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Alan Mays

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Posted: 24 Apr 2023

Taken: 23 Apr 2023

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Citizens' Military Training Camp •
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Fort Sheridan •

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Citizens' Military Training Camp, Fort Sheridan, Illinois

Citizens' Military Training Camp, Fort Sheridan, Illinois
A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of X marks the spot (an X to indicate something or someone on the photo).

"C.M.T.C. Camp" is the label that appears below the main tent area in this photo, which is credited in the lower right-hand corner to the "Chicago Aerial Survey Co." This is a real photo postcard, and the type of Azo stamp box (with squares in all four corners) printed on the other side suggests that the card dates between 1924 and 1949.

Over 400 tents are visible in the photo, and the message that's part of the image says: "Had a fine trip here, all O.K. Here is my home for a month. X marks my tent. Everything looks fine so I'm sure I will like it here. Will write a letter soon." The postcard is unused, however, and no one has added an X to indicate a tent.

This C.M.T.C. Camp was located in Illinois at Fort Sheridan (now closed except for the Sheridan Reserve Center) and was one of about fifty Citizens' Military Training Camps, which were month-long training programs held each summer from 1921 to 1940 at U.S. Army posts.
Comments
 RicksPics
RicksPics club
This is a particularly interesting post card to me, Alan, as I lived less than a mile from the post from age 8 to 14. The foreground is the Lake Michigan shore, below a steep bluff. My neighborhood would be toward the upper left of the photo. The children of the active duty troops living at Ft. Sheridan all went to school with me. It never had a very large number of troops stationed there in the 1960s and I believe it primarily functioned as an administrative and logistical support center for the 5th army corps. Apparently, most of the land has been converted to public use and residential development since 2003.
22 months ago. Edited 22 months ago.
Alan Mays club has replied to RicksPics club
Wow, that's an amazing coincidence, Rick!!! It looks like the tower and some of the other buildings at upper right are still there, but it does look like a lot of the remaining land has been developed.
21 months ago.
 Deborah Lundbech
Deborah Lundbech club
Wow, Rick - very cool personal connection!
22 months ago.

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