Editing Fort Snelling (section)

===World War II===
[[File:Military Railway service SSI.jpeg|thumb|Military Railroad Service insignia]]
During WWII the Fort Snelling military reservation served both the army and navy. The army had an enlistment center there that processed 300,000 enlistees. The [[United States Department of War|War Department]] chose the base to be the site of the army's [[Military Railroad Service (United States)|Military Railroad Service]](MRS) HQ in 1942 and a winter warfare program later. The MRS was closely linked to commercial railroading with multiple Minnesota railroads sponsoring MRS Railroad Operating Battalions.<ref name="GD">{{cite web| title=Railway Grand Divisions| url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/34941642/Railway-Grand-Divisions}}{{self-published source|date=December 2021}}</ref> That year the Army created two Railroad Divisions with the [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|Great Northern Railroad]] sponsoring the 704th.<ref name="GD"/>  The 1st MRS Division was activated at Fort Snelling (as the 701st) from where it deployed to the [[Mediterranean]](Italy, Southern France, and [[North Africa]]). It was commanded by Brig. Gen. [[Carl R. Gray Jr.]] of the [[Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway]].<ref name="GD"/> Gen. Gray was responsible for creating a Commendation for Meritorious Service(MRS Certificate of Merit) specific to railroading troops.<ref>American Rails in 8 Countries, The story of the 1st Railroad Service, Transportation Corps,  Special and Information Section, Headquarters, Southern Line of Communication, European Theater of Operations, United States Army, p. 33 [https://www.scribd.com/doc/187078739/American-Rails-in-8-Countries]</ref> In January 1943 the 701st Railway Grand Division, sponsored by the [[New York Central Railroad]], was stood up at Fort Snelling.<ref>Railroaders in Olive Drab: The Military Railway Service in WWII, The Army Historical Foundation, National Museum of the United States Army, 1775 Liberty Dr, Fort Belvoir, VA [https://armyhistory.org/railroaders-in-olive-drab-the-military-railway-service-in-wwii/]</ref> Minnesota Railroads sponsored multiple Railroad Operating Battalions(ROB)s with the Great Northern sponsoring the 732nd ROB.<ref name="GD"/><ref name="732nd">The Saga of the 732nd Railway Operation Battalion Subject Report Activity Feb–Apr 1945:, Angelfire website [https://www.angelfire.com/va2/worldwar2family/732.html]{{self-published source|date=December 2021}}</ref>{{self-published source|date=December 2021}}  Even though sponsored by the Great Northern, the 732nd trained at [[Fort Sam Houston]]. It landed in France and was one of two [[wikt:spearhead|spearhead]] ROBs. The 732nd operated in support of Gen. [[George Patton|Patton]]'s [[3rd Armored Division (United States)|3rd Armored Division]] and went into Germany with them.<ref name="732nd"/>{{self-published source|date=December 2021}}  During the [[Battle of the Bulge]] Patton's armor would come to the 732nds trains to refuel.<ref name="732nd"/>{{self-published source|date=December 2021}}  The Army positioned field Artillery directly adjacent to the rail lines so that the 732nd delivered ammo directly to the guns.<ref name="732nd"/> The 757th Railroad Shop Battalion, sponsored by the [[Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad]], set up operations at [[Cherbourg]]. The [[Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway]] sponsored the 714th ROB in the [[Territory of Alaska]].

In 1944 the [[Military Intelligence Service Language School]] (MISLS) for [[Japanese language education in the United States|Japanese language]] had outgrown its facilities at [[Camp Savage]] and it relocated to Fort Snelling. With the move the curriculum was expanded with Chinese. 
It had 125 classrooms, 160 instructors, and 3000 students. June 1946 would see the fort's 21st and last commencement at the school. The War Department constructed scores of buildings at the fort for housing and teaching during the war.<ref name="MHS" /><ref name="bluff" /> The language school was relocated to [[Monterey, California]], in June 1946.<ref>Yamashita, Jeffrey T. [http://encyclopedia.densho.org/Fort%20Snelling/ "Fort Snelling"] ''Densho Encyclopedia''. Retrieved on July 3, 2014.</ref>

In 1943 the navy opened an air station on the north side of Wold-Chamberlain Field that existed until 1970. That area is now used by reserve units and the [[Minnesota Air National Guard]]. WWII Fort Snelling facilities covered 1,521 acres at war's end.