Camp Holabird (later to become Fort Holabird) was located two or three miles southeast of Baltimore on the Patapsco River, which feeds into Chesapeake Bay. In Dad's day, Holabird was a staging area for troops and war equipment being sent to Europe. (See historical photos below.)
In the pre-World War II era, one of its key purposes was to serve as a proving ground for U.S. Army vehicles, including what was to become the workhorse of the Army, the Jeep.
In more recent years, the Fort had served as the location for the U.S. Army Intelligence Center.
That facility was moved to Fort Huachuca, Arizona in the early 1970's and a special commission in 1995 recommended Holabird be closed.
Because of petroleum contamination, Holabird is currently undergoing environmental reclamation. It is scheduled to be environmentally restored and completely vacated by Fiscal Year 2001. Most of the surrounding area has been developed into a rapidly expanding industrial park.
The pictures and postcards below were sent to me by Neil Rozman of Columbus, Ohio, whose great uncle, Harry Williams was also stationed at Camp Holabird, the destination for the trucks my Dad drove. These pictures were some Harry Williams took and some postcards he collected, illustrating the appearance of the camp during World War One.
Water front (107K)is a look at a portion of the camp that fronts the water. The water was possibly the Patapsco river, which connects Baltimore with the Chesapeake bay.
Birds-eye trucks (155K) begins to show the tremendous importance of the trucks and the key part Holabird played in the war effort. In one of my Dad's letters, he said there were trucks "as far as the eye could see."
More trucks (116K) provides another view of the seemingly endless trucks at Holabird.
Truck (72K) shows that efforts were not only aimed at trucks but staff cars as well
Truck yard (88K) is an interesting shot because it shows the contrast of the old work horse (an actual horse) with the new work horse (the truck)
With all those trucks around, it was important to have a good mechanic crew (130K) to keep them running. Neil Rozman said his great-uncle Harry Williams was a mechanic and learned a great deal about cars. After the war was over, he worked for an automobile manufacturer (no longer existent) and was later hired as chauffeur for Mr. Theodore Williams (no relation) who, with a partner, later started the Sherwin-Williams paint company.
Tent city (93K) shows where the majority of temporary personnel stayed while at Holabird. When my Dad was there in January 1919, someone had goofed and ordered summer tents (no stoves in them). Whoever it was probably was not living in one of them.
Because of the nature of Holabird's mission, it was subject to large influxes and outfluxes of personnel and tents (149K) were the answer. These were very similar to those my Dad used at Camp Funston in Kansas.
The more permanent personnel had barracks (124K) to live in.
When it came to wash day (106K) you hung your clothes over anything that was available in order to dry.
Everyone has to eat, and mess line (140K) shows a typical scene when it came time to eat. My Dad joked in one of his letters that "the Army really named it right when they called it 'mess'."
Everyone who's ever been in the Army remembers the Parade Grounds (135K)...The efforts to keep in step, keep your lines straight, and not goof up.
And, of course, no review could get by without a band and no band could get by without a band rehearsal (142K)
After the parade was over, everyone might have gone to the post exchange (92K) or the Y.M.C.A. (145K)
