Camp Blanding Museum

05/25/2023

Camp Blanding Museum is proud to announce we will take part in the Green Cove Springs Museum activities on Memorial Day. Please plan to join us! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

11/15/2022

Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for the Camp Blanding Museum! Why? A critical part of our Museum mission is to educate - educate young people about the devotion and sacrifice of so many Americans during World War II; educate families about the service of family members; educate serving soldiers about the history of Camp Blanding; and educate community organizations about why men and women continue to serve our Country. At the Camp Blanding Museum, we take this mission very seriously and we work at it every day!



I very much encourage you to support our mission. We are working to expand the Museum so we can tell more of the Camp Blanding story. That story continues to evolve, and we are dedicated to making the story fresh and relevant to those serving today, veterans and families.



Please help us! Make a Thanksgiving donation to the Museum expansion fund; your support is truly appreciated!

I'm Thankful for the Camp Blanding Museum
*Dr. George Cressman

Museum Staff Historian

11/11/2022

Camp Blanding Museum would like to thank each and every Veteran and those currently serving our great Country, our heartfelt thanks for your and your families service and sacrifice.

11/11/2022

"Camp Blanding was a pioneer in military intelligence operations!

An important part of intelligence work is interrogation of individual Prisoners of War. The 1940 U.S. Army was poorly prepared for this task, and there was a significant lack of training courses. So, on 16 January 1942, a course was initiated to teach prisoner interrogation techniques.

The course was under the command of Major (later Colonel) Charles R. Warndof; Captain George H. Schwedersky served as the Assistant Instructor. Three officers and thirty-two enlisted men were in the first class; twenty-five graduated.

Major Warndof was born in Vienna, Austria in 1899; he moved to the U.S. in 1915 and became a U.S. citizen. Warndof graduated from Texas A&M College. He joined the Army Corps of Engineers, serving in Georgia and later in Mississippi. Warndof was called to active duty with the 31st Infantry Division, and came to Camp Blanding in 1940 as the commander of Company B of the 106th Engineers.

The Camp Blanding course was closed and (then) Colonel Warndof and all instructional material was transferred to an interrogation training school at Camp Bullis, Texas. This was followed by establishment of the Military Intelligence Training Center at Camp Ritchie. At Camp Ritchie, the “Ritchie Boys,” a multi-lingual group of 20,000 Army servicemen and WAC members were trained as intelligence specialists and interpreters."

11/03/2022

During October, the 314th and 315th Infantry Associations held a reunion in Charleston, South Carolina. These Regiments were part of the 79th Infantry Division, one of 9 infantry divisions that trained at Camp Blanding during World War II.
Dr. Georg Cressman represented Camp Blanding Museum, providing a display on the 79th Division’s Camp Blanding training. The display included the uniform of Capt. Daniel Dunnigan who served in the 79th during the War. The uniform was donated to the Museum by Capt. Dunnigan’s son, who was able to attend the reunion. Dr. Cressman delivered a presentation to the reunion attendees in which he described the training activities of a World War II infantry unit.
A highlight of the reunion was the attendance of Mr. George Patton (Pat) Waters, grandson of Lt. General George S. Patton. Pat delivered a wonderful speech in which he shared his childhood memories of General Patton
Also in attendance was Maj. General David Ling, commander of the 79th Theater Sustainment Command, the successor to the World War II 79th Infantry Division. General Ling described the service of the current 79th Command.
The 79th Infantry Division was one of 9 infantry divisions and 157 Army units that trained at Camp Blanding during World War II. The Camp Blanding Museum tells the story of Camp Blanding’s mission and activity during World War II. You are cordially invited to visit the Museum; we are open from Noon to 4:00PM daily. You can find more information about the Museum at our website, www.campblandingmuseum.org.

10/27/2022

03/23/2022

A Unique Re-enlistment Ceremony at Camp Blanding
In mid-November 2021, a unique re-enlistment ceremony took place in the Camp Blanding Museum Memorial Gardens. While re-enlistments happen regularly at Camp Blanding, the November ceremony was unique because it involved the U.S. Navy.

Sonar Technician Petty Officer Second Class (STG2) Anthony Nordwall chose Camp Blanding for his Navy re-enlistment because the Nordwall family has a strong connection with Camp Blanding.

The Nordwall family story begins with STG2 Nordwall’s great grandfather, Antoine Nordwall. An emigrant from Sweden, Antoine Nordwall grew up in Minnesota. Antoine Nordwall enlisted in the U.S. Army and in World War I, he fought in France, where he was a casualty of poison gas. After recovering, Antoine Nordwall returned to Minnesota and married Rose Marie Lussier, a native American of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians of Minnesota. The Nordwalls had a total of eight children, five boys and three girls.

After World War I, Antoine Nordwall continued to suffer from the World War I gassing, and he had a much weakened immune system. In 1935, he was involved in a work accident; his injuries became infected, then gangrenous. While trying to reach a hospital in Minneapolis, Antoine died.

Antoine’s sons were then sent to the Pipestone Boarding School. The oldest son, Stanley Anthony Nordwall, was responsible for ensuring he and his brothers behaved. In June 1942, Stanley Nordwall left the Boarding School and registered for Selective Service, and he was inducted into the Army in November 1942. Stanley volunteered for the paratroopers and was sent to Camp Blanding for training with the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment. After completing jump training at Fort Benning and advanced training at Camp Mackall, Stanley Nordwall and the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment moved to England. The 508th jumped into Normandy on 6 June 1944, jumped into the Netherlands for Operation Market-Garden, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and fought through Germany to the end of World War II.

Recognizing the family’s connection to Camp Blanding, STG2 Anthony Nordwall, the grandson of Stanley Anthony Nordwall, chose the 508th PIR marker in the Camp Blanding Museum gardens. The Nordwall connection to Camp Blanding represents the family’s continuing service to the United States.

The Camp Blanding Museum is open daily from 1200 to 1600 hours. Admission is free, and the Museum docents look forward to sharing more stories of Camp Blanding’s history.

03/16/2022

"A section of the Alachua-St. Marys Road lies within Camp Blanding. Located in St. Marys, Georgia is an excellent deep water anchorage; cargo unloaded there moved down the Alachua-St. Marys Road to central Florida. This route was used to avoid Spanish soldiers (and tax collectors!) during the Spanish periods. After Florida became an U.S. territory, the road fell into disuse, but sections of the road remain on Camp Blanding property.

During the Seminole Indian Wars, a series of forts were built for defense and logistical purposes. One of these, Fort Van Courtland, was located on Camp Blanding property. Museum staff and volunteers are working on determining the precise location of Fort Van Courtland."

02/25/2022

Friends of Camp Blanding and the Museum,

We have a remarkable opportunity to spend a beautiful evening together at both the Camp Blanding Museum and newly-renovated Cooper Hall. Many of us have fond memories of Camp Blanding and the "old Officers Club" on the water. Quite honestly, there were times when we appreciated the view of "Camp Blanding" written backwards in our rearview mirror too!. April 30th, however, will be a whole different perspective.

Please join us for a Night at the Museum as we showcase our remarkable museum, as well as Cooper Hall. We will enjoy our social hour at the Museum, followed by gourmet dining from food stations by a reputable caterer. A swing band is also in the works! Attire is semi-formal.

Be sure to check out our new website with information about our expansion project. Funds raised at this event will go towards improved operations of the Museum and our expansion efforts. I hope to see you for a Night at the Museum!

https://campblandingmuseum.org/

Matt Johnson
Colonel, U.S. Army - Retired
President, Camp Blanding Museum and Historical Associates

Explore Camp Blanding MuseumCamp Blanding Museum was established in 1990 and currently features displays focused on Camp Blanding’s History and involvement during WWII.Learn More Our Youtube ChannelFor additional historic videos check out our YouTube Channel. Watch Here      Night At The Museu...

02/15/2022

In 1939, the U.S. had the world’s 17th largest army; Portugal had a larger army than the U.S. And, low budgets during the 1930s had hampered training and restricted development of new equipment. The German invasion of Poland and the rapid conquest of the Low Countries and France signaled the need for both a larger army and modernized equipment. The first peace time selective service was implemented and National Guard units were federalized.

Training rapidly accelerated; large scale maneuvers in 1941, 1942 and 1943 helped prepare the U.S. Army for combat. As important as training in the U.S was, combat became the most important teacher for soldiers who most recently had been civilians.

How did the Army learn? There were a series of methods. Senior officers from Army Ground Forces visited the combat theaters and interviewed soldiers and their officers, gleaning key insights into combat techniques – lessons learned the hard way. The Fort Benning Infantry School continued publication of a hard bound series of books titled simply The Mailing List. The articles in The Mailing List provided advice to improve training; for example, the July 1944 issue contains the articles “Principles of Town and Village Fighting” and “Briefing With a G.I. Blanket” (describing how to make combat models using a blanket to simulate terrain).
The Mailing List articles were aimed primarily at Army training staff. It was supplemented by an ongoing series of training pamphlets; for example, in 1942 the Infantry School published Training Bulletin No. GT-4, “Hasty Field Fortifications.”

While the Infantry School publications were intended for and useful for training staff, the articles and pamphlets were not suited for officers and men actually in combat. Front line troops and officers needed digest style articles that could be quickly used to share learning across all combat theaters. That need was satisfied through publication of the Intelligence Bulletin. Material in the Bulletin was gathered from combat troops; it was presented in short, easy to read articles describing enemy equipment and fighting techniques and ways to effectively fight. For example, the January included an article titled “Small Units Used by Japanese at Night;” the October 1943 issue had an article titled “Notes on Winter Use of Infantry Weapons.” The Bulletin was published in a soft cover pocket sized issue – easy to distribute and use in the field.

Learning in combat was essential to surviving in rapidly evolving battlefields, perhaps the ultimate example of the need to “learn on the job.” The World War II U.S. Army employed a range of tools to capture, record, and share that job knowledge.

The Camp Blanding Museum Archives room holds copies of the documents mentioned here; these are maintained for researchers’ use.

02/06/2022

The new Chaplains display at the Camp Blanding Museum has a Chaplain wearing an 82nd Airborne uniform. Why the 82nd?

Chaplain (Captain) Ignatius Maternowski, a Franciscan Priest, enlisted in the U.S. Army in July 1942. He volunteered for airborne service and was assigned to the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment – a regiment that was activated at Camp Blanding. After completing jump school with the troops of the 508th, Chaplain Maternowski deployed with the 508th first to Ireland and then to England. The 508th went to the United Kingdom as an independent regiment, but in spring 1944, the unit was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division.

During the evening of 5 June 1944, Chaplain Maternowski offered Mass for the men of the 508th, and then boarded transport aircraft for the jump into Normandy. He landed in the Hamlet of Guetteville in the town of Picauville, France. A glider had crashed nearby and there were many casualties. There was heavy fighting in the area, and both U.S. and German casualties were mounting.

Chaplain Maternowski realized the medics needed an aid station. The Chaplain hoped he could negotiate with the Germans to find a suitable building that could serve as a combined aid station. He calmly walked out of the U.S. lines, his helmet off, wearing his Chaplain’s insignia and a Red Cross armband. After discussions with the senior German physician, he turned to walk back to the U.S. lines. As he walked, a German sniper shot and killed Chaplain Maternowski.

Chaplain Maternowski was the only Chaplain killed on D-Day; he was the first Polish-American priest to give his life in service to the U.S. in World War II. For three days, the Chaplain’s body lay on a road because the Germans refused to allow U.S. forces to recover him. On 9 June, soldiers of the 90th Infantry Division recovered the Chaplain’s body and it was temporarily buried near Utah Beach.

In the Franciscan book of memories it is written of him: “He was an exemplary priest, a dynamic preacher, but most of all, he was truly an apostle and friend of the soldiers entrusted to his spiritual care.”

01/29/2022

On 23 January 1943, the SS Dorchester departed New York, bound for Greenland. On board were about 900 soldiers; among them were four chaplains, George Fox (Methodist), Alexander Goode (Jewish), John Washington (Roman Catholic) and Clark Poling (Dutch Reformed).

The Dorchester was a civilian cruise liner that had been converted for troop transport service. In the early morning hours of 3 February 1943, off of Newfoundland, a German U-Boat torpedoed the Dorchester. The Four Chaplains moved to the ship’s deck and immediately began helping soldiers get into lifeboats.

There was an inadequate number of life jackets. So, when the supply of life jackets ran out, the Four Chaplains gave their life jackets to soldiers who did not have one. As the Dorchester sank, the Four Chaplains stood on the deck, linked arms, prayed and sang hymns. The Four Chaplains went down with the ship,

Four Chaplains Day is an annual commemoration of the sacrifice of these brave chaplains, and a recognition of the service of all chaplains. This year’s Four Chaplains Day will occur on Thursday, 3 February 2022.

Recently the Camp Blanding Museum opened a display on the Army’s Chaplains Corps. A central part of the new display is a painting that shows the Four Chaplains on the sinking Dorchester. The public is cordially invited to visit the Museum to view the new Chaplain’s display and the Museum’s other displays. The Camp Blanding Museum is open daily from 1200 to 1600 hours.