Camp Livingston facts for kids

Camp Livingston was an important U.S. Army military camp during World War II. It was located in Louisiana, near the towns of Pineville and Alexandria, Louisiana. The camp was about 12 miles north of Alexandria, right on the border between Rapides and Grant Parishes.

A Look Back: Camp Livingston's History

Camp Livingston was open from 1940 to 1945. It was first called Camp Tioga. The camp was later renamed to honor Robert R. Livingston. He was a key person in the Louisiana Purchase, which was when the United States bought a huge amount of land from France. Many different army groups stayed and trained at Camp Livingston during the war. In 1941, an aviation squadron of 250 African American soldiers also worked there, helping with various tasks.

Training for War: The Louisiana Maneuvers

Before the United States officially joined World War II, Camp Livingston was part of a huge training exercise in 1941. This exercise was called the Louisiana Maneuvers. About 400,000 soldiers took part. They pretended to be two different countries fighting each other. The "armies" faced off across the Red River. This massive training covered over 3,400 square miles, even stretching into parts of East Texas.

Soldiers and Their Stories

Camp Livingston was mainly a place for infantry divisions to train. An infantry division is a large group of soldiers who fight on foot. The 38th Infantry Division trained here. They were known as the "Avengers of Bataan" for their bravery. The 86th Infantry Division also trained at Camp Livingston. This group was the first American unit to cross the Danube River in Germany during the war. Over 500,000 troops trained on the camp's 47,000 acres during World War II.

Some old concrete walls at the camp still show amazing artwork and graffiti. People who live nearby believe these drawings were made by Italian or German prisoners of war (POWs). The artwork shows detailed chalk portraits of what look like German soldiers in uniform.

Training New Soldiers

From late 1944 to early 1945, Camp Livingston had a special training center. It gave six weeks of infantry training to soldiers who had been in other types of units. After the end of World War II in Europe in May 1945, a new law was passed. It said that soldiers under 19 years old needed six months of military training before going overseas. Camp Livingston helped provide this extra training.

Prisoners of War and Civilian Internment

During World War II, Camp Livingston also held thousands of Japanese, German, and Italian prisoners of war. These POWs were kept in special camps. In 1942, the first Japanese POW captured by the United States arrived at Camp Livingston. His name was Kazuo Sakamaki. He was the only survivor from a mini-submarine used in the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was captured after his sub got stuck. The prisoners at the camps helped with logging and farm work in the area. There was a POW cemetery at Camp Livingston. In 1947, the headstones were moved to Fort Sam Houston, Texas. However, the bodies of the POWs remained in unmarked graves at the camp site.

The camp also held between 800 and 1,100 American civilians of Japanese heritage. They were kept there after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Many were held for the entire war, even though there was no proof they were a threat.

Camp Livingston closed down in late 1945. Today, it is part of the Kisatchie National Forest.

Camp Livingston Today

The US Forest Service now manages the land where Camp Livingston once stood. You can still see some of the original concrete streets. Some of these roads are even used daily by people driving through the area. The foundations of many buildings are still there, along with most of the old parking lots and parade grounds. At least two of the swimming pools can still be found. One of them was even used as an unofficial shooting range until recently.

The US Forest Service also takes care of the Little Creek and Hickman Trails. These are trails that people use for various activities, including riding ATVs. The original water treatment plant that was built for the camp is still working today. It is now run by Water Works District No. 3 in Rapides Parish.

Units That Called Camp Livingston Home

Many different military units were stationed at Camp Livingston during its active years. Here are some of them:

• 28th Infantry Division
• 32nd Infantry Division
• 38th Infantry Division
• 86th Infantry Division
• 327th Military Police Escort Guard Company
• 93rd Engineer General Service Regiment
• 7th Transportation Battalion
• 240th Quartermaster Battalion
• 846th Tank Destroyer Battalion
• 46th Field Artillery Brigade
• 350th Field Artillery Group
• 351st Field Artillery Group
• 353rd Field Artillery Group
• 1692nd Engineer Combat Battalion
• 1693rd Engineer Combat Battalion
• 1694th Engineer Combat Battalion
• 527th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion
• 510th Ordnance Heavy Maintenance Company
• 106th Cavalry Group