Here in Texas, we take honoring our military very seriously. No matter what branch, gender, age, or position served, those who fight for our country are held in the absolute highest regard. So what better way to show our support than paying a visit to one of the second World War’s most important army bases? Fort Wolters, near Mineral Wells, may be nothing more than decrepit buildings today, but its history cannot be forgotten.

Fort Walters was once an active army base that played an integral role in WWII. It's now home to merely memories of the heroic soldiers who once occupied it.
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For much of its 20 years of operation, it was the largest infantry replacement training center in the nation.
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It also served as a German POW camp during the war.
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Two of the army's most famous men, Audie Murphy and Eddie Slovik, underwent basic training at Fort Wolters.
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Murphy was awarded every combat award the U.S. Army had to offer after single-handedly fending off a group of German soldiers for an hour.
Flickr/nlenburg
Slovik, on the other hand, was famous (or infamous, I should say) for quite the opposite - he was the first military member since the Civil War to be executed for desertion.
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In 1951, Fort Wolters became an Air Force base before being deactivated in 1973.
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The site is now used as an industrial park, a branch of Weatherford College, a National Guard training center, and a Civil Air Patrol summer camp.
Flickr/nlenburg
So if you ever want to put things into perspective and thank the brave soldiers who fought for our freedom, pay Fort Wolters a visit before it completely succumbs to the elements.
Flickr/nlenburg

Have you had the honor of visiting Fort Wolters? Are there any other abandoned military bases in Texas?

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