World War II
The base served primarily as a troop staging ground during World War II. The camp was founded in late 1942 and was an approximately 1,700-acre (6.9 km2) complex, built in largely virgin forest. At its peak, Camp Patrick Henry had a capacity of hosting approximately 35,000 individuals at one time. These included American troops of every branch of the military service, troops of other Allied armies, and civilians bound for special missions overseas. Although most of the military personnel processed through the Camp during the war were replacements, many noteworthy units were also staged. Complete units processed in 1943 included the 45th "Thunderbird", the 85th "Custer", and the 88th "Blue Devils" Infantry Divisions. During 1944 the camp handled the 31st "Dixie", the 91st "Powder River" and the 92nd "Buffalo" Infantry Divisions, as well as the 2nd Cavalry Division.
Nearly three quarters of a million men and women passed through the camp during 1943-44, before boarding transport ships at the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation, most of them bound for deployment in the Western Europe. By January 31, 1946, the total number of personnel to pass through the camp was 1,412,107. In the later stages of the war, the camp served as a demobilization point for many soldiers returning home.
The Camp had its own post office, restaurant, movie theater, as well as rail system which transported soldiers by train downtown to shipside at the Chesapeake Bay.
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