Fortification Fortifications were constructed near the site in 1861, during the
Civil War when
Fort Duffield was constructed. Fort Duffield was located on what was known as
Muldraugh Hill on a strategic point overlooking the confluence of the
Salt and
Ohio Rivers and the
Louisville and Nashville Turnpike. The area was contested by both
Union and
Confederate forces. Bands of organized guerrillas frequently raided the area during the war.
John Hunt Morgan and the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry Regiment of the Confederate Army raided the area before staging his infamous raid across
Indiana and
Ohio.
Post Civil War After the Civil War, the area now occupied by the Army was home to various small communities. In October 1903, military maneuvers for the Regular Army and the National Guards of several states were held at
West Point, Kentucky, and the surrounding area. In April 1918, field artillery units from
Camp Zachary Taylor arrived at West Point for training. near the village of Stithton were leased to the government and construction for a permanent training center was started in July 1918.
New camp The new camp was named after
Henry Knox, the
Continental Army's chief of artillery during the
Revolutionary War and the country's first
secretary of war. The camp was extended by the purchase of a further in June 1918 and construction properly began in July 1918. The building program was reduced following the end of the war and reduced further following cuts to the army in 1921 after the
National Defense Act of 1920. The camp was greatly reduced and became a semi-permanent training center for the 5th Corps Area for Reserve Officer training, the National Guard, and
Citizen's Military Training Camps (CMTC). For a short while, from 1925 to 1928, the area was designated as "Camp Henry Knox National Forest."
Air Corps use The post contains
Godman Army Airfield, which was used by the
United States Army Air Corps and its successor, the
United States Army Air Forces, as a training base during World War II. It was used by the
Kentucky Air National Guard for several years after the war until they relocated to
Standiford Field in Louisville. The airfield is still used by the
United States Army Aviation Branch.
Protection of America's founding documents For protection after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the
Declaration of Independence, the
Constitution of the United States and the
Gettysburg Address were moved for safekeeping to the United States Bullion Depository until Major W. C. Hatfield ordered their release after the D-Day Landings on 19 September 1944.
Mechanized military unit occupation , kneeling in front of
M3 Half-track, holds an
M1 Garand rifle. Fort Knox, June 1942 In 1931 a small force of the
mechanized cavalry was assigned to Camp Knox to use it as a training site. The camp was turned into a permanent
garrison in January 1932 and renamed Fort Knox. The
1st Cavalry Regiment arrived later in the month to become the 1st Cavalry Regiment (Mechanized). In 1936 the 1st was joined by the 13th to become the 7th Cavalry Brigade (Mechanized). The site quickly became the center for mechanization tactics and doctrine. The success of the German mechanized units at the start of
World War II was a major impetus to operations at the fort. A new Armored Force was established in July 1940 with its headquarters at Fort Knox with the 7th Cavalry Brigade becoming the
1st Armored Division. The Armored Force School and the Armored Force Replacement Center were also sited at Fort Knox in October 1940, and their successors remained there until 2011, when the Armor School moved to Fort Benning, Georgia. The site was expanded to cope with its new role. By 1943, there were 3,820 buildings on . A third of the post has been torn down within the last ten years, with another third slated by 2010.
1947 Universal Military Training Experimental Unit In 1947, Fort Knox hosted the Universal Military Training Experimental Unit, a six-month project that aimed to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of providing new 18–20 year-old Army recruits with basic military training that emphasized physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. This project was undertaken with the aim of persuading the public to support President
Harry S. Truman's proposal to require all eligible American men to undergo universal military training.
Stripes (1981) was filmed using the exterior of Fort Knox but did not show the inside of the facility for security reasons.
1993 shooting On 18 October 1993, Arthur Hill went on a shooting rampage, killing three and wounding two more before attempting to take his own life, Hill shot and severely wounded himself. The shooting occurred at Fort Knox's Training Support Center. Prior to the incident, Hill's coworkers claimed they were afraid of being around a mentally unstable person who was at work. Hill died on 21 October of complications from his attempted suicide.
2013 shooting On 3 April 2013, a civilian employee was shot and killed in a parking lot on post. The victim was an employee of the
United States Army Human Resources Command and was transported to the
Ireland Army Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. This shooting caused a temporary lockdown that was lifted around 7 p.m. the same day. U.S. Army Sgt. Marquinta E. Jacobs, a soldier stationed at Fort Knox, was charged on 4 April with the shooting. Jacobs pleaded guilty to charges of premeditated murder and aggravated assault, and was sentenced to 30 years in prison on 10 January 2014. == Human Resources Command ==