A presentation on a World War II era massive training center which was located near Smolan, and was the size of a small city, is planned this week at the Smoky Hill Museum.

According to the museum, popular speaker, Dr. Merle “Boo” Hodges, an area physician and historian, will return with an update on one of his first presentations.

With new information and new images, Dr. Hodges will guide a revisit of Camp Phillips. The camp was born of necessity, used to train soldiers for war, then taken apart.

Construction of Camp Phillips ran around the clock, as 9,000 workers built hundreds of barracks, a hospital, warehouses, a sewer system, laundry facilities, churches, movie theaters, and roads to connect the vast camp that stretched across 45,000 acres. It operated as a combat training center from late September of 1942 to November, 1944, instructing over 150,000 U.S. Army troops and artillery soldiers. Before closing, German POW’s were also held there until the end of the war.

While it was open for a relatively short time, its legacy lives on.  Explore the men, the mission, and the memory of Camp Phillips with Dr. Hodges.

This free presentation is offered by the Smoky Hill Museum, Thursday, February 6th, 5:30-6:30 pm. Enjoy the presentation in-person at the Museum, or from the comfort of your own home via Zoom. Register for your Zoom link at www.smokyhillmuseum.org.