Hiwi, the German abbreviation of the word Hilfswilliger or, in English, auxiliary volunteer, designated, during World War II, a member of different kinds of voluntary auxiliary forces made up of recruits indigenous to the territories of Eastern Europe occupied by Nazi Germany. Adolf Hitler reluctantly agreed to allow recruitment of Soviet citizens in the Rear Areas during Operation Barbarossa. In a short period of time, many of them were moved to combat units.
Camp Atterbury-Muscatatuck is a federally-owned military post, licensed to and operated by the Indiana National Guard, located in south-central Indiana, 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Edinburgh, Indiana and U.S. Route 31. The camp's mission is to provide full logistical and training support for up to two brigade-sized elements simultaneously. The Camp offers a variety of training ranges, live-fire venues, managed airspace with air-to-ground fighting capabilities and an LVC simulation and exercise center. It is also the normal Annual Training location for National Guard and Reserve forces located in Indiana.
Stalag IV-A Elsterhorst was a World War II German Army prisoner-of-war camp located south of the village of Elsterhorst, near Hoyerswerda in Saxony, 44 kilometres (27 mi) north-east of Dresden.
Camp Maxey is a Texas Army National Guard training facility that was originally built as a U.S. Army infantry-training camp during World War II. It was occupied from July 1942 to early 1946 in Lamar County, Texas. Its main entrance was located nine miles north of Paris, Texas. Planning for the 70,000-acre military post began in 1940, soon after the National Military Draft was ordered; the planning accelerated in 1941 shortly before the United States entered World War II in December 1941.
Rough and Ready Island Naval Supply Depot or Ruff and Ready Island is a former United States Navy installation on the San Joaquin River in Stockton, California in San Joaquin County, near the Stockton Channel and was 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Stockton. The Supply Depot was built during World War II as part of the San Joaquin Depot that operated the nearby Tracy Depot Facility and the Sharpe Depot Facility. It was named in honor of President Zachary Taylor.
Camp Anza was a United States Army installation, in what is now Riverside, California, during World War II. Construction began on July 3, 1942, and was completed on February 15, 1943. The camp was named after Juan Bautista de Anza, an early explorer who camped near the site in 1774. The US Army purchased the 1,240-acre site from the Willits J. Hole Ranch (1910–1942), a barley and wheat farm. Before 1910 the land was part of Rancho La Sierra (1797–1910).
Camp Kohler was located in the northeast corner of unincorporated Sacramento County, California, United States, until it was destroyed by a fire in 1947. Initially a camp for migrant farm workers, it became the Sacramento Assembly Center a temporary detention center for interned Japanese Americans in 1942. The site is one of 12 California assembly centers that share designation as California Historical Landmark No. 934. From 1943 to 1945 the camp was a training center for US World War II forces.
Brent Prescott's Camp Ono existed from 1942 to 1947 in Southern California on 300 acres of land. The camp was four miles northwest of the City of San Bernardino, California.
The Temporary Detention Camp for Japanese Americans / Pomona Assembly Center is one of the places Japanese Americans were held during World War II. The Pomona Assembly Center was designated a California Historic Landmark on May 13, 1980. The Pomona Assembly Center is located in what is now called the Fairplex in Pomona, California in Los Angeles County. The Pomona Assembly Center was called Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in 1942.
The Camp Coxcomb was a sub camp of the US Army Desert Training Center in Riverside County, California. The main headquarters for the Desert Training Center was Camp Young were General Patton's 3rd Armored Division was stationed. Camp Coxcomb was designated a California Historic Landmark (No.985). The site of the Camp Granite is 45 miles East of Indio, California off Interstate 10 and California State Route 177 near the Coxcomb Mountains. The train stop at Freda railroad siding delivered Troops and equipment. The camp closed in early in 1944 after about two years of operations.
The Camp Goffs was a sub camp of the US Army Desert Training Center in Riverside County, California. The main headquarters for the Desert Training Center was Camp Young, this is where General Patton's 3rd Armored Division was stationed. Camp Goffs was designated a California Historic Landmark (No.985). The site of the Camp Goffs just north at the former Santa Fe Railroad station at Goffs, California. Goffs, California is on U.S. Route 66 5 miles north of the current Interstate 40, 25 miles (40 km) west of Needles in San Bernardino County, California. Currently at the south east end of the Mojave National Preserve. Camp Goffs was 20 miles southeast of Camp Essex and Camp Clipper.
Camp Ross was a World War II base serving as a staging area under the command of the Army's Los Angeles Port of Embarkation. The camp was located in San Pedro, California and Wilmington, California. The United States Department of War leased 31.026 acres of land starting in 1942. Camp Ross was used by the US Army as staging area for troops ready for deployment and for troop returning home to Naval Operating Base Terminal Island.
California during World War II was a major contributor to the World War II effort. California's long Pacific Ocean coastline provided the support needed for the Pacific War. California also supported the war in Europe. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, most of California's manufacturing was shifted to the war effort. California became a major ship builder and aircraft manufacturer. Existing military installations were enlarged and many new ones were built. California trained many of the troops before their oversea deployment. Over 800,000 Californians served in the United States Armed Forces. California agriculture, ranches and farms were used to feed the troops around the world. California's long coastline also put the state in fear, as an attack on California seemed likely. California was used for the temporary and permanent internment camps for Japanese Americans. The population of California grew significantly, largely due to servicemen who were stationed at the new military bases/training facilities and mass influx of workers from around the U.S. in the growing defense industries. With all the new economy activity, California was lifted out of the great depression. Over 500,000 people moved to California from other states to work in the growing economy. California expanded its oil and mineral production to keep up with the war demand.
Camp Haan was a US Army training camp built in 1940, near March Air Force Base in Riverside County, California Camp Haan was opened in January 1941 as a training camp for Coast Artillery Antiaircraft gunners. The 8,058 acres camp was about four miles by three miles with tent housing. The camp was named after Major General William George Haan of World War I. By the end of 1941, the camp had a wood service building, 28 miles of streets, five chapels, and a hospital. The first troops trained were sent for the defense of Los Angeles and San Francisco. The Attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Los Angeles–Bombardment of Ellwood had put all of California on high alert. The Army Service Depot was added to the camp in March 1942. The site of the former Camp Haan is next to California Interstate 215 at the Van Buren Boulevard exit.
Birmingham General Hospital was a World War II US Army Hospital in Van Nuys, California at the corner of Vanowen Street and Balboa Boulevard. The hospital was built in 1942 and 1943 to care for troops returning home from oversea service. The first patient checked-in on August 24, 1943. The hospital had 1,777 beds housed in single-story buildings over the 131-acre campus.
The Italian Service Units or ISUs were military units composed of Italian prisoners of war (POWs) that served with the Allies during World War II against Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan from May 1944 to October 1945. The armed forces of the United States captured many Italian soldiers during the North African campaign Operation Torch, which started in November 1942 and sent 51,000 of them to the United States. After the signing of the armistice by the Badoglio government in Italy on September 8, 1943, and with Pietro Badoglio and the Kingdom of the South officially declaring war on Nazi Germany on October 13, 1943, the Americans began to see the POWs as potential allies. The capture of Rome by the Allies on June 4, 1944, motivated many POWs to change sides. About 90% joined Italian Service Units, which operated in the United States and overseas.
Camp Lamont also called Lamont Prisoner of War Base Camp was a World War II German Prisoners of War camp in the City of Lamont, California, 9 miles from Bakersfield in Kern County. Prisoners were given the option of volunteering to work crops in exchange for better living conditions. Prisoners worked on cotton farms, picked oranges and other crops. With the labor shortage due to the World War II US draft, the offer to volunteer was given to many prisoners not seen as a risk. Prisoners came to Camp Lamont from Camp Cooke, northwest of Lompoc, California. Prisoners were taken each day by bus or truck to the fields to work. Camp Lamont was formed on December 2, 1944 by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) transferring 16 acres of land to the US War Department for the US Army. The Camp closed on July 31, 1946. Built at the camp were housing, a mess hall, fencing, guard towers and flood lights. At its peak about 900 German and Japanese POWs were housed at the camp. Camp Lamont ran two sub camps: Boswell Ranch opened in December 1944 in the city Corcoran, California in Kings County with 499 prisoners, closed October 5, 1945 and Camp Lakeland also called the Corcoran Prisoner of War Branch Camp in Corcoran with 631 prisoners, opened May 14, 1945 and closed October 5, 1945. After the war the Camp Lamont land was returned to the USDA. The land is now private property, with only a few foundations marking the spot of the former camp.
Santa Monica Army Air Forces Redistribution Center or Redistribution Station No.3 was a complex of buildings and hotels located in Santa Monica, California used to house troops during and after World War 2. US Army Air Force picked the Santa Monica site as Douglas Aircraft Company has a large Aerospace manufacturer operated there at Clover Field, also called Santa Monica Army Air Base). Opened in November 1943, the Redistribution opened out of leased buildings and land, most on what is now the Santa Monica State Beach. Crews rotation from Europe war and the Pacific war were able to rest and relax before their next assignment. At its peak, the complex covered 65 acres and had a staff of 1,200. Many of the staff at the center were from the Women's Army Corps. Organized social events were put on by the Santa Monica-Ocean Park chapter of the American Red Cross. At the end of the war, the complex became a processing center for troops heading home. Over 35,000 airmen had been processed at the center. Next, the complex processed prisoners of war heading home. The complex was deactivated on 15 November 1945 and the last leased building was closed in January 1947. Most of the buildings are in what is called Ocean Park, California on Ocean Avenue. The Army Air Force operated other Redistribution Centers in Atlantic City, Miami, San Antonio, Greensboro and Santa Ana, California at Camp Davis.
Hammond General Hospital, or Hammond Army Hospital, was a large United States Army medical treatment facility during World War II, located in the city of Modesto in Stanislaus County, California, and in operation from 1942 until 1946. The facility was preceded by the Modesto State Hospital, a public psychiatric hospital in operation from 1946 to 1972.
