Camp Harahan facts for kids

Camp Harahan, also known as Camp Plauche, was an important military base in Louisiana during World War II. It was located near New Orleans. This camp helped prepare many soldiers for their duties during the war.

What Was Camp Harahan?

Camp Harahan started as a place where troops gathered before sailing from the Port of New Orleans. Later in 1942, it became a training base. Between 200,000 and 300,000 soldiers trained here. These soldiers included groups focused on railroads, port operations, and medical care.

Training Future Leaders

In 1942, a special school for officers was created. It was called the Transportation Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS). This school moved to Camp Harahan. Here, future officers learned how to manage different types of transportation. They also studied how to move cargo and people efficiently.

Soldiers for the Railways

Several special railway battalions were formed and trained at Camp Harahan. These groups were vital for moving supplies and troops by train.

• The 765th Railway Shop Battalion was formed in March 1943. They soon went to fight in Europe.
• The 757th Railway Shop Battalion started in April 1943. They had 17 weeks of basic training. This included marches, drills, and target practice. They even visited the Higgins Boat Company. This company made the famous Higgins boat, a landing craft used in the D-Day invasion. After training, they moved to Camp Joseph T. Robinson for more technical skills.
• The 721st Railway Operating Battalion was activated in April 1943. These soldiers trained hard for six weeks. They learned marching, obstacle courses, and how to use a gun. This battalion later served in the China-Burma-India Theater.
• The 740th Railway Operating Battalion was also formed at Camp Harahan in December 1943.

Music, Sports, and Breaking Barriers

Camp Harahan was also a place where important social changes happened. A soldier named Private John Hammond was stationed there. He was tasked with organizing activities for African-American soldiers to boost their spirits.

In April 1944, Hammond brought famous musicians to the camp. These included King Kolax, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Jordan, and Billy Eckstine. He noticed that the camp's library was segregated, meaning Black and white soldiers used separate facilities. However, the camp store (PX) was mixed.

Hammond organized mixed-race jam sessions and concerts. He wrote that these events happened without any problems. He also saw that a segregation order on base buses was ignored by soldiers of both races. Soon after the music events, integrated sports programs began. Hammond felt that "Segregation was demolished by sports and music." This was a big step forward in challenging racial separation at the time.

Later Use of the Camp

After its main use for training, Camp Harahan served another purpose. It was used to hold prisoners of war from Germany and Italy.

Images for kids

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  Animal Remount Station