The U.S. Army commissioned Camp Hero in May 1942 as a coastal artillery installation to defend against German ships, particularly submarines. Batteries 112 and 113 each contained two 16-inch guns, and Battery 216 was equipped with two 6-inch guns. The base housed 600 enlisted men and 37 officers and was disguised as a seaside fishing village, with fire control and observation stations designed as cottages complete with artificial wood siding and painted-on windows. Its gymnasium was constructed to look like a church and is all that remains of Camp Hero's original "downtown." In 1947, the U.S. Army deactivated Camp Hero and its coastal artillery was subsequently removed. The following year, radar was installed at Camp Hero, and in 1951 part of the base was transferred to the Air Force for an aircraft control and warning station. During the 1950s, anti-aircraft artillery provided a last defense against Soviet bombers, and the base was used extensively as a live fire training range. In 1960, the Air Force constructed the AN/FPS-35 Radar as part of the nation's air defense network, and the Montauk Air Force Station remained active until 1982. Camp Hero was named in honor of Major General Andrew Hero, Jr., the Army's Chief of Coastal Artillery between 1926 and 1930.
