Camp Gordon Johnston was a World War II

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

training center located in

Carrabelle, Florida Carrabelle is a city in Franklin County along Florida's Panhandle, United States. It is located east of Apalachicola at the mouth of the Carrabelle River on the Gulf of Mexico. The population was 2,606 as of the 2020 census. History In 152 ...

, 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 The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

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, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...

, 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 Military education and training is a process which intends to establish and improve the capabilities of military personnel in their respective roles. Military training may be voluntary or compulsory duty. It begins with recruit training, proceed ...

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 * 815th, 816th, 817th, 818th and 820th Amphibious Truck Companies. * Engineer Special Brigades * Amphibious Training Center * 534th Scouts * 351st 5th Platoon 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 community in Franklin County, Florida, United States, located along U.S. 98, on the Gulf of Mexico. It is east of Carrabelle, Florida. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was known as Lanark-on-the- ...

. Live munitions had been used in exercises, as well as dummies. In 2001, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers found that specially trained technicians were needed to clear certain areas that had been sold into private hands.

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

* ttps://www.campgordonjohnston.com/ Camp Gordon Johnston Museum
WFSU Florida War Diaries
{{Coord, 29.9120, -84.5418, display=title Buildings and structures in Franklin County, Florida Military installations established in 1942 Former installations of the United States Army 1942 establishments in Florida 1946 disestablishments in Florida