenal grew to become the largest public-works project of the 19th century, the home of a National Historic Landmark, and the host of numerous historical events. Rock Island Arsenal still bustles as a center of Army logistics and is critical to sustaining the nation's armed forces in peace and war.

The United States Army at Fort Knox

9780738517919

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Located in north-central Kentucky, Fort Knox is one of the army's major installations and is home to several commands, including the United States Army School and Center and the United States Army Recruiting Command. The fort's history dates to 1903, when a series of military maneuvers was held by the United States Army in West Point, Kentucky. When World War I required the establishment of additional military training facilities, Camp Knox was created. The post closed as a permanent installation in 1922, but it remained an active training center for army programs and, briefly, a national forest. On January 1, 1932, Camp Knox was made a permanent installation again and has since been known as Fort Knox. In 1940, the Armored Force was established, paving the way for the continuing evolution of armed warfare. The United States Bullion Depository chose its location because of its proximity to this post.

West Point

9780738554976

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West Point presents a unique visual history of an essential American institution. Built directly into the granite above the Hudson River, West Point began its military history during the Revolutionary War and continues today, preparing officers for the U.S. Army. The cadets appointed to the U.S. Military Academy march on hallowed ground, privileged to take their place in "the Long Gray Line," among America's best and brightest.

Camp Pendleton

9780738529820

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Camp Pendleton was established in 1942 by the Navy Department as the West Coast training facility for the United States Marine Corps. Located in rugged northwest San Diego County, Camp Pendleton quickly became one of the largest training centers for infantry, aviation, and amphibious units and has long been the threshold for Marines embarking to participate in armed conflicts in the Far East and around the globe. From World War II to Operation Iraqi Freedom, Camp Pendleton has served as the backdrop and staging ground for troops, artillery, tanks, and infantry. Named for Maj. Gen. Joseph H. Pendleton, who pioneered Marine activity in San Diego, Camp Pendleton is situated on approximately 250,000 acres on the California coast and its access to land, sea, and air has been instrumental in cross-training Marines. Thousands of Marines have called "CamPen" home since its inception, including the oldest and most decorated Marine unit, the 1st Marine Division.

The Marines at Twentynine Palms

9780738547725

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The largest Marine Corps base in history, the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Center at Twentynine Palms is located on 930 square miles of harsh terrain, nearly the size of Rhode Island, in southern San Bernardino County. An army base for training glider pilots at the outset of World War II, the former navy facility was taken over by the corps in 1952 during the Korean War and the advent of the cold war. The base provided adequate space and ranges to test new artillery and missile technology and was ideal for the largescale training of ground forces. In the 21st century, every U.S. Marine does a stint at Twentynine Palms because the climate, terrain, and remote location simulate many international hot spots of world strife. The marines have continually upgraded and expanded the Twentynine Palms facilities as daily maneuvers involve transports, tanks, artillery, and aircraft, particularly at the Expeditionary Air Field.

Fort Devens

9780738535128

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The geographical location of Fort Devens has a military history that dates back to the 1600s, when the area was first garrisoned by British troops. In 1915, the region was again chosen for a cantonment, one of only sixteen in the country. In order to build the camp, the War Department assembled the largest labor force in history. New buildings sprang up at the rate of about ten per day and supported more than one hundred thousand troops that were processed at Camp Devens, as it was originally named, during World War I.

Fort Devens is the first book to trace the military activity in this area. Throughout the twentieth century, troops were trained and deployed from Fort Devens for every major conflict the United States was involved in. During World War II, Fort Devens inducted more than six hundred thousand men into the army from the New England area. The list of individuals who have served here included Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Bill Mauldin, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, and Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Even NASA can trace its birth to Fort Devens by way of Dr. Robert Goddard's liquid-fueled rocket experiments.

Missouri in World War I

9781467105132

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The state of Missouri played a unique role in World War I-as the birthplace of Gen. John J. Pershing, the commanding officer of the American Expeditionary Forces, and Maj. Gen. Enoch Crowder, the primary author of the military draft-and it is an impressive legacy featuring a colorful cast of characters, events, and communities. Missouri was home to two flying aces of the war as well as Bennett Champ Clark, the youngest colonel in the American Expeditionary Forces and the first national commander of the American Legion. During the war, the state was home to farms and ranches that provided an army of mules that assisted Allied forces in hauling critical materials and equipment in the harshest of conditions. Additionally, 156,000 of the state's citizens served in the military with approximately 10,000 wounded or killed in action.

Charlestown Navy Yard

9780738502212

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Discover within these pages little-known facts about the USS Albany, the U.S. Navy's oldest commissioned warship, USS Constitution, and the WWII destroyer, USS Cassin Young.

The photographs in this exciting new volume illustrate the history of the Charlestown Navy Yard from the late nineteenth century through the twentieth century. Founded in 1800, the yard was oneof the first military shipyards in the United States.Charlestown Navy Yard celebrates the life of the yardthrough one hundred years of photographs, showing thedramatic changes that took place during the transition from wood to steel ships. Charlestown Navy Yard's history is preserved in these images, which include rare views of buildings past and present and snapshots of shipyard workers in the Ropewalk, on the ships, and in the Forge Shop where die-lock chain was developed.

Fort Monmouth

9780738565576

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The U.S. Army established Fort Monmouth in June 1917, just a few months after Congress declared war on Germany. It initially served as a signal training camp for the First and Second Reserve Telegraph Battalions. The first camp, on the grounds of the old Monmouth Park racetrack, was named Camp Little Silver. The army renamed the camp Fort Monmouth in 1925 to honor the brave Americans who died at the Revolutionary War battle of Monmouth Courthouse a few miles away in Freehold. For almost a century, the dedicated military and civilian personnel of the fort have made groundbreaking advances in developing, fielding, and sustaining communications and electronics systems. These breakthroughs have included the development of radar in 1937, bouncing the first electronic signals off of the moon in 1946, and producing the first communications satellite in 1958.

Quantico

9780738515021

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Located in the northern Virginia hills just south of our nation's capital, Marine Corps Base Quantico is known throughout the world as the Crossroads of the United States Marine Corps. Images of America: Quantico takes the reader on a visual tour of Quantico's evolution-through World War I, interwar service as an expeditionary base, and the development of the amphibious capabilities made famous by the Marines in World War II. The impact of famous Marines, including Generals John A. Lejeune and Smedley D. Butler, is explored, as is the unique relationship between the base and the Town of Quantico, the only United States city surrounded by a military base.

Fort Delaware

9780738585901

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Located on Pea Patch Island, Fort Delaware was erected to defend local ports from enemy attack but never received or fired a shot in anger. The first earthen-work version, constructed during the War of 1812, was followed by a second 1820s plan incorporating a masonry star design with a network of drainage ditches. Engineering issues and a low-lying site doomed the structure; in 1831, it was irreparably damaged by fire. A new plan created a more substantial fortification still standing to this day. Fort Delaware evolved into a well-established community that transformed from protector to notorious Civil War prison camp. Most widely known as a prison, it subsequently served in lesser roles through three more conflicts. Images of America: Fort Delaware unifies an amazing pictorial record of Fort Delaware's historical timeline. The story is not only of active duty but its rescue from abandonment and subsequent successful preservation work.

New York State National Guard

9780738549361

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Dedicated to the state's citizen soldiers, New York State National Guard reveals the sweeping vista of the often turbulent years from 1860 to 1960. This exciting history documents the faces, dress, and overall activity of New York's militia and National Guard with compelling images that have rarely, if ever, been publicly viewed. The book sets forth a century of photographic evidence and reliable narrative, making it a resource and guide not only for historians, museums, historical organizations, genealogists, and collectors but also for readers in general.

Fort Huachuca

9780738529462

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At the foot of the Huachuca Mountains, the U.S. Army founded one of the most crucial military posts for American expansion into the southwest frontier. Soldiers had been stationed in the region for decades, but in 1877 Fort Huachuca became the symbolic cornerstone of America's western domain. The Native American word huachuca, meaning "place of thunder," described the sporadic but marvelous electrical storms in the area, but the skies would not be the only thing booming. During the tumultuous campaigns to resolve American and Indian disputes, the U.S. infantry and famed Buffalo Soldiers faced off with Geronimo and his Apache nation in both tense negotiations and bitter combat. As time marched on, the fort developed into a permanent installation with barracks, modern training grounds, and other facilities to accommodate troop rotations and eventually became the innovative Center for Military Intelligence.

Fortresses of Savannah, Georgia

9780738514680

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Like stalwart soldiers standing silent guard, the mighty fortresses of Savannah once served as guardians over the new colony of Georgia. In 1733, Gen. James Oglethorpe, upon stepping ashore in this new world, authorized fortifications to be constructed to protect her new residents. Forts and townships now known only in name defended Georgia's first citizens against the Native Americans and the Spanish. Later they would stand a much greater challenge protecting them against more aggressive foes-the British, the Union Army, and ultimately, the Third Reich of Germany. Through vintage photographs of these magnificent architectural structures and the faces of devoted soldiers who once stood upon their ramparts, readers will feel as if they too were standing a vigilant watch, looking across the vast marshes and rivers surrounding Savannah. The images within these pages celebrate and honor the fortresses that allowed Savannah to prosper and expand from a colonial outpost to the majestic queen city of Georgia.

Fort Laramie

9780738580531

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Fort Laramie was one of the most important frontier outposts of the American West. Founded as the trading post Fort William in 1834, the fort became a U.S. military post in 1849. Beginning in 1841, emigrants stopped at Fort Laramie while traveling the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails. Fort Laramie served as a gathering place for thousands of Native Americans and hosted the 1851 and 1868 treaty councils. When the treaties failed, the post became the staging area for campaigns that eventually led to the tribes's confinement on reservations. Fort Laramie was abandoned by the military in 1890; the buildings were auctioned and served private interests during the homestead period from 1890 to 1937. Fort Laramie was acquired by the state of Wyoming in 1937, and the fort became a unit of the National Park System in 1938. Fort Laramie National Historic Site is open daily except New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The restoration of many structures to their historical appearance provides visitors with a glimpse of the past.

San Diego's Naval Training Center

9780738559582

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San Diego's Naval Training Center (NTC) was commissioned on June 1, 1923, and for 70 years served as a young recruit's introduction to a naval career, beginning with nine weeks of basic orientation and organization training (BOOT) camp. Originally consisting of 135 acres adjacent to San Diego Bay, NTC eventually expanded to almost 550 acres with 300 buildings, landscaped promenades, parade grounds, and a concrete training "non-ship," the USS Recruit (a.k.a. USS Neversail), where recruits learned their first duties of seamanship. Advanced training schools were later added for military personnel learning specialized duties. After training hundreds of thousands of recruits, NTC was officially closed on April 30, 1997, and has since been transformed into San Diego's new and vibrant cultural center, Liberty Station.

Griffiss Air Force Base

9780738556710

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Located strategically in the center of the state, the city of Rome is deeply rooted in military history. Home to several pre-Revolutionary War fortresses, it was in Rome that the stars and stripes was first raised in battle on August 3, 1777. In 1941, the location and resources in and around the city made it an ideal location for an air depot. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, construction of the Rome Air Depot became a major priority for the war department. The mission of the depot was storage and aircraft maintenance or repair. In 1947, the name was changed to Griffiss Air Force Base, in honor of Lt. Col. Townsend Griffiss, a Buffalo native and the first aviator killed in World War II. The base hosted many missions over the years, from electronics and communications research to the air defense missions of fighter jets and the alert missions of the B-52 bombers, until the base was deactivated in 1995.

A History of Georgia Forts

9781609491925

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Georgia was once part of a much larger region of the Southeast claimed by Spain and known as La Florida. After the failure of Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon's settlement in 1526 on the coast of Georgia, French Huguenots established a small fort at Port Royal Sound and another along the St. Johns River. Thus began Georgia's tradition of building stalwart military fortifications--a practice that has spanned centuries. Discover who emerged victorious after Savannah's Fort Pulaski was bombarded for over thirty hours by Federal troops during the Civil War and why Fort Oglethorpe was constructed in 1902 within the confines of Chickamuaga Park. Military historian, archivist and seasoned author Alejandro de Quesada explores the breadth of Georgia's forts from the colonial and antebellum eras to the Civil War and modern era.

U.S. Army Natick Laboratories

9780738537290

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The U.S. Army Natick Laboratories, dedicated in 1953 under the aegis of the Quartermaster Corps, was an important part of the revolution in military science brought to a head by the fevered pace of developments in military technology during World War II. The laboratory, now known as the Soldier Systems Center and including facilities run by the U.S. Army, Navy, and Coast Guard, focuses entirely on research associated with helping soldiers to be healthier and more effective. U.S. Army Natick Laboratories: The Science behind the Soldier features nearly two hundred historic images depicting the projects and accomplishments of the laboratories, including the development of food irradiation, the freeze-drying technique, meals-ready-to-eat (MREs), body armor, new parachute technology, and clothing for every environment imaginable.

Camp Roberts

9780738530550

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Camp Roberts, in the Salinas Valley, is one of California's largest military training camps. Named for a heroic World War I tank driver, it took the threat of global war in 1940 to kick-start its construction. Soon Camp Roberts had a capacity to house and train 23,000 men. During the war, almost half a million men trained here. Row upon row of wooden buildings, replete with churches, stores, a hospital, and an amphitheater where A-list stars performed, made it a mobilized city of 45,000 at its peak. In 1946, it became a ghost town overnight. Revived during the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, it passed into National Guard control in 1971. However, all branches of the military continue to train here, and the camp has renewed relevance for troops bound for the Middle East.

McGuire Air Force Base

9780738511740

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McGuire Air Force Base, built on property ceded by the Boy Scouts of America, the Civilian Conservation Corps, and the contiguous Fort Dix, has served the nation proudly for decades. Originally, it was intended to be used as a home for observation antisubmarine reconnaissance aircraft and army support as Fort Dix Army Air Field, but the focus of the base quickly changed as a result of its strategic location. McGuire Air Force Base recounts the contributions of this military asset with more than two hundred photographs from the archives of the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army. Among its many achievements, McGuire was the first American military base to become operational with the F-106 Delta Dart; the first base to operate an all-jet military transport, the C-135 Stratolifter; and finally, the first base to become operational with a ground-launched antiaircraft nuclear missile squadron. In the 1950s, McGuire became the air force's principal aerial port on the East Coast-a role it continues to this day.

Fort Monroe

9780738567341

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This volume will highlight more than 140 years of images that capture Fort Monroe's varied missions, historic buildings, the families who lived there, the resort hotels, and other aspects of this unique national landmark.

Fort Monroe was once a powerful symbol of America's national defense system. From 1823 to 1945, its primary military mission was to protect Hampton Roads and the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay from enemy attacks. Over the years, as military technology advanced, Fort Monroe's defensive posture changed. To counter potential threats, American coastal defense installations such as Fort Monroe developed sophisticated steel disappearing guns, mortars, anti-aircraft weapons, and submarine mines. As the site of the army's Coast Artillery School, Fort Monroe trained thousands of soldiers. After World War II, Fort Monroe's role as a coastal defense installation ended, and the post took on new missions as a training headquarters facility. With more than 200 original photographs, this volume unveils the layered history of this massive stone-and-brick installation from the end of the Civil War to the present.

Sheppard Air Force Base

9781467134644

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The history of flight for the US Army Air Corps became increasingly important during World War I. Wichita Falls, Texas, was determined to be a fair weather flying location for training cadets to become aviators. Wichita Falls was the gracious host not only for World War I pilots training at Call Field, located near the city, but when World War II came along, the city also hosted the opening of Sheppard Field, adjacent to the municipal airport. Thousands of personnel were trained there during World War II, and later, the field was redesigned as Sheppard Air Force Base. The base has been a hub for pilot training as well as technical training for many Air Force specialties. Wichita Falls, therefore, has a rich history as a host for decades of military training. Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, has trained hundreds of thousands of military men and women from within the United States, as well as thousands of men and women from allied countries around the globe. Sheppard Air Force Base became the largest training base in the Air Force and continues actively today with its primary mission of training military personnel.

Pricketts Fort

9781467121613

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Pricketts Fort was built on the land of Jacob Prickett in 1774, during what is known as Lord Dunmore's War. It provided sanctuary for local settlers before and during the American Revolution and was a safe haven from the attacks of American Indians until the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. Constructed by local militia on a small rise near the confluence of Pricketts Creek and the Monongahela River, Pricketts Fort provided refuge for approximately 80 families. The fort itself was large by 18th-century standards. It had blockhouses at each corner, with walls 12 feet high and 110 feet long. Although the fort was never attacked, many outlying homes were, and a number of settlers lost their lives. Today, Pricketts Fort hosts visitors looking to learn more about day-to-day life on the western Virginian frontier.