A Little California History -- 0.00
| cmpckndrutj - Los Angeles, California - Feb 27, 2025 |
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message cmpckndrutj about this ad Americas first West Coast armored and infantry training was built in California in 1941 and named Camp Cooke. It is currently known as Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County. During WWII, more than 400 military units trained at Cooke, peaking at more than 36,000 soldiers. The largest units that rotated through Cooke were the 5th, 6th, 11th, 13th, and 20th Armored Divisions and the 86th and 97th Infantry Divisions. Having honed their fighting skills at Cooke, they prevailed in fierce across France and Germany. The 6th, 11th, and 20th Armored Divisions also took part in the of Nazi camps at Buchenwald, Mauthausen, and Dachau, respectively. Camp Cooke also included a large compound for German prisoners of war. CAMP COOKE AND VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE 1941-1966 takes the reader through the war years in a series of notable events transpiring at Cooke and on the war front. It follows a similar path in discussing the Korean War. Two Guard infantry divisions, the 40th from California and the 44th from Illinois were the largest units at Cooke during the war. Dozens of smaller also rotated through Camp Cooke, including the 747th Amphibious Tank and Tractor from Florida, and one of the last remaining segregated black units in the Army, the 466th Antiaircraft Artillery from Virginia. During both conflicts, visiting USO shows at Cooke some of the most popular celebrities and entertainers of the day, including Bob Hope, Bette Davis, the Three Stooges, Susan Hayward, Kay Kaiser, Louie Armstrong, Dorothy Lamour, Orson Welles, Sammy Davis Jr Joe DiMaggio, world heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis, and many more. In 1957, Cooke was transferred to the Air Force and a year later renamed Vandenberg AFB. In 1959, the first Atlas ICBM missiles, equipped with nuclear warheads, were placed on alert at Vandenberg. That same year, Americas first reconnaissance (spy) was launched from the base. Known as Corona, it used the cover name Discoverer to conceal its true mission. In discussing early launch programs, the book reveals several significant accidents and successes. You will also learn about President Kennedys visit to the base and the humorous story of Russian Premier Khrushchevs train ride past the base and across America, which almost ended in a diplomatic incident. The books military theme encompasses more than eighty years of American history and spotlights Californias inextricable role in world events. Through hot wars and a cold war, it is a story about ordinary people performing extraordinary services for their country and fellow countrymen during those momentous times. Softcover 6 x 9 274 pages, 102 rare photos, 5 maps, 7 appendices, notes, bibliography, and index. Pick up your NEW and UNREAD copy today by contacting me or going to your favorite online bookseller such as AMAZON.COM to buy your copy and start reading about this incredible story. $29.00. FREE SHIPPING! message cmpckndrutj about this ad |