The U.S. War Department in 1917 established a 2000-acre training camp near the town of Deming, New Mexico during World War One. Camp Cody was made up of National Guardsmen from Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas.
Official opening of Camp Deming was on December 29,1916. The day was marked with a flag raising ceremony. The camp was renamed in honor of William "Buffalo Bill" Cody on July 20, 1917. William Cody was born February 26, 1846 and died on January 10, 1917.
The 34th Infantry Division was called the "Sunshine" Division at first, but this was in conflict with the 40th Division formed at Camp Kearney, California at the same time. So Camp Cody's 34th became known as the "Sandstorm" Division.
Base quarters were built for 36,000 soldiers and the hospital had 800 beds. Camp Cody close on June 20, 1919.
When World War One ended, Camp Cody was used for a tuberculosis sanitarium for ex-soldiers and was then operated by "The Catholic Sisters of the Holy Cross". Camp Cody was completely destroyed by fire in 1939 and the sanitarium closed at that time.
34th Division Insignia
"The bovine skull on the insignia is a conventionalization of the Mexican water flask (called an "olla"), and with the name, Sandstorm Division, is strongly suggestive of the State where the division was organized and trained." � Col. Robert E. Wyllie
