Camp Anza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Camp Anza |
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US Army Camp Camp Anza in 1945
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| Location | Riverside, California |
| Area | 1,240 acres |
| Built | 1942 |
| Architect | US Army |
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Camp Anza was a large United States Army base located in what is now Riverside, California. It was very important during World War II. This camp helped prepare over 600,000 soldiers for their journeys overseas. Most of these soldiers were sent to fight in the Pacific War.
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Building Camp Anza
Construction of Camp Anza began on July 3, 1942. It was finished by February 15, 1943. The camp was named after Juan Bautista de Anza. He was an early explorer who camped near this spot in 1774.
The US Army bought the land for the camp from the Willits J. Hole Ranch. This ranch was a large farm that grew barley and wheat. Before 1910, the land was part of an even older property called Rancho La Sierra. The camp covered a huge area of 1,240 acres.
Life at the Camp
Camp Anza officially opened on December 2, 1942. It was first called the Arlington Staging Area. It was also known as the Arlington Special Training Center. Just ten days later, on December 12, 1942, it was renamed Camp Anza.
This was a very big army base. It had 512 buildings and could house 20,000 troops at one time. The camp had many wooden barracks where soldiers slept. It also had:
- Headquarters buildings
- Recreation rooms for fun
- A chapel for worship
- A laundry building
- Its own Southern Pacific Railroad station
- A library
- A fire station
- A room to print a newspaper called Anza Zip
- A large outdoor theater that could seat 2,000 people
- A water storage tower
- A motor pool for vehicles
- A heating plant
- Many mess halls where soldiers ate
Preparing for War
Before soldiers left Camp Anza, they had to complete many important tasks. This preparation usually took about eight to ten days. Soldiers received:
- Immunizations (shots to prevent sickness)
- Training on how to use gas masks
- Help to complete their wills (legal papers about their belongings)
- Training on climbing rope ladders
- Help to record their personal property
- "Abandoned ship" training at Hole Lake. This taught them how to get off a ship quickly in an emergency.
Most troops from Camp Anza were sent overseas from the Los Angeles Port of Embarkation. This was a major port where soldiers boarded ships. In August 1945, after the war started to end, soldiers began to return to Camp Anza. The camp also had a hospital to care for the troops. Some Italian Service Units worked at the camp. These were groups of Italian soldiers who helped the US Army.
Entertainment for Troops
Even during wartime, soldiers needed entertainment. Famous performers often visited Camp Anza to cheer up the troops. Some of these stars included:
Bob Hope even broadcast his popular radio show, The Pepsodent Show Starring Bob Hope, live from the camp one night.
After the War
Camp Anza was closed down on March 31, 1946. Two years later, in 1948, a man named Philip H. Philbin Jr. bought the camp. He paid $510,000 for it. Mr. Philbin then sold off much of the land.
Six local schools started using parts of the former camp. The original street layout of the camp was kept. New housing areas were built on the land. These neighborhoods are now called Anza Village and Arlanza Neighborhood.
Today, some of the original buildings from Camp Anza are still standing. They have been reused for other purposes. These include:
- A few barracks
- The chapel
- The headquarters building
- The laundry facility
- The officer's club
- A warehouse
The city keeps a list of these old buildings as part of its Historical Resources Inventory.
Units at Camp Anza
Many different army units were stationed at Camp Anza during its time. Some of these included:
- 229th Military Police Company
- 1941st Service Command Unit
- 8th Italian Quartermaster Service Company
- 385th Army Service Forces Band
- Detachment, 9206th Transportation Corps Technical Service Unit
- 22nd Army Air Forces Base Unit
