By Rickey Robertson
When the US Army began limited field exercises here in Louisiana in 1940 at Camp Beauregard, it was found that there was a great need for a base to operate from in West Central Louisiana. Thus came about Camp Polk, La. This base was used as a supply base, training base, and maneuver headquarters after its construction. It was involved in maneuver training until the end of World War II with many varied units training there. People don’t know but Camp Polk trained several of the most famous armored divisions in World War II.
Let’s look at five of these armored divisions that trained at Camp Polk and roved throughout Natchitoches, Sabine, and Vernon Parishes as they trained. The 3rd Armored Division took part in several of the first battles in France after D-Day June 6, 1944. The 3rd Armored fought in and around St. Lo and pushed the German forces out of that area after fierce fighting. In the winter of 1944 and early 1945 the 3rd Armored fought and helped to stop the German advance during the Battle of the Bulge. The commander of the 3rd Armored, Major General Maurice Rose, who was always at the front with his troops, was killed in action on March 31, 1945.
During the start of the Battle of the Bulge the 7th Armored Division had to retreat from Saint Vith. The division had been capturing towns in France and Belgium but they were hit hard by the spearhead of Hitlers Panzer divisions at Saint Vith and they pulled back. But the 7th continued to fight to halt the German advance and on January 23, 1945 they re-captured the town of Saint Vith and kept fighting all the way into the Ruhr Valley where all of Germany’s industrial plants were located. They captured and destroyed all of Germany’s industry and helped bring on the destruction of Germany.
The 8th Armored Division arrived in France in January 1945 and immediately were given orders to advance quickly into the battle raging near Strasbourg, France. They had to race 350 miles and entered the battle where they helped win that battle. Part of the 8th Armored was then placed under General George Patton and advanced into southern Germany and the other part of the 8th advanced into the Netherlands and pushed the Germans out of that country. The whole 8th Armored advanced into Germany and then blocked the Ruhr Pocket and stopped all German units in that area as the war ended.
The 9th Armored Division had trained extensively at Camp Polk and entered battle and proved itself as they battled the Germans at Saint Vith, Bastogne, and other towns in the midst of the Battle of the Bulge. But what the 9th Armored is famous for is this unit captured the famous Ludendorff Bridge, the last bridge standing across the Rhine River. With the capture of the bridge American units raced across it into Germany and began fighting the last battles that sealed Germany’s fate.
And the 11th Armored Division that trained at Camp Polk arrived in time to enter the terrible battles around Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. The 11th helped to break the encirclement of Bastogne and free the 101st Airborne. The 11th joined General Patton’s army and became one of his most trustworthy outfits. The 11th swept through Bavaria and then freed starving prisoners in Nazi concentration camps at Flossenburg and then Dachau. The sights the soldiers of the 11th saw at these death camps were terrible. The 11th advanced onward and was the first American unit to meet the Russians. And as the war ended these five Camp Polk armored units had participated in the battles that destroyed the German Army.
Camp Polk trained the best armored units! This base continues to train America’s Best!