Ft. Courage was not an actual military base, nor did it have any affiliation with the military. It was built as a novelty replica in an attempt to cash in on the popularity of the tv show “F Troop”.  The “F Troop” show was a satirical sitcom  based in the Western United States about U.S. soldiers and Native Americans in the Wild West during the 1860s. The show originally aired for two seasons on ABC. It debuted on September 14, 1965, and ran through April of 1967, totaling 65 episodes. The first season was broadcast in black-and-white, and the second season was aired in color. 

Even with a limited lifespan to cash in on the popularity of the show, the tourist trap attraction stayed in business for several years, thanks in part to its gift shop, where travelers were able to buy general travel-related items and trinkets, including snacks, and souvenirs. The site also featured a gas station and a Coffee Shop/Pancake House / Taco Bell, which helped keep the site alive. 

Ft. Courage closed for good in 2014. The abandoned Fort Courage site has seen quite a bit of vandalism since then, including a fire that destroyed one of the buildings.