The sounds of World War II jeeps and weapons will echo through the Upper Cumberland this weekend during the annual Tennessee Maneuvers Remembered living history event.
Smith County Historical Tourism Society Vice-President Dr. Elizabeth Taylor said the seven large-scale Army combat training exercises that took place all across the region from 1941 to 1944. Taylor said the idea for the remembrance festivities came about after some Carthage business owners began talking about ways to bring tourist dollars in to the county.
“After multiple meetings, we realized we were not going to be able to build a tourist attraction,” Taylor said. “So, the next best thing was to utilize what the county has, which is World War II history that 48 other states don’t have, and that is the Tennessee Maneuvers.”
Taylor said the Upper Cumberland, Cookeville specifically, was on the far eastern edge of the maneuvers training area. Taylor said lots of activities took place in and around Cookeville.
“Cookeville’s train depot served as a location for supplies to be shipped in along with soldiers,” Taylor said. “Soldiers gathered at Tennessee Tech’s property and the National Guard Armory in Cookeville, which still stands today, was a gathering place for soldiers when they were there.”
Taylor said this part of the region’s military history is often overlooked.
“We hear a lot about the battles soldiers were in, but we rarely hear about where they trained to get ready for those battles,” Taylor said. “The Army did not have huge military bases back then and the only option was to train on private land. And a lot of folks have no idea that some of that training took place right here in rural Middle Tennessee.”
Taylor said the event includes a street battle, plane fly-overs, homefront living history exhibits and rides in jeeps. Taylor said the group is planning more tourism opportunities aimed at raising awareness about the maneuvers.
“Our group plans to write a play that focuses on the sacrifices of the civilians during the maneuvers,” Taylor said. “And later, we hope to put together a quarterly guided bus tour of locations in Smith and surrounding counties where the maneuvers took place.”
Tennessee Maneuvers Remembered is this Saturday 10am to 4pm in downtown Carthage.
