The Battle Of The Somme - 1473 Words

Prepare for war! That is what you hear and your heart stops, your jaw opens and you gasp for air that is not there. While the history and establishment of Camp Lewis is not as important or as serious as preparing for war, it is important to know the past. The past helps posture and mold the future of tomorrow as we learn and grow from the success and/or mistakes of those before us. In Washington State, the civilian populace fought for the idea of bringing a military base to the American Lake region. In late 1916, â€Å"Battle of the Somme† escalated and that rumored the possibility of other countries joining in to create a world war. A private group of concerned citizens got together at American Lake to organize a training†¦show more content†¦Major General J. Franklin Bell visited the area after hearing the recommendation of the site from Captain Parks. He met with Mr. Appleby and the league about the possibilities of the land use. In August 1916, the U.S. Sen ate passed a bill allowing the Secretary of War to accept donated land to the military for a supply station, mobilization, training, and other strategic military purposes. The General and the appointed members from the league of Washington State took their proposal for a military training post to Washington D.C. The negation with the Secretary of War, Chief of Staff, and President Woodrow Wilson ended in success. The president gave his blessing that set forth the beginning of a new camp. Part of the agreement for establishing the post was Nisqually Valley donating 140 square miles to the government for military use. Mr. Appleby and his league now had the daunting task of convincing the community members that purchasing and donating the land to the Army was the beneficial thing to do for Pierce County and the Puget Sound area. â€Å"On 6 January 1917, 86 percent of the Pierce County Electorate voted to bond themselves for 20 years for $2,000,000 to purchase 70,000 acres to be donated to the federal government for use as a military base† Lewis Army Museum (2015). The community agreed to the terms but could not give the land until the United States