Camp Adair
Encyclopedia
Camp Adair was a United States
Army
division
training facility
established north of Corvallis
, Oregon
, operating from 1942 to 1946. Part of the site is now contained within the E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area
operated by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
(ODFW), with other parts of Camp Adair becoming the city of Adair Village
.
and a member of a prominent Oregon pioneer
family. After graduating from West Point
, he became a cavalry lieutenant. He was killed during the Pancho Villa Expedition
at the Battle of Carrizal on June 21, 1916.
The 57159 acres (231.3 km²) site was built during 1942–1943 as a World War II
division training and cantonment camp, and had temporary quarters for 2,133 officers and 37,081 enlisted personnel. Although the site was dedicated as "Camp Adair" on September 4, 1943, it had been occupied by troops before that date. Camp Adair post office operated from 1942–1946.
From 1944–1946-07-23, Camp Adair served as a prisoner-of-war camp
, housing German
and Italian
POWs.
In 1957, Camp Adair became Adair Air Force Station
and SAGE
Support Facility, anticipating the construction of a CIM-10 Bomarc launch facility. Construction of the launch facility was not completed due to drastic reduction in the Bomarc program, but the infrastructure that was completed remains at the site.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
training facility
Cantonment
A cantonment is a temporary or semi-permanent military or police quarters. The word cantonment is derived from the French word canton meaning corner or district, as is the name of the Cantons of Switzerland. In South Asia, the term cantonment also describes permanent military stations...
established north of Corvallis
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, operating from 1942 to 1946. Part of the site is now contained within the E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area
E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area
The E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area is a wildlife management area located near Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The site was named for Eddy Elbridge Wilson, a member of the former Oregon State Game Commission for fourteen years before his death in 1961...
operated by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is an agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for programs protecting Oregon fish and wildlife resources and their habitats....
(ODFW), with other parts of Camp Adair becoming the city of Adair Village
Adair Village, Oregon
Adair Village is a city in Benton County, Oregon, United States. The population was 840 at the 2010 census, It is part of the "Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area".-History:...
.
History
Camp Adair was named for Henry Rodney Adair, who was a native of Astoria, OregonAstoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
and a member of a prominent Oregon pioneer
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
family. After graduating from West Point
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
, he became a cavalry lieutenant. He was killed during the Pancho Villa Expedition
Pancho Villa Expedition
The Pancho Villa Expedition—officially known in the United States as the Mexican Expedition and sometimes colloquially referred to as the Punitive Expedition—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican insurgent Francisco "Pancho" Villa...
at the Battle of Carrizal on June 21, 1916.
The 57159 acres (231.3 km²) site was built during 1942–1943 as a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
division training and cantonment camp, and had temporary quarters for 2,133 officers and 37,081 enlisted personnel. Although the site was dedicated as "Camp Adair" on September 4, 1943, it had been occupied by troops before that date. Camp Adair post office operated from 1942–1946.
From 1944–1946-07-23, Camp Adair served as a prisoner-of-war camp
Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
, housing German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
POWs.
In 1957, Camp Adair became Adair Air Force Station
Adair Air Force Station
Adair Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force station. It is located north-northeast of Corvallis, Oregon. It was closed in 1969.-History:...
and SAGE
Semi Automatic Ground Environment
The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment was an automated control system for tracking and intercepting enemy bomber aircraft used by NORAD from the late 1950s into the 1980s...
Support Facility, anticipating the construction of a CIM-10 Bomarc launch facility. Construction of the launch facility was not completed due to drastic reduction in the Bomarc program, but the infrastructure that was completed remains at the site.
See also
- List of POW camps in the United States
- German Prisoners of War in the United StatesGerman prisoners of war in the United StatesGerman prisoners of war in the United States were members of the German military interned in the United States as prisoners of war during World War I and World War II...
External links
- Henry Adair and Camp Adair from Salem Online History
- Camp Adair history from ODFW visitor guide to E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area
- Historic images of Camp Adair from Salem Public Library