Fort Wolters in my mind

It has always fascinated me how the mind works. How random references or images connect in various ways to pull together memories long buried in the cerebellum. At least, that's how it works in my mind.

I was reading one of my favorite authors the other evening and the story line placed the fictional characters at non-fictional Fort Wolters, in Mineral Wells, about 50 miles from my childhood home. Originally named Camp Wolters, this facility at one time was the largest infantry training center in the US military. During WWII, more than 200,000 infantrymen passed through the camp. Six months after the end of the war the camp was deactivated.

Camp Wolters main gate - 1945

I remember that Highway 180 - the route from my home town of Breckenridge to often-visited Fort Worth - ran beside a section of the abandoned tank and armored vehicle obstacle course; dirt tracks with steep concrete ramps and traps, a part of what the facility called the China-Burma Road. The facility briefly became an air base, then in 1956, Camp Wolters reverted back to the Army to house the United States Army Primary Helicopter School. In 1963 it was designated a "permanent" military base and renamed Fort Wolters.

 At its peak during the Vietnam war more than 1,200 helicopters were in use by more than 40,000 pilot trainees at the camp. The Army leased an additional 722,000 acres, extending from Jacksboro to Stephenville north and south; Weatherford to Breckenridge east to west. Staging fields were located throughout this vast area to represent a scaled-down version of their real-life counterparts in Vietnam. State highway signs pointed to places like Da Nang, Hue, My Tho, and Phu Loi.

One night I was coming back from a business trip to Dallas and the sky was filled, literally, with the lights of helicopters on night maneuvers. It was a staggering sight, and I pulled the car over to the side of the road, along with others, and stood and watched helicopters pass overhead for nearly half an hour. But there is a personal tie to Fort Wolters as well.

By 1972, my father was approaching retirement and the telephone company began preparing for the transition. Prior to this time, Pops was the "Wire Chief," the senior man in the physical plant. His replacement was already on board and to make the transition smooth, the company assigned my father as a “Switchman” to Fort Wolters for the remaining months of his employment.

The need for communications infrastructure was overwhelming, and Southwestern Bell (at that time) was scouring its ranks for skilled technicians to meet the demand. They were paying bonuses and travel allotments, and my father was almost embarrassed to mention that he was earning a bit more than $100 a day for driving to Mineral Wells every day. To put that in perspective, in 1940, my father's take home pay was $2,041. A year.

The base was deactivated (again) in 1973. The site is now used as an industrial park, housing among other things, a branch of Weatherford College, a Texas Army National Guard training center, and a summer camp for the Civil Air Patrol. If you happen to pass by on Highway 180, take a look and let me know if you can still see part of the China-Burma Road.