Gerry Depken

Fort Oglethorpe Gerry Depken

Fort Oglethorpe, adjacent to Chickamauga Battlefield Park in northwest Georgia, was created in 1902. During national emergencies, the post expanded temporarily into the park. Cavalry troops trained at the post until 1942, and the WAACs/WACs arrived in 1943. The post was considered an elite assignment, with polo matches and dances. Dwight Eisenhower and John Pershing were stationed here. Visiting dignitaries included Sgt. Alvin York, Bing Crosby, Lana Turner, and U. S. presidents Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt. Prisoners of war and enemy aliens were confined here during both world wars. In 1946, the army declared Fort Oglethorpe surplus, and the post was decommissioned. Community leaders realized the hospital, utilities, and streets represented the core of a town, and the city of Fort Oglethorpe was incorporated in 1949. It is now an economic center in northwest Georgia.