Vintage Military T-Shirt – McCoy Tree Design

Vintage Inspired Military Tee
Sizes: S-2XL
Colors: White on Red and Yellow on Irish Green
Fabric: Fine Jersey | 100% Cotton
Feel: Comfortable & Lightweight
Label: Tear Away
Care: Machine Wash Cold | Dry Low
Screen printed in Wisconsin

We also offer another Camp McCoy vintage military t-shirt: McCoy Officers’ Mess

A History of Fort McCoy

Click here to view a recent Wisconsin Veterans Museum Instagram post on the McCoy family: 
A Family Immersed in Military Service

A History of Fort McCoy (From the US Army History of Fort McCoy)

The Early Years

Fort McCoy began as a military camp for artillery training. The namesake of the camp, Maj. Gen. Robert Bruce McCoy, Sparta, WI, recognized the impact that the development of modern artillery would have on warfare. So he sought large areas where artillery units could conduct effective training exercises.

In 1905, Maj. Gen. McCoy gained access to 4,000 acres in the area around Sparta. Then in September of that year, under the recommendations of Maj. Samuel Allen, the US Army conducted the first military training exercises there. Shortly thereafter, Allen recommended that the Army purchase this land.

Altogether, the Army purchased 14,000 in 1909 and named the Sparta Maneuver Tract.  It was divided into Camp Emory Upton, a maneuver camp in the north and Camp Robinson, an artillery camp in the south.

By 1910, the US War Department gave funds for construction and area improvements. Then on November 19, 1926, the site was officially designated Camp McCoy.

Eventually between 1938 and 1942, an additional 45,000 acres were added to Camp McCoy.  It has been the site of artillery and maneuver training for millions of military personnel from all services.

Fort McCoy Today

In 1973, Camp McCoy became aligned in the US Army Forces Command, and it officially became Fort McCoy in 1974.

Throughout the years, many different units have trained at Camp McCoy. These include the 2nd Infantry Division, the 76th Infantry Division, the 100th Infantry Battalion, and many others.  Since the 1980s, more than 100,000 military personnel annually have trained at Fort McCoy. They would go to serve in U.S. military engagements from Operations Desert Shield/Storm though the War on Terror.

Today, Fort McCoy is primarily utilized as an Army power-projection site preparing military units for overseas duty.  Between 2001 and 2011, almost 141,000 military personnel mobilized or demobilized at Fort McCoy in support of the War on Terror.  

Did You Know?

Fort McCoy offers many different activities to the public all year round.  For example, the public can camp there. During the winter, the public can enjoy Whitetail Ridge Ski Area, a space dedicated to skiing and snowboarding. In fact, the National Ski Patrol supports Whitetail Ridge, which has slopes with a vertical drop of 185′.   Additionally,  spaces for snow tubing and cross-country skiing offered.  Finally, Fort McCoy offers three paintball and laser-tag courses for the public to use.