Sailing proudly into the bustling harbor of the Mexican port of Monterey on July 2, 1846, was the trim Frigate Savannah, the flagship of Commodore John Drake. Five days later the stars and stripes were officially raised above the Customs House, and a 21-gun salute proclaimed the area as Territory of the United States.

The Customs House still stands today. The American flag, altered only by the addition of stars denoting states of the nation, still flies. And since that day the United States Army has played a prominent and significant part in the development of the Monterey Bay area.

It was a young officer of that era for whom Fort Ord was ultimately to receive its name. He was Edward Cresap Ord who had served with Fremont's Army and who was a lieutenant when the nearby Presidio of Monterey was developed. Lieutenant Ord distinguished himself in many bitter Civil War clashes and he rose to the rank of Major General.

The need for a military reservation that was to become Fort Ord arose form the stationing at the Presidio of Monterey the famous 11th Cavalry and the 76th Field Artillery. The terrain in this area was ideally suited for the maneuvers of the finely-mounted riders and the horse-drawn caissons. It also was large enough for a field artillery impact range.

It was in 1917 that the government bought some 15,000 acres, lying mostly in the area of the post's present East Garrison.

It was named Gigling after a well-known German family that had come the country many years before. The present-day post, which includes that original land, contains more than 28,600 acres. Its terrain is similar to the varied types American Servicemen have fought on throughout the world. This diversity makes it an ideal Infantry training grounds.

The transformation of the reservation from that of a maneuver area to a permanent post within such a short time was a near miracle of construction. In August, 1940, when war clouds of Europe drifted closer to America, the first building contract was let. It was $3,000,000 to construct barracks for the newly activated 7th Division. The late General Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell was in command.

By the end of 1941 more than $13,000,000 had been spent and the main garrison served as training grounds and staging areas for myriads of American troops who were to find their way to Africa, Europe and the Pacific.

It was at Fort Ord that these men prepared to hit the beaches. It was here they practiced jungle warfare, hand-to-hand combat, and the most of the same tactics that present-day soldiers stationed here experience.

Among some of those units that were stationed here was the 3rd Division that hit Anzio and then went tearing through Sounthern France. This also was the home of the 27th and 43rd Divisions, each of which fought and won many battles in the Pacific. At one time more than 50,000 troops were stationed at Fort Ord.

Following the close of World War II, activity here was at a slower pace, centering around the Infantry training mission of the 4th Infantry Division which assumed the role of training soldiers for the Korean conflict.

In September, 1950, the 4th Division was replaced by the 6th Division and the latter continued the mission of training troops. The 6th remained until the arrival in January, 1957 of the 5th Division from Germany. With the inactivation of the 5th in June, 1957, Fort Ord again was designated an Infantry training center.

Fort Ord was named a permanent Army post in 1940. Its westerly border is the Pacific Ocean's Monterey Bay. It is only a few minutes from historically rich Monterey Peninsula, as well as from Salinas, the hub of one of the nation's most productive agricultural valleys. San Francisco is 120 miles to the north, while Los Angeles lies 340 miles south.

Ultimately, according to the post's master plan, the entire garrison will be composed of the permanent-type, concrete barracks in which many troops are now quartered. There also will be additional permanent administrative, supply and recreational buildings.

The Spanish Conquistadors and the Indians who roamed these hills when Commodore Drake sailed into the Bay more than a hundred years ago would have shaken their heads in disbelief and wonderment if they could have visualized this area as one of the most important Army posts in America.