Braggs Veterans Park

Proceeds from the Braggs History Project by selling books have gone to the erecting of the Braggs Veterans Park to honor the service men and women from our town. There are monuments listing the veterans of these wars: Early Wars: Mexican - American War, Civil War and Spanish American War; WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf Wars and Peacetime. The brick project has been open to veterans who have served in war and in peacetime. Bricks were available for purchase and individuals could buy a brick and personalize it. All the bricks have been purchased. The town is best known as the site of Camp Gruber, a World War II military cantonment that was the home base of the 42nd Infantry Division (Rainbow Division) and the 88th Infantry Division (Blue Devil Division). In 1942, the U. S. Army created a military cantonment named Camp Gruber, just outside town. The camp cost about $30 million and brought a surge of prosperity to Braggs. The camp covered 60,000 acres (240 km2) and trained thousands of new soldiers during World War II. Part of the camp was used to house captured German military men, until they were repatriated after the war. The camp was deactivated in 1947, ending the prosperity for Braggs. Camp Gruber reopened in 1977 as a training facility for reserve and active duty units. It became the home for the National Guard Air Assault School in 1987.