Henry Adair and Camp Adair

Camp Adair wooden sign with crossed rifles, “Site of the cantonment where these divisions trained during World War II.” WHC Collections 2011.030.0517

Memorial to the heroism of a young Oregonian, the name “Camp Henry R. Adair” was selected in March, 1942 for the mid-Willamette Valley cantonment.

1. Henry Rodney Adair, first man killed in Perching’s punitive expedition against Mexico in 1916, lived on in U.S. Army legend, famous for his last words, “Go on, Sergeant.”

To civilian residents of the cantonment area, selection of the name brought to mind events when the 34-year-old second lieutenant in the cavalry was shot as he and a Sergeant sought to take reinforcements of ammunition to trapped troopers at the time of the surprise attack in Carrizal.

With his final orders to the sergeant, the Oregonian willing relinquished the last chance of saving his own life, military historians declare.

Descendant of Oregon’s first Federal revenue collector, Gen. John Adair, the young man was a second cousin of Mrs. Mabel A. Lockwood of Salem. He was born at Astoria, son of Mrs. and Mrs. Samual D. Adair, Oregon pioneers, who were living in Portland at the time of his death. Graduate of Astoria High School, he had completed his course at West Point in 1907 and had been in Army service constantly after that time.

Army service of the man for whom the mid-Valley camp is named had been in the States and in the Philippines. As a poloist, he had played in Egypt and Gibraltar as he traveled home from the islands, and his skill as a horseman had been recognized with trophies earned in competition over the world.

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Bibliography:

Oregon Statesman, Camp Adair Edition, November 8, 1942

This article originally appeared on the original Salem Online History site and has not been updated since 2006.