When Was Camp Lejeune Founded?
Before the Camp Lejeune lawsuit, there was Camp Lejeune. Interestingly enough, Camp Lejeune history is very rich and dates all the way back to WWII.
A lot of people wonder, “When was Camp Lejeune established?” or “How old is Camp Lejeune?” One thing to know is that Camp Lejeune’s history begins in April 1941. The US government set aside 14 million dollars for the base’s construction. It was a very strategic location to choose for many reasons. In May, the design and layout of the base were ready. The first camp that was set up in that area was in September 1941.
Since then, many generations have trained to fight in that exact spot. Camp Lejeune was very instrumental in moving many areas of warfare forward. It was especially fruitful for riverine and urban training operations. So, it goes without saying that Camp Lejeune has high historic and strategic value. Since it was founded, it has been active for 83 years. Today, Camp Lejeune has a population of around 150 thousand people. This includes people on active duty on the base as well as civilians and employees in the surrounding area.
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
Who Was Camp Lejeune Named After?
So, how exactly did Camp Lejeune get its name? In late 1942, the base was named after the commanding general and 13th commandant of the Second Army Division in WWI. This means that Major General John Archer Lejeune is the man that Camp Lejeune is named after to this day.
John Lejeune was born on a Louisiana plantation on January 10, 1867. At 23, he began his service. Besides being behind the origin of Camp Lejeune’s name, Major General Lejeune was a Marine Corps lieutenant general. He had served for about forty years in the military. On top of being the commanding general of the Marine Corps during World War I, General John Lejeune was also the first Marine officer who had held an Army divisional command. In addition to serving in WWI, John Lejeune had also served in these wars:
- The Spanish-American War
- The Philippine-American War
- The Mexican Revolution
- The Banana Wars
He had actively been serving for almost 40 years, from 1890 to 1929. He also received many awards for his dedicated service, including:
- Navy Distinguished Service Medal
- Army Distinguished Service Medal
- French Legion of Honor
- French Croix de guerre
With all of that being said, it is really no wonder that an important base was renamed after him. Since he was an important man, even posthumously. John Lejeune had two nicknames. He was known as the “Greatest of all Leathernecks” and “The Marine’s Marine.” In 1942, it was called Marine Barracks Camp Lejeune. In 1944, it was changed to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune; that is still the name of the base today.
Warfare
Camp Lejeune opened in the early 1940s; the second world war had already been going on for over a year abroad. The United States was preparing soldiers to join the war. After the Department of the Navy bought more than one hundred thousand acres of land, the logistical location was born. The value of Camp Lejeune to the World War II effort was clearly seen in the massive contribution of everyone who had been trained there.
In addition to the troops in WWII, Camp Lejeune has also trained many generations of fighters. Many have trained there to fight the wars in Korea, Kuwait, Vietnam, Afghanistan, the Pacific Islands, Iraq, and more. Camp Lejeune has also been very vital when it came to some of the most important peacekeeping missions, like the one in Lebanon. Just like the man it is named after, Camp Lejeune has had a heavy impact historically.
Another interesting fact about Camp Lejeune is that international forces come to train there for exercises sponsored by NATO. Here are some of the main operations that Camp Lejeune has aided in:
- Aircraft recovery
- Personnel missions
- Missions for drug interdiction
- A lot of noncombatant evacuations
- And more.
Military History
An integral part of Camp Lejeune history is unquestionably its military history. Camp Lejeune is quite infamous today because of the lawsuit. It used to be very famous for other reasons, though. Military planners knew that Camp Lejeune was a very valuable asset as a training base. It was initially chosen for its valuable resources. Some of the most important features of the area are listed below:
- It is near a port of water.
- There are no public roads or streets.
- It is far from any community or industry.
- It is isolated from the public.
- It is full of forests and perfect for cover.
- It has long stretches of beach.
Camp Lejeune Facts
Another major plus that Camp Lejeune held was that the long stretch of beach made it a prime spot for supporting amphibious training operations. They also have all of the following to their advantage:
- 156,000 acres of land
- 34 positions for guns
- 50 strategic landing areas
- 3 training grounds
- 11-mile-long beach
- 80 ranges for live fire
All of these factors made this spot in Jacksonville the perfect choice in a time of war. With that being said, Camp Lejeune is still full of life today. In spite of the lawsuit against the base, many people are still living there. As a matter of fact, the military facilities at Camp Lejeune are active today as well.
Camp Lejeune has seen many achievements through the years. One of its biggest achievements is that it has received the Commander-in-Chief’s Award for Installation Excellence seven times. The award is based on how well the base has managed its assets. They also take into account the quality of the programs and how ready their expeditionary forces are. To conclude, despite the controversy, Camp Lejeune has proven itself internationally many times.