An often-seen photo in World War II literature is that of General Douglas MacArthur wading ashore at Leyte, honoring his "I Shall Return" promise to help liberate the islands from the Japanese. As a young boy 60 years earlier, he might well have waded barefoot in the muddy Rio Grande River in Southern New Mexico.

Visitors to the fort are reminded of its connection to MacArthur, one of the 20th Century's best-known military figures.
Fort Selden is located about 15 miles north of Las Cruces, up the Rio Grande valley near Radium Springs. You can get there on Interstate 25, but it's a more pleasant drive up Hwy 185, which follows the course of the Rio Grande northward.

Remnants of the fort's adobe walls remain, and there's a modern visitor center with a museum housing interesting exhibits depicting life in a frontier army post in the late 1800's. Visitors may view a short video telling the history of the fort before taking a self-guided walking tour of the grounds.