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Atterbury was born in 1866 in New Albany, Indiana the son of a Presbyterian minister. During World War I, Atterbury was commissioned as a Brigadier General. Atterbury reorganized the European Railroad network to create rapid movement of Allied Forces. He became the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1925. He held that position until just before his death in 1935.
A portrait of Brigadier General William Wallace Atterbury presented to Colonel Welton Modissette, commander of Camp Atterbury in 1942, during WWII by Lou Henderson, an official of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Currently General Atterbury's personal 1927 Pennsylvania Railroad executive car is being restored at the Camp Atterbury Museum. The 82 foot long, 55 ton railroad car is one of only a very few ever built. According to Sergeant Cecelia Ellis of Camp Atterbury and a volunteer with the Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum staff, when the restoration is done the exterior of the car will be Tuscan red with gold trim and will rest beside the 25,000 square foot indoor museum at Camp Atterbury.
The Atterbury Railroad Car. This is a major restoration project.
General Atterbury on the far left of photo looking toward camera. General Pershing above tail of WWI aircraft with arms folded.
General Atterbury receiving an award from a French officer.
General Atterbury front row left.
Portraits of General Atterbury and Lt. Bakalar in the entrance of the Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum
The Camp Atterbury "Stone" sits on the crest of the hill as you enter the "Main Post" section of the Army Post. This stone can be seen on Hospital Road after you enter Camp Atterbury from Highway 31. Museum volunteer, Gordon Lake shown standing next to the Camp Atterbury "Stone" prior to his retirement from the military. The Camp Atterbury stone was carved by Libero Puccini a former Italian POW interned at the Camp Atterbury W.W.II POW Camp for German and Italian prisoners of war. Mr. Puccini returned to the US after the war and became a citizen. His son Lt. Colonel Marcus Puccini serves in the US Air Force Reserve as a C-130 pilot and served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Lt. Colonel Marcus Puccini, Libero Puccini and Camp Atterbury Post Commander LTC Nelwin in the Army National Guard photo taken August 2004. Libero Puccini signing an Atterbury Stone photograph.
The Camp Atterbury Memorial Wall, POW Chapel built by the Italian Prisoners of War and a photo of the Camp Atterbury "Main Post" area taken from the door of a Huey UH1 by museum volunteer Gordon Lake.
The Camp Atterbury Memorial and outdoor museum. The photograph on the right is of the Camp Atterbury Museum. Click on the panoramic photo and scroll for best viewing.
Memorial and funeral service for former Camp Atterbury Post Commander Colonel Richard R. King October 22, 1921-March 16, 2003 Former Camp Atterbury Post Commander Colonel Richard R. King, Retired, died March 16, 2003 and was interred at Kansas Cemetery on Camp Atterbury. Chaplain James Cotter officiated. Pictured above from The Republic Newspaper, is the Military Department of Indiana Ceremonial Unit and the only caisson unit other than at Arlington. Colonel King was camp commander from 1969 to 1981. In 1969, the Indiana National Guard took control of Camp Atterbury and placed Colonel King in control of the camp. He quickly set in motion a long-term plan to make Camp Atterbury the best training facility in the United States. Colonel King retired from the military in 1981. Colonel King's grandson Richard R. King III, delivered a moving tribute to his grandfather at the Camp Atterbury Chapel memorial service. Kansas Cemetery is the only remaining part of the small town of Kansas that became part of Camp Atterbury in 1942. Kansas Cemetery is located on the small arms range road between the grenade range and pistol range. Thousands of soldiers will pass by his grave every year. Colonel King is the only former post commander buried on the Camp Atterbury Army Post.
Camp Atterbury 1942 Construction Photographs. Camp Atterbury and Atterbury Army Air Field were both constructed in 1942 and named after General Atterbury. The panoramic photos below were taken in 1942 by the War Department, U. S. Engineer Office, Louisville District. In 1942 these were "Restricted" photographs. There is some distortion in the photos due to the scanning process of these large panoramic photos which the original photos were over three feet wide. Almost all of the Camp Atterbury WWII era buildings have been torn down and replaced with single story concrete block buildings. A special thank you to Jean Kupferer of New Albany, IN for these Camp Atterbury photos that were her uncle's, Arthur C. Boggs, USAAF, of Louisville, KY. These original Camp Atterbury photographs have been transferred from the Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum for display at the Camp Atterbury Museum.
The Wakeman Army Hospital 1942 photograph as pictured on the left side of the pano photo. Army Hospital patients flown to Atterbury Army Air Base came here for treatment and recovery. Many troops were discharged from Camp Atterbury. Click on the photo for full size viewing.
Here is another great photograph of Wakeman Army Hospital in it's heyday serving WWII and Korean Wars.
Two great
Both books were researched and written by Students of Custer Baker Middle School, Franklin, Indiana. Editions of the books are available directly from: The Atterbury File The Next Generation: Custer Baker Middle School 101 W. St. Rd. 44 Franklin, IN 46131 Phone 317-738-5840
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William
Wallace Atterbury
