The history of Fort Leonard Wood dates back to the dark days just before World War II. By 1940, war had engulfed Europe and much of Asia. The United States was slowly and painfully struggling to put its military house in order. By then, many Americans believed that it was only a matter of time before the country would be drawn into what was rapidly becoming a global conflict.

The nation's leaders worked to increase the size of the armed forces, procure modern equipment and merge the two into an effective fighting force. One of the major challenges was finding suitable training areas for the expanding Army. In 1940, the War Department decided to establish a major training facility in the Seventh Corps area. This command comprised most of the states of the central plains. Originally located near Leon, Iowa, the site for the new training center was moved to south-central Missouri.

On Dec. 3, 1940, military and state officials broke ground for what was known as the Seventh Corps Area Training Center. In early January 1941, the War Department designated the installation as Fort Leonard Wood.

The post is named for Major General Leonard Wood, a distinguished American Soldier whose service to his country spanned 40 years. A warrior and a surgeon, Leonard Wood graduated from Harvard University and began his military service as a contract surgeon during the Apache Indian Wars in the 1880s, winning the Congressional Medal of Honor for valor.

At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Wood commanded the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, better known as the Rough Riders. His second in command, Theodore Roosevelt, took over the regiment when Wood was promoted. Theodore Roosevelt earned fame for leading the Rough Riders in the charge on San Juan Hill.

Leonard Wood served as the Army's Chief of Staff from 1910 to 1914. His last position of service was as Governor General of the Philippine Islands, which Spain had ceded to the U.S. after the Spanish-American War. General Wood held this position until his death in 1927.