Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center

Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, originally established in 1918 as U.S. Army General Hospital No. 21 in Aurora, Colorado, was created in response to the influenza pandemic and to treat soldiers with tuberculosis. Renamed in 1920 to honor Lt. William T. Fitzsimons, the first American medical officer killed in World War I, the facility became a leading center for respiratory disease care and military medicine. During World War II, Fitzsimons expanded significantly, serving thousands of wounded service members and training medical personnel. The center continued its role in military and veteran care throughout the Cold War before closing as an Army facility in 1999.