Camp Gordon Johnston was a World War II

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

training center located in

Carrabelle, Florida Carrabelle is a city in Franklin County along Florida's Panhandle, United States. The population was 2,778 as of the 2010 census. Carrabelle is located east of Apalachicola at the mouth of the Carrabelle River on the Gulf of Mexico. Geography ...

, United States. The site's history is featured at the Camp Gordon Johnston Museum.

History

Camp Gordon Johnston opened in September 1942 as Camp Carrabelle and was later named after Colonel Gordon Johnston, a well-decorated soldier who served in the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

with the

Rough Riders The Rough Riders was a nickname given to the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish–American War and the only one to see combat. The United States Army was small, understaffed, and diso ...

, in the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...

, and in World War I. The camp at served as an

amphibious Amphibious means able to use either land or water. In particular it may refer to: Animals * Amphibian, a vertebrate animal of the class Amphibia (many of which live on land and breed in water) * Amphibious caterpillar * Amphibious fish, a fish ...

training base housing around 10,000 troops at one time and rotating between 24,000 and 30,000 soldiers from 1942 through 1946. The nearby islands of Dog Island and St. George Island were used as landing points for exercises.

Units

Units stationed at Camp Gordon Johnston: * Hq. & Hq. Company, 3rd ESB * HQ Medical Detachment * 1061st Port Construction and Repair Group * 1463rd Engineer Maintenance * 563rd Engineer Boat Maintenance * 375 Transportation Corps Harbor Craft * 22nd Infantry, 4th Infantry Division * 105th Harbor Craft Training Reg. & Coast Guard Detachment * 332nd, 339th, 352nd, 353rd, 356th, 376th, 377th Harbor Craft * 534th, 544th, 593rd, 584th EB & SR *

Engineer Special Brigade Engineer Special Brigades were amphibious forces of the United States Army developed during World War II. Initially designated engineer amphibian brigades, they were redesignated engineer special brigades in 1943. The 1st, 5th, and 6th Engine ...

s *

Amphibious Training Center Engineer Special Brigades were amphibious forces of the United States Army developed during World War II. Initially designated engineer amphibian brigades, they were redesignated engineer special brigades in 1943. The 1st, 5th, and 6th Enginee ...

* 534th Scouts * 351st 5th PlatoonCamp Gordon Johnston.com
/ref> In 1946, many buildings, facilities and the land was sold as war surplus. Officers quarters later became the retirement community of

Lanark Village Lanark Village is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Franklin County, Florida, Franklin County, Florida, United States, located along U.S. Route 98 in Florida, U.S. 98, on the Gulf of Mexico. It is east of Carrabelle, Florida. In ...

References

Kilroy Was Here: Camp Gordon Johnson
* "Camp Johnston is Remembered" by Mays Leroy Gray writing in the ''Wakulla News'', February 27, 1997

External links

* ttp://www.museumsusa.org/museums/info/1623072 Camp Gordon Johnston Museum
WFSU Florida War Diaries
{{Coord missing, Florida Buildings and structures in Franklin County, Florida Military installations established in 1942 Gordon Johnston 1942 establishments in Florida 1946 disestablishments in Florida