Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Camp Cooke Memorial

1941 - 1946

Photographed By Michael Kindig, October 20, 2010

1. Camp Cooke Memorial

Four markers are mounted on the rock base at left.

Inscription.
First Marker: 5th Armored Division
"Victory" Activated Ft. Knox, KY - 1 October 1941 • VAFB (then Camp Cooke) February 1942 - March 1943 • Desert & Tennessee Maneuvers - 1942 & 1943 • Deployed to E.T.O. February 1944 • Landed Utah Beach, Normandy 25 July 1944
Normandy * Northern France * Rhineland * Ardennes-Alsace * Central Europe
First Allied Division to enter Germany 11 September 1944. At War's end was closest unit to Berlin on the Elbe River
Dedicated to all the brave men of the 5th A.D. in World War II

Second Marker: 6th Armored Division
"The Super Sixth" Activated Ft. Knox, KY - 15 February 1942 • Camp Chaffee, Ark. - Louisiana Maneuvers • Camp Young - California Desert • Camp Cooke (VAFB), Calif. • Landed Utah Beach 18 July 1944
Normandy * Northern France * Rhineland * Ardennes-Alsace * Central Europe
Last Combat Death 24 April 1945
Dedicated to the 1,274 men of the 6th Armored Division who gave their lives in World War II, the 4,378 wounded and 52 missing in action.

Third Marker:
11th Armored Division
"Thunderbolts" Activated Camp Polk, LA - 15 August 1942 • Louisiana Manuevers • Camp Barkley, Abilene, TX • Camp Ibis - California Desert • Camp

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Cooke (VAFB), CA • Landed France December 10, 1944
Ardennes-Alsace * Rhineland * Central Europe
Dedicated to the men of the 11th Armored Division who died or were wounded during World War II.

Fourth Marker:
In deep appreciation for the untiring efforts of
Colonel James A. McDonough, USAR Ret
5th Armored Division Association
and
Colonel William A. Hamberg, USA Ret
5th Armored Division Association in making this memorial a reality on Vandenberg Air Force Base
October 1991

Erected 1991.

Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Military • War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1941.

Location. 34° 44.185′ N, 120° 32.056′ W. Marker is in Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, in Santa Barbara County. Memorial is at the intersection of California Boulevard and Nebraska Avenue, on the right when traveling north on California Boulevard. Located inside the military base, only open to those with base access. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lompoc CA 93437, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. 40th Infantry Division Korean War Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); The Curtis P-40 (approx. 0.2 miles away); USAF Medal of Honor Recipients

5th Armored Division "Victory" image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Michael Kindig, October 20, 2010

2. 5th Armored Division "Victory"

(approx. half a mile away); Vandenberg Air Force Base (approx. half a mile away); Space Launch Complex 10 (approx. 5.4 miles away); La Purisima Mission (approx. 5.9 miles away); Ronald W. Reagan Missile Defense Site (approx. 6 miles away); First Successful Cement Job (approx. 7.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Regarding Camp Cooke Memorial. During World War II, the 5th, 6th, 11th, 13th, and 20th, Armored Divisions, the 86th, and 97th, Infantry Divisions, and the 2nd Filipino Infantry Regiment trained at Cooke. Also at Cooke were an assortment of antiaircraft artillery, combat engineer, ordnance, and hospital units. More than 400 separate and distinct outfits passed through Camp Cooke.

Additional commentary.
1. Camp Cooke and Vandenberg AFB
This is an excellent record of the World War II memorial at present-day Vandenberg AFB from its previous use as Camp Cooke.

You may be interested to know that in April 2014, the first book written about Camp Cooke and

6th Armored Division "The Super Sixth" image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Michael Kindig, October 20, 2010

3. 6th Armored Division "The Super Sixth"

Vandenberg AFB will be published by McFarland & Company. Written by Jeffrey E. Geiger, the book is titled "Camp Cooke and Vandenberg Air Force Base, 1941-1966: From Armor and Infantry Training to Space and Missile Launches." You can read a summary of the book on the publisher's web page, www.mcfarlandpub.com

— Submitted February 23, 2014.

2. The concrete marker
I was a young sergeant at the time I built this concrete base. It was in 1991 and was one of my last projects I did before going to Osan in Korea. I built several monuments on the base. What a great assignment and great area. I met and left a lot of wonderful people.

— Submitted March 3, 2019, by Michael Chapman of Hernando, Mississippi.

11th Armored Division "Thunderbolts" image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Michael Kindig, October 20, 2010

4. 11th Armored Division "Thunderbolts"

Tribute Plaque image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Michael Kindig, October 20, 2010

5. Tribute Plaque

M48 Patton Tank image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Michael Kindig, October 20, 2010

6. M48 Patton Tank

Credits. This page was last revised on November 27, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 15, 2011, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. This page has been viewed 1,524 times since then and 75 times this year. Last updated on December 29, 2011, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on December 15, 2011, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.