Camp Wallace, Galveston County, Texas, was designed as a training center for antiaircraft units in World War II. It was formally opened on February 1, 1941, and named for Col. Elmer J. Wallace of the Fifty-ninth Coast Artillery, who was fatally wounded in the Meuse-Argonne offensive of 1918. For two years Camp Wallace served as an antiaircraft replacement-training center. On April 15, 1944, the camp was officially transferred to the United States Navy as a naval training and distribution center and was used as a boot camp. After the war it became the Naval Personnel Separation Center. It was declared surplus in 1946.
The Camp Wallace (Tex.) World War II Collection, 1943, consists of correspondence between soldiers stationed at Camp Wallace, Texas, and their friends, family as well as current and hopeful love-interests. The correspondence is comprised of hand-written letters, postcards, typed letters and news clippings. The young men receiving these letters were in training prior to being sent overseas for World War II. The letters were sent from all over the United States. The correspondence was written in 1943 during which time Camp Wallace served as an antiaircraft replacement-training center. The letters were written during 1943 when the soldiers were stationed at Camp Wallace. Common issues mentioned in the various letters regard furloughs, routine army drills, injuries and family illnesses, disappointment in the army, love interests, between correspondents and romantic endeavors when on furlough. Also there is brief mention of a suicide at the base. The bulk of the correspondence is addressed to Henry G. Loeffler.
The news clippings are frequently interleaved with the related correspondence. The news clippings consist of cartoons that pertain to military life, current events in cities such as Oakland, California and a pin-up of Ingrid Bergman.
The collection is arranged alphabetically by correspondent and then further arranged in the chronological order in which it was post-marked or received.
This collection is open for research use.
Camp Wallace (Tex.) World War II Collection, 1943, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Some material has been separated to the Oversize Picture Files.
This collection was processed by archives staff, 1994.