Thursday, September 16, 2021

Camp Bragg Will Not Be Closed, Says Gen. A.J. Bowley, Sept. 15, 1921

Camp Bragg To Be Held Intact. . . Secretary Weeks Decides to Make Camp at Fayetteville Permanent

Fayetteville, Sept. 15--”Camp Bragg wins. Everything satisfactory. Your suburb permanent. I remain your neighbor. Congratulations.”

In this terse message to The Fayetteville Observer Gen. A.J. Bowley, Wednesday afternoon notified Fayetteville that its heart’s desire, as well as his own, had been gratified by Secretary Weeks.

This means not only that the War Department has definitely decided to retain Camp Bragg, but that the 2,000 men now stationed there will remain in the camp instead of going to Camp Knox as ordered when the abandonment of the North Carolina camp was contemplated, while the officers’ artillery school transferred to Camp Knox some time ago, will come back here.

In addition to this a trolley line will be built from Fayetteville to Camp Bragg in order to facilitate communication between the camp and the city. General Bowley carried with him a pledge to this effect from local business men when he went to the national capital.

Favorable action on the protest against the abandonment of the camp as an active post followed a personal inspection of Camp Bragg by Secretary Weeks Sunday. To the determined fight waged by General Bowley more than any other one factor is due the retention of the camp. Though assigned to command of Camp Knox, to which a large number of troops had bene ordered from other camps, he never ceased to fight for Camp Bragg.

From The Charlotte News, Sept. 15, 1921

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