History

The look of Clarksville changed forever on Feb. 4, 1942, when construction began on Camp Campbell. By the end of the year, the reservation was developed and able to accommodate about 23,000 troops, one armored division and various support troops. The following summer, the post's initial cadre, consisting of one officer and 19 enlisted men, arrived from Fort Knox, Ky. The post served as a training ground for the 12th, 14th and 20th Armored Divisions, Headquarters IV Armored Corps and the 26th Infantry Division. The camp was redesignated Fort Campbell on April 15, 1950, and became a permanent installation. The post's most famous unit, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) was activated on Aug. 15, 1942. Four days later, the unit's first commander, Maj. Gen. William C. Lee, promised his new recruits that although the unit had no history it had a "rendezvous with destiny."

The division's 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, part of the Rakkasan Brigade, is the only airborne or air assault infantry battalion to have fought in the five major wars of the past 50 years: World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War and the war in Iraq.

The Gulf War was the first time the whole division was deployed since Vietnam. The 101st played an important roll in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.