Jefferson Barracks

Since it was founded in 1826, Jefferson Barracks has stood for nearly two centuries as a symbol for many aspects of America s history. Many explorative expeditions in the 19th century launched from Jefferson Barracks, an iconic gateway to the West during the country s expansion. A training ground for new programs, Jefferson Barracks was the home of America s first permanent Dragoons (later the United States Cavalry), first School of Infantry, and first regiment of buffalo soldiers. The largest induction and mustering-out center during both the First and Second World Wars, it housed and trained a myriad of soldiers before and after their deployments. Now the home of the Missouri Air National Guard, a Veterans Administration hospital, Jefferson Barracks Historic Park, a national cemetery, and a growing museum district, Jefferson Barracks is preserving its place in history as well as serving toward America s future. The historic images in this book illustrate a rich history of Jefferson Barracks through some of its citizen soldiers famous and not and through the incidents that made it an American icon."