Camp Maxey, Lamar County, TX

Camp Maxey, a World War II infantry-training camp ten miles north of Paris, Texas, was named in honor of Samuel Bell Maxey. It was activated on July 15, 1942, under command of Col. C. H. Palmer. The first division to be trained at the camp, the 102d Infantry Division, was organized and activated on September 15, 1942, under Gen. John B. Anderson. Col. Robert C. Annin succeeded Palmer as commander on March 25, 1943. The 793rd Military Police Battalion was activated at Camp Maxey on December 26, 1942. The Battalion stayed at Camp Maxey until February of 1944, when they departed for Scotland to train for the invasion of France. The Ninety-ninth Infantry Division arrived at the camp in November of 1943. In addition to the army ground forces trained at Camp Maxey, army service forces and army air forces had a part in the development of camp activities. The varied terrain provided facilities for working out problems of infantry training to meet modern battle conditions. An artillery range, obstacle course, infiltration course, and "German Village" were included in training maneuvers. Troop capacity was 44,931. German prisoners of war were also held at the military reservation. The camp was put on an inactive status on October 1, 1945. Afterward, the installation served as a training center for the Texas National Guard, and most of the original buildings were demolished or sold and removed; in 1990 the camp sewage-treatment plant was used by the city of Paris. When Pat Mayse Lake was constructed in 1965–67, parts of the northern edge of the base were inundated. The camp is now part of the Camp Maxey Texas Army National Guard training facility.

Bibliography

"CAMP MAXEY," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qbc20), accessed August 09, 2011. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. Camp Maxey was a World War II infantry training camp named in honor of Samuel Bell Maxey.

Camp Maxey, Lamar County, TX

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