James P. Barnett Douglas J. Rhodes Lisa W. Lewis

Historic Camp Claiborne, Louisiana

REMEMBERING

THE SACRIFICE

United States Department of Agriculture
The Authors

James P. Barnett, Emeritus Scientist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, Southern Research Station, Pineville, LA 71360. 

Douglas J. Rhodes, Deputy District Ranger, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Kisatchie National Forest, Boyce, LA 71409.

Lisa W. Lewis, District Ranger, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Kisatchie National Forest, Boyce, LA 71409.

Photo credits

Most of the photographs were taken by military photographers and 

are in the public domain. Additional credits are listed on page 110.

Front Cover: 34th Infantry Division Review at Camp Claiborne, LA, 

July 2, 1941.

Back Cover: Photo collage of pictures from Camp Claiborne from 

1941 to 1946.

Forest Service

Research & Development

Southern Research Station

General Technical Report SRS-210

August 2015

Southern Research Station

200 W.T. Weaver Blvd.

Asheville, NC 28804

www.srs.fs.usda.gov
James P. Barnett Douglas J. Rhodes Lisa W. Lewis

Historic Camp Claiborne, Louisiana

REMEMBERING

THE SACRIFICE
Past and present welcome signs 

to historic Camp Claiborne.

The current Camp Claiborne welcome sign is located at the intersection 

of US-165 and LA-112, a few miles north of Forest Hill, LA, on the 

Calcasieu Ranger District of the Kisatchie National Forest.
Contents

71 Life at Camp Claiborne

85 Leaders Who Established Their

Credentials at Camp Claiborne

86 General George C. Marshall

88 General Omar N. Bradley

90 General Lesley J. McNair

92 General Dwight D. Eisenhower

94 General George S. Patton

96 General Joseph W. Stilwell

98 General Matthew B. Ridgway

101 Claiborne Today

106 Concluding remarks

108 References

110 Acknowledgments

111 Abstract

Vii Preface

1 the Louisiana Maneuvers: 

Louisiana’s role in the buildup for war

11 Construction of Camp Claiborne

13 Boom Town

15 Camp Claiborne

20 West Camp Claiborne

23 Major units trained at Camp Claiborne

25 34th Infantry Division

30 82nd Infantry Division

34 82nd Airborne Division

37 101st Airborne Division

42 84th Infantry Division

44 103rd Infantry Division

46 761st Tank Battalion

48 Engineer Unit Training Center

50 91st and 93rd Engineer General Service Regiments

52 711th and Related Engineer Railway Operating Battalions

58 796th Engineer Forestry Battalion

60 1312th Engineer General Service Regiment (Sawmill)

62 20th General Hospital

68 Corp Area Service Command Station Complement 

(Garrison Command)
Camp Claiborne in central Louisiana. 
vii

diers came pouring in to fill out the ranks of the 

Army and by 1940, the U.S. Army troop strength 

had grown to 1,400,000 men (Nelson 1993). As 

the number of new recruits continued to increase, 

existing military bases were enlarged; however, 

there was a need for additional military camps and 

large tracts of land for military maneuvers. 

To meet the need for additional training 

facilities, the U.S. Army selected a site in the 

Kisatchie National Forest, just north of the town of 

Forest Hill, LA, to construct a military training camp. 

In 1940, the camp was named Camp Claiborne in 

honor of the first Governor of Louisiana, William 

C.C. Claiborne. The camp became a major training 

complex that prepared over 500,000 soldiers 

for war. 

Camp Claiborne was closed in 1946 after 

the end of World War II, and the site was returned 

to the Kisatchie National Forest in 1947. Although 

Camp Claiborne no longer exists as a military 

installation, it is timely on the 75th anniversary 

of Camp Claiborne to remember the sacrifices of 

the many military men and women who trained 

there and went on to the major battlefields of 

World War II. 

Central Louisiana played a vital role in 

preparing our military troops for war 

even before the Japanese attack on 

Pearl Harbor plunged the Nation into World War II 

on December 7, 1941. In 1939, the U.S. Army’s total 

troop strength was 175,000 men, which included 

the U.S. Army Air Corps. The U.S. ranked 17th in 

world-wide military capability, right behind the 

country of Romania (Nelson 1993). The Army was 

largely an infantry force with supporting artillery, 

engineers, and cavalry, with only a few units being 

motorized or mechanized.

Named in honor of Governor 

William C.C. Claiborne, the camp served 

as a major military training 

complex for over 500,000 soldiers.

As hostilities heightened in Europe, President 

Franklin D. Roosevelt, Congress, and U.S. military leaders began their program of preparedness. 

In 1939, the Army National Guard and Reserves 

were mobilized, and Selective Service Boards and 

draft procedures were inaugurated. Citizen solPREFACE

the Louisiana 

Louisiana’s role in the buildup for war Maneuvers
2

Army staff meeting with the locals.
3

I

n 1939, after Germany overran Poland, the U.S. 

Government leaders began to gear up for America’s 

inevitable involvement in the war. As America’s relatively small and inexperienced army was rapidly expanding 

due to the mobilization of the Army National Guard and 

Reserves and newly instituted draft, the military needed 

an area to train soldiers and test new military tactics. 

In preparation for the Louisiana Maneuvers, 

representatives from the Third Army 

met with local residents of central Louisiana. 

Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall believed 

that the growing military ranks needed a complex training 

exercise that would closely approximate the realities of the 

battlefield. General Marshall decided that most of the Army’s 

divisions should train in the Southern United States where 

weather was less likely to hamper operations. Army reconnaissance teams began scouting across the South, searching 

for the ideal location for the war games. General Marshall 

wanted the following criteria: a varied terrain to test soldiers 

and equipment under different conditions; “thinly populated 

country” that was “conveniently and economically accessible” 

to participating divisions; and a willing population who would 

not demand huge reimbursements for any damage caused by 

the military (Kane and Keeton 2004).

Marshall called on Lieutenant General Stanley D. 

Embick, a veteran soldier and commander of the Third U.S. 

Army, to find a suitable location to host the largest concentration of military maneuvers inside the continental United 

States. With his aide, Major Mark Clark, Embick traveled to 

central Louisiana with a tattered road map as a guide. They 

tramped through Louisiana’s backcountry noting the roads, 

trails, swamps, and forests. The area was described as a “40 by 

90 mile sparsely settled, chigger and tick infested bayou and 

pitch pine section between the Sabine and Red Rivers” (Allen 

1947). One of the advantages of the area, in addition to its 

sparse population and availability of Kisatchie National Forest 

lands, was the large amount of vast open tracts of land that 

would allow easy deployment of troops, vehicles, and tanks in 

large-scale maneuvers. These ideal open conditions resulted 

from aggressive harvesting of the old-growth longleaf pine 

forest by steam-powered railroad logging equipment during 

the early 20th century (Barnett 2011).

It was decided that a 3,400 square mile sparsely populated area in central Louisiana between the Sabine and Red 

Rivers would be the ideal location to hold the war games. The 

1940 and 1941 maneuvers, call the Louisiana Maneuvers, 

created a flurry of interest throughout the military. The 

1940 maneuvers began with 70,000 soldiers who trained 

and “fought” in separate exercises of 3 days each. These first 

maneuvers were described by Embick as “experiments” not 

contests (Perry 2008). 
4

Brig. Gen. Lesley “Whitey” McNair replaced Embick, 

who was retiring, to conduct the 1941 maneuvers (The Big 

One) that would mobilize nearly 500,000 soldiers from 19 

divisions in the largest peacetime exercise in American history (Gabel 1992). Smaller maneuvers were conducted in 

1942 and 1943. One scheduled for 1944 was cancelled because 

of the planned invasion of Europe.

The central Louisiana landscape provided optimum 

testing grounds for large vehicles and tanks. 

The M1 combat car was an all-machine-gun 

tracked vehicle which held a crew of four.

 The M2 was an early version of the 

Stuart light tanks and was used in the early 

battles of the Pacific War. 

Units involved in the Louisiana Maneuvers generally had several months to prepare—all but one. The 502nd

Parachute Battalion, which had just organized in July 1941, 

received orders for a company to proceed to Louisiana only 16 

days before the maneuvers were to begin. The Battalion was 

an experimental unit formed to test the doctrine and tactics 

of parachute assault. No one in the chain of command except 

headquarters in Washington, DC, knew of this type of unit in 

the Army. So, when 127 men made a combat jump into the 

area, they caused uncertainty and confusion with the public 

and disrupted the military maneuvers (Robertson 2014). 

M2 light tanks mired attempting to cross a stream. 
5

During the Louisiana Maneuvers near Clarence, LA, 

field hands were harvesting cotton as they watched aircraft 

passing overhead. As they were watching the airplanes, they 

became confused when they saw men descending from the 

aircraft under umbrella-like chutes. 

Equally confused were the military units involved in the 

maneuvers. The airborne troops captured ground troops, blew 

up a pontoon bridge, and were fired upon by the surprised 

friendly army troops. The maneuvers’ umpires disqualified 

their accomplishments because they were not within the organizational structure. 

The 502nd Parachute Battalion was re-designated as the 

502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment on March 2, 1942, and joined 

the newly created 101st Airborne Division in August 1942. 

The Louisiana Maneuvers were designed to provide 

vital training for hundreds of thousands of American soldiers 

who would go on to fight and win in the battlefields of Europe 

and the Pacific. Notable Army Officers such as Lieutenant 

Colonel Omar Bradley, Major General Walter Short, Major 

General Krueger, Brigadier General Adna P. Chaffee, Colonel 

George S. Patton, Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower, General 

Joseph Stilwell, and Major Mark Clark all participated in the 

Louisiana Maneuvers and went on to become highly decorated military leaders in World War II. 

Lieutenant 

Colonel Omar 

Bradley (left) 

discussing 

maneuver tactics 

with General 

Lesley McNair.

The 502nd Parachute Battalion leads an airborne 

assault during the 1941 Louisiana Maneuvers.
6

Third Army maneuvers, 1940. The M1 combat car (foreground) was 

taken out of service in 1943, with only 113 units ever produced.
7

A 367-foot bridge across the Sabine River built in 5 hours by Company A, 7th Engineers.

Company A, 7th Engineers of the Red 

Army is constructing a bridge for 

an assault on the Blue Army near 

Burr’s Ferry in 1940.
8

Calvary dismounts for an assault.

Mounted calvary moves along a dusty road. 

The Louisiana Maneuvers did much to identify weaknesses, develop strategies, and identify leadership potential of 

officers. General George Marshall, Chief of Staff of the Army, 

stated before the end of the maneuvers, “I want the mistakes 

made in Louisiana, not in Europe. If it doesn’t work, find out 

what we need to do to make it work” (Bailey 2009). The maneuvers also allowed Army strategists to test conventional defenses 

with attacks from more modern armored vehicles.

The Louisiana Maneuvers helped to bring a close to the 

once glorious role of mounted cavalry troops as they gave way 

to tanks. As a result, an important framework for the effective 

use of tanks in battle was developed. Patton’s observation of 

the maneuvers resulted in his statement: “If you could take 

these tanks through Louisiana, you could take them through 

hell.” Letters sent home from troops involved in the maneuvers told stories of very trying conditions (Larsen 2014). 

The Louisiana Maneuvers included training 

exercises for the cavalry, which utilized horses to 

transport troops, supplies, and artillery. 

The Louisiana Maneuvers served as a vast laboratory for 

testing strategies and innovations. Officers were able to evaluate troop adaption to new weapons such as the Garand M-1 

semi-automatic rifle and 105-mm howitzer. For the first time, 

C-rations were consumed by large numbers of troops, and 

mobile kitchens and hospitals were tested in the field where 

they adapted to new, faster-moving triangular infantry divisions (Kane and Keeton 2004).
9

The 1st Calvary Division hauls a 75-mm pack howitzer. Note the 1st Calvary 

patch on the ammunition caisson and the hay for the horses above it. 

Construction of Camp Claiborne
12

At the close of the May 1940 Louisiana Maneuvers, 

Lieutenant General Stanley D. Embick, 

Commander of the Third Army, said “...the state 

[Louisiana] is ideal for military training.” Louisiana’s importance in the Nation’s military preparedness seemed to be gaining momentum (Kane and Keeten 2004). In August 1940, 

Army Chief of Staff, General Marshall, visited Louisiana and 

declared that central Louisiana provided the “finest training 

areas” he had ever seen. Almost immediately, speculation 

spread that the military might choose Louisiana for the location of much needed new training camps and maneuver areas.

Temporary and semi-permanent structures of early Camp Claiborne, circa 1940.
13

Within a 50-mile radius of Alexandria, LA, four major 

camps, four airfields, and numerous bombing and artillery 

ranges were developed. Lands from the newly established 

Kisatchie National Forest were transferred to the Department 

of War to establish Camps Claiborne, Livingston, and Polk. 

These all received new divisions to train. 

An Army division consists of approximately 10,000 to 

15,000 soldiers. The U.S. Army had a goal of 100 divisions, 

but had to settle for 89 divisions. Of the Army’s 89 divisions, 

45, or over half, of the divisions trained in central Louisiana 

before going to war in the European, North African, or Pacific 

Theaters.

Boom Town

As news of the need for construction workers to 

build Camp Claiborne spread, thousands of men 

descended on Forest Hill, LA, eager to find work, 

earning on average $1.10 per hour. The first construction 

workers arrived in 1940 to find no available housing. Worker’s 

had to improvise their own housing, usually with left over or 

scrap materials from the construction of the camp. 

The need for construction workers attracted 

thousands of men and their families to the area. 

But housing and work-site parking were scarce, 

and the workers had to improvise. 

A family from Texas sleep in the car and cook and eat 

in a lean-to. Note the family pet in the foreground.

Workers parked along present-day US-165 

and were shuttled to work sites.
14

Construction of temporary housing that provided room and board.

A market and a cafe. ‘

Cafe with school bus that was used to 

transport workers around the camp.

‘
15

It didn’t take long, however, for enterprising individuals 

to start building cafés, general stores, and housing to meet the 

needs of the workers building Camp Claiborne. 

Buildings such as these sprang up almost overnight and 

provided much needed amenities to the thousands of men who 

helped construct Camp Claiborne. Land near Camp Claiborne, 

which was formerly of very little value and difficult to sell, now 

sold for $200 per acre. 

Basic amenities such as cafés provided a place for construction workers to get a hot cooked meal. Other facilities 

provided workers a place to take hot showers or get a haircut, 

while others provided laundry services.

There were also rental properties, which were nothing 

more than small, hastily constructed cabins which housed 

multiple workers.

Camp Claiborne

I

n less than 1 year over 8,000 construction workers 

built hundreds of semi-permanent buildings and 

thousands of pyramidal-type tents with wooden floors 

and sides. In addition, they constructed many miles of roads, 

sewer lines, sewage treatment plants, a complete electrical 

grid, and natural gas lines. The total cost of construction was 

$14,000,000 (Times-Picayune 1941).

Buildings sprang up almost overnight and provided 

much needed amenities to construction workers 

and their families. Cafés were popular places for 

construction workers to gather in the evenings. 

Small rental properties.
16

Initially constructed to accommodate some 30,000 

officers and troops, the camp was officially opened for use 

in January 1941. Construction was still underway when the 

34th Infantry Division arrived at Camp Claiborne in March of 

1941. The 34th Division was housed in pyramidal-type tents 

which had wooden floors with partial wooden sides.

In January of 1942, to ease a growing shortage of canvas, 

the Army Quartermaster General urged the conversion of all 

pyramidal-type tents to wooden hutments. These structures 

were constructed in two sizes—those for enlisted personnel 

housing 15 men, and smaller ones that accommodated two 

officers.

Pyramidal-type tents were used 

initially to house soldiers while hutments 

were being constructed.

These wooden hutments were constructed with ventilated roofs and siding, and the interiors were unfinished bare 

walls; screened doors and windows were added—essential for 

the hot, humid summers in Louisiana. It is interesting to note 

that all hutments at Camp Claiborne contained natural gas 

heaters.

In the rush to house the soldiers, hutments were hastily 

constructed using lumber which in many cases was not properly dried. This resulted in excessive warping and shrinkage, 

causing gaps in the flooring and siding of the buildings. As 

a result, the exterior of the buildings were covered with construction roofing felt. 

Pyramidal-type tent frames under construction.

Pyramidal-type tents with partial siding and wooden 

floors were used initially to house soldiers.
17

Construction workers move a pre-fabricated pyramidal-type tent.

Exterior view of eight-man pyramidal-type tents.
18

Hutments are completed with screens and roof ventilation.

Gas lines and electricity are added.

The roof and wood siding is installed on a hutment.
19

Aerial view of Camp Claiborne as originally constructed, 1941.
20

West Camp Claiborne

I

n 1942 with the growing demand for specialized 

skills needed to support both infantry and armor 

units, the Army Service Forces Command needed 

an area to establish an Army Service Forces Training Center. 

This training center was needed to train new recruits in basic 

combat survival skills as well as specialized training in various 

engineering support specialties. These specialties included, 

but were not limited to: auto mechanics, heavy equipment 

operators, bridge building, petroleum supply, road construction, building construction, sawmill operations, and railroad 

engineer companies. 

West Camp Claiborne became a training 

center for the Army Service Forces, and 

supplemental housing and support facilities were 

built to accommodate the additional soldiers. Match book cover from Army 

Service Forces Training Center.
21

In March of 1942, Brigadier General John W.N. Schulz 

made a visit to Camp Claiborne to determine if it would be a 

suitable site to house the newly formed training center. In a 

letter back to the Army Chief of Engineers, Schulz concluded 

that “...the use of West Camp Claiborne for the Organization 

Center is not desirable if it can be avoided...[but] there appears 

to be no alternative... .” Within a few months of General 

Schulz’s visit to Camp Claiborne, West Camp Claiborne 

was officially re-designated as the Army’s first Engineer 

Unit Training Center. General Schulz was named as the 

first Commander of the Engineer Unit Training Center and 

remained in command of the training center until October 

1943 (Coll and others 1958). 

The establishment of West Camp Claiborne as the 

Engineer Unit Training Center added an additional 20,000 

troops. This resulted in the need to build additional housing 

and support facilities. West Camp Claiborne comprised the 

largest single concentration of engineer soldiers in the Nation. 

West Camp Claiborne was attributed with preparing the bulk 

of U.S. Engineer troops for deployment overseas (Combs 

1994). By the fall of 1943, West Camp Claiborne reached its 

peak, training of 31,000 men at one time.

Brig. Gen. John W.N. Schulz (seated next to 

driver) with members of his staff, 1942.

Camp Claiborne was unique in the number 

and type of military units that trained at its facilities. 

During its brief 6-year existence from 1941 to 1946, over 

500,000 soldiers trained there before being deployed to 

Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific.

Some of the major and specialized units that trained 

at Camp Claiborne are presented in this section.

MAJOR UNITS trained AT CAMP CLAIBORNE
24

Official welcome ceremony of the 34th Infantry Division, March 8, 1941.

Note soldiers marching into the review area from three directions.
25

34th Infantry Division

T

he 34th Infantry Division, consisting of National 

Guard personnel from North and South Dakota, 

Minnesota, and Iowa, was activated as part of 

the buildup for World War II on February 10, 1941. The 34th

Infantry Division began to arrive at Camp Claiborne on Friday, 

February 20, 1941. When they arrived, Camp Claiborne was 

still under construction.

Soldiers of the 34th Infantry Division began arriving 

at Camp Claiborne in February, 1941, 

and they were officially welcomed in March. 

The 168th Infantry Regiment of the 34th Infantry Division 

included machine gun crews. The picture to the right shows 

a crew firing a .30 caliber water-cooled machine gun. The 

machine gun crew is “dug in” and is using local vegetation to 

camouflage their position. Note they are still wearing World 

War I era helmets.

Soldiers in this regiment also received rifle training. 

Shown here, they are qualifying on the rifle range with their 

.30 caliber Springfield rifles. Note the troops are wearing 

denim dungarees which were standard issue between World 

War I and World War II. 

Qualifying on the rifle range, 34th

Division, 168th Infantry Regiment.

Machine gun crew, 

34th Division, 168th

Infantry Regiment.

First train load of soldiers to arrive, February 20, 1941.

Infantry 

Division patch. 

Background is an 

olla, a Mexican 

water bottle, 

with the skull 

of a bull.
26

Captain C.E. Herring in officer’s tent.

Exterior view of an officer tent.

10 Minnesota enlisted men of the headquarters battery 151st

Field Artillery bite into the “Furlough Sugar Cookie.”
27

Troops received support beyond Camp Claiborne. 

On Cookie Day, the girls of Pillsbury’s cooking service in 

Minneapolis, MN, sent to the camp a large cookie, which they 

named the “Furlough Sugar Cookie.” Cookie Day sponsor, 

Chaplain Deloss I. Marken of the 34th Division, stated “It was 

the largest cookie in Louisiana.” The cookie recipe called for 4 

pounds of flour, 2 pounds of shortening, 4 pounds of sugar, 

and 8 eggs. It took 900 raisins to write, “To Camp Claiborne” 

in the frosting.

When off duty, officers and enlisted men enjoyed leisure 

time. Officers were housed in two-person pyramidal-type 

tents. Enlisted men shared larger, eight-person tents. Captain 

C.E. Herring, with the 168th Infantry Regiment, 34th Division, 

is shown relaxing in his two-person officer’s tent. 

Wooden hutments replaced the pyramidal-type 

tents. These semi-permanent structures provided 

amenities such as electricity and gas heaters. 

Interior of pyramidal-type tent for enlisted men.
28

133rd Infantry Headquarters and Battalion Headquarters Company, July 2, 1941, 

in review in front of their Divisional Headquarters, Camp Claiborne. 
29

The 34th Infantry Division, known as “Red Bulls”, performed outstandingly during the maneuvers. Because of 

that, and its advanced state of training, the 34th Division was 

selected as the first American contingent to cross the Atlantic 

and enter what would eventually become the European Theater 

of Operations. On January 26, 1942, just 6 weeks after Pearl 

Harbor, over 4,000 personnel, primarily from the Red Bull 

Division, arrived at Belfast, Northern Ireland. Rigid training, 

including amphibious training and maneuvers, became the 

order of the day. The 34th Infantry Division did not remain long 

in Northern Ireland. In the latter part of October, the Division 

departed the Belfast area in route to North Africa, where it took 

part in Operation Torch and conducted amphibious landings 

in the vicinity of Algiers. The Division would go on to play a 

key role in major campaigns in North Africa and Italy.

By January 1, 1942, the 34th Infantry Division 

was on its way to Fort Dix, NJ, and became 

the first U.S. Division to be shipped overseas. 

The U.S. Rangers trace their lineage through the 34th

Infantry Division. It was while training in Great Britain that 

volunteers from the 34th Infantry Division provided 80 percent 

of the men for a newly formed 1st Ranger Battalion, and many of 

them participated with the British Commandos in the famous 

raid on Dieppe, France. The 1st Ranger Battalion was formed 

under the command of one of the Division’s officers, Captain 

William O. Darby, and they soon became famous as “Darby’s 

Rangers” (Jeffers 2007).

During World War II, the Red Bulls participated in six 

major Army campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. The 

Division is credited with amassing 517 days of continuous front 

line combat, more than any other division in the European 

Theater. One or more 34th Division units were engaged in 

actual combat with the enemy for 611 days. Casualties in the 

34th Infantry Division are considered the highest of any division in the Theater. Red Bull soldiers were awarded 10 Medals 

of Honor, 98 Distinguished Service Crosses, 1 Distinguished 

Service Medal, 1,052 Silver Stars, 116 Legion of Merit medals, 

1 Distinguished Flying Cross, 1,713 Bronze Stars, 51 Soldier 

Medals, 34 Air Medals, with duplicate awards of 52 oak leaf 

clusters, and 15,000 Purple Hearts.

The Division returned to the United States on November 

3, 1945, and was inactivated at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia, 

that same day after nearly 5 years of arduous service.
30

82nd Infantry Division

T

he 82nd Infantry Division was formally activated 

on August 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia 

during World War I.

The 82nd Infantry Division was nicknamed 

the “All American” because it 

contained draftees from all 48 States.

The 82nd Infantry Division was re-activated on March 

25, 1942, at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. Major General 

Omar Bradley was named the Division Commander, and 

Brigadier General Matthew Ridgway was named the Assistant 

Commander. The Division was composed mainly of draftees 

from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

To stimulate esprit de corps in the 82nd, Bradley and 

Ridgway stressed the Division’s outstanding World War I 

record in every aspect of training at Camp Claiborne (Mrozek 

2000).

In June of 1942, General Bradley was transferred to 

Camp Livingston, Louisiana, to Command the 28th Infantry 

Division. Assistant Commander Matthew Ridgway assumed 

command of the 82nd Infantry Division.

82nd Infantry Division Headquarters, 1942.

The AA 

stood for 

“The AllAmerican 

Division.”
31

Sergeant Alvin C. York, 82nd Infantry Division, was 

one of the most decorated American soldiers in World War 

I. He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on 

a German machine gun nest, taking 32 machine guns, killing 28 German soldiers, and capturing 132 others. This action 

occurred during the U.S.-led portion of the Meuse-Argonne 

Offensive in France. In addition to the Medal of Honor, York 

was presented with the French Croix de Guerre and Legion of 

Honor, as well as the Italian Croce de Guerra.

On May 7, 1942, Sergeant York addressed the assembled 

82nd Division on the parade grounds in front of the Divisional 

Headquarters at Camp Claiborne. Sergeant York’s speech was 

one of six 15-minute radio programs that were broadcast by 

CBS from Army camps around the country. The name of the 

series was titled, What are we fighting for?

In his address, York related his exploits in the “Great 

War” including the events which led to his award of the 

Medal of Honor (Mrozek 2000). 

Sergeant York told the troops, “...you boys 

are going to have to finish the job we thought 

we had finished for all times...” and 

“...freedom is not anything you can win 

once and for all... .”

You can hear Sergeant Alvin York’s entire address to 

the 82nd Infantry Division broadcast from Camp Claiborne at 

https://archive.org/details/WhatAreWeFightingFor_496.

Sergeant Alvin C. York during World War I. 
32

Sergeant Alvin C. York’s address to the 82nd Infantry Division, May 7, 1942, at the parade grounds in front of the Division 

Headquarters. Sergeant York was promoted to the rank of Major in the U.S. Army by Major General Omar Bradley that same day.
33
34

82nd Airborne Division

On August 15, 1942, 82nd Infantry Division 

Commander, General Matthew Ridgway, 

informed the Division that they would become 

the Nation’s first airborne division. 

The 325th and 326th Infantry Regiments became the 

82nd’s Glider Infantry. After 6 months of training, the 82nd

Airborne Division moved from Camp Claiborne, LA to Ft. 

Bragg, NC. The 325th Glider Infantry, along with the 504th and 

the 505th Parachute Infantry, rounded out the 82nd Airborne 

Division.

The 82nd Infantry was re-designated as the 

82nd Airborne Division in front of their divisional 

headquarters at Camp Claiborne. 

The 82nd Airborne Division left Fort Bragg, NC, on April 

20, 1943, for a journey that would take the Division to nine 

countries. The Division fought in Sicily, Italy, and France. The 

Division was relieved and then moved to England to prepare 

for the invasion of Holland, during Operation Market Garden.

On September 17, 1944, the 82nd Airborne Division took 

off from airfields in England in route to German-occupied 

Holland.

C-47 transports towed the Waco-CG-4A gliders. The 

CG-4A gliders could carry up to 13 troops and their equipment. Cargo loads could be a 1/4-ton truck (i.e., a Jeep), a 

75-mm howitzer, or a 1/4-ton trailer, loaded through the 

upward-hinged nose section.

First and last review of 82nd Airborne Division.
35

325th Glider Infantry Motor Pool at Camp Claiborne.

Platoon moving through company 

area at Camp Claiborne.

On December 16, 1944, lead elements of a German 

offensive broke through the American line in the Ardennes 

Forest of Belgium. The only reserve forces available were 

the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. The 82nd was alerted 

on December 17, 1944 and by the next evening was in 

Webermont, Belgium, on the northern shoulder of the bulge 

created by the enemy attack.

On the morning of December 19, 1944, the 82nd

Airborne took up defensive positions along the Salm River in 

Belgium. On the morning of December 23, 1944, a Sergeant 

in a U.S.-tank destroyer spotted an American soldier digging 

a foxhole. The soldier, Private First Class Martin of Company 

F, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, looked up and asked the 

Sergeant, “Are you looking for a safe place?” “Yeah,” answered 

the tanker. “Well buddy,” he drawled, “just pull your tank in 

behind me... I’m the 82nd Airborne, and this is as far as the 

bastards are going!”

It was there along the Salm River that the 82nd Airborne 

stopped the German armored offensive into Belgium.

In the fierce fighting of the Battle of the Bulge, First 

Sergeant Leonard Funk of C Company, 508th Parachute 

Infantry, earned the Medal of Honor.

The Division became renowned for its role in Operation 

Overlord (the D-Day landings starting June 6, 1944, in 

Normandy, France), Operation Market Garden, and the liberation of the Netherlands.

General Matthew Ridgway (left), 

82nd Airborne, 319th Field 

Artillery Battalion.
36

Thomas Kent’s company commander’s glider after 

crashing into a hedgerow in Holland. The jeep carried 

in the glider broke loose upon impact breaking the 

company commander’s leg.

325th Glider Infantry in the Ardennes, Belgium.

The Waco glider which carried Thomas Kent 

from Baton Rouge, LA, into occupied Holland.

The 325th Glider Infantry, known as “Glider 

Riders,” sits ready for takeoff in England.
37

101st Airborne Division

On August 16, 1942, the 101st Airborne Division 

was stood-up at Camp Claiborne with a cadre 

of officers and NCO’s furnished from the 82nd

Airborne Division. The 327th Infantry Regiment was reassigned from the 82nd to the 101st Airborne Division. The 327th

furnished some of the training cadre for the 101st Airborne 

Division. The 501st and 502nd Parachute Infantry also joined 

the newly created 101st Airborne Division.

On August 19, 1942, Major General William C. Lee, the 

101st Division’s first Commander, addressed the newly formed 

101st Airborne Division at Camp Claiborne. In his address, he 

stated to his troops that “...the 101st had no history, but had a 

rendezvous with destiny!” His pronouncement was certainly 

correct. The 101st Airborne played a major role in the invasion 

at Normandy. 

The 101st Airborne became known as the 

“Screaming Eagles,” taking the name from 

“Old Abe,” the American eagle mascot of the 

Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War.

October 15, 1942, the 101st Airborne Division was reassigned to Fort Bragg, NC, to complete their airborne training.

Unfortunately, Major General Lee would not lead the 

101st Airborne Division in combat. On February 5, 1944, 

General Lee, who had championed the airborne cause from the 

beginning, suffered a heart attack while in England. He was

Major General William C. Lee, reviewing 

the 101st Airborne on August 19, 1942.

101st

Airborne 

Division 

patch.
38

First and last review of 101st Airborne Division at Camp Claiborne. Joe Phillips, 

pictured 5th from the left on the front row, was a native of Alexandria, LA. 
39

relieved of his command and returned to the United States. 

Brigadier General Maxwell D. Taylor, former Commander of 

the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery, assumed command of 

the 101st on March 14, 1944.

After the Normandy invasion, the Germans counterattacked in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. A 

small force of American soldiers—including the now famed 

101st Airborne Division, tank destroyer crews, engineers, 

and artillerymen—were completely surrounded by German 

armies in the Belgian town of Bastogne. Taking the town was 

imperative to Hitler’s desperate plan to drive back the Allies 

and turn the tide of the war. The final attack would come on 

Christmas day. The German commander demanded that the 

Americans surrender. General Anthony McAuliffe’s (acting 

Commander of the 101st) response of “NUTS” and his 

Christmas letter to his troops inspired a determined response 

to defend Bastogne (Elstob 1968).

As the outnumbered, undersupplied Americans gathered 

in church for services, or shivered in their snow-covered foxholes 

on the fringes of the front lines, freshly reinforced German 

forces attacked. The fighting was fierce where the 327th Glider 

Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne, held two-thirds of the perimeter in the defense of Bastogne. Outnumbered 15 to 1, they held 

their ground during intense fighting. These and Engineering 

General Service Regiments 332nd and 346th, who were also 

trained at Camp Claiborne, were involved in the Battle of the 

Bulge and suffered heavy losses of men in the effort.

For the heroic defense of Bastogne, the 101st Airborne 

Division was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation, the first 

ever to be awarded to an entire Division.

Acting Commander of the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle 

of the Bulge, Brigadier General McAuliffe (left) and Lieutenant 

Colonel Kinnard (right). Commander of the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute 

Infantry in Bastogne, Belgium.
40

Company K, 327th Infantry Regiment while still assigned to the 82nd Infantry Division at Camp Claiborne.
41
42

84th Infantry Division

T

he 84th Infantry Division trained at Camp 

Claiborne for approximately 1 year. Its nickname, 

“Railsplitters,” was derived from the divisional 

insignia, an ax splitting a rail. This design was created in 

World War I. Known as the “Lincoln” Division, this unit represented the States that supplied most of the Division’s soldiers: 

Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky.

The unit was mobilized and received basic training 

beginning in January 1943, at Camp Howze in north Texas. 

The 84th Infantry Division was moved to Camp Claiborne in 

September 1943 to participate in the Louisiana Maneuvers. 

While at Camp Claiborne, the 84th trained extensively to 

enhance the effectiveness of platoon and squad leaders. To 

avoid losses in future amphibious operations, hundreds of 

Railsplitters learned to swim in Valentine Lake, which is 

located on the Kisatchie National Forest near Gardner, LA. 

The 84th continued to train at Camp Claiborne until they were 

transferred to England in September 1944.

Henry A. Kissinger, who later became Secretary of State 

and gained worldwide recognition, was assigned to the 84th

Infantry Division while at Camp Claiborne. Kissinger underwent basic training at Camp Croft in Spartanburg, SC, and he 

became a naturalized U.S. citizen on June 19, 1943. He was 

then reassigned to the 84th Infantry Division.

Because of Kissinger’s fluency in German, he was 

assigned to the military intelligence section of the Division. 

Kissinger saw combat with the Division and volunteered for 

hazardous intelligence duties during the Battle of the Bulge. 

During the American advance into Germany, Kissinger, only 

a private, assisted in the administration of the city of Krefeld.

Members of the 309th Engineer, Combat Battalion 

prepare to cross the Roer River in Germany. 

Private Henry A. 

Kissinger, circa 1943.

84th Division patch 

“The Railsplitters.”
43

Kissinger was then reassigned to the Counter 

Intelligence Corps, with the rank of Sergeant. He was given 

charge of a team in Hannover assigned to track down Gestapo 

officers and other saboteurs; for this assignment, he was 

awarded the Bronze Star. This experience gave Kissinger 

recognition for his organizational and administrative skills. 

After the war, he attended Harvard University under the 

G.I. Bill, and upon graduation he entered a long career as an 

educator and statesman.

The 84th Infantry Division landed on Omaha Beach in 

Normandy in early November 1944, 5 months after D-Day. 

From France, the unit moved quickly into the Netherlands in 

preparation for an offensive into Germany. However, during 

the Battle of the Bulge, the 84th was diverted into Belgium to 

help stop the German offensive. Rarely had a division been 

moved from the States to the western front as quickly as the 

84th. As an example of its capability, the Division battled from 

the Roer to the Rhine in 10 days—an advance of nearly 50 

miles. During this time, the Railsplitters had accounted for 

more than 9,000 Germans killed, wounded, or captured 

(Bolling 1945).

In March 1945, the 84th Infantry Division moved into 

Germany, capturing the city of Hannover, and eventually 

made its way to the Elbe River where it made contact with the 

Soviet armed forces in early May 1945. During their move into 

Germany, the 84th liberated a number of German concentration camps. The conditions in these camps were horrific, and 

the gruesome conditions had a significant and long-lasting 

effect on many of the unit’s soldiers.

A holiday greeting card made 

by the 309th Engineer, Combat 

Battalion, 84th Division. This 

card was given to the members 

of the Battalion stationed at 

Camp Claiborne in 1943.
44

103rd Infantry Division

T

he 103rd Infantry Division was activated at Camp 

Claiborne on November 15, 1942. The 103rd was 

composed of National Guard units from New 

Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. The “Cactus Division” 

adopted the green Saguaro cactus growing on blue earth with 

a yellow-sky background.

A month before the formal activation, key staff began 

assembling at Camp Claiborne to begin the arduous task of 

organizing the 103rd Division for the job that lay ahead. The 

103rd Division began to receive filler personnel on December 

4, 1942 when officers and enlisted men were shipped to Camp 

Claiborne from the 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Service Command 

induction centers. A total of 14,654 personnel joined the 103rd

from these commands.

The 103rd Infantry Division conducted its initial 

basic training at Camp Claiborne, which 

culminated with the 1943 Louisiana Maneuvers.

On November 15, 1943, one year after activation, the 103rd

was reassigned to Camp Howze, TX, to continue their training.

The 103rd Infantry Division arrived at Marseilles, France 

on October 20, 1944 where they joined the Seventh Army. 

On November 11, 1944, the 103rd, as part of the VI Corps of 

the Seventh Army, launched its attack through the Vosges 

Mountains. After crossing the Meurthe River and taking a 

key hill near St. Die, Company I of the 411th staked a claim to 

being the first Seventh Army unit to reach German soil when 

it fought its way into Wissenbourg.

103rd Infantry soldiers at Camp Claiborne 

training with their half-track armored vehicle.

103rd Infantry soldiers bivouacking 

in a two-man “pup tent” during the 

1943 Louisiana Maneuvers.
45

Soldiers of the 103rd Infantry Division man a .30 caliber 

machine gun near Niefem, France, on March 15, 1945.

On January 25 and 26, 1945, the Cactusmen defeated 

the Germans at Schillersdorf. The 103rd Division soon crossed 

the Palatinate border at the same spot the Seventh Army had 

occupied 3 months earlier, before the German counteroffensive had forced it to withdraw.

After its junction with the Fifth Army, the 103rd moved 

to Innsbruck and went on guard duty there. The 103rd Division 

returned to the States in September 1945, and was then 

deactivated.

Soldier of the 103rd Infantry Division mans 

his position in front of a log dugout near 

the woods of Groshilederstroff, France, near 

Saarbrucken.

103rd Division 

patch “Cactus 

Division.”
46

761st Tank Battalion

T

he 761st Tank Battalion was an independent 

tank Battalion made up primarily of AfricanAmerican soldiers, who by Federal law were not 

permitted to serve alongside white troops. (The military did 

not officially desegregate the Army until after World War II.)

The 761st was activated at Camp Claiborne on April 1, 

1942. The unit began training in M5 Stuart light tanks. They 

learned how to maneuver, mount, dismount, and maintain the 

vehicle’s 37-mm main gun and .30 caliber machine guns. The 

761st served under the command of the 5th Tank Group. The 

soldiers were known as “Black Panthers” after their distinctive unit insignia, and their motto was, “Come Out Fighting.”

The 761st Tank Batallion became one of the most 

highly trained units, a quality that did not 

go unrecognized by Gen. George S. Patton.

The African-American troops were housed in the southern part of Camp Claiborne where they had all the same amenities as the other soldiers, such as theaters, chapels, Post 

Exchange, service club, and library. However, they were not 

allowed to move freely around the camp.

The unit was reassigned to Fort Hood, TX, for final 

training where they upgraded to M4 Sherman medium tanks. 

The men of the unit trained for almost 2 years, conscious of 

the fact that white units were being sent overseas with lesser 

amounts of training.

Members of the 761st Tank Battalion cleaning their 

weapons at Camp Claiborne, circa 1942.
47

In 1944, General George S. Patton, who was familiar with 

the unit, requested the 761st to be assigned to his command. As 

they were about to enter combat in France on October 10, 1944, 

Patton made a speech to the men of the 761st where he stated, 

Men, you are the first black tankers to ever fight in the 

American Army. I would never have asked for you if 

you weren’t good. I have nothing but the best in my 

Army. Everyone has their eyes on you and is expecting 

great things from you.

The 761st fought through France, often at the leading 

edge of the advance. The unit endured 183 days of continuous 

operational involvement. In December 1944, the Battalion was 

rushed to the aid of the 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne. 

After the Battle of the Bulge, the unit opened the way for the 

4th Armored Division to enter into Germany during an action 

that breached the Siegfried Line.

In the final days of the war in Europe, the 761st was one 

of the first American units to reach the Steyr River in Austria, 

and at the Enns River they met with Ukrainians of the Soviet 

Army. The 761st became one of the most famous units of 

African-American soldiers serving during World War II.

Over the course of 183 days in the front lines, the 761st

helped liberate more than 30 towns under Nazi control, 4 airfields, 3 ammunition-supply dumps, 461 wheeled vehicles, 34 

tanks, 113 large guns, and a radio station. Collectively, they 

were awarded 11 Silver Stars, 70 Bronze Stars, 250 Purple 

Hearts, and a Medal of Honor (Sasser 2004).

A tank with the 761st crossing the Seille River in France.
48

Company B, 346th Engineers in review, July 4, 1942.

Engineer Unit Training Center

T

he Engineer Unit Training Center (EUTC) was 

established at Camp Claiborne on June 29, 1942, 

as part of the 8th Service Command. The mission of the EUTC was to train men in engineering-related 

skills needed to support combat troops. The EUTC replaced 

the Army Service Forces Training Center at Camp Claiborne 

and provided basic military training in addition to specialized 

combat engineering skills needed for their assignment in 

combat units (Coll and others 1958).

The 8th Service Command insignia is a white star 

composed of two squares. The white design was selected 

because it represented all of the Army’s arms and services, 

and the eight-pointed geometric design represented the 

Command’s numeric designation.

The molding of a civilian into a military engineer 

was the task of the EUTC (Combs 1944). 

Combat engineer battalions were capable of performing most engineering tasks (including demolitions, obstacle 

emplacement, fortification, and light bridge building) for 

the Division. These battalions tended to have high esprit de 

corps; they rightly considered themselves to be elite specialists (Anderson 2000). They could also act as infantry and did 

so frequently. In the Battle of the Budge, a handful of engineer battalions proved to be a vital asset to the beleaguered 

American Army.

The 8th Service 

Command unit 

patch.
49

Engineer general service regiments and battalions 

performed construction, repair, and maintenance duties of 

all kinds behind the front lines. The EUTC also had special 

service regiments which included a variety of specialties, such 

as mechanics, carpenters, construction foremen, welders, 

quarrymen, sawmill operators, and truck drivers.

The EUTC engineers at Camp Claiborne were trained 

in the use of dump trucks, bulldozers, draglines, and other 

equipment. Four companies of truck drivers at a time worked 

on the Claiborne-Polk Military Railroad. Other regiments laid 

railroad track, built roads and bridges, and constructed buildings with wash rooms and septic systems at Camp Claiborne.

Engineers working on the Claiborne-Polk Railroad. Notice the 

8th Service command insignia on the door of the truck.

EUTC survey crew 

training, circa 1943. 

Engineer Unit 

matchbook cover.
50

91st and 93rd Engineer 

General Service Regiments

T

he 91st and 93rd Engineer Battalions were formed 

primarily with African-American personnel and in 

1941, were attached to Camp Claiborne for training.

There, the 91st and 93rd Engineer General Service Regiments 

were assigned to assist in the construction of the ClaibornePolk Military Railroad (CPMR). The 711th Railroad Operating 

Battalion began construction on the CPMR in October 1941. 

The 91st and 93rd Engineer Battalions were assigned 

to assist the 711th with railroad construction. 

Although the railroad was only 50 miles in length, the 

road bed consisted of a wide variety of conditions, including 

gumbo soil, logs, quick sand, and swamp muck, making 

construction difficult.

Upon completion of the CPMR project, the 91st Battalion 

was shipped overseas to support combat troops, and they 

made significant contributions to the war effort. They arrived 

in Brisbane, Australia, in April 1942, and worked on airfields 

on several bases that would support American forces. The 

regiment received a Presidential Unit Citation for its service in 

Papua, New Guinea, from July 23, 1942, to January 23, 1943.

The unit became the only major United States engineer 

unit in the Port Moresby area of New Guinea, and was charged 

with a full range of base maintenance functions. They were 

shipped to Biak, Indonesia, in October 1944, and then moved 

to the Philippines in August 1945. EUTC engineers constructing a wooden 

bridge on the Claiborne-Polk Railroad.

General Service Regiment track-laying crew 

working on the Claiborne-Polk Railroad.
51

The 91st received a Meritorious Unit Commendation for 

the time it served in Indonesia. It served proudly and effectively in supporting combat forces in major battles in the New 

Guinea and Philippines campaigns.

The 93rd Engineer Battalion left Camp Claiborne and was 

re-assigned to assist with construction at Camp Livingston, LA. 

Once construction projects were finished at Camp Livingston, 

the 93rd was assigned as 1 of 7 engineer regiments responsible for constructing the Alaska-Canadian Highway (ALCAN) 

across Canada to connect the lower 48 States with Alaska.

The 93rd Engineer Battalion along with other engineer battalions worked in freezing temperatures to construct the highway across the Canadian wilderness. Each battalion working 

on the ALCAN Highway was assigned a strip of land 350 miles 

wide, with the goal of completing their work before winter set in 

(Rogers 2014).

During the spring and summer months, daylight could 

last up to 20 hours with twilight for the remaining 4 hours. 

This allowed construction crews to work three 8-hour shifts, 

around-the-clock. The 93rd Engineer Battalion is still an active 

unit in the Army and is currently stationed at Fort Polk, LA.

Wooden bridge being constructed out 

of logs on the ALCAN Highway.

Logs being placed on top of 

permafrost using a corduroy 

technique along the ALCAN Highway.

Footings for an 

overpass being built 

for the ClaibornePolk Railroad over 

the Red River and 

Gulf Railroad.
52

711th and related Engineer 

Railway Operating Battalions

One of the lessons of the 1941 Louisiana Maneuvers 

was that the Army would have to learn to supply 

itself in the field and that use of railroads would 

be critical. To provide training in operating railroads, negotiations began for the purchase of a railroad. An agreement 

with the Red River and Gulf Railroad, owned by the Crowell 

Lumber Company at Long Leaf, LA, was reached, but the purchase fell through.

The Army decided instead to construct the ClaibornePolk Military Railway (CPMR) using portions of the abandoned Hillyer-Deutsch-Edwards Lumber Company logging 

railroad. This would connect the Missouri Pacific Railroad 

near Camp Claiborne with the Kansas City Southern Railroad 

at Camp Polk near Leesville, LA. The 50-mile long railroad 

was used to transport troops and supplies between the camps; 

it was also used to simulate wartime damage to the railroad 

and carry out repairs needed to restore railroad operations.

The 711th Engineer Railway Operating Battalion—the 

first of its kind in the Army—was originally scheduled for 

activation at Camp Claiborne; however, facilities to house 

the battalion were still under construction. Instead, the 711th

was activated in June 1941 at Fort Belvoir, VA. The 711th was 

then re-assigned to Camp Claiborne in August 1941 with 

the assignment to construct and operate the Claiborne-Polk 

Military Railroad.

The construction of the railroad was difficult due to the 

numerous creek crossings which required 25 wooden trestles 

to be built. To supplement the 711th troops, other units were 

assigned, primarily the 91st and 93rd Engineer Battalions staClaiborne-Polk Military Railroad pass carried by 

Company “C” 770th Railway Operating Battalion. 
53

Map showing location of the Claiborne-Polk Military Railroad.
54

tioned at Camp Claiborne. These units helped to build bridges 

and stabilize the road bed (Fowler 1944).

The track of the CPMR, referred to as the “Crime and 

Punishment Railroad” by the railroaders, was essentially 

complete by July 1942 when a “golden spike” was driven in 

celebration of its completion. A number of other engineer 

railway operating battalions came to Camp Claiborne for 

training using the CPMR. 

The Commanders of Camp Claiborne and Camp Polk 

shook hands at the Golden Spike ceremony, 

marking the completion of the 50-mile military 

railroad that connected the two camps. 

The 711th, however, was unlike the units that followed. 

The 711th Battalion was made up entirely of Army troops, while 

most other railroad battalions were sponsored by American 

railroad companies. These battalions were filled by civilian 

railroad employees who were incorporated into the Military 

Railway Service and served overseas.

In December, 1942, the 711th was shipped to Iran to operate the Iranian State Railway, an important supply route by 

which the United States and Britain were providing the Soviet 

Union with arms and other supplies to combat the German 

advance in Eastern Europe. The 711th had responsibility for 

258 miles of the track that ran for nearly 700 miles.

Operating the Iranian State Railway, the Military Railway 

Service handled about 4 million tons of freight and special 

passenger cars carrying 16,000 Iranian military personnel, 

14,000 Polish war refugees, 40,000 British troops, and 15,000 

Russian ex-prisoners of war (Newell 2013).

The Golden Spike ceremony, July 11, 1942.
55

Railroad dispatcher.

Interior of the Dispatch Station.

Claiborne Railroad Depot and Dispatch Station.

Telegraph Operators at the Claiborne Dispatch Station.
56

Camp Claiborne rail-yard. Note repair crew working on rails.

Claiborne receives a new diesel-electric 

engine used to move railcars around the yard.

View of Claiborne rail-yard looking west.

Loaded train departing for Camp Polk.
57

Engine maintenance crew.

Maintenance crew servicing locomotive.

Gray Way-Station along the ClaibornePolk Military Railroad located south 

of present day Hineston, LA.
58

Log truck used by Engineer Forestry Battalions.

796th Engineer 

Forestry Battalion

T

he goal of the Army’s Engineer Forestry Battalion 

in World War II was to produce lumber and timber 

for the Army fighting in combat. The forestry companies duplicated civilian lumber camps and sawmills. The 

796th Engineer Forestry Battalion was activated in June 1943, 

at Camp Claiborne. Each forestry company was an independent unit organized in three platoons: (1) the logging platoon, 

which made stumpage estimates, felled timber, and moved 

the logs to the mill; (2) the sawmilling platoon, which milled 

the logs into timber and sorted and stockpiled lumber; and 

(3) the headquarters group, which provided administration, 

mess, and supplies (Coll and others 1958). Each unit received 5 

weeks of basic military training, followed by 8 weeks of tactical 

and technical work, and then 13 weeks of forestry field work.

Although other national forest areas offered more 

mature timber than the Kisatchie National Forest, the 

engineers wanted to train the forestry companies at Camp 

Claiborne because of the extensive basic military and tactical 

training facilities available there. The engineers found what 

they considered an adequate stand of timber near the camp. 

The forestry companies became almost too competent, and 

additional sources of timber stands had to be located for forestry field work.

From February 1943 to June 1944, 15 forestry companies—or about 2,250 men—received complete or partial 

training in basic and technical subjects at Camp Claiborne. 

All of these units shipped overseas by December 1944. As 

many as 20 companies could have been employed. To make 

Typical portable sawmill used by Engineer Forestry Battalions. 
59

up this shortfall, other general service regiments, civilians, 

and prisoners of war were enlisted for the forestry companies 

(Coll and others 1958).

Most of the companies of the 796th Engineer Forestry 

Battalion that received their training at Camp Claiborne saw 

service in France, Belgium, and Germany. At least one of the 

battalion’s companies, the 1389th, was involved in the Battle 

of the Bulge in Belgium—some of the unit’s men were killed 

and buried in the American cemetery developed there following the war.

Forestry batalion engineers worked directly 

with the Forest Service, as well as private 

logging companies and sawmills.

A number of companies were assigned to the 796th

Engineer Forestry Battalion. These included the 1388th, which 

helped build the infamous Ledo Road into Burma, 1389th, 

1390th, 1391th, and 1392nd companies. While Company 1388 

served in the India-Burma campaigns, the others served in 

the European Theater.

Letter from PVT C.A. Mitchell of the 1389th Engineer Forestry Company 

to a Forest Service officer with notice of an impending visit to a 

local sawmill. Mitchell most likely visited the Crowell Sawmill in 

Longleaf. LA, which now houses the Southern Forest Heritage Museum.
60

1312th Engineer General 

Service Regiment (Sawmill) T

he 1312th Engineer General Service Regiment 

was an African-American sawmill unit that 

trained at Camp Claiborne before being sent to 

the South Pacific. 2nd Lieutenant William Buford was assigned to the 1312th

Engineer General Service Regiment, Company D (Sawmill). 

Buford’s rifle qualification range score from Camp Claiborne 

indicated that he qualified with his M1 rifle. On December 

21, 1944, 2nd Lieutenant Buford received a Memorandum of 

Receipt for his company’s sawmill equipment before being 

shipped overseas.

2nd Lt. William 

Buford’s range 

score card on 

the M1 rifle.

2nd Lt. William 

Buford’s receipt 

for sawmill 

equipment. 
61

Caterpillar and International crawler tractors similar to 

those signed for by 2nd Lt. William Buford at Camp Claiborne.
62

20th General Hospital

I

n 1940, the U.S. Surgeon General called upon the 

University of Pennsylvania to organize an overseas 

military hospital along the lines of one organized by 

the University in France during World War I. In response, 

a University medical faculty committee organized the 20th

General Hospital, with a staff consisting of 59 medical, surgical, laboratory and dental specialists; 120 nurses; and approximately 600 enlisted men who had ties with the University. 

The newly formed staff began preparations for mobilization. 

The unit’s nurses worked mornings in the hospital, 

drilled and studied military subjects in the afternoons, 

and socialized in the evenings (Sarnecky 2014).

The unit entered the military service on May 15, 1942, 

and departed Philadelphia for Camp Claiborne. Once at Camp 

Claiborne, the hospital group began military and medical training at Claiborne’s large hospital complex. The group stayed at 

Claiborne for nearly 8 months being trained for field service. 

Nurses of the 20th General Hospital marching in formation at Camp Claiborne.

The first nurses assigned to Camp Claiborne were 

inducted at Camp Beauregard on January 21, 1941.
63

Nurse in front of the 

Hospital Headquarters. Note 

gas mask over her shoulder.

Nurses of 20th General Hospital at Camp Claiborne, April 1942.
64

Nurses’ dining facilities, Camp Claiborne.

Nurses preparing patient supplies, Camp Claiborne.

20th General Hospital operating 

room, Camp Claiborne.

Hallways connecting adjacent hospital 

wards. Note x-ray department sign.
65

Nurses’ barracks, 

Camp Claiborne.

Ambulance Service.

Nurses at the Station Hospital, 

Relaxing in the common area of the nurses’ barracks. Camp Claiborne.

Nurse Barbara Green, 

one of the original 

nurses assigned to the 

hospital, enjoying a 

game of tennis.
66

Entrance to the 20th General Hospital at Ledo, India.

20th General Hospital nurses’ barracks at Ledo, India. The 20th General Hospital left Camp Claiborne in early 

February 1943 in route to India. Forty-three days later, on 

March 21, 1943, they arrived in the jungle areas surrounding 

Ledo. Ledo was a tiny railroad town surrounded by jungle in 

the Assam region of northeast India. 

The Japanese invasion of China had forced the Chinese 

government into the interior, with Burma offering the only 

possible route for land communication between the Chinese 

and the Allies. To re-open land contact with China, General 

Stilwell chose Ledo as the western terminal for a road to be 

built into northern Burma. As a huge military installation 

sprung up at Ledo, the 20th General Hospital took on the mission of providing care to the Allied-Chinese forces fighting 

the Japanese in Burma and constructing the Ledo road (Army 

Heritage Center Foundation 2014).

When the staff members of the 20th General Hospital 

first arrived in Ledo, there were only three small buildings with 

concrete floors, tin roofs, and open fronts, as well as a group of 

bamboo huts with dirt floors and openings showing through 

thatched roofs. In this area of heavy rainfall, malaria and dysentery were constant; leeches and mites presented even more 

dangers than the snakes, tigers, elephants, bears, water buffalo, 

and rhinoceroses. The doctors had to deal with battle casualties 

in an environment that not only made medical treatment difficult, but actually added to the problems (Lloyd 1999).

When the hospital was finally completed several months 

later, it had been transformed into a first-rate 1,000-bed hospital with 148 buildings that provided laboratories, x-ray and 

blood storage facilities, and all other necessities of medical 

and surgical practice. It was filled almost from the beginning beyond its rated capacity, and at one time it sheltered 
67

2,560 patients. During the entire period of activity, it received 

73,000 patients, with only about 300 deaths from all causes 

(Kalita 1990).

Dr. Isidor Ravidin, head of surgical service, had air 

conditioners flown in from Delhi to control the temperaturecritical portions of the hospital. Lord Louis Mountbatten, the 

Supreme Allied Commander of Southeast Asia, flew to Ledo 

to dedicate the first air-conditioned ward in the whole of India.

After being on British field rations of canned fish, meat, 

and tea for a few months, Dr. Ravidin started a vegetable 

garden, which was eventually expanded to 36 acres. It provided the unit with year-round fresh vegetables. The hospital 

also began raising pigs and a flock of geese for meat.

The concept of intensive care originated 

with the 20th General Hospital 

during its time in Ledo, India. 

The 20th General Hospital was cited by many for its 

outstanding work. These included Lord Louis Mountbatten, 

General Joseph Stillwell, and the Commanding Generals of 

the 1st and 6th Chinese Armies. “The 20th General Hospital 

would be outstanding anywhere in the world and equal of 

university hospitals” was a description given the hospital. The 

concept of intensive care, now taken for granted, originated in 

the 20th General Military Hospital in the jungles of southeast 

India during the 1940s (Kalita 1990).

Operating room, 20th General Hospital at Ledo, India.
68

Corp Area Service 

Command Station Complement 

(Garrison Command)

T

he Station Complement managed and maintained 

the day-to-day operations of Camp Claiborne. 

These soldiers with their civilian counterparts 

were responsible for providing Camp Claiborne soldiers with 

all the services that a city would provide for its citizens, in 

addition to housing, food, and medical services. They also provided transportation, legal assistance, laundry, postal services, 

and numerous other services for the soldiers.

The Station Complement were responsible for maintaining all training lands, firing ranges, and ammunition 

supply points. They were also in charge of fueling facilities for 

military training. 

These unsung heroes insured our men and 

women were prepared to deploy overseas and 

carry the fight to the enemy.

Military Police checking soldier’s drivers log.

Civilian clerks assisting with administrative duties.

Corp Area Service 

Command patch.
69

One of many Quartermaster units stationed at Camp Claiborne.

Civilians instructing 

soldiers on engine repairs.

Radiologist reading x-rays at the camp hospital.

Cafeteria for soldiers and civilians.

life at Camp Claiborne
72

A47-page booklet, What and Where Book of Camp 

Claiborne, Louisiana, was prepared by the Camp 

Public Relations Office (1943) to acquaint individuals arriving at Camp Claiborne of its facilities and offerings 

for off-duty activities. According to the publication, 

...We have all of the makings of a city including our 

own laws, police force, traffic lights, laundry, bakery, 

railroad, gasoline station, water supply system, 

electric system, local officials, bus lines, restaurants, 

newspaper, theatres, churches, and clubs.

Camp Claiborne was touted as the third largest 

city in Louisiana and that it provided all the 

services that a city of that size needed.

Information in the What and Where Book... was refreshingly frank. For example, barber shops were located in every 

Camp Exchange where civilian barbers provided a haircut for 

35 cents. There were a total of 31 stores and barbershops. If one 

receiving a haircut was asked if “you would like something 

on your hair,” it meant “do you want a tonic?” The tonic could 

cost more than the haircut, so they were advised they should 

decline if they did not want to spend more money. And, the 

final advice was, “Don’t gripe after it is too late.” A private’s 

base pay was $54.00 per month, so soldiers did not have a lot 

of extra money to spend.

Cover of The 

What and Where 

Book of Camp 

Claiborne, 

Louisiana.

A dance at Camp Claiborne.
73

Information map given to new arrivals.
74

1944 American Red Cross pocket calendar.

One of the most important facilities at the Camp was 

the Red Cross building. The Red Cross was available for assistance when soldiers were faced with family illness, death, or 

serious distress back home.

The Red Cross could provide counseling regarding family problems and could contact family members back home. 

Hospital facilities were available at the Red Cross building for 

visiting family members, if needed. If a soldier’s presence was 

necessary back home to attend to a family emergency, the Red 

Cross would advance funds for transportation, if approved by 

the company commander. 

In addition, the Army Emergency Relief program was 

located in the Red Cross building. The Army Emergency 

Relief was a lending agency of the Army and supplemented 

activities of the Red Cross. 

Due to the sprawling base and the rural location of 

the camp, availability of bus transportation was essential to 

meet the needs of the troops. To move around the large camp, 

two intra-camp bus lines operated. One was operated by the 

Interurban Transportation Company of Alexandria and the 

other by the Camp Exchange. The fare on either was 5 cents.

Transportation to Alexandria, LA, the largest nearby 

city, was provided by the Interurban Transportation Company. 

Red Cross building at Camp Claiborne.
75

The fare was something over 50 cents for a round trip from 

camp to town. There were three different colored buses: olive 

drab, blue, and orange. The olive drab and blue buses would 

take soldiers to Alexandria, LA, and the orange colored buses 

would take soldiers to Forest Hill and Oakdale, LA.

Camp Claiborne soldier enjoying a pass to downtown 

Alexandria with Hotel Bentley in the background.

A one-way ticket on the 

Interurban bus line.

Postcard showing Bus Station at Camp Claiborne, which included a cafe. ‘
76

Camp shows, usually sponsored by the United Services 

Organizations (USO), added some life and sparkle to camp 

routine. To quote the camp’s What and Where Book... , 

The girls (there’s always girls) are usually shapely. As 

a matter-of-fact, they’re usually more shapely than 

pretty. Soldier audiences seem to prefer it that way. 

In addition to the chorus, each show usually had an orchestra, 

a master of ceremonies or comedian, and several novelty acts 

from vaudeville’s upper strata.

The shows customarily opened in the Amphitheatre 

(capacity of 10,000) or Sports Arena and then moved out to 

the EUTC (West Camp Claiborne) for the “benefit of footweary Engineers.” No charge was ever made for a USO show. 

In addition to the USO shows, movies were shown in eight 

theatres located throughout the camp.

One of the camp theaters.

A Valentine 

Card sold at the 

camp exchange.
77

Interior pictures of several of the many Post 

Exchanges located on Camp Claiborne.

An excerpt from A Camera Trip Through Camp 

Claiborne showing a USO show and dance.
78

Sports were an important aspect of life at Camp 

Claiborne. Most units participated in a variety of sports ranging from boxing, baseball, football, and wrestling. Not only 

did sports build teamwork and promote esprit de corps, they 

were a good way to help the troops relieve some of the stress 

of military training.

The Sports Arena, located near the main entrance of the 

camp, was a huge building where dozens of different sports 

could be played. Among the favorites were boxing, basketball, 

wrestling, volleyball, table tennis, badminton, and general 

exercise equipment. The Sports Arena was also used for social 

events such as dances and USO entertainment.

A postcard and a photograph of the 

Sports Arena at Camp Claiborne.
79

Roster for the 34th vs. 37th

Divisional football game.

1941 Camp Claiborne baseball team.
80

There were 17 chapels within easy reach of every training area in the camp. In addition, most units had chaplains 

assigned to them. To ensure that no one was deprived of the 

right to worship, services were also held in the stockade and 

in the hospital.

After the close of Camp Claiborne in 1947, the Sports 

Arena was dissembled and moved to Dry Prong, LA, where 

it was used as the high school gymnasium. Today at Camp 

Claiborne only the skeletal concrete supports remain of the 

Sports Arena, located near the main entrance just off of U.S. 

Hwy-165.

A postcard and a photograph of a 

typical chapel at Camp Claiborne.
81

Camp Claiborne had four service clubs with cafeterias 

located throughout the base. These were social centers for the 

camp. Each had a hostess to plan a program of entertainment. 

The clubs were “always on the very proper side and rowdies 

were strictly not welcome.” Open-house dances were the most 

popular entertainment. Something was happening almost 

every night.

Three of the Service Clubs had libraries. Anyone could 

obtain a library card and up to five books could be borrowed 

for a period of 13 days. There was no charge for this service.

Postcard of Service Club #1 located near the main gate.

Interior view of a library located within one of the Service clubs.

Interior view of one of the many telephone 

exchanges with two duty operators to assist 

in making calls.
82

The Camp Claiborne News, an eight-page tabloid weekly, 

was distributed free through the camp. It was intended to 

inform and entertain the enlisted men. The News was the 

first camp newspaper to offer an eight-page full-color comic 

section to its readers. Expenses of the publication were met 

from enlisted men’s recreation funds. These funds accrued 

from movie profits and the like. The News’ creed was, “The 

Private Is The Most Important Man In The Army.” The slogan 

was taken from a statement made by Major General William 

Lee who commanded the 101st Airborne division at Camp 

Claiborne in 1942.

Match book cover from 

West Camp Claiborne 

Officers’ Club.
83

Officers’ riding stables adjacent to the 

Officers’ Country Club.

Three guest houses were maintained for the accommodation of those who came to visit enlisted men. 

These accommodations were operated in connection 

with the Service Clubs One, Two, and Three. There was no 

charge for the use of the room, but a bed cost 50 cents a night. 

It must be noted that husbands could not visit their wives in 

guest house rooms. 

One of the guest houses maintained for the accommodation 

of those who came to visit enlisted men.

Camp Claiborne Officers’ Club located at North 4th Street and 

Club Drive. The second one was located at West Camp Claiborne.

Many of the generals who served with 

distinction while leading the American forces 

during World War II spent some time at 

Camp Claiborne, either during the Louisiana 

Maneuvers or later when over 500,000 troops 

were trained at the camp. 

at cAMP CLAIBORNE

WHO ESTABLISHED THEIR CREDENTIALS 

LEADERS
86

Marshall was heavily 

involved in the Louisiana 

Maneuvers. Responding 

to Congressional critics of 

the costs of conducting the 

Maneuvers, he said, 

“I want the mistakes made 

down in Louisiana, not 

over in Europe... .”

Generals Dwight Eisenhower and George Marshall arriving at an 

Army Air Field to review personnel and view planned activities.
87

George Marshall graduated from the Virginia Military 

Institute in 1901 and served in many significant capacities before and during World War I. In 1939, he became 

Army Chief of Staff and foresaw the upcoming war in Europe,

urging the build up and training of American troops.

Marshall was heavily involved in the Louisiana Maneuvers. 

Responding to Congressional critics of the costs of conducting the 

Maneuvers, he said, 

I want the mistakes made down in Louisiana, not over in 

Europe, and the only way to do this is to try it out, and if it 

doesn’t work, find out what we need to make it work.

As much as the Maneuvers were a training exercise, they too 

were a teaching tool in battle management for an officer corps that 

would virtually overnight be tasked to lead mass armies in the field. 

Marshall kept a black book noting names of officers who he thought 

could become leaders of the armed forces. During the Maneuvers, 

31 officers would be relieved or pushed aside to make way for young, 

more capable leaders (Citino 2011). Dwight Eisenhower would be 

an example of a young officer who was advanced in rank because of 

his unique ability.

Marshall spent the next 6 years building and running an 

army charged with winning the greatest military conflict the world 

had ever known. He proved such a gifted administrator and global 

strategist that President Franklin Roosevelt was forced to give the 

job Marshall coveted—the command of Operation Overlord for the 

invasion of France—to Dwight Eisenhower, saying to Marshall, 

“I didn’t feel I could sleep at ease with you out of Washington.” 

Winston Churchill probably came closest to describing Marshall’s 

importance in the war effort when he cabled Washington late in the 

war: “He is the true organizer of victory.”

President Harry S. Truman appointed Marshall Secretary of 

State on January 21, 1947. Retiring from military service a month 

later, Marshall became an advocate for ambitious plans to rebuild 

Europe. On June 5, he outlined his “Marshall Plan” during a speech 

at Harvard University. 

Officially known as the European Recovery Program, the 

Marshall Plan called for around $13 billion in economic and technical assistance to be given to European nations to rebuild their 

shattered economies and infrastructures. For his work, Marshall 

received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953. George Marshall was both a 

great soldier and a great statesman.

General George C. Marshall
88

Bradley was called the 

“Soldier’s General,” 

reflecting his mild 

temperament and affinity 

for wearing a common 

soldier’s uniform in the 

field. His polite demeanor, 

however, was coupled 

with a demanding nature 

and the mind of a 

brilliant tactician. 

General Omar Bradley conferring with 1st Infantry Division Commander 

Major General Terry Allen during the Sicilian Campaign.
89

Anative of rural Missouri, Omar Bradley entered West 

Point in 1911. He was interested in military history and 

studied the campaigns of William T. Sherman during 

the Civil War. Impressed with Sherman’s campaigns of movement, 

Bradley concluded that officers of World War I in France had been 

misled by the experience of static warfare (Hickman 2014). He 

believed that the rapid mobility of troops was more effective. 

Bradley was on General Marshall’s staff in Washington when 

planning began for the 1940 Louisiana Maneuvers. He became 

involved in the effort as a courier and observer in the field, and this 

provided invaluable experience for the future assignments (Robertson 

2012). In March 1942, he was assigned Commander of the 82th

Infantry Division at Camp Claiborne and streamlined training so 

it was more effective for newly recruited citizen soldiers. He was 

relieved by his Assistant Commander Matthew Ridgway in June 1942 

and moved to lead and train the 28th Infantry Division activated at 

Camp Livingston, LA. As a result, Bradley’s efforts in 1942 produced 

two fully trained and prepared combat divisions (Hickman 2014).

The first major campaign in which the U.S. Army fought 

was in North Africa in early 1943. The inexperienced American II 

Corps was defeated at the Kasserine Pass by the Germans. General 

Eisenhower, the American Commander, sent Omar Bradley to study 

the situation and make changes. Upon reaching North Africa, Omar 

Bradley was first the eyes and ears of General Eisenhower and would 

soon become Commanding General of II Corps.

When the II Corps next went into battle in North Africa, it 

drove the Germans back and captured 40,000 soldiers. The army 

was learning to fight well, and Bradley was the main reason for it. It 

was during this campaign that he received the title of “the Soldier’s 

General” from Correspondent Ernie Pyle. This title reflected 

Bradley’s uncharacteristically mild temperament and his affinity 

for wearing a common soldier’s uniform in the field. His polite 

demeanor, however, was coupled with a demanding nature and the 

mind of a brilliant military tactician.

General Bradley then served in the invasion of Sicily. With 

Sicily conquered and the invasion of the Italian mainland imminent, General Bradley was tapped to lead the planning of what 

would become Operation Overlord and the cracking of Germanheld Europe. Two months after the allied landings on D-Day, June 

6, 1944, Bradley was given command of the newly formed 12th 

U.S. Army Group, which consisted of the First, Third, Ninth, and 

Fifteenth Armies. It was the largest single command of American 

troops ever fielded, which he would lead until victory was achieved 

in May 1945 (Hickman 2014).

Shortly after the end of World War II, General Bradley was 

appointed Director of the Veterans Administration. This job would 

prove to be one of his hardest and one of his most rewarding as 

he aided those he led in time of war. By 1948, Bradley succeeded 

General Eisenhower as Chief of Staff of the Army. Only a year later 

he was selected as the very first Chairman of the newly organized 

Joint Chiefs of Staff. On September 22, 1950, he was promoted to 

the rank of General of the Army. He would prove to be the last of 

the five-star generals.

Perhaps no other individual in the history of the U.S. Army 

exemplifies the ideal of a soldier more than General Omar N. 

Bradley exhibited towards the country he served.

General Omar N. Bradley
90

 As Commanding General 

of the Army, McNair 

was responsible for the 

organization, training, 

and preparation of the 

Army for overseas service. 

He was instrumental in 

preparing large-scale 

exercises that simulated 

actual combat.

Troops leaving a landing craft during the D-Day invasion 

of France on the Normandy coast. General Lesley McNair was 

killed by friendly fire in a foxhole on the beach.
91

L

esley “Whitey” McNair graduated from West Point in 

1904 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of 

Artillery. He served in World War I in France and for his 

outstanding service was awarded the Army Distinguished Service 

Medal and the French Legion of Honor. He was quickly promoted 

to Brigadier General (one star) in October 1918 and became the 

youngest general officer in the Army at the time at the age of 35. 

McNair became an assistant to Army Chief of Staff Marshall 

in July 1940. In that position, he assumed responsibility for the 

training programs being developed for the Louisiana Maneuvers, 

replacing General Stanley D. Embick who retired.

In March 1942, General McNair became Commanding 

General of the Army Ground Forces. In this position, he was responsible for the organization, training, and preparation of the Army for 

overseas service. He was instrumental in preparing large-scale divisional and corps exercises to provide Army commanders with some 

experience in controlling large forces in simulated combat. 

McNair created a standardized training system to answer 

the challenges of transforming ordinary citizens into soldiers. To 

accomplish this task, he relied on making the training as realistic as possible: starting with basic skills, then small unit training, 

and finally making the transition to training at the division level. 

Regardless of where a soldier was inducted and initially trained, the 

same pattern of building on his basic skills followed throughout the 

war (Blackburn 2014).

McNair was not swayed by arguments that tanks and airplanes had changed the face of battle. In McNair’s mind, a balance 

in forces required the right mix of infantry, armor, and artillery. He 

believed in compact but mobile infantry and armored divisions. His 

insistence on smaller, more mobile formations was the focus of the 

most consistent criticism leveled at his policies. 

A review of the American combat performance in World War 

I highlights how adaptive and innovative the Americans were in the 

European and Pacific theaters. While the resources available to the 

United States and its allies played a role in victory, an understanding 

of McNair’s tactics emphasizes the manner in which these resources 

were used. His influence on the formation of the U.S. Army during 

World War II is finally being recognized (Blackburn 2014).

On July 29, 1944, Lieutenant General Lesley McNair was killed 

in his foxhole on the Normandy coast during a massive air bombardment that was the prelude to the invasion of France. General 

Omar Bradley, his forces stymied, had decided to use carpet bombing of the enemy lines to break the German lines. Unfortunately, 

McNair and about 100 other Americans were killed by friendly fire. 

He was buried at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial 

in Normandy, France.

Sadly, his son, Colonel Douglas McNair was killed 2 weeks 

later by sniper fire on Guam. He is buried at the National Memorial 

Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii.

General Eisenhower, who was on hand at Normandy, determined that he would never use heavy bombers in support of ground 

troops again. But, the bombing had achieved its intended purpose 

and the German line was broken (Blackburn 2014).

General Lesley J. McNair
92

Eisenhower’s leadership in 

planning and carrying out 

the Louisiana Maneuvers 

resulted in his promotion to 

Brigadier General. Two years 

later, he was a four-star 

General, perhaps the record 

for rate of promotion.

General Dwight Eisenhower (left) with General Omar Bradley 

congratulates General George Patton on the success of his 3rd Army 

ending the siege of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.
93

Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower was born in Denison, TX, but 

grew up in Abilene, KS, and his childhood memories 

there were cherished throughout his life. He applied to 

West Point, not because he was particularly interested in the military, but because there he could get a free education. He was a star 

on the football team until an injury sidelined him. 

Eisenhower graduated from West Point in 1915. Several years 

later while serving as executive officer to General Fox Conner in 

the Panama Canal Zone, Conner urged him to apply to the Army’s 

prestigious Command and General Staff School. He did and was 

accepted. He graduated first in his class with a firm reputation for 

his military prowess (Anonymous 2014a).

In 1941, after a transfer to Fort Sam Houston, as a Lieutenant 

Colonel he became Chief of Staff for the Third Army which was 

involved in planning the Louisiana Maneuvers. Eisenhower’s leadership in planning and carrying out the maneuvers resulted in his 

promotion to Brigadier General. Two years later, he was a four-star 

General, perhaps the record for rate of promotion. 

He became Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in 1942 

and led Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa. As 

soon as that operation was underway, he was moved to London to 

begin planning for the invasion of Europe. This required meticulous training, something in which Eisenhower excelled. 

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, Eisenhower commanded the Allied 

Forces in the Normandy invasion. In December of that year, he was 

promoted to five-star rank—General of the Army. After Germany’s 

surrender in 1945, he was made military governor of the U.S 

Occupied Zone. A few months later, he was appointed U.S. Army 

Chief of Staff.

In 1948, he became the president of Columbia University, a 

position he held until December of 1950, when he left Columbia 

to accept an appointment as first Supreme Allied Commander of 

the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). While serving in 

this position, he was approached by Republican leaders to run for 

President of the United States. On November 4, 1952, after winning 

the election by a landslide, Eisenhower was selected to be the 34th

President of the United States.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower
94

Patton was from a long 

lineage of military men, 

and he grew up listening 

to stories of their brave 

exploits. As he rose 

through the ranks, he 

became a successful, 

yet controversial leader, 

once stating, “There are 

no rules in war.”

A copy of General Patton’s 1944 Christmas message and 

prayer for good weather that would allow his forces to 

break though German lines and end the siege of Bastogne.
95

One of the most complicated military men of all time, 

George S. Patton, Jr., was born in 1885 in San Gabriel, 

CA. Patton decided during his childhood that his goal 

was to become a hero. His family had fought in the Revolutionary 

War, the Mexican War, and the Civil War, and he grew up listening to stories of their brave and successful endeavors (Anonymous 

2014b). He attended the Virginia Military Institute for 1 year and 

then went on to West Point. He graduated in 1909 and represented 

the United States in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics in the first modern Pentathlon (originally open only to military officers). 

During World War I, Patton became the first member of the 

newly established United States Tank Corps. Along with the British 

tankers, he and his men achieved victory at Cambrai, France, during the world’s first major tank battle in 1917.

After World War I, Patton remained an outspoken advocate 

for tanks, but Congress was unwilling to appropriate funds until 

the German Blitzkrieg began in Europe in the late 1930s. When the 

Armored Force was formed in 1940, Patton was named Commanding 

General in April 1941. In late summer 1941, Patton and his tanks 

became an important component of the large Louisiana Maneuvers 

and he demonstrated his “thinking outside the box” approach in battle. He led his tank corps from southern Louisiana into east Texas, 

stormed north to re-enter Louisiana again north of Shreveport, the 

opposing army’s headquarters. When his defeated opponents claimed 

that he did not follow the rules of the maneuvers, his response was, 

“There are no rules in war.” 

In November 1942, Patton was commanding the Western 

Task Force, the only all-American force landing in the Allied invasion of North Africa. After succeeding there, he commanded the 

Seventh Army during the invasion of Sicily in July 1943. Patton was 

always controversial. His “blood and guts” speeches attracted attention and concern among some. But, as the successful Sicilian campaign ended, the volatile Patton slapped two sick GIs in field hospitals saying they were shirkers. In truth, both were ill and one was 

suffering from malaria. Public outcry forced General Eisenhower to 

pull Patton from command for several months. 

Soon after D-Day and the invasion of France, Patton was given 

command of the Third Army and he and his troops headed east 

toward Germany. 

In mid-December 1944, the German command launched a 

gigantic counteroffensive through the Ardennes region. Eisenhower 

met with Patton and they agreed to turn Patton’s forces northward 

toward Bastogne. As soon as the meeting was over, Patton called his 

Chief of Staff and the Third Army was on the move. 

Without supply lines and other support, they moved out, but the 

weather remained terrible and slowed the movement. Patton directed 

a reluctant chaplain to compose a prayer for good weather. The mimeographed prayer was issued throughout Third Army to be offered 

by everyone in supplication for the opportunity for killing more 

Germans. The prayers were answered by good weather on December 

23, and Patton forthwith decorated the chaplain with the Bronze Star 

medal (Eisenhower 2005). On December 26, the Third Army forces 

broke through the German lines and ended the siege of Bastogne.

Patton would die tragically from injuries sustained in a freak 

car accident in December 1945, not long after the German surrender. He is the highest ranking military officer buried on foreign 

soil and is interred in the Luxembourg American Cemetery and 

Memorial with troops from his command (Hanson 2014).

General George S. Patton
96

Ledo Road in India, which was renamed the Stilwell 

Road in honor of General Joseph W. Stilwell.

Nicknamed “Vinegar Joe,” 

Stilwell first distinguished 

himself during World War I 

while serving with the 

American Expeditionary 

Force in Europe. As a 

Commanding General during 

World War II, he led the 

China-Burma-India Theater, 

which was called “the worst 

command in the war.”
97

Joseph Stilwell was born in Florida in 1883 and was a 

1904 graduate of West Point. He distinguished himself 

during World War I while serving with the American 

Expeditionary Force in Europe as well as the Philippines. Stilwell was 

a student of the Chinese language—not only fluent in Mandarin, he 

could curse a blue streak in a number of Chinese dialects. He had a 

position as military attaché in Peking from 1935 to 1939. He bonded 

well with the Chinese people (he and his wife considered China their 

second home), but developed distrust, if not contempt, for Chinese 

political leadership (Zimmerman 2012).

After participating in the 1941 Louisiana Maneuvers, he was 

summoned by General George Marshall in January 1942 while planning for the military landings in North Africa. General Marshall 

wanted to talk about China. President Roosevelt ordered that a high 

ranking general be sent to China to be a buffer between the British 

and Nationalist Chinese allies, and to keep China in the war. 

Stilwell became the Commanding General of the U.S. Army 

Forces in China and Burma as well as Chinese Nationalist leader 

Chiang Kai-shek’s Chief of Staff. The position needed an individual 

possessing tact, patience, and diplomatic skills, but in March 1942 

they got a newly-minted American Lieutenant General with the 

nickname “Vinegar Joe” (Zimmerman 2012).

Chiang was primarily interested in obtaining American LandLease supplies from the United States and was less interested in fighting the Japanese. So, the relationship was a difficult one. Stilwell was 

placed in charge of the Chinese Fifth and Sixth Armies in Burma 

and had as an objective to keep the India-to-China Burma Road supply route open. However, in June 1942, the superior Japanese routed 

the Chinese forces. The operation was so disastrous that the Chinese 

forces stopped taking orders. Most of his forces were evacuated by 

plane, just hours away from capture. Stilwell’s last message was “I 

prefer to walk,” and he did with 115 others that included nurses, 

soldiers, and civilians. He and the others arrived in India after an 

agonizing 140-mile jungle trek beset by bouts of food poisoning, a 

withering sun, and malaria (McLaughlin 2010). 

Because of the closure of the Burma Road, Stilwell suggested 

a road be constructed from Ledo in northeast India into northern 

Burma and China. Its purpose was to provide a land route to send 

supplies to Allied forces fighting with the Japanese. It was a major 

construction problem since it followed trails through mountainous 

jungles. The road was built by 15,000 American soldiers (60 percent 

of whom were African-Americans) and 35,000 local workers. About 

1,100 Americans died during the construction, as well as many more 

local workers and soldiers. The 20th General Hospital, which trained 

at Camp Claiborne, was located at Ledo to provide medical support to 

the massive effort. The Ledo Road was renamed the Stilwell Road in 

1945 by Chiang Kai-shek. While the road was being built, it served as 

a combat road enabling Merrill’s Marauders and the Chinese Army 

forces better access through the jungle.

In the fall of 1943 and spring of 1944, largely with Chinese 

troops he had personally trained, Stilwell led a force into Burma that 

drove the Japanese from Burma and reopened the Burma Road. 

But, conflicts with Chiang Kai-shek resulted in Stilwell’s removal in 

1944. He then served as Commander of the 10th Army on Okinawa 

and received the surrender of more than 100,000 Japanese troops in 

the Ryukyu Islands.

Stilwell led the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II, 

which took a back seat to Europe and the Pacific in terms of manpower, resources, and press coverage. It was called the “the worst 

command in the war.” But its stories of daring pilots who “flew the 

hump” of the mighty Himalayas, freewheeling guerrilla fighters 

known as Merrill’s Marauders, dedicated nurses, and crafty intelligence agents cutting deals with natives in three diverse countries 

were as colorful as those from the more heavily documented areas 

of World War II.

General Joseph W. Stilwell
98

General Matthew Ridgway, second to the 

left, with other officers in Sicily, 1943.

Former comrade Omar 

Bradley remarked that 

General Ridgway’s command 

of the 8th Army in Korea 

was ”...the greatest feat 

of personal leadership in 

the history of the Army.” At 

Ridgway’s burial, General 

Colin Powell stated, “Every 

American soldier owes a 

debt to this great man.”
99

Matthew Ridgway was born in March 1895 in Fort 

Monroe, VA, to an army artillery officer and lived 

in various military bases throughout his childhood. 

He remarked that his “earliest memories are of guns and marching 

men, of rising to the sound of reveille gun and lying down to sleep 

at night while the sweet, sad notes of taps brought the day officially 

to an end” (Matthew B. Ridgway Center 2014).

Ridgway graduated from West Point in 1917 and regretted that 

he had no combat experience during World War I. After various 

duty stations in the 1920s and 1930s, he was assigned by General 

Marshall to the War Plans Division shortly after the outbreak of World 

War II in Europe in September 1939. In March 1942, he became 

Deputy Commander of the 82nd Infantry Battalion formed at Camp 

Claiborne, with General Bradley commanding. In June 1942, Bradley 

was reassigned to the 28th Infantry Division and Ridgway became 

Commander of the 82nd Infantry Division. On August 15, 1942, the 

82nd Infantry Division was converted to the 82nd Airborne Battalion.

The conversion of the division to an airborne unit required rigorous training of his men, but Ridgway was credited with turning the 

unit into a highly effective combat division. Ordered to North Africa, 

the 82nd Airborne began training for the invasion of Sicily. Ridgway 

led the Division into battle in July 1943—the first airborne operation 

in United States history. The 82nd was also involved in the invasion of 

Italy, but in November 1943, the 82nd was sent to Britain to prepare for 

the Normandy invasion. Ridgway with his 82nd Division was of one of 

three Allied airborne divisions to land in Normandy on the night of 

June 6, 1944 (Matthew B. Ridgway Center 2014).

After the war, Ridgway continued to earn promotions. In 1950, 

he was assigned to the beleaguered Eighth Army, whose commanding 

officer was killed in a road accident. The Eighth Army was in a weeks’ 

long retreat from a Chinese onslaught during the Korean War. An 

aggressive leader, Ridgway immediately began working to restore his 

men’s fighting spirit. Removing defeatists and the defensive-minded, 

Ridgway rewarded officers who were aggressive and conducted 

offensive operations when able. Within a year, General Ridgway succeeded in a counteroffensive that regained a great deal of lost territory 

(Hickman 2014). In April 1951, President Harry S. Truman relieved 

General Douglas MacArthur as leader of United Nations forces and 

military governor of Japan, and he promoted Ridgway to assume 

MacArthur’s role.

In May 1952, Ridgway left Korea to succeed General Eisenhower 

as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe for the newly formed North 

Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Ridgway took over the Army’s 

top job, Chief of Staff, a year later. He retired in 1955.

A dynamic leader, his former comrade Omar Bradley once 

remarked that Ridgway’s performance with the Eighth Army in 

Korea was “...the greatest feat of personal leadership in the history of 

the Army” (Matthew B. Ridgway Center 2014). 

The wonder is not that Korea is still divided, but that there is 

even a South Korea—a nation saved only because of the long ago 

appearance of a maverick general when there were not others to 

be found. General Colin Powell stated at Ridgway’s burial in 1993, 

“Every American soldier owes a debt to this great man.” So do millions of South Koreans and Americans (Hanson 2013).

General Matthew B. Ridgway

CLAIBORNE TODAY
102

T

oday, 75 years after Camp Claiborne was established, only a few scattered concrete foundations 

and streets remain to remind us that over a halfmillion men and women passed through its gates. Company 

areas that once housed thousands of soldiers are now occupied by a pine forest. Streets that once were busy with jeeps, 

buses, and troop formations are empty. The sounds of rifles 

and artillery no longer can be heard in the distance, only the 

sounds of wind whispering through the pine trees. 

The main entrance into Camp Claiborne is located at 

the intersection of US Hwy-165 and LA-112 where you will 

find the concrete foundation of the guard station and foundation which once held the 10-foot tall sign that welcomed you 

to Camp Claiborne.

The Calcasieu Ranger District, Kisatchie National Forest, 

maintains an interpretive kiosk at the main gate. The kiosk 

below is located in front of what was once the civilian administration and engineer’s buildings. Today, all that remains of 

the two buildings are two vaults that housed records, which 

can be seen behind the kiosk.
103

The bus station located just south of the main gate was 

constructed of a concrete base that was formed to look like 

cut stone. The wooden part was constructed of timbers and 

resembled a log house. Pictured right is a postcard showing 

the bus station as it looked then. Pictured below are the 

remains of the bus station’s concrete foundation where the 

skill of the workers can still be seen.

Also located near the main gate was the Sports Arena 

shown in the postcard below. Today, only the skeletal concrete 

support and floor can be seen in the photograph below.
104

The Divisional Headquarters site, in the black and white 

photo far left, housed the 34th, 82nd and 101st Airborne, 84th, 

and 103rd Divisions. 

The site is located approximately 1.5 miles from the 

main entrance. It is known locally as the “York flag-pole” 

site because Sergeant Alvin C. York, hero of World War I, 

addressed the 82nd Infantry Division at this location.

Pictured below far left is the Post headquarters flag 

pole site which was located directly across from the Post 

Headquarters.

The inset photo below left is the bank vault which is all 

that remains from the civilian bank that was located across 

from the Post Headquarters.
105

Pictured left (facing page) is one of seven theaters at 

Camp Claiborne located along what is now LA 112. Below that 

picture is the theater foundation and side steps leading out of 

the theater.

To the right is the exterior and interior view of an intact 

machine gun training bunker which was used to simulate 

assaulting an enemy “pillbox” or machine gun nest.

Below is one of three 1,000,000 gallon surface water 

storage tanks. Water was pumped from these surface storage tanks into seven elevated water tanks which supplied the 

camp with water.

Pictured below right is the foundation of the two-story 

officers club located in West Camp Claiborne. Associated with 

the officers club was an in-ground concrete swimming pool 

and a reflecting pool.
106

During Camp Claiborne’s brief existence from 

1941 to 1946, lasting just over 6 years, over onehalf million men and women passed through its 

gates. Here in the remote woods of central Louisiana, these 

courageous men and women trained for military service 

before being sent to serve in all of the major theaters during 

World War II which included Europe, Northern Africa, and 

the Pacific.

Major units such as the 34th Infantry Division, 82nd

Infantry Division, 84th Infantry Division, 103rd Infantry 

Division, and the 20th General Hospital trained at Camp 

Claiborne. The storied 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions were 

established here at Camp Claiborne. 

Camp Claiborne was also home to the Engineer Unit 

Training Center, which was the largest single concentration of 

engineer soldiers in the Nation. The Engineer Unit Training 

Center trained new recruits in basic combat survival skills 

as well as engineering support specialties. Major units that 

trained at the Engineer Unit Training Center included the 91st

and 93rd Engineer Battalions, the 711th and related Railroad 

Operating Battalions, 769th Engineer Forestry Battalion, and 

related Sawmill Engineer General Service Regiments. 

Concluding remarks

34th Infantry Division, 135th Infantry, 

Company A, Camp Claiborne, September 1941.
107

Many of the military units which trained at Camp 

Claiborne became some of the most decorated military 

units of World War II. Also remarkable, was the officer corps 

that spent time in Louisiana leading Divisions during the 

Louisiana Maneuvers, or at Camp Claiborne. Generals such 

as George C. Marshall, Omar Bradley, Lesley McNair, Mark 

Clark, Dwight Eisenhower, George Patton, Joseph Stilwell, 

and Matthew Ridgway all distinguished themselves in the 

battlefields of Europe, North Africa, and Asia. 

Camp Claiborne was closed in 1946 after the end 

of World War II, and the site was returned to the Kisatchie 

National Forest in 1947. Seventy-five years after the establishment of Camp Claiborne, all that remains is a few standing 

concrete structures and a network of concrete roads to remind 

us that the third largest city in Louisiana was once there. 

We hope this book will preserve the legacy and honor 

the sacrifices of all of the men and women who trained at 

Camp Claiborne and who served our Nation with dedication, 

commitment, and valor during World War II. 

Camp Claiborne circa 1947 as the camp was being dismantled and sold 

for scrap. Note the photographer’s car. He was from the New York Times 

working out of the New Orleans Bureau.
108

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Train in rail-yard at Camp Claiborne.
111

HISTORIC CAMP CLAIBORNE, LOUISIANA

James P. Barnett, Douglas J. Rhodes, and Lisa W. Lewis

In 1940, construction began on numerous military installations in central 

Louisiana that would train millions of young men and women entering the 

U.S. Army for service during World War II. Over 500,000 troops trained at 

Camp Claiborne alone during its 6 years of existence. The area was selected 

because of availability of Federal land from the Kisatchie National Forest, 

access of about 3,400 square miles of land for maneuvers through cost-free 

agreements with private landowners, and open conditions that favored deployment of men and equipment for training purposes. Camp Claiborne became

the largest of these installations. Although it was designed for about 30,000

troops, it was enlarged by another 20,000 by the addition of the Engineer 

Unit Training Center that was developed in West Camp Claiborne. Claiborne 

became the third largest city in Louisiana at the time. Many of the units which 

trained there became the most decorated during World War II and suffered 

heavy casualties in combat around the world. It is now 75 years after the establishment of Camp Claiborne. We need to continue to remember the sacrifices 

of all those who served with dedication, commitment, and valor. 

Keywords: Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana Maneuvers, military camps, 

military preparedness, World War II.

REMEMBERING THE SACRIFICE:

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Barnett, James P.; Rhodes, Douglas J.; Lewis, Lisa W. 2015. Remembering the sacrifice: historic Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-210. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 111 p.