Chaffee Hall, the headquarters building of the US Army Armor Center, was constructed in 1934 to house the headquarters of the new mechanized force activated at Fort Knox in 1932. The first unit to join this force was the 1st Cavalry Regiment from Marfa, Texas, and in 1936 the 13th Cavalry moved from Fort Riley, Kansas, to join the 1st Cavalry and other units at Fort Knox in forming the 7th Cavalry Brigade (Mechanized). Brigadier General Adna R. Chaffee commanded the new brigade while also commanding Fort Knox and the Mechanized Force, retaining this dual command until July 10, 1940, when the Armored Force Headquarters was activated at Fort Knox. He led the Armored Force until his death in August 1941 and is regarded as the father of American Armor. The headquarters of the US Army Armor Forces, now the US Army Armor Center, has remained in Chaffee Hall since its formation. The Court of Honor surrounding the Armor Center flagpole was dedicated in 1953 in memory of those who served in the 16 Armored Divisions of the US Army, and it was enlarged in 1957 to include the Mechanized Cavalry groups of World War II.