A Look at Camp Claiborne

Douglas Rhodes, a Deputy District Ranger on Calcasieu Ranger District, gave a brief overview on the history of Camp Claiborne today.

“It’s located on the Calcasieu Ranger District. It was one of the largest military bases here in Central Louisiana,” says Rhodes. “The unique part of Camp Claiborne is that it was the birthplace of the 101st and 82nd airborne divisions.  It was also home to the only railroad that was owned and operated by the military which was the Camp Claiborne Polk Military Railroad, and it was home to the Engineer Unit Training Center, which was the largest one in the United States.  So by the end of the war over 500,000 soldiers had trained at Camp Claiborne not to mention the other camps here in Central Louisiana.”

Camp Claiborne was built in 1940 and was home to the largest war games in American history. To learn more, visit them online or on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/Camp.Claiborne/

http://www.campclaiborne.com/