Camp Campbell

In the summer of 1941, as America prepared for an inevitable entry into World War II, U.S. Army surveyors scoured the rolling countryside along the Kentucky-Tennessee border. They were seeking the perfect location for a massive armored division training facility. On July 16, 1941, they found it: 105,000 acres of prime tobacco-growing land straddling the state line between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee.

The chosen site lay in the heart of the "Black Patch" tobacco belt, where for generations farmers had cultivated dark-leaf burley tobacco, corn, and small grains across widely spaced farmsteads connected by ridge-crest roads.

Despite muddy conditions that would plague the installation throughout its history, construction began on February 6, 1942. The clay soil that "turned to red dust when dry and pure mud when wet" challenged both builders and future soldiers alike. Workers raced to erect wooden cantonment barracks, install water and sewer lines, build hospitals and warehouses, and construct training ranges.

Originally designated Camp Campbell, Tennessee, the installation soon faced a mail delivery problem—correspondence intended for the base frequently ended up in Clarksville instead. To resolve this confusion, the camp commander requested that the post office be relocated to Kentucky. On September 23, 1942, the official address officially changed to Camp Campbell, Kentucky.

The installation was named to honor Brigadier General William Bowen Campbell, a Tennessee lawyer, soldier, and politician who had served his country for nearly four decades. He had fought in the Creek and Seminole wars, commanded the First Tennessee Volunteers during the Mexican War, served as Tennessee's Whig governor in 1851, and later commanded a Union brigade during the Civil War.

The 40th Signal Construction Battalion was officially constituted on July 31, 1942, during the height of Camp Campbell's construction phase. Less than two months later, on September 21, 1942—just two days before Camp Campbell's official address change to Kentucky—the battalion was activated using what military planners called "a good army formula."

The War Department selected fifty experienced cadre personnel from the 29th Signal Construction Battalion, whose origins traced back to Georgia, as evidenced by the peach symbol that would later appear on the 40th's unit insignia. These seasoned soldiers provided the backbone of training and leadership experience. To fill out the battalion's ranks, selectees arrived from Fort Dix in New Jersey, Fort Sam Houston in Texas, and Camp Robinson in Arkansas.

The officer corps came from diverse backgrounds: some transferred from other Signal Corps outfits, others from civilian communication positions, and still others fresh from Officer Candidate School (OCS). This mixture of experienced noncommissioned officers and newly minted officers reflected the rapid expansion of the Army during America's mobilization for war.

The newly arrived soldiers found themselves housed in freshly completed wooden barracks equipped with hot-water showers and heated by coal-fired stoves. Each company area included its own mess hall and day room equipped with radios, reading materials, and sometimes ping-pong tables.

The daily routine was rigorous: reveille sounded at 5:30 a.m., followed by barracks cleaning, inspection, breakfast, mail distribution, and then training that could include road marches, weapons instruction, bridge construction, or specialized Signal Corps courses.

The 40th Signal Construction Battalion was one of three African American units training at Camp Campbell during this period, alongside the 355th Engineer Regiment and the Quartermaster Section. The majority of these soldiers hailed from Georgia, Alabama, and Texas, making Kentucky feel like a distant and unfamiliar place.

Although the induction of draftees and the Army's troop requirements continued to increase, there was little new construction after June 1942. Due to material shortages, the Army was forced to use bunk beds in the barracks.

Because of the War Department policy, Black units were housed in simple Theater of Operations Structures (TOS) rather than the permanent cantonment used by white units.

Despite the challenges of segregation, the local communities of Clarksville and Hopkinsville made efforts to provide recreational opportunities. The soldiers had access to a USO Lounge in Clarksville, and Service Club Number Three at Camp Campbell hosted their activities. Mrs. Ruth Edwards served as the Service Club hostess, organizing social events and dances that brought together soldiers and local young women from both Tennessee and Kentucky.

The men attended formal dances and social gatherings at Service Club Number Three, creating moments of normalcy and connection during their training. These events brought together soldiers and local young women, fostering relationships and memories that would sustain the men through the difficult months ahead.

Morale was raised significantly when Sergeant Joe Louis, the world heavyweight boxing champion, visited Camp Campbell in 1943. Louis enlisted in the Army, serving in the same segregated cavalry unit as Jackie Robinson, who would later become the first African-American to play major league baseball.

According to The Afro-American newspaper, Louis appeared before 10,000 soldiers at the outdoor bowl on the post, boxing three rounds with First Sergeant George Nicholson, his longtime sparring partner. During the afternoon, Louis insisted on visiting the Station Hospital to cheer patients in every ward. Most significantly, he was the guest of honor at dinner with the men of the 40th Signal Construction Battalion, highlighting the unit's growing reputation within the camp.

Jesse Land, a middleweight in the 40th, had participated in boxing matches while at Camp Campbell, and had a professional record of 3 TKOs.

Joe Louis used his fame to spearhead a recruitment drive encouraging African-American men to join the war effort.

He told the press: “Lots of things wrong with America, but Hitler ain’t going to fix them,” capturing the complex mix of patriotism and protest felt by many Black Americans. He toured military camps, staged dozens of exhibition matches for troops, and appeared in posters targeting African-American enlistment — despite training in a segregated cavalry unit and never seeing front-line combat.

On the other hand, Dorie Miller — a Navy mess attendant aboard the USS West Virginia during the Pearl Harbor attack — became a symbol of African-American heroism. Under fire, he carried wounded shipmates to safety, manned an anti-aircraft gun, fired on attacking planes, and became the first Black sailor awarded the Navy Cross. His legacy reinforced the truth that duty, courage and valour lay within all American servicemen, regardless of race, and helped to challenge the segregated status quo of the U.S. military.

Through months of intensive training, drill, and shared hardship, Major Merrigan gradually witnessed a transformation. As the original battalion history noted, there came a moment—perhaps during Tennessee maneuvers—when he realized he no longer commanded merely a collection of individual men, but a cohesive military unit with its own identity and esprit de corps.

Company Morning Reports reveal that, as of summer 1943, morale with the men was high. Men were promoted, and climbed through the ranks.

The soldiers learned to work with the specialized equipment of signal construction: telephone lines, telegraph systems, and the complex communications networks that would prove essential to military operations. They mastered not just the technical aspects of their trade but also the discipline, teamwork, and perseverance that would serve them well in the challenges ahead.