Camp Cooke and Vandenberg Air Force Base, 1941-1966

America's first West Coast armored and infantry training installation was built in California in 1941 and named Camp Cooke. It is currently known as Vandenberg Space Force Base. During WWII, more than 400 military units trained at Cooke, peaking at more than 36,000 soldiers. The largest units that rotated through Cooke were the 5th, 6th, 11th, 13th, and 20th Armored Divisions and the 86th and 97th Infantry Divisions. Having honed their fighting skills at Cooke, they prevailed in fierce battles a