A small antiques business from Blanchardville, Wis., thought about their state’s military history when the owners decided to mail an 80-plus-year-old pennant emblazoned with “Camp McCoy, Wis.” on it to Fort McCoy for donation to the Fort McCoy History Center.
According to history, during World War II, simple pennants bearing the names of military bases became surprisingly meaningful objects. At first glance, they were inexpensive souvenirs — triangular pieces of felt with bold lettering and colorful insignia. But in the context of wartime America they carried far more weight than their modest materials suggested.
At the Fort McCoy History Center, there are several pennants of different types on display. The one donated is slightly different than what’s there.
In a container with the pennant when it was delivered was a hand-written note from Steve Allbaugh, one of the owners of Junk and Disorderly Antiques of Blanchardville.
The note states: “Dear Sir(s), my wife and I own the antique store in Blanchardville, Wis., and pick up items here and there. We picked up this Camp McCoy pennant, which appears to be from the World War II era. We thought you would like it. So, we would like to donate it. Hope you do like it. Steve and Shannon Allbaugh.”
History also shows that as millions of Americans cycled through training installations such as Camp McCoy, these bases became temporary homes during pivotal moments in young service members’ lives. Training was intense, uncertainty loomed, and deployment overseas often followed. In that environment, a pennant with the name of a base symbolized identity and belonging. It represented not just a location, but the shared experience of preparation, camaraderie, and service. Hung in a two-story barracks or tucked into a duffel bag, it became a quiet emblem of pride.
At the same time, the pennants served as tangible links between the military and the home front. Soldiers and Sailors frequently purchased them from base exchanges or nearby shops and mailed them to parents, spouses, or sweethearts. Displayed on living room walls, they reassured families that their loved one was stationed somewhere real and identifiable. In a war like World War II that was defined by distance and uncertainty, a pennant offered something physical to hold onto — proof of connection and service.
Their popularity also reflected the broader patriotic consumer culture of the era. American manufacturers, even amid wartime material restrictions, found felt and screen-printing to be affordable and efficient.
Communities surrounding major installations — such as Tomah, Sparta, and La Crosse next to Camp McCoy — quickly recognized the demand. Bases like McCoy became nationally recognized names associated with specific training missions, and owning a pennant from one could subtly signal a branch, specialty, or stage of service.
In the years following the war, these pennants took on an even deeper significance. Veterans kept them as keepsakes — reminders of friendships formed under pressure and of a formative chapter in their lives. What began as inexpensive souvenirs evolved into cherished mementos — symbols of sacrifice, duty, and shared history.
Ultimately, manufacturers made military base pennants during World War II because they met several needs at once. They fostered morale, connected service members to home, fit within patriotic consumer trends, and, over time, became enduring artifacts of one of the most defining periods in American history.
And 80-plus years later, they are still looked at as historically significant for museum visitors, including at Fort McCoy’s History Center.
This particular pennant will likely find a display with the U.S. Army Garrison-Fort McCoy Headquarters staff as part of acknowledging heritage of the installation.
Learn more about Army history by visiting [https://history.army.mil](https://history.army.mil) — website for the U.S. Army Center for Military History.
Learn more about Fort McCoy history by following the This Month in Fort McCoy History stories by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office available on DVIDS at [https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao](https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao).
Fort McCoy’s motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.” Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.
The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at [https://home.army.mil/mccoy](https://home.army.mil/mccoy), on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.”
Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”
| Date Taken: |
03.02.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
03.02.2026 15:47 |
| Story ID: |
559222 |
| Location: |
FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: |
24 |
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This work, Wisconsin antique business donates World War II-era Camp McCoy pennant to Fort McCoy History Center, by Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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