Camp Toccoa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Camp Toccoa |
|
|---|---|
| Stephens County, near Toccoa, Georgia, U.S. | |
Camp Toccoa in 1942
|
|
 Camp Toccoa
Camp Toccoa
Location in the United States##Location in Georgia
|
|
| Coordinates | 34°33′01″N 83°23′50″W / 34.5504°N 83.3973°W |
| Type | Military training base |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | United States Army |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1940 |
| In use | 1941 – ca. 1946 |
Camp Toccoa (which used to be called Camp Toombs) was a special training camp for soldiers during World War II. It was located about 5 miles west of Toccoa, Georgia. This camp was where United States Army paratroopers learned how to be soldiers and jump from planes.
One famous group that trained here was the 506th Infantry Regiment. Their "Easy Company" became well-known from the 2001 HBO TV show Band of Brothers.
Contents
Building the Camp
The idea for a training camp called Camp Toombs started in 1938. The Georgia National Guard and a group called the Works Projects Administration (WPA) began building it on January 17, 1940. The camp officially opened on December 14, 1940.
It was first named Camp Toombs after a general from the American Civil War. But Colonel Robert Sink, who led the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, didn't like the name. He thought "Toombs" sounded too much like "tombs" (graves). He worried it would make the young soldiers nervous.
So, Colonel Sink convinced the War Department to change the name. That's how it became Camp Toccoa.
Training Soldiers
The U.S. Army took over the camp in 1942. At first, there weren't many buildings, so soldiers lived in tents. Later, proper barracks (sleeping quarters) were built.
Soldiers first practiced jumping from planes at the nearby Toccoa Airport. But after a training accident, the airport's runway was thought to be too short. All future jump training then moved to Fort Benning, Georgia. Camp Toccoa also didn't have a shooting range. So, trainees had to march about 30 miles to Clemson University in South Carolina to practice shooting.
Running Currahee Mountain
All paratrooper trainees at Camp Toccoa had to run up Currahee Mountain. This mountain, which is about 1,735 feet tall, overlooked the camp. This tough run was shown in the TV series Band of Brothers. Soldiers would shout, "Three miles up, three miles down!"
Members of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment call themselves "Currahees." This name comes from a Cherokee word that means "standing alone." Currahee Mountain is even on the 506th regiment's special symbol. This shows how important the mountain was to their training.
Who Trained Here?
Many important military groups trained at Camp Toccoa, including:
- 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment: This group was part of the 101st Airborne Division.
- 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment: Also part of the 101st Airborne Division.
- 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment: They were part of the 82nd Airborne Division and the 17th Airborne Division.
- 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment: This group was part of the 11th Airborne Division.
- 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment: They were part of the 17th Airborne Division and the 13th Airborne Division.
- 457th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion: This group was part of the 11th Airborne Division.
In 1943, the famous comedian Bob Hope visited Camp Toccoa. He joked to the soldiers, "You guys are so rugged, you look like Wheaties with legs." After Japan was defeated and World War II ended, the U.S. Army gave Camp Toccoa back to the state in 1946.
After the War
In the late 1940s, Camp Toccoa became a smaller part of the Georgia State Prison. It was mainly used to house young people who had committed crimes. However, after some people escaped, this part of the prison moved to a new place in Alto, Georgia, in the 1950s.
Later, a company called Patterson Pump Company took over some of the land. They make large pumps for factories, floods, fires, and air conditioning systems.
Remembering Camp Toccoa
In 2012, a group called Camp Toccoa at Currahee was started. This group is a non-profit foundation. Their goal is to honor the paratroopers who trained at Camp Toccoa during World War II. They also plan to fix up the old camp buildings. The only original building left from WWII is the dining hall.
To remember all the paratroopers who ran up Currahee Mountain, there is now a special trail. It's called the Colonel Robert F. Sink memorial trail. It follows Currahee Mountain Road from where the camp used to be, all the way to the top of the mountain. A special sign at the start of the trail honors "Col. Bob" Sink.
Today, this trail is used for the Annual Currahee Challenge. This is a race held in the fall, where people can run three or six miles up the mountain.
See also
In Spanish: Campamento Toccoa para niños
