Two Affiliate Partners will expand their participation this fall as the Trail continues building a statewide network dedicated to preserving Georgia’s World War II legacy
The Georgia World War II Heritage Trail announced today that Fort Oglethorpe and Roosevelt’s Little White House State Historic Site in Warm Springs will become full Trail Partners in fall 2026, strengthening the Trail’s ability to tell the diverse stories of Georgia’s contributions to World War II.
Both historic sites currently participate in the Georgia World War II Heritage Trail as Affiliate Partners. Their decision to become full Trail Partners represents another milestone in the continued growth of the statewide heritage tourism initiative and expands the stories and communities visitors can experience while exploring Georgia’s World War II history.
Fort Oglethorpe: Training Women for a Nation at War
Located in northwest Georgia near the Chickamauga battlefield, Fort Oglethorpe played an important role in the nation’s military mobilization during World War II.
During the war, the installation became home to the Third Women’s Army Corps Training Center. Approximately 50,000 women trained at Fort Oglethorpe between 1943 and 1945, preparing for assignments in hundreds of military specialties and helping meet the enormous personnel requirements of a nation at war.
The Fort Oglethorpe story also includes military training, medical activities, prisoner-of-war operations and the transformation of a former military installation into the community that exists today.
Its addition as a full Trail Partner will strengthen the Trail’s presence in northwest Georgia while adding an important chapter to the story of how women contributed to victory during World War II.
Warm Springs: A Georgia Community at the Center of History
Roosevelt’s Little White House connects Georgia to one of the most consequential figures and periods in modern American history.
Franklin D. Roosevelt first came to Warm Springs in 1924 seeking relief from the effects of polio. He later built the Little White House there and continued visiting the community after becoming President of the United States.
During World War II, Roosevelt led the nation while maintaining his deep connection with Warm Springs and its people. He returned to Georgia for the final time in March 1945, as the war in Europe entered its closing weeks.
On April 12, 1945, Roosevelt died at the Little White House while sitting for the portrait that would become known as the “Unfinished Portrait.”
Today, Roosevelt’s Little White House State Historic Site preserves the home, museum collections and landscape associated with Roosevelt and his relationship with Warm Springs. Its participation as a full Trail Partner will connect visitors with both Roosevelt’s wartime leadership and the Georgia community that became such an important part of his life.
Building a More Complete Story of Georgia at War
The addition of Fort Oglethorpe and Roosevelt’s Little White House reflects the continuing evolution of the Georgia World War II Heritage Trail from a collection of individual museums and historic sites into a connected statewide heritage experience.
Together, Trail Partners preserve stories encompassing military training, aviation, infantry and naval service, industrial production, the home front, women’s wartime service and the experiences of the Georgians whose lives were changed by the war.
“Every new partner helps us tell a more complete story of Georgia’s extraordinary contribution to World War II,” said Ed Coleman, Chair of the Georgia World War II Heritage Trail. “Fort Oglethorpe and Roosevelt’s Little White House preserve stories of national significance, but they are also stories rooted in Georgia communities. As the Trail grows, we strengthen our ability to ensure that the service, sacrifice and experiences of Georgia’s Greatest Generation are preserved and shared with future generations.”
The expansion also strengthens the Trail as a heritage tourism experience. Visitors can increasingly use the Trail to discover not only museums and historic sites, but also the Georgia communities where history took place—from the mountains of North Georgia to Middle Georgia and the coast.
Fort Oglethorpe and Roosevelt’s Little White House will transition from Affiliate Partners to full Georgia World War II Heritage Trail Partners in fall 2026.