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U.S. Army Base Camp Ellis, built in south Fulton County, Illinois in the early 1940s, was a part of the Army’s Sixth Service Command. Five major groups of soldiers were trained at Camp Ellis: Quartermasters, Engineers, Medical, Signal Corps Group, and Training Group. Soon after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, southContinue reading “Camp Ellis -personal connections between soldiers and locals”

Weddings in the United States increased in 1940 and 1941 only to level off by 1942 and through the duration of WWII. By 1946, marriages in the United States again were higher, but divorce rates were climbing too. Military personnel marrying at camps was not unusual and Camp Ellis was no exception. There were manyContinue reading “Cupid Visits Camp Ellis”

Camp Ellis was active from April 1943 to October 1945, but its after-life went on well into the 1950s.  After VE Day in May 1945 and VJ Day in August 1945, the camp was officially closed and made surplus property in October 1945. By December 1945, the camp was withdrawn from the surplus property listContinue reading “What ultimately happened to Camp Ellis after WWII and why does it no longer exist?”

The camp originally was planned to be between 75,000 to 80,000 acres in size, but with the escalation of the war in Europe and the bombing on Pearl Harbor, the size was cut to roughly 18,000 acres.  Buildings were put up quickly and with materials not intended to last forever.  The workforce required to buildContinue reading “Personal Connections Endured Camp Ellis soldiers to the area”

Army Services Forces Unit Training (USFUTC) Camp Ellis started construction in September of 1942 during WWII.  Officially completed in April of 1943, Camp Ellis grew into one of the largest ASF training camps in the country.  The camp was originally planned for 75,000 – 80,000 acres but was scaled down to three “takings” of landContinue reading “What was Camp Ellis’ impact on the area?”

It was Independence Day – July 4, 1943 in Fulton County, Illinois.  Construction on a US Army camp began with the First Taking of 8,320 acres back in September of 1942.  More than 10,000 civilian workers, beginning in mid-September 1942 built over 2,200 buildings for the Army camp and handed over the first buildings forContinue reading “80TH ANNIVERSARY OF CAMP ELLIS DEDICATION “

While troops in the Ardennes Forest battled unbelievably cold weather and the German army, troops at Camp Ellis continued to train and work in support of the United States Army. The weather in Illinois wasn’t much kinder. Heavy snow caused the soldiers extra work prior to the holiday. The Camp Ellis News told of ChristmasContinue reading “Merry Christmas from Camp Ellis!”

Napoleon is credited with this quote. Never was it more true than at Camp Ellis where Quartermaster Units trained in cooking and baking skills. Soldiers served in kitchens, bakeries, butcher shops, and in the Victory Garden growing produce. German POWs worked in the Victory Garden as well. The United States Army at this time wasContinue reading “An Army Marches on Its Stomach”