Louisiana's Military Heritage:
Forts, Camps, and Bases
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Louisiana's Military Heritage: Forts, Camps, and Bases |
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FORT BUTE — A small British outpost built near Bayou Manchac along the frontier between Spanish Louisiana and British West Florida. Governor Bernardo de Gálvez attacked this installation on September 07, 1779, upon learning that Spain had joined the war against Britain through her alliance with France (who had allied with the thirteen American colonies). The Spanish took the fort by surprise and suffered no losses.
FORT JESUP — Located near Many, Louisiana, in the western part of the state, this fort was established in 1822 and commanded by Lt. Col. Zachary Taylor. The fort was vital to establishing law and order in the region after a treaty settled the boundary between Louisiana and Texas in 1819, abolishing the no-man's land of the Neutral Ground between the two territories. Fort Jesup served as a staging area for U.S. troops during the Mexican War. Nearly half of the U.S. Army traveled through here in 1845 en route to Mexico during that war. The fort was abandoned in 1846, no longer needed as a border outpost. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961 and is now open to the public.
was designed as a stronghold in the event that the walls were stormed. The original armament consisted of 32-pounder and 24-pounder cannons though the exact number of each type is not known. A wartime garrison numbered approximately 400 men; in peacetime it housed between one and 80 soldiers.
Fort Pike served as a staging area during the Seminole Wars and the Mexican War. In 1861, the Louisiana militia captured the fort and held it until they evacuated after the fall of New Orleans. Union forces reoccupied it and used it as a base of operations for raids along the Gulf Coast and a training center for the USCT (United States Colored Troops). The fort was abandoned in 1890 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Not a single shot was ever fired in battle from Fort Pike. The installation received considerable damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It is now open for public viewing.
FORT REAL CATÓLICA — Located on an island at Balize, construction of this fortification was begun by the Spanish under Governor Antonio de Ulloa. Approximately 25,000 pesos were expended on its construction. Upon taking over as governor of Louisiana, Governor Alejandro O'Reilly conducted a survey of the colony's defenses. His captain of engineers and a junta in New Orleans determined that the fort was exposed to the elements, costly to maintain, and strategically useless. As such, Fort Real Católica was evacuated and abandoned around 1769.
FORT ST. JEAN BAPTISTE — Founded by the French in 1714 in present-day Natchitoches, Louisiana, this outpost was established to defend the Louisiana colony against Spanish encroachment from Texas. Menaced by the Natchez Indian tribe in 1731, it was repaired and modified in 1732, featuring redoubled walls of wooden stakes on the fort's perimeter. In 1763, Louisiana transferred from French to Spanish control and the fort's purpose as a border outpost vanished. It fell into disarray and by the time of the Louisiana purchase in 1803, it was beyond use by its new American owners who built Fort Claiborne nearby. A full-scale replica of Fort St. Jean Baptiste was built near the original site in 1979 and is now open to the public.
FORT SAN GABRIEL — A Spanish fort built on the south shore of Bayou Manchac to counter the British presence at Fort Bute across the frontier border between Spanish Louisiana and British West Florida.
PRESIDIO DE NUESTRA SENORA DEL PILAR DE LOS ADAES — A Spanish fort built near present-day Robeline, Louisiana, which served as the capital of the Spanish province of Tejas (Texas) from 1722 until its abandonment in 1773. Established to block French expansion beyond Natchitoches, Los Adaes was completed as a hexagonal fort with each side measuring about one hundred feet in length. The ramparts were made of dirt and some adobe with large pointed stakes extended four feet above them. Two small brass cannons were located in the north, southwest, and southeast bastions. Nine or ten adobe buildings with shingle roofs were located inside the fort for quarters, barracks, storehouses, magazines, and a chapel.
In 1763, Louisiana transferred from French to Spanish control and the fort's purpose as a border outpost vanished, so it was later abandoned in 1773. When the United States purchased Louisiana in 1803, Spanish forces were sent to garrison Los Adaes once more but an American force from Fort Claiborne at Natchitoches forced their withdrawal beyond the Sabine River in 1806. Later that year, an unoccupied Neutral Ground was established between Louisiana and Texas until the border was permanently established in 1821. Today, Los Adaes—now known as Los Adais—is a State Commemorative area and is now open to the public for touring.
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Civil War Forts & Training Camps:
CAMP BENJAMIN — An early Confederate training camp established in 1861 on the Gentilly Road near New Orleans; a two-and-a-half hour march from Camp Chalmette. The camp was named in for Judah P. Benjamin, former U.S. Senator from Louisiana and Confederate Secretary of War. Also known as Camp Jerusalem, Camp Benjamin—like Camp Walker—was known for its deplorable conditions.
CAMP JERUSALEM — See Camp Benjamin.
CAMP MOORE — The successor to Camp Walker in Metairie, Camp Moore was located north of Lake Pontchartrain on roughly 450 acres of land near the village of Tangipahoa. Situated on the New Orleans—Jackson—Great Northern Railroad line, it was established in May of 1861 and served as the major assembly point and training area for Confederate forces in Louisiana. Approximately 25,000 Louisiana soldiers passed through here before entering combat for the Confederacy. The camp was named for Louisiana Governor Thomas O. Moore and commanded by Brigadier General Elisha L. Tracy, CSA, formerly commanding officer of Camp Walker. Confederate General John C. Breckinridge used Camp Moore as a staging area for his attempt to retake Baton Rouge from Union hands in August of 1862 and it also served briefly as a prisoner-of-war camp. The camp was raided twice in April of 1863 and October of 1864. The camp was burned to the ground by Union forces in November of 1864. Camp Moore is now open for visitation by the public.
CAMP PRATT — A Confederate training camp established on Spanish Lake outside of present-day New Iberia in 1862.
FORT BURTON — A Confederate fort featuring two (2) guns located on Cow Island in the Atchafalaya River at Butte à la Rose. Built in 1861, the fort was captured by Union forces on April 19, 1863, thus securing the Atchafalaya River under Union control. Also known as Fort Butte à la Rose, it was later destroyed by Union forces.
FORT BUTLER — Built at the confluence of Bayou Lafourche and the Mississippi River near the town of Donaldsonville, Fort Butler was the site of an Alamo-like last stand by Union forces on June 28, 1863. Named in honor of General Benjamin F. Butler, USA, who ordered its construction, it was dedicated on February 09, 1863. The installation was star-shaped, constructed of masonry, and surrounded by a deep, brick-lined moat 16 feet wide and 12 feet deep. The sides flanking the river and the bayou received the addition protection of two strong log stockade-type wings that extended from the levee to the water. It was armed with six 24-pounder siege cannons. The remains of Fort Butler were destroyed by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1900 when Bayou Lafourche was permanently dammed at the Mississippi River to prevent flooding.
FORT BUTTE À LA ROSE — See Fort Burton.
FORT DeRUSSY — A 100-square yard earthen redoubt with ironclad casemates built by Confederate forces on the western bank of the Red River just outside of Marksville. It was evacuated and stripped by the Confederates in May of 1863 and subsequently occupied by the U.S. Navy. Abandoned by the Federals, it was rebuilt by the Confederates in the winter of 1864. Federal troops under the command of General A. J. Smith recaptured the fort from the Confederates as part of the Red River campaign in March of 1864. Smith's men destroyed as much of the earthworks as possible to prevent its future use, including blowing up the fort's magazine. After the defeat of Major General Nathaniel P. Banks in the Battle of Mansfield just south of Shreveport, Union forces began to withdraw from the Red River area. The Confederates occupied the remnants of Fort DeRussy again from the summer of 1864 until the end of the war in 1865 and used it as a picket station. The fort was named in honor of its designer, Lewis Gustave DeRussy, a West Point graduate with a twenty-nine year career in the U.S. Army, a fifteen-year career in the Louisiana state militia, and service in both the War of 1812 and the Mexican War prior to his joining the Confederate Army in 1861.
Efforts are currently underway to restore Fort DeRussy at Marksville, Louisiana.
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U.S. Army Air Corps — U.S. Air Force Bases:
ALEXANDRIA AIR FORCE BASE — See England Air Force Base.
ALEXANDRIA ARMY AIR BASE — See England Air Force Base.
CHENNAULT AIR FORCE BASE — Located on the eastern outskirts of Lake Charles, Louisiana, Chennault AFB began as a small parish-operated airport (not to be confused with Gerstner Field) leased to the federal government in June of 1941 by the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury. It was first known as the Lake Charles Army Flying School, an advanced flying school for single-engine fighter pilots. The school would be moved to Victoria, Texas, not long afterward, but the airport was redesignated as Lake Charles Army Air Base. It was used to train bomber crews for B-26 Marauders starting in June of 1943. With the conclusion of World War II, the Army deactivated the base in October of 1946.
With the outbreak of the Korean War, the base was reactivated as Lake Charles Air Force Base in 1951 and designated a Strategic Air Command base. In July of that year, the newly reformed 44th Bombardment Wing moved to Lake Charles AFB, followed by the 68th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing / Bombardment Wing (Medium) in October of 1951. Both wings flew the B-29 Superfortress and later the B-47 Stratojet. The 806th Air Division & Combat Support Group also flew out of the base, using KC-97 Stratofreighter tankers for refueling operations.
Local military and civilian leaders petitioned to rename the base after Lieutenant General Claire Lee Chennault but the Air Force declined as tradition dictated that bases were not named for living persons. Following the General's death in 1958, the Air Force granted the request and the base was rededicated as Chennault Air Force Base on November 14, 1958. In June of 1960, the 44th and the 806th were deactivated and the 68th moved operations to Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina on April 15, 1963. Chennault AFB was closed and control of the facility reverted to the City of Lake Charles. The base serves today as Chennault International Airport.
DeRIDDER ARMY AIR FIELD — Begun as a WPA project in 1934, DeRidder Army Air Field was first known as Beauregard Field, a regional civilian airport located three miles west of DeRidder, Louisiana, that featured two earthen runways on 160 acres of land. The field was used extensively during the Louisiana Military Maneuvers in 1940. The field was purchased by the Beauregard Parish Police Jury along with an additional 280 acres of land, which was later expanded by a additional 200 acres. In early 1941, the federal government leased the field from the Police Jury and the City of DeRidder and it became DeRidder Army Air Field on July 21, 1941.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Army acquired over 4,200 additional acres of surrounding property and built additional runways. Over 5,000 personnel were assigned to the base. Among the units assigned to DeRidder were the 423th and 424th Reconnaissance Groups and the 409th and 417th Bombardment Groups. A bombing range was located at nearby Merryville, Louisiana, for practice bombing. Inactivated and declared surplus on October 02, 1946, the field reverted back to the custody of the Beauregard Parish Police Jury in 1947. It is today known as Beauregard Parish Airport and several World War II era structures remain in use.
ENGLAND AIR FORCE BASE — Located on the western outskirts of Alexandria, Louisiana, England AFB saw a humble beginning back in 1939 when it served as an emergency landing strip for Esler Field in nearby Pineville. With the advent of World War II, however, the Army Air Corps leased the facility from the city of Alexandria and it became Alexandria Army Air Base. The facility was used as a training center for B-17 Fortress combat crews with an average of 45 crews graduating from there per month until 1945. With Germany's surrender, the base began training B-29 Superfortress crews for duty in the Pacific theater. In early 1946, the base was placed on stand-by status and turned over to the city.
With the outbreak of the Korean War, the base was reactivated as Alexandria Air Force Base in 1950 and assigned to Tactical Command. It was renamed in June, 1955, as England Air Force Base in honor of Lt. Col. John B. England, who had commanded the 389th Bomber Squadron there.
GERSTNER ARMY AIR FIELD — Located near Lakes Charles, Louisiana, in the village of Holmwood, Gerstner Field was a large World War I aviation training camp that existed between 1917 and 1921. It was the first military airfield to be located in not only Lake Charles, but in the State of Louisiana as well. During its short history, a total of 499 fighter pilots and aviation instructors graduated from Gerstner. The base was named for Lieutenant Frederick J. Gerstner, USA, a Michigan native who was killed at the age of twenty-three on December 21, 1914, during the test flight of a scout plane over the Pacific near Oceanside, California.
LAKE CHARLES ARMY AIR BASE — See Chennault Air Force Base.
LAKE CHARLES AIR FORCE BASE — See Chennault Air Force Base.
POLLOCK ARMY AIR FIELD — A satellite air field for Alexandria Army Air Base located in Pollock, Louisiana. It featured three paved runways forming a triangle. It was relinquished to civilian control at some point between 1945 and 1949 and renamed Pollock Municipal Airport.
SELMAN ARMY AIR FIELD — Located in Monroe, Louisiana, Selman Field was activated on June 15, 1942, and named for Lieutenant Augustus J. Selman, USN, who died on November 28, 1921, of injuries received in an airplane crash. The field was fully operational just three months later. A motor convoy from Turner Field in Albany, Georgia, brought the first squadron of personnel to Selman on August 11. On August 15, the Army Air Force Pre-Flight School (Bomber-Navigation) transferred to Selman from Maxwell Field in Alabama. The remaining elements of the Advanced Navigation School arrived from Turner Field on September 14. Selman Field was commanded by Colonel Norris B. Harbold and later by Colonel Earl L. Naiden until its closing in 1946. Selman Field was the largest navigation school in the United States in its time and the nation's only complete navigation course—from start to finish—during World War II.
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CAMP BEAUREGARD — Established around the time of World War I, Camp Beauregard is located in Pineville, Louisiana, and is named for Confederate general and Louisiana native Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard. It served as a training facility for soldiers who were sent to France from 1917 to 1918 and was closed in 1919 and turned over to the State of Louisiana which used the grounds periodically for National Guard training. It was reactivated as a federal facility in 1940 and served as the hub of the Louisiana Maneuvers in 1940, 1941, and 1942. The camp grounds also included nearby Esler Field. Following World War II, Camp Beauregard reverted back to state control and was used as a training area for two years before again being deactivated. It was revived in 1973 and currently serves as a logistical and training base for engineer and aviation units of the Louisiana National Guard.
CAMP CLAIBORNE — Originally named Camp Evangeline when first established on June 10, 1930, just north of present day Forest Hill, Louisiana (south of Alexandria), this Army training facility was later renamed in honor of the Territorial Governor and first State Governor of Louisiana, William C.C. Claiborne. Between 1939 and 1946, over 500,000 men passed through Camp Claiborne for basic training and artillery practice. Engineering unit and special service forces training also took place here and railroad construction battalions trained on and maintained the Claiborne-Polk rail line that ran between Camp Claiborne and Camp Polk near Leesville, Louisiana. The Army's first airborne units were created here.
In 1940-41, Camp Claiborne served as one of several bases of operation for the Louisiana Maneuvers: a 400,000 man exercise in which two armies—Blue and Red—faced off against each other throughout central Louisiana and eastern Texas. Near the end of World War II, German prisoners-of-war (POWs) were held here.
Camp Claiborne was closed in late 1945. The Winn District—Kisatchie Precision Bombing Range, part of the camp's old artillery range, was used into the early 1990s as a bombing range for A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack fighters from nearby England Air Force Base until that facility's closing. The camp today is idle and is again part of the Kisatchie National Forest, managed by the National Forest Service.
CAMP EVANGELINE — See Camp Claiborne.
CAMP HARAHAN — See Camp Plauche.
CAMP LIVINGSTON — First known as Camp Tioga, this was one of several U.S. Army camps opened during World War II. It was renamed Camp Livingston in honor of Chancellor Robert R. Livingston who negotiated the Louisiana Purchase. Established in 1940, it served as an infantry replacement training center. Over 500,000 troops trained on the 47,000 acre base during World War II and the facility also housed German and Italian prisoners-of-war (POWs). Camp Livingston was deactivated in late 1945 and is now part of the Kisatchie National Forest, managed by the National Forest Service.
CAMP PLAUCHE — Located on the western outskirts of New Orleans, Camp Plauche was originally known as Camp Harahan. It was renamed in honor of Major Jean Baptise Plauche who served with Major General Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans in 1814-15. The camp served as a staging area for troops passing through the New Orleans Port of Embarkation. Its mission changed to that of a training base in 1942. It was used to hold German and Italian prisoners-of-war (POWs) once training needs had diminished.
CAMP TIOGA — See Camp Livingston.
FORT POLK — Originally known as Camp Polk, this facility covers more than 198 acres and is located seven miles southeast of Leesville, Louisiana. It was named in honor of the Right Reverand Leonidas Polk, the first Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Louisiana, known as the "Fighting Bishop" for his role in the Confederate Army. It was established in 1941 to support the Louisiana Maneuvers and served as an armor, infantry, and airborne training center during World War II. It also housed German and Italian prisoners-of-war (POWs). The camp was inactivated following the war with the Louisiana National Guard using it for training during the summers of 1948 and 1949. The camp was reactivated for the Korean War in September of 1950 before being closed once again in June of 1954 with war's end.
Fort Polk was reopened in 1955 for training maneuvers and closed again in June of 1959. National Guard training occurred each summer until September of 1961 when the post was again reactivated for the Berlin Crisis. In June of 1962, the facility was designated as an Infantry Training Center and selected in 1965 to conduct Vietnam-oriented advanced training. Established as a permanent installation in October of 1968, Fort Polk was designated as the U.S. Army's prime infantry training center in July of 1973. From 1973 to 1976 when the training center retired its colors, over one million soldiers received basic training there. In March of 1993, the facility became the permanent home of the Joint Readiness Training Center. Fort Polk is today the largest military installation in Louisiana.
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BARATARIA BAY STATION # 214 — See Coast Guard Station # 79 (Grand Isle).
COAST GUARD AIR STATION NEW ORLEANS — Located on the grounds of Naval Air Station—Joint Reserve Base New Orleans at Belle Chasse, Louisiana, Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans has an area of responsibility that extends east to west from Apalachicola, Florida, to White Lake, Louisiana, and north to south from Memphis, Tennessee, to 150 nautical miles offshore. The station utilizes five American Eurocopter HH-65A Dolphin helicopters.
Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans was first commissioned in July of 1955 and located at the old Naval Air Station on Lake Pontchartrain (aka Camp Leroy Johnson). In December of 1957, it moved along with the Navy to the new facility at Alvin Callender Field.
COAST GUARD STATION # 79 (GRAND ISLE) — Originally established in 1919 as Barataria Bay Station # 214, Coast Guard Station Grand Isle is located on the eastern end of barrier island Grand Isle, midway between Caminada Pass and Barataria Pass, about 3¾ miles southwest of Barataria Bay Light. The current incarnation of the station was commissioned on November 01, 1968, to include a LORAN "A" station and a Rescue Small Boat station. The LORAN station was closed in 1980. At present, the 87-ft. cutter USCGC STURGEON (WPB-87336) is homeported at Station Grand Isle, along with one 47-ft. Motor Life Boat (MLB), one 41-ft. Utility Boat (UTB), one 23-ft. SAFE boat, and one 18-ft. Majek flat boat.
VESSEL TRAFFIC SERVICE (VTS) UNIT BERWICK BAY — Located in Morgan City, Louisiana, VTS Berwick Bay commenced operations in 1975 in response to concern for maritime safety and the high number of collisions with area bridges. Its area of responsibility encompasses the navigable waters found at the confluence of the Atchafalaya River, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway from Harvey, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway from Port Allen, Bayou Teche, Bayou Boeuf, and Bayou Shaffer. The high traffic volume combined with strong currents and a series of bridges makes this one of the most hazardous waterways in the United States. VTS Berwick Bay maintains direct control of all vessels in transit through this area via radio, organizing traffic and coordinating the raising and lowering of the Morgan City Railroad Lift Bridge.
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MARINE BARRACKS — Located near the intersection of Levee and Dumaine Streets in New Orleans, Louisiana, the U.S. Marine Corps Barracks housed the contingent of Marines assigned to the U.S. Naval Station. Both installations were established soon after the Louisiana Purchase. The Marines were initially quartered in the old French-Spanish Barracks when they arrived in 1804 before moving to their own barracks on the grounds of the Navy yard. The Marine Barracks burned in November of 1821.
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ALVIN CALLENDER FIELD — See New Orleans Naval Air Station.
BURWOOD NAVAL SECTION BASE — Located on the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River, Burwood Naval Section Base was established during World War II to watch for enemy ships and submarines in the Gulf of Mexico and to monitor traffic entering the mouth of the river. Construction of the base began in 1941 and the base was placed into commission on December 15, 1941, with Lieutenant Commander N. J. Ashley in command. The Army Corps of Engineers constructed a water tower approximately 120 ft. in height with a platform atop the tank which supported another smaller tower 75 ft. high. The smaller tower supported a yardarm (crossbeam) similar to that of a ship from which signal lights and signal flags could be hoisted to communicate with approaching ships (thereby maintaining radio silence). Inbound vessels were inspected prior to proceeding upriver to New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
In 1942, the U.S. Army set up heavy artillery pieces (mobile howitzers) on either side of the river at Burwood. The guns had a range of approximately nine miles. The Army also set up a second watch tower on the South Pass near Port Eads. The base's heavy duty docks were capable of supporting not only pilot boats and civilian tugs and dredges, but also patrol craft, sub chasers, minesweepers, PT boats, and vessels as large as destroyers. Vessels staging out of Burwood participated in almost every rescue operation along the central Gulf Coast during the height of the U-boat threat in 1942.
CAMP LEROY JOHNSON — See New Orleans Naval Air Station.
The 1,000-foot wooden blimp hangars at NAS Houma were unique. Other such hangars had sliding, sectional doors that were moved on overhead tracks in the hangar's doorsills. Due to the soft, shifting soil of south Louisiana, the hangar doors at NAS Houma were built in a clamshell design that moved on tracks and rolled outward away from the entrances. A landing mat 2,000 feet in diameter accommodated the blimps while two (2) concrete runways and several hangars were used by the HTA (Heavier Than Air) aircraft of the Navy, Coast Guard, and the Texas Company (now known as Texaco). NAS Houma was commissioned into service on May 01, 1943, under the command of Commander Bernard F. Jenkins, USN.
LTA Squadron ZP-22 was commissioned into service at NAS Houma on May 15, 1943, and began conducting anti-submarine patrols of the Gulf coast. Operations continued until the unit was decommissioned on September 12, 1944. The base ceased to be an LTA facility on September 21, 1944, and began serving as an HTA training facility with Coast Guard air/sea rescue flight operations continuing. In 1945, NAS Houma was redesignated as a Naval Air Facility (NAF). Following the cessation of hostilities, the base served as an aircraft storage facility until October of 1947 when the facility reverted to the control of the City of Houma. The field serves today as the Houma-Terrebonne Regional Airport.
NEW ORLEANS NAVAL AIR STATION — First established in July of 1941 as a Naval Air Reserve Air Base, NAS New Orleans was first located on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain on the grounds that are today occupied by the University of New Orleans. Redesignated as a Naval Air Station in November of 1942, the facility served as a training base during World War II for Signal and Quartermaster units. It also housed a Transportation Corps Officer Candidate School and a Replacement Training Center. The facility was later transferred to Air Service Command and became part of the New Orleans Port of Embarkation.
With war's end, the station returned to the training of selected naval air reservists. In 1947, it was renamed Camp Leroy Johnson in honor of Medal of Honor recipient and Louisiana native Leroy Johnson, a sergeant in the U.S. Army who died on Leyte during World War II.
With the advent of the jet age, the facility's runaways proved too short and the station was moved to its current location at nearby Belle Chasse, Louisiana. The new facility was dedicated in April of 1958 as a Joint Reserve Air Training Center and named Alvin Callender Field after Alvin Andrew Callender, a native of New Orleans who was killed in World War I while flying with the Royal Flying Corps. In 1994, the facility was redesignated a Joint Reserve Base (JRB).
The base is shared by Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard units. War games between units of the three branches occur over the Gulf of Mexico and provide vital training in the form of dissimilar air combat tactics. Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans is also located on the grounds of NAS JRB New Orleans.
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World War II Prisoner of War Camps:
BASTROP POW CAMP — A total of 210 German prisoners of war were incarcerated at Bastrop, Louisiana, between the camp's opening on October 02, 1944, and its closing on December 08, 1945. Bastrop was one of approximately 40 satellite work camps set up throughout Louisiana during World War II which drew work forces from Camps Ruston, Claiborne, Livingston, Polk, and Plauche to serve as labor on local farms. (See "Confronting The Enemy First Hand — In Bastrop" by Barbara Sharik)
DONALDSONVILLE P.O.W. CAMP — Located at Donaldsonville, Louisiana, in Ascension Parish, this was one of approximately 40 satellite work camps set up throughout Louisiana during World War II which drew work forces from Camps Ruston, Claiborne, Livingston, Polk, and Plauche to serve as labor on local farms. There were approximately 400 prisoners housed at Donaldsonville and most of them worked in harvesting sugar cane.
HOUMA POW CAMP — The prisoner-of-war (POW) camps at Houma, Louisiana, were two of approximately 40 such satellite work camps set up throughout Louisiana during World War II which drew work forces from Camps Ruston, Claiborne, Livingston, Polk, and Plauche to serve as labor on local farms. The Houma camps provided a combined total of 444 German prisoners who harvested sugar cane in the local fields. These prisoners were also involved in beautification work at Naval Air Station Houma, planting trees and shrubbery (the articles of the Geneva Convention prohibited prisoners-of-war from performing tasks which would enhance the "host" country's ability to conduct warfare).
PORT ALLEN POW CAMP — Approximately 500 German prisoners of war were housed in a tent camp at the fair grounds in the back of the Port Allen courthouse. The prisoners worked on local sugar cane plantations, particularly on Poplar Grove Plantation where the prisoners painted and restored the plantation home. Port Allen was one of approximately 40 satellite work camps set up throughout Louisiana during World War II which drew work forces from Camps Ruston, Claiborne, Livingston, Polk, and Plauche to serve as labor on local farms.
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Sources used in the compilation of this article:
American Civil War
Fortifications (1)—Coastal
Brick and Stone Forts, by A. Konstam. Osprey Publishing (2003). Bernardo de Galvez in Louisiana: 1776-1783, by John Walton Caughey. Pelican Publishing Co. (1972). Chennault International Airport. City of Lake Charles website. The Civil War in Louisiana, by John D. Winters. Louisiana State University Press (1963). Earthen Walls, Iron Men: Fort DeRussy, Louisiana, and the Defense of Red River, by Steven M. Mayeux. The Univeristy of Tennesse Press / Knoxville (2007). Encyclopedia of Forts, Posts, Named Camps, and Other Military Installations in Louisiana, 1700-1981, by Powell A. Casey. Claitor's Publishing Division (1983). England Industrial Airpark & Community. Fort Butler, by William A. Spedale. (1997). Global Security.org website.
Heroes of Harding Field,
by William A. Spedale. (2000).
McNeese State University. The State of Louisiana—Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism. The United States Coast Guard. World War II in the Gulf of Mexico, by C. J. Christ. (2005) **Copyright 1997-2008 by Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission** |
