Camp Shanks


Camp Shanks was a United States Army installation in the Orangetown, New York area. Named after Major General , it was situated near the juncture of the Erie Railroad and the Hudson River. The camp was the largest U.S. Army embarkation camp used during World War II.

History

Camp Shanks served as a point of embarkation for troops departing overseas during World War II. Dubbed “Last Stop USA”, the camp housed about 50,000 troops spread over and was the largest World War II Army embarkation camp, processing 1.3 million service personnel including 75% of those participating in the D-Day invasion. In 1945 Camp Shanks housed German and Italian prisoners of war.
After the war, Camp Shanks was converted into housing for veterans with families attending colleges and universities in the New York City area under the GI Bill; the settlement, then known as Shanks Village, closed in 1954.
A small museum opened near the site in June 1994.

Units passing through Camp Shanks

Ground Forces

Army Air Forces

Other