Camp Shanks

Camp Shanks, named after Major General David Carey Shanks (1861–1940) was a United States Army installation in and around Orangeburg in the Town of Orangetown, New York. Situated near the juncture of the Erie Railroad and the Hudson River, it served as a point of embarkation for troops departing overseas during World War II. Dubbed “Last Stop USA,” the camp housed about 50,000 troops spread over 2,040 acres (8.3 km²) and was the largest World War II Army embarkation camp, processing 1.3 million service personnel including 75% of those participating in the D-Day invasion.

Museum

A small museum opened near the site in June 1994.

Stationed at Camp Shanks

103rd Infantry Division (United States) 106th Cavalry Regiment (United States) 106th Infantry Division (United States) 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade (United States) 14th Fighter Squadron 15th Cavalry Regiment (United States) 16th Armored Division (United States) 186th Fighter Squadron 267th Combat Communications Squadron 27th Special Operations Group 2nd Infantry Division (United States) 32nd Signal Battalion (United States) 33d Operations Group 231st Station Hospital 357th Fighter Group 367th Fighter Group 36th Operations Group 379th Air Expeditionary Operations Group 390th Strategic Missile Wing 401st Air Expeditionary Group 42d Air Division 441st Bombardment Squadron

442d Bombardment Squadron 443d Bombardment Squadron 444th Bombardment Squadron 445th Operations Group 446th Operations Group 448th Fighter-Bomber Group 452d Operations Group 467th Bombardment Group 48th Infantry Regiment (United States) 48th Operations Group 490th Bombardment Group

509th Tactical Fighter Squadron 50th Infantry Regiment (United States) 511th Tactical Fighter Squadron 523d Fighter Squadron 524th Special Operations Squadron 53d Troop Carrier Wing (World War II) 56th Field Artillery Command 58th Fighter Squadron 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron 60th Fighter Squadron 6th Armored Division (United States)

6th Cavalry Regiment (United States) 71st Fighter Wing (World War II) 75th Infantry Division (United States) 93rd Evacuation Hospital (United States) 97th Bombardment Wing (World War II) Forrest Guth IX Tactical Air Command RAF Bisterne USCGC Eagle (WIX-327)

POW's

Over 400,000 POW's were held in the United States and many were processed at Camp Shanks. The first prisoners of war to arrive at Camp Shanks were Italian. The prisoners spent from two weeks to several months there.

Celebrities at Camp Shanks

• Joe Louis, Sargent - Heavyweight champion of the world for approximately 12 years, spent time at the base and jogged around the streets of Orangeburg to keep in shape.

Benny Goodman Betty Grable

Dinah Shore Ethel Merman

Frank Sinatra Henny Youngman

Helen Hayes Humphrey Bogart

Jack Benny Jackie Gleason

Judy Garland Mickey Rooney

Lionel Hampton Shirley Temple

Sports at Camp Shanks

Major League Baseball teams vs Camp Shanks Exhibitions games were held at Camp Shanks from 1943 - 1945. Teams included;

Brooklyn Dodgers

Chicago Cubs

New York Yankees

Philadelphia Athletics

Philadelphia Phillies

St Louis Cardinals

Books and publications

• Gottlock, Westley & Barbara., Lost towns of the Hudson Valley 2009