Camp Fannin

Camp Fannin was a U.S. Army Infantry Replacement Training Center and POW Camp located near Tyler, TX. It was opened in 1943 and only operated for four years, before closing in 1946. It is credited with training over 200,000 U.S. Soldiers, sometimes as many as 40,000 at one given time.

Originally planned as a U.S. Army Air Corps station, Camp Fannin was established in the spring of 1943, the camp was named for Col. James Walker Fannin, a Texas Revolutionary War hero, who died at Goliad. The original plan moved to Pounds Army Air Field (Now Tyler Pounds Regional Airport.)

By applying the 2.4% average World War II casualty rate of all Army personnel, it is probable that at least five thousand six hundred who trained here died during the course of the war. Twice that many may have been wounded. Because most who trained at Camp Fannin served as infantry, these estimates are considered conservative.

The area where Camp Fannin existed was returned to non-military use during 1946. A section of the land was handed over to the state of Texas, where the once military hospital was transformed to the University of Texas Health Center at Tyler. Other buildings were sold to commercial and development companies. Many buildings still stand today, most of which are used as location for business and warehouses.

A memorial, paid for the Camp Fannin Association, stands at the UT Health Center at Tyler.