Texas Day by Day

On this date in 1942, Camp Hood was activated. The temporary camp, named for Confederate general John Bell Hood, is now one of the largest military installations in the world. It was officially opened on September 14, 1942, and has since been continuously used for armored training. By 1950 it was made a permanent army post and renamed Fort Hood. Units from Hood have contributed significantly to all important overseas United States military actions since 1942. The installation, one of the largest pieces of Texas land owned solely by the federal government, has also been critically important economically and socially in the Killeen area.