JOLON — Fort Hunter Liggett kicked off its 85th anniversary with a presentation showcasing the rich military history in California’s Central Coast by retired Lt. Col. Erik Brun with the California Military History Department on Jan. 15.
“85 years…it’s a big deal. This post has a tremendous legacy, not just within in the military, not just within the community, but across the nation,” said Garrison Commander Col. Jason McKenzie during his opening remarks.
McKenzie informed participants that this kickoff is one of a series of events throughout the year to mark the installation’s milestone year. He noted that this year’s Freedom Fest will be just for those that live and work on post and is a scaled-down version from previous years. The huge fireworks show is being diverted to the 85th Anniversary Open House, which is open to the public.
“We’re putting all our eggs into the May 2 open house, so we encourage everyone to attend and help spread the word on the event,” McKenzie said.
The Open House will showcase military displays from past and present, World War II re-enactors, live entertainment, fireworks and more. Event information is available on the installation’s website https://home.army.mil/liggett/index.php.
Maj. General Shane Buzza, the 63rd Readiness Division Commander, was also on hand to provide insight into why FHL is important to him.
“I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Fort Hunter Liggett,” shared Buzza, reflecting on his first experience as a young lieutenant. He recounted being part of a light infantry unit, dropped off on Nacimiento Road near Highway 1, and instructed to “go find the Mission.” “At the time, we didn’t even know Fort Hunter Liggett had buildings,” he added with a laugh.
After several assignments throughout the world and 10 years later, “I had the good fortune to come back in 1999,” Buzza said. As a native Californian, he was happy to be assigned to the 3/356 Logistics Support Battalion to be close to family. And in 2018, he commanded the 91st Training Division.
He said that having been stationed in Germany, France, England, Japan, Fort Bragg and other places, “There’s no place that has the same community or the love and support of everybody who’s on it, the kind of customer service to soldiers as Fort Hunter Liggett does.” He ended his comments by thanking the civilian workforce that support the service members that train at the installation, “Thank you for making Fort Hunter Liggett the experience it is.”
Keynote speaker Brun gave his presentation more depth by wearing a replica World War I uniform of the Rolla V. Ladd, executive officer of the 54th Coast Artillery Regiment, which was activated at Camp Wallace, Texas, on Feb. 10, 1941, with men coming from a cadre of black soldiers from Texas, Kansas and Missouri.
Brun’s presentation provided a comprehensive military history of California’s Central Coast, spanning over 450 years from Spanish colonial times to the modern era. The presentation traced the region’s military significance from the 1587 Manila Galleon shipwreck through various historical periods, including the Mexican-American War, early 20th century training camps (Camp Atascadero 1904-10, Camp San Luis Obispo 1928-40), and the establishment of Fort Hunter Liggett Military Reservation (HLMR) in 1941 as a subinstallation of Camp Roberts.
He emphasized World War II activities, particularly the 1941 4th Army Maneuvers and the extensive unit rotations through HLMR from 1941-44, including major formations like the IX Corps, 3rd Division, 41st Division and various infantry regiments. The presentation also covered the Field Artillery Replacement Training Center at Camp Roberts, the 54th Coast Artillery Regiment’s coastal defense operations, and concluded with the Combat Developments Experimentation Center (CDEC) test and evaluation activities from 1957-97 at Fort Hunter Liggett.
Overall, the presentation demonstrated how the Central Coast has served as a crucial military training and testing ground throughout American history, highlighting its strategic importance for national defense and military readiness. (Brun’s presentation is available on the FHL’s YouTube page youtube.com/forthunterliggett.)
Following the Central Coast military history presentation, King City Mayor Mike LeBarre spoke on and presented the garrison commander with a Mayor’s Proclamation commemorating FHL’s 85th Anniversary.
“Fort Hunter Liggett is so important because they provide the place that the men and women that serve our country are given the best training in the world. And it is why our military is the most feared military in the history of the world,” LeBarre said.
A video greeting and Proclamation presentation from Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren was also part of this event: “I’m proud of the people who serve there and the thousands and thousands of military people who get excellent training at the facility. Congratulations on 85 years.”
The event culminated with the announcement of the winner of the Anniversary Coin Design Contest — Chaplain (Maj.) Joseph Isip.
“We had a lot of great submissions, and it was just incredibly awesome to see what you, the community, thinks of as the symbol of our installation,” said Garrison Command Sgt. David Fimbres, who spearheaded the contest.
Isip’s said his coin design was inspired by the California arts and crafts movement, along with the wildlife often seen at Fort Hunter Liggett. The text surrounding the back of the coin highlights the conflicts for which the fort has trained soldiers throughout its history, up to the present day. The coin front emanates a stained glass to which Isip said, “All of those broken pieces is like the character of the people that live and work here. You allow God’s light to shine within you, to give hope to your neighbors and your battle buddies and the community around.”
