When the War Department decided to establish a unit of mountain troops trained in skiing and winter warfare, a search for an appropriate site for the military post began. Various locations in the western states were investigated. The area around Pando, in west-central Colorado, a railway stop on the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, proved to be the ideal location, meeting all the criteria set forth by the War Department. A foremost consideration was snowfall, and the area near Tennessee Pass had consistent and heavy snow throughout the winter as well as topography conducive to ski training. Since much of the surrounding land was national forest, acquisition of land and room for maneuvers and training was not a problem. One advantage the site had over others reviewed was accessibility. The Denver and Rio Grande Railway and Highway 24 provided ready access to the valley. This was important for construction phase on the camp because building crews and materials could be brought to the site with out additional costly construction of transportation. Natural water sources from the Eagle River and Homestake Creek were deemed sufficient for camp use, and regional supplies of coal existed in sufficient quantities to meet fuel demands.
La construcción del campamento fue una misión de gran magnitud. Se hicieron planes para desviar la Autopista 24, que bordeaba el perímetro sur del campamento. Los edificios del campamento militar incluían comedores, barracones, un hospital, una capilla, un puesto de bomberos, dependencias administrativas, oficina de correos, banco, clínicas, prisión y cuartel. Puesto que las tropas tendrían que usar mulas, los planos incluían establos, corrales, cobertizos para almacenar el heno y una herrería. Las instalaciones logísticas incluían un parque móvil, carpintería, taller de esquí, tahona, fábrica de hielo e incineradores. El entrenamiento militar requería la construcción de campos de tiro, campos de granadas, cámaras de gas y zonas para bayonetas. Debido al relativo aislamiento respecto a las zonas urbanas, el campamento también tenía que hacer frente a las necesidades de ocio y entretenimiento de la tropa.
Building the camp was an enormous undertaking. Plans called for the relocation of Highway 24, which formed the southern perimeter of the camp. Buildings necessary for the military post were mess halls, barracks, a hospital, a chapel, a fire station, administration buildings, a post exchange, a finance building, clinics, a stockade, and a guardhouse. Because the mountain division would be using mules, plans included stables, corrals, storage for hay, and a blacksmith shop. Facilities to provide for service and support for the infrastructure included a motor pool, a carpenter shop, a ski shop, a bakery, a ice making plant, and incinerators. Military training required the construction of rifle and pistol ranges, grenade courts, gas chambers, and bayonet courses. Due to the relative isolation from major urban areas, the camp had to provide for the recreational needs of the troops.
La zona era muy remota y eso constituía otro reto, puesto que era necesario traer trabajadores y materiales desde largas distancias. Para el verano ya trabajaban allí 1.200 obreros de la construcción, que se alojaban en barracones temporales del campamento, camionetas, tiendas de campaña y todo tipo de instalaciones en las comunidades circundantes. Durante los ocho meses que tardó en terminarse la obra, más de 40.000 trabajadores participaron en ella.
Another challenge included the remoteness of the area making it necessary to bring in workers and materials from long distances. By summer there were nearly 1200 workers on the construction payroll residing at the camp in temporary barracks, trailers, tents, troop housing as it was completed, and at a variety of facilities in the surrounding communities. During the eight months to completion, more than 40,000 workers had a hand in construction.
Otra dificultad a tener en cuenta fueron las nevadas: los espesores anuales rondaban los 4,15 metros, lo que forzó a modificar el diseño de algunos edificios. También hubo que lidiar con la escasez de cobre en tiempos de guerra, lo que afectó al diseño del sistema eléctrico. La ruta de correo de Denver y Río Grande conectaba con la base militar mediante ferrocarriles que abastecían a los almacenes, la tahona, las alacenas, el depósito de carbón, el montacargas de grano y los cobertizos para el heno. Un problema que no se previó y que fue imposible de solucionar fue la contaminación del valle durante el invierno. Dado que el campamento tenía el carbón combustible como principal fuente de energía, las inversiones de aire hacían que el humo y las partículas permanecieran sobre el campamento.
One challenge faced was an annual snowfall of 163.5 inches, which necessitated some modification of structural designs for the cantonment buildings. Another difficulty that had to be overcome was the wartime copper shortage that affected the design of the electrical system. The Denver and Rio Grande mail line connected to the military base with rails serving the warehouses, ordnance warehouse, bakery, cold storage, coal yard, grain elevator, and hay sheds. One problem not anticipated or overcome was the pollution in the valley during the winter. Because the camp relied on burning coal for its primary source of energy, air inversions held the smoke and particulates over the camp.
La base fue bautizada como Camp Hale, por el nombre del difunto brigadier general Irving Hale, veterano de la Guerra Hispano-Estadunidense. Pando Constructors terminó la construcción con sólo una diferencia de un mes respecto a la fecha prevista. Originariamente diseñado para 20.353 militares y 11.288 animales, Camp Hale llegó a alojar a unos 16.000 soldados y 3.900 animales. Unos 14.000 militares destacados allí pertenecían a la 10ª División de Montaña.
The name selected for the post was Camp Hale, named for the late brigadier general Irving Hale, a veteran of the Spanish American War. Pando Constructors completed construction within a month of the due date. Originally designed for 20,353 military personnel and 11,288 animals, Camp Hale eventually housed approximately 16,000 soldiers and 3,900 animals. Approximately 14,000 military personnel stationed there were members of the 10th Mountain Division.
El uso militar del campamento fue asignado a la 10ª División de Montaña, el 38º Equipo Regimental de Combate, el 99º Batallón de Infantería, y soldados de Fort Carson de maniobras de entrenamiento en combate de montaña e invernal entre 1942 y 1965. En todos esos años, el Ejército probó diversas armas y equipamientos en Camp Hale. Entre 1959 y 1965, la Agencia Central de Inteligencia (CIA) entrenó en secreto a soldados tibetanos en Camp Hale. En julio de 1965, Camp Hale fue desmantelado y se devolvió el control de las tierras al servicio forestal en 1966.
Military use of Camp Hale included the 10th Mountain Division, the 38th Regimental Combat Team, 99th Infantry Battalion, and soldiers from Fort Carson conducting mountain and winter warfare training exercises from 1942 to 1965. Throughout this time, the Army tested a variety of weapons and equipment at Camp Hale. From 1959 through 1965, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) secretly trained Tibetan soldiers at Camp Hale. In July 1965, Camp Hale was deactivated and control of the lands returned to the Forest Service in 1966.
Fuentes/Sources:
http://www.camphale.org/
http://www.mscd.edu/~history/camphale/
