Masato “Curly” Nakae, a Japanese-American soldier who fought during World War II in the vicinity of Pisa with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate) who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic acts.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the 7th Medical Command had its United States Army Europe (USAREUR) Contingency Hospital warehoused here.

The 100 bed Contingency Hospital was congressionally mandated after the 1983 bombing of the Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.

Its mission was to be prepared upon 18 hours' notice from Congress to respond to any terrorist or natural disaster in the eastern hemisphere.

The unit drew its staff from hospitals throughout Europe and deployed in support of Display Determination exercises in Turkey (1987 and 1989) and northern Italy (1988).