The Army Base That Trained 1.5 Million Soldiers Now Protects Endangered Species Found Nowhere Else

Fort Ord, California

Fort Ord once housed 50,000 soldiers on California’s coast. Today, wild animals roam through empty barracks where troops once trained for Vietnam and Korea. Here’s what happened to this massive military outpost.

The Giggling Reservation

The Army bought land for $1 per acre in 1917, calling it Gigling Reservation. The name changed to Fort Ord in 1939, honoring Civil War veteran Major General Edward O.C. Ord.

Fort Ord grew from 2,000 acres in 1940 to 28,000 acres during World War II. Soldiers loved this base for its location on Monterey Bay and perfect California weather.

Named After A Military Mathematician

Edward Otho Cresap Ord graduated from West Point in 1839 and became a Second Lieutenant in the Third Artillery. He fought in the Seminole War, Indian Wars, and Civil War.

When not in combat, Ord worked as a surveyor to earn extra money. He created “Plan de la ciudad de Los Angeles,” one of the few maps showing Los Angeles in the 1840s.

Ord died in Havana in 1883 from yellow fever while building railroads in Mexico after leaving the Army.

The 7th Infantry Division’s Home

The Army brought the 7th Infantry Division to Fort Ord in August 1940 under Major General Joseph Stilwell. This unit trained for beach landings before fighting Japanese forces in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands in 1943.

After years overseas, the 7th Infantry returned to Fort Ord in 1974. The Army converted it to a “light” infantry division in 1983, removing tanks and heavy weapons to focus on quick deployment.

The division stayed until Fort Ord closed in 1994.

Training Center For Millions

From 1947 to 1975, Fort Ord transformed civilians into soldiers. Over 1.5 million recruits trained here during these years.

The base built a 1,500-bed hospital in 1941 and welcomed the South Dakota National Guard 147th Artillery as its first training unit. In 1964, Fort Ord opened a school to train drill sergeants.

At its busiest during World War II, Fort Ord housed 50,000 troops. The base included movies, bowling, golf courses, and other comforts for off-duty soldiers.

Final Military Missions

The 7th Infantry deployed to Panama in 1989 to capture dictator Manuel Noriega during Operation Just Cause. The next year, its soldiers joined Operation Desert Storm to free Kuwait from Iraq.

In 1992, Fort Ord troops helped stop the Los Angeles riots alongside Marines from Camp Pendleton. That same year, the Base Closure Commission selected Fort Ord for shutdown.

The Army moved the division to Fort Lewis, Washington, and deactivated it on June 15, 1994. Fort Ord officially closed that September.

Environmental Concerns Emerge

The EPA named Fort Ord a Superfund site in February 1990, marking it as severely contaminated. Officials signed a cleanup agreement that November.

The base’s 8,000-acre firing range contained unexploded bombs and ammunition. Tests found the cancer-causing chemical trichloroethylene in groundwater 43 times between 1985 and 1994.

In 2020, testing discovered PFAS chemicals at levels eight times higher than EPA safety limits. These “forever chemicals” came from firefighting foam used on base.

The Fort’s Transformation Begins

California State University built its Monterey Bay campus on 1,365 acres of Fort Ord in 1994. The state created the Fort Ord Reuse Authority to manage converting the military base to civilian use.

Part of the coastline became Fort Ord Dunes State Park. The Army kept 785 acres as the Presidio of Monterey annex.

New construction included a Veterans Transition Center, housing developments, and shopping areas. Environmental cleanup requirements limited development in contaminated areas.

Becoming a National Monument

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar pitched monument status to 200 supporters at Fort Ord in January 2012. Three months later, President Obama designated 14,651 acres as Fort Ord National Monument.

Obama used the Antiquities Act to protect these lands. The monument combined 7,205 acres already managed by the Bureau of Land Management with 7,446 Army acres awaiting cleanup.

This action preserved one of the last large open spaces in the developing Monterey Bay region.

Ongoing Environmental Cleanup

The Army Corps of Engineers runs Fort Ord’s cleanup program. In 2021, the EPA removed 11,934 acres from the Superfund list after successful cleanup of munitions and soil.

Military officials expect to finish cleaning the Impact Area by 2031. Local activists continue pushing for thorough cleanup to protect nearby communities.

Some veterans who served at Fort Ord report rare cancers potentially linked to base contamination. One groundwater treatment area is now clean, but three others still need monitoring.

Recreation Paradise

The monument offers 86 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. About 100,000 people visit annually.

Each spring, the Sea Otter Classic cycling festival brings 10,000 athletes and 50,000 fans to Fort Ord. A planned 13-mile recreation trail will connect different parts of the former base.

The historic Juan Bautista de Anza Trail crosses the monument. Old military roads provide both paved and dirt routes for cyclists of all skill levels.

An Ecologically Rich Area

Fort Ord National Monument protects 35 rare plants and animals. The land remained undeveloped for decades because of military control.

The monument contains streams, grasslands, coastal shrublands, oak forests, and seasonal ponds. Wildlife includes bobcats, coyotes, deer, mountain lions, and the rare Monterey shrew.

Endangered California tiger salamanders breed in winter pools throughout the area. The monument also houses America’s first nature reserve created specifically to save an insect – the Smith’s blue butterfly.

Visiting Fort Ord

The Bureau of Land Management runs Fort Ord National Monument, which is open from dawn to dusk. Horse riders should use the Inter Garrison Road entrance, which has trailer parking.

All visitors must stay on marked trails to avoid unexploded bombs and protect rare plants and animals.

Fort Ord Dunes State Park opened in 2009 after cleanup of lead-contaminated soil, and the former military golf courses now welcome public players.

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