Central Defense Command
| Central Defense Command | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1941–1944 |
| Country |
 United States |
| Branch |
 United States Army |
| Role | Home defense and training |
| Garrison/HQ | Memphis, Tennessee, United States |
| Commanders | |
| Commanding General | Benjamin Lear |
| Commanding General | Lloyd R. Fredendall |
Central Defense Command (CDC) was a command formation of the United States Army during World War II. The CDC was established on 17 March 1941, responsible for coordinating the defense of the Midwest region of the United States. A second major responsibility of CDC was the training of soldiers prior to their deployment overseas. The first Commanding General (CG) of CDC was Lieutenant General Ben Lear, who continued on in command of the U.S. Second Army. CDC headquarters was co-located with the existing Second Army headquarters in Memphis. CDC's operational region covered the states of Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
On 15 January 1944 Central Defense Command was merged into Eastern Defense Command.
Commanders
The following men served as Commanding General, Central Defense Command:
- Lieutenant General Benjamin Lear, 17 March 1941 – 25 April 1943
- Lieutenant General Lloyd R. Fredendall, 25 April 1943 – 15 January 1944
See also
- Western Defense Command
- Southern Defense Command
- Eastern Defense Command
- Alaska Defense Command
- Caribbean Defense Command
References
Further reading
- Conn, Stetson; Engelman, Rose C.; Fairchild, Byron (2000) [1964], Guarding the United States and its Outposts, United States Army in World War II, Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, United States Army