CHRONOLOGICAL ACCOUNT OF UTAH A.S.F. DEPOT When the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific Railroads met at Promontory, Utah, in 1869, the United States of America were inseparably bound together by a steel band. The location of that historic meeting in the Great Salt Lake Valley was in itself the embryonic beginning of the Utah Army Service Forces Depot. The chain of historical events and circumstances all over the world gradually increased in momentum, until,with spontaneous combustion, the world seemed to blow up. In August, 1940, the military leaders, realizing the necessity for bases of sup- ply, ended their search for an inland area 3 miles long, 1 mile wide; easily reached by a railroad; approximately equi-distant from shipping points along the Pacific Coast; and a survey was started August 26, 1940, almost 3 years ago to the day. The land finally chosen by this survey is approximately 2 miles north of the Ogden, Utah, business district, bounded on the east by the the original Oregon Short Line, on the south by 12th street, on the west by the road from the Marriott LDS Chapel, north to the Harrisville Brick Yards, By November, 1940, stalling a water system on December 10, and back to the 0.S.L. the was 1940. Tracks. preliminary work of road building, track underway. The actual excavation for the Lt. Col. On September 15, 1941, Elmer Thomas, was the Constructing laying, and inWarehouse began Quartermaster. the Depot,(it was then called the Utah General Depot )was activated. It. Col. William L. Mays, arrived to take command on July 28, 1941. He and his Executive Officer, Lt. Elmer Ward, organized the Depot, and Col. Mays,remain- ed in command until the arrival of Brigadier General Ralph Talbot, Jr., on March 16,' 1942. All offices of the Depot were Administration Building on May the Five of the six original Quartermaster Supply Section, at first in Warehouse 23, 1942. sections Chemical 2-A, until the completion of were activated in September, 1941. They were: Supply Section, Signal Supply Section, Medical Supply Section, and Engineer Supply Section. The officers in charge were It. Col.Mays, Major T. F. McGovern, Major lynch, Captain James Corkery, and Lt. Marcus Freeman, respectively. In June, 1942, the Ordnance Motor Transport Supply Section was activated, as a separate unit, as the Officer ' Then, (heretofor it had been part of QMSS,) concurrently, as the need arose, came essary to the maintenance of the larger supply parts of the country. Those that were started an Personnel artermaster quarters 1, 1942.) cate and time and interesting personnel idedly like Division, Section. the Administration The Medical by Captain Bidwell, Space have sprung a mighty with Captain Lloyd Mathes, in Charge. come won't permit details and pertinent after was 1942. a complete gone--officers up like mushrooms, Division, Dispensary in March, the i, Post Engineers, started in the chronological growth sections, and the present relating of the Depot. continually a spring river. supply nec- of the rain--but essential Qu- Head- December very Departments changing-~buildings the Depot Guard (The Infirmary was completed, to the are intra-depot sections which were shipping tu all at the very beginning were the civili- have intri- and dec- work flows on