The geographical location of Fort Devens has a military history that dates back to the 1600s, when the area was first garrisoned by British troops. In 1915, the region was again chosen for a cantonment, one of only sixteen in the country. In order to build the camp, the War Department assembled the largest labor force in history. New buildings sprang up at the rate of about ten per day and supported more than one hundred thousand troops that were processed at Camp Devens, as it was originally named, during World War I.
Fort Devens is the first book to trace the military activity in this area. Throughout the twentieth century, troops were trained and deployed from Fort Devens for every major conflict the United States was involved in. During World War II, Fort Devens inducted more than six hundred thousand men into the army from the New England area. The list of individuals who have served here included Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Bill Mauldin, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, and Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Even NASA can trace its birth to Fort Devens by way of Dr. Robert Goddard's liquid-fueled rocket experiments.

Fort Devens (MA) (Images of America)

History

William J. Craig

Americas

Arcadia Publishing

Captain Cassin Young served with distinction in the US Navy until his death in the battle of Guadalcanal in January 1942. His fine example of courage and sacrifice was immortalized in December 1943 when the Fletcher Class destroyer USS Cassin Young was commissioned into service. Using a host of first-hand sources and previously unpublished interviews, this book illustrates vividly what it was like for the young crew and officers to serve aboard the Cassin Young, a 'tin can' destroyer, in some of the most intense naval battles of the Second World War. As well as heart-stopping action, it describes the boredom, the pranks, the discipline, the diet, the dangers, fears and deaths - and, above all, the unsettling dread of kamikaze attack. These were young men, some of them teenagers, eager to fight for their country; their combined experiences are amusing, harrowing, and poignant, but what endures most is their noble sense of brotherhood. The USS Cassin Young went on to serve in the Korean War and finally entered preservation at the Charlestown Naval Yard in Boston. It stands as a monument to the memory of many brave young men who were willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their country. This book humbly joins in honoring them.

USS Cassin Young (America Through Time)

America Through Time

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by William J. Craig. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by William J. Craig

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by William J. Craig. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Fort Devens (MA) (Images of America)

USS Cassin Young (America Through Time)