The post was activated on December 2, 1942, initially designated as
Arlington Staging Area
and
Arlington Special Training Center
, and renamed Camp Anza on December 12, 1942. Camp Anza was a large army base with 512 buildings housing 20,000 troops. Over 600,000 troops were processed over the three years of use. The camp had over a hundred wood barracks. Also Built were: headquarters, recreation rooms, chapel, laundry building,
Southern Pacific Railroad
station, library, fire station, newspaper print room (
Anza Zip
), 2,000 seat outdoor theater, water storage tower, motor pool, heating plant, and mess halls.
Bob Hope
,
Jack Benny
and
Eddie Cantor
often entertained troops there.
The Pepsodent Show Starring Bob Hope
, a radio shows was broadcast from the camp one night. Most troops at the camp were shipped out at the
Los Angeles Port of Embarkation
at Camp Ross. Before departing troops had immunizations, gas masks training, complete a will, rope ladder climbing training, recorded personal property, and at Hole Lake
abandoned ship
training. Possessing took eight to ten days before shipping out to the
Pacific War
. On August, 1945 returning troops started to arrive at Camp Anza. To serve the troops the camp also had a camp hospital. The 8th Italian Quartermaster Service Company, one of many
Italian Service Units
worked at Camp Anza.
Camp Anza was deactivated on March 31, 1946.
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
Philip H. Philbin Jr. purchased the camp in 1948 for $510,000. Philbin sold off much of the camp. Six local schools starting using the former camp. The street layout of the camp kept. A housing subdivision called Anza Village and Arlanza Neighborhood was built on the land. Today
[
when?
]
there remains: a few barracks, chapel, the headquarters, laundry facility, officer's club and warehouse, all reused building. The city has a Historical Resources Inventory of the buildings.
[6]
[7]
Units stationed at the camp:
229th Military Police Company (Zone of the Interior) (ASF)
1941st Service Command Unit (Station Complement) (ASF)
8th Italian Quartermaster Service Company (ASF)
385th Army Service Forces Band (ASF)
Detachment, 9206th Transportation Corps Technical Service Unit (Los Angeles Port of Embarkation (ASF)
22nd Army Air Forces Base Unit (Army Air Forces Command Group, Non-Divisional Unit) (AAF)
↑
Mermillied, Jennifer (October 2022). "The Camp Anza Officers Club: Supporting Mobilization and Morale During World War II".
Riverside During World War II
. Riverside, CA: Riverside Historical Society. pp.
149–177.
ISBN
979-8849200880
.