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spinoff: POW Camp North of Alexandria in Ball

Posted on 11/23/20 at 11:28 am
Posted by MountainStateTiger
Member since Jul 2020
8 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 11:28 am
After seeing the POW camp thread in Ruston, it reminded me of the one at Camp Livingston in Ball, LA.

LINK

LINK


quote:

Camp Livingston, located about 12 miles north of Alexandria, Louisiana, was created in 1940. First known as Camp Tioga, it was renamed Camp Livingston in honor of Chancellor Robert R. Livingston, negotiator of the Louisiana Purchase. The camp formed part of a larger complex of military bases in Central Louisiana that included Camps Claiborne, Polk and Beauregard, as well as Esler Field.

Construction began September 15, 1940. The first soldiers arrived in early 1941, and by summer there were 27,500 soldiers based on approximately 900 buildings on the camp grounds, with 7,850 tents. In mid-1941, the camp was a site of the Louisiana Maneuvers, a 400,000-man training exercise involving two imaginary countries fighting each other.


quote:

Following the outbreak of the Pacific War on December 7, 1941, the United States Army Provost Marshal General ordered Camp Livingston transformed to house enemy aliens and prisoners of war who were interned by the U.S. Justice Department. The internment facilities were designed to hold up to 5,000 German, Italian and Japanese aliens and POWs.


Posted by soccerfüt
Location: A Series of Tubes
Member since May 2013
65873 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 11:30 am to
Luckily for the Germans, "Ball" is Ball in German!
Posted by Pedro
Geaux Hawks
Member since Jul 2008
33691 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 11:30 am to
quote:

Ball, LA.
got a ticket there once


frickers
Posted by DaBeerz
Member since Sep 2004
16995 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 11:32 am to
What about camp Claiborne in the kisatchie at Woodworth.... 101st airborne trained there and they built a train track to and from fort Polk for the engineers to practice building railroad... there are still spots they say are forbidden due to possible explosives
This post was edited on 11/23/20 at 11:36 am
Posted by Tyga Woods
South Central Jupiter Island, FL
Member since Sep 2016
30374 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 11:34 am to
Now people just dump trash and smoke meth out there.
Posted by La Place Mike
West Florida Republic
Member since Jan 2004
28840 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 11:50 am to
My dad's family would go to Fort Polk and watch the German POW's play soccer on Sundays. He also got to see Patton and his famous pearl handled revolvers in front of a drug store in Leesville right before the war.
Posted by LongueCarabine
Pointe Aux Pins, LA
Member since Jan 2011
8205 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 11:56 am to
Went there a few years back with my shooting buddy, just wanted to do some plinking.

Some king shite deputy sheriff drove up on us and acted like we were drug dealers or something.

You can still see the foundations of a lot of buildings and infrastructure. Would like to go back but I hear the local LE loves hassling people.
Posted by DaBeerz
Member since Sep 2004
16995 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 12:12 pm to
I’ve heard there are tanks and all kinds of stuff buried there
Posted by FightinTigersDammit
Louisiana North
Member since Mar 2006
34826 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 12:13 pm to
quote:

Ball, LA.

quote:

got a ticket there once


They are terrible.
Posted by Macfly
BR & DS
Member since Jan 2016
8135 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 12:13 pm to
Interesting info in the links.
Posted by HarrisonTown
Member since Nov 2019
516 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 12:14 pm to
I learned to shoot and drive at Livingston.
Haven't been down that way in years.
Sorry the druggies took it over, not surprised though.
Posted by FightinTigersDammit
Louisiana North
Member since Mar 2006
34826 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 12:14 pm to
quote:

He also got to see Patton and his famous pearl handled revolvers in front of a drug store in Leesville right before the war.


Ivory.
Only a New Orleans pimp would carry a pearl-handled revolver.
Posted by Tchefuncte Tiger
Bat'n Rudge
Member since Oct 2004
57343 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 1:11 pm to
quote:

pearl handled revolvers


“Son, only a pimp in a Louisiana whorehouse carries pearl-handled revolvers. These are ivory.”

-G.S. Patton.

quote:

Construction began September 15, 1940.


My Dad left LSU in 1940 because he ran out of money for tuition, so he ended up on construction crews that built the bases for the Louisiana Maneuvers. He was inducted in to the Army March 7, 1942, at Camp Claiborne.

There was a camp for German POWs associated with the Hammond Army Airfield; the prisoners worked in the local timber industry. There was also some type of facility in West Baton Rouge Parish and the inmates worked in the cane fields.

POWs in Louisiana
This post was edited on 11/23/20 at 1:20 pm
Posted by La Place Mike
West Florida Republic
Member since Jan 2004
28840 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 1:44 pm to
quote:

Ivory.


You are correct My faux pas.
Posted by ElderTiger
Planet Earth
Member since Dec 2010
7015 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 2:29 pm to
quote:

What about camp Claiborne in the kisatchie at Woodworth....


I believe this is where my mom worked for the American Red Cross as a secretary. There were German POWs held there. She used to talk about how respectful they were and glad they were to be out of the battle zone in Europe. From the stories they told, many German soldiers were not supportive of the war effort and cutting grass, doing carpentry work and getting 3 squares a day and a safe place to sleep etc., was far better than fighting a war they knew they would eventually lose.
Posted by ForLSU56
Rapides Parish
Member since Feb 2015
5582 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 3:14 pm to
Has been a rumor floating around the area that someone is looking into doing a show for the History Channel of finding and digging up some of the "stuff" that was rumored to be buried when Camp Claiborne closed down.
Posted by terriblegreen
Souf Badden Rewage
Member since Aug 2011
9669 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 3:56 pm to
Been there many times. You can still see the concrete supports for the barracks.
Posted by vl100butch
Ridgeland, MS
Member since Sep 2005
34679 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 4:09 pm to
quote:

Has been a rumor floating around the area that someone is looking into doing a show for the History Channel of finding and digging up some of the "stuff" that was rumored to be buried when Camp Claiborne closed down.


I know someone involved with this, not sure what the status is...
Posted by DemonKA3268
Parts Unknown
Member since Oct 2015
19245 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 4:30 pm to
quote:

Ball, LA got a ticket there once .
quote:

They are terrible.


Speed limit just went up to 55 from 45 and yes, they are still terrible.
Posted by SoFla Tideroller
South Florida
Member since Apr 2010
30246 posts
Posted on 11/23/20 at 5:06 pm to
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