Misplaced Pages

Camp Patrick Henry is a decommissioned United States Army base which was located in Warwick County, Virginia. After World War II, the site was redeveloped as a commercial airport, and became part of City of Newport News in 1958 when the former City of Warwick and Newport News were politically consolidated as a single independent city. The airport is known in modern times as Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport.

World War II

The base served primarily as a troop staging ground during World War II under the control of the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation. The camp was founded in late 1942 and was an approximately 1,700-acre (6.9 km) complex, built in largely virgin forest. At its peak, Camp Patrick Henry had a capacity of hosting approximately 35,000 individuals at one time. These included American troops of every branch of the military service, troops of other Allied armies, and civilians bound for special missions overseas. Although most of the military personnel processed through the Camp during the war were replacements, many noteworthy units were also staged. Complete units processed in 1943 included the 45th "Thunderbird", the 85th "Custer", and the 88th "Blue Devils" Infantry Divisions. During 1944 the camp handled the 31st "Dixie", the 91st "Powder River" and the 92nd "Buffalo" Infantry Divisions, as well as the 2nd Cavalry Division. In January 1945 the 10th Mountain Infantry Division departed enroute to Italy.

Nearly three quarters of a million men and women passed through the camp during 1943–44, before boarding transport ships at the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation, most of them bound for deployment in the Western Europe. By January 31, 1946, the total number of personnel to pass through the camp was 1,412,107. In the later stages of the war, the camp served as a demobilization point for many soldiers returning home.

The camp had its own post office, restaurant, movie theater, as well as rail system which transported soldiers by train downtown to shipside at the James River.

Gallery

• Camp Headquarters
• 469th Army Service Force Band
• Telephone Center, Area 6
• Red Cross workers assembled at the IP

Prisoners of war

Camp Patrick Henry also served as a prisoner of war camp, housing over 5,000 German and Italian prisoners of war between 1944 and 1945. The prisoners were assigned to alleviate the critical shortage of manpower in the area within the limits of the Geneva Convention. The first German prisoners of war permanently assigned to the Port of Hampton Roads were members of the Afrika Korps who had been captured in early 1943 in North Africa. A prisoner-of-war canteen was established within the compound where the prisoners, within existing regulations, could make limited purchases.

Cold War

After the war, the camp was deactivated and about 925 acres (3.74 km) were ceded to the Peninsula Airport Commission to build a regional airport on the site. Patrick Henry Field, which later became Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport opened in 1949. The U.S. Army continued to operate a Nike Missile site, designated N-85, on the complex until the late 1970s, when the base was shut down permanently.

Today

A historical marker in front of the current terminal of Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport marks the site of the camp.

The marker has the following text on it:

Title: Camp Patrick Henry Dec. 1, 1942 – Jan. 31, 1945

Location: Newport News Williamsburg International Airport, Newport News, Virginia

Description: "Named for Virginia patriot - orator Patrick Henry (1736–1799). An Army base of 1,700 acres (6.9 km) of Peninsula woodland became a World War II staging area of 35,000 personnel capacity with shuttle rail service to shipside. A key component of the vital Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation. Almost a million and a half people were processed through this camp. After deactivation, the land was sold in 1949 for community development."

References

1. Wardlow, Chester (1956). The Technical Services—The Transportation Corps: Movements, Training, And Supply. United States Army In World War II. Washington, DC: Center Of Military History, United States Army. p. 121. LCCN 55-60003.
2. Bykofsky, Joseph; Larson, Harold (1990). The Technical Services—The Transportation Corps: Operations Overseas. United States Army In World War II. Washington, DC: Center Of Military History, United States Army. p. 194. LCCN 56-60000.
3. ^ The Road to Victory: A History of Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation During World War II. Edited by Major William Reginald Wheeler, Port Historian, 1946.
4. Camp Patrick Henry Historic Marker
5. History of the 87th Mountain Infantry, Italy, 1945. By United States. Army. 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment, George F. Earle, p.7
6. The Road to Victory: A History of Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation During World War II. Edited by Major William Reginald Wheeler, Port Historian, 1946.
7. ^ Archived May 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine

v t e United States Army
Leadership	Secretary of the Army Under Secretary of the Army Chief of Staff Vice Chief of Staff 4-star generals 3-star generals 1798–1959 1990–1999 2000–2009 2010–2019 2020–present Army Staff Senior Warrant Officer Sergeant Major of the Army House Armed Services Committee (House Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces) Senate Committee on Armed Services (Senate Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces)
Components and commands	Regular Army Army Reserve Army National Guard Active Units Reorganization plan of United States Army Commands Forces Futures Materiel Training and Doctrine Service components Central Europe and Africa Pacific North South Special Operations Surface Deployment and Distribution Space and Missile Defense Cyber Command Direct reporting units Second Army Medical Intelligence and Security Criminal Investigation Division Corps of Engineers Military District of Washington Test and Evaluation Military Academy Reserve Acquisition Support Center Installation Management War College Field armies First Third Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Branches Acquisition Corps Adjutant General's Corps Air Defense Artillery Branch Armor Branch Aviation Branch Army Band Chaplain Corps Chemical Corps Civil Affairs Corps Corps of Engineers Cyber Corps Dental Corps Field Artillery Branch Finance Corps Infantry Branch Inspector General's Corps Judge Advocate General's Corps Logistics Branch Medical Corps Medical Service Corps Medical Specialist Corps Military Intelligence Corps Military Police Corps Nurse Corps Ordnance Corps Psychological operations Quartermaster Corps Signal Corps Special Forces Transportation Corps Veterinary Corps
Installations	United States and overseas Germany Japan Kuwait South Korea
Training	Basic Training BOLC ROTC (ECP) OCS WOBC WOCS Military Academy (West Point) MOS
Uniforms and insignia	Awards and decorations Badges Branch Officer Warrant Enlisted World War I World War II Uniforms
Equipment	Individual weapons Crew-served weapons Vehicles
Premier ensembles	Army Field Band Army Band Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps West Point Band
History and traditions	History Continental Army Union army National Army Army of the United States Center of Military History Institute of Heraldry America's Army Army Art Program Flag National Museum West Point Museum Rangers U.S. Army Regimental System Soldier's Creed "The Army Goes Rolling Along" Division nicknames Draft Service numbers Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra
Historical	Buffalo Soldiers Army Air Forces Army Service Forces Women's Army Corps Rough Riders U.S. Cavalry United States Colored Troops United States Army Hospital Corps U.S. Sanitary Commission
Category

v t e Operational military installations in Virginia
Department of Defense	Headquarters The Pentagon Activity Camp Peary Warrenton Training Center School Joint Forces Staff College
Army	Fort Fort Belvoir Fort Eustis Fort Gregg-Adams Fort Myer Fort Walker Airfield Davison A.P. Hill Blackstone Plant Radford Army Ammunition Plant
Marines	Air Station Marine Corps Air Facility Quantico Base Marine Corps Base Quantico Henderson Hall Camp Camp Allen
Navy	Station Naval Station Norfolk Naval Weapons Station Yorktown Cheatham Annex Lambert's Point Deperming Station Base Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek Fleet Electronic Warfare Center (FEWC) Joint Expeditionary Base East Shipyard Norfolk Naval Shipyard Naval Air Station NAS Oceana Auxiliary Landing Field NALF Fentress Medical Center Naval Medical Center Portsmouth School Training Support Center Hampton Roads
Air Force	Air base Joint Base Langley–Eustis (Langley Field)
National Guard	Army Fort Barfoot Camp Pendleton Air Langley Air Force Base State Reserve Old City Hall School Virginia Military Institute
Coast Guard	Sector Hampton Roads Station Little Creek Cape Charles Milford Haven Chincoteague Portsmouth Wachapreague School Training Center Yorktown

• Military camps in the United States
• Former installations of the United States Army
• Landmarks in Virginia
• Buildings and structures in Newport News, Virginia