***Sorry Sold***Rare Vintage Military U.S. Army Collectible PIllow Cover Vintage WW2 U.S. Army Needles California D.L.

Rare Vintage Military U.S. Army Collectible Pillow Cover Vintage WW2 U.S. Army Needles California. Needles has been the scene of two major military maneuvers, General Patton's Army during World War II, and Desert Strike maneuvers in the mid- 1960s. Needles AirPort: It opened in May 1941. During World War II the airfield was known as Needles Army Airfield and was used by the United States Army Air Forces Fourth Air Force. With the end of the war the base returned to civil control. World War II Desert Training Center, California-Arizona Maneuver Area Needles California ________________________________________ In the earliest days of World War II, when this Nation was thrust into the greatest global conflict the world has ever seen, the War Department realized the necessity for troops well trained under harsh conditions to withstand the rigors of battle over rough terrain and in inhospitable climates. Thus, the Desert Training Center, California-Arizona Maneuver Area (DTC-CAMA) was created in 1942. This simulated theater of operation was the largest military training ground in the history of military maneuvers. These young troops would carry that early training on to victory in the sands of North Africa, the mud and mire to Europe, the ice and snow of Alaska, and even into the Pacific jungles A site near Shavers Summit (now known as Chiriaco Summit) between Indio and Desert Center, was selected as the headquarters of the Desert Training Center (DTC). This site, called Camp Young, was the world's largest Army post. Major General George S. Patton Jr. came to Camp Young as the first Commanding General of the Desert Training Center. His first orders were to select other areas within the desert that would be suitable for the large-scale maneuvers necessary to prepare American soldiers for combat against the German Afrika Korps in the North African desert. Ten other camps were established in an area stretching from Boulder City, Nevada to the Mexican border, and from Phoenix, Arizona to Pomona, California. After General Patton was sent to North Africa, the name of the training center was changed to the California-Arizona Maneuver Area (CAMA). Twenty separate divisions consisting of more than one million men trained here. When the direction of the war shifted to the Allies' favor in 1944, the camps, plagued by shortage of supplies and equipment, were closed, thus ending the largest simulated theater of operations in the history of military maneuvers. Although most of the structures were removed, much of the infrastructure, including rock-lined streets, staging areas, flag circles, and tent areas remain THE CAMPS TODAY Now the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), charged with managing the public lands on which the camps lie, is engaged in an effort to protect and interpret them. Camp Iron Mountain, designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern in 1980, is perhaps the best known and certainly the best preserved of all the camps. The area has been fenced to provide protection from vehicular traffic. Despite the ravages of time, a contour map, many rock mosaics, two alters, and numerous rock alignments along roads and walkways have survived. Do´s and Don´ts - To protect these resources, vehicle use within all Camps, except Camp Pilot Knob will be limited to designated routes of travel. Vehicle use in Camp Pilot Knob will be limited to Sidewinder Road. LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE The BLM has made a dedicated effort in preserving the remaining features at these historically significant sites through protection and interpretation for the benefit of future generations. Much more was here, but thoughtless visitors have stolen the remains which were easy to carry. When you visit these or other historic sites in the desert, please leave all historic objects as you found them, so they can be enjoyed by those who follow you. These sites and artifacts are protected by Federal and State law, with substantial penalties for violators.