Tennessee in World War II-- Part 4: Training for War

Tennessee servicemen were inducted at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, in the early stages of the war and later at Camp Forrest in Tennessee.  Tennessee women who joined the Women's Army Corps, trained at Fort Oglethorpe throughout the war.  Women also joined the Navy WAVES, the Coast Guard SPARS, the Women Marines and the WASPS or Women's Airforce Service Pilots.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers from all across the nation trained at Camp Forrest (an induction and infantry training center), Camp Campbell (an armor training facility), and Camp Tyson (a barrage balloon center near Paris, Tn.).

Pilots trained at several small airports throughout the state.  Major bases for training pilots were at Smyrna and near Dyersburg.  An air ferry command was located at Memphis.  Millington Naval Base in Shelby County was the country's largest inland naval base.

--GreGen