Texas Trivia: 90 Day Wonder

Ever heard the expression, 90 day wonder? That phrase came about during World War I after the United States declared war on Germany.

Necessity, The Mother of Invention

There was an immediate need for combat officers leadership so in May of 1917, the War Department opened 16 officer training camps in the U.S. One of them was Camp Funston–which I bet wasn’t much fun!

Located near San Antonio, the camp produced combat leadership officers in only 3 months.

After 90 days of intensive training, almost 2,000 army officers graduated from the un-fun Camp Funston. The combat officers who completed this aggressive form of training were called, wait for it, 90-day wonders.

By the way, Camp Funston was renamed Camp Stanley on October 2, 1917, in honor of Brigadier  General David Sloane Stanley, a Union officer under Sherman in the Civil War.

Along the way, the property encompassing the camp was increased, and it’s mission changed. Today, it’s primarily a storage depot, quality assurance center, and weapons training facility.

Takeaway Truth

Don’t you love the origin of words and phrases?