Camp Upton

Camp Upton. It was a significant United States Army installation located in Yaphank, New York, on Long Island. Established during World War I, it served as a major induction and training center for the American Expeditionary Forces. The camp later played a crucial role during World War II, most famously as the site of the U.S. Army Specialized Training Program and as a convalescent hospital, before its post-war conversion into a national laboratory.

History

The land for the camp was acquired by the War Department in 1917 through eminent domain, encompassing over 9,000 acres in central Suffolk County, New York. It was named in honor of Union Army Major General Emory Upton, a noted military strategist and reformer. Its rapid construction, overseen by the Army Corps of Engineers, was part of a massive national mobilization effort that included similar facilities like Camp Devens in Massachusetts and Camp Meade in Maryland. The site's selection leveraged the existing rail infrastructure of the Long Island Rail Road for efficient troop movement to New York City ports.

World War I

During the First World War, the camp functioned primarily as a reception and training depot for draftees under the Selective Service Act of 1917. It processed and trained tens of thousands of soldiers, including the men of the 77th Infantry Division, known as the "Statue of Liberty Division," which was composed largely of recruits from New York City. The camp's routine was famously satirized in the 1918 Broadway revue "Yip Yip Yaphank," created by a soldier stationed there, composer Irving Berlin. After the Armistice of 11 November 1918, the camp was used as a demobilization center before being placed in caretaker status and largely dismantled by 1921.

World War II

Reactivated in January 1940 amid the growing threat of global conflict, the camp was rebuilt and expanded to prepare for American entry into World War II. It initially served as an induction center and training ground for units including the 45th Infantry Division. From 1943, it housed the U.S. Army Specialized Training Program, which provided accelerated college-level instruction to select soldiers. Later in the war, it was converted into Convalescent Hospital No. 14, treating wounded soldiers returning from theaters like the European Theater and the Pacific War. The camp also held Italian prisoners of war who worked on local farms.

Post-war use and legacy

Declared surplus after Victory over Japan Day, the site was transferred to the United States Atomic Energy Commission in 1947. It was transformed into the Brookhaven National Laboratory, a premier scientific research institution managed by Associated Universities, Inc.. This conversion marked a dramatic shift from military to peacetime atomic research, with the laboratory contributing to projects like the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron. Very few original structures remain, though the Long Island National Cemetery was established on a portion of the former grounds. The area is also part of the Long Island Central Pine Barrens.

Notable personnel

Many individuals who later achieved prominence in various fields were stationed at or associated with the camp. Composer Irving Berlin wrote the musical "This Is the Army" while stationed there during World War II. Renowned scientist and Nobel laureate Isidor Isaac Rabi was a consultant at the site when it became Brookhaven National Laboratory. Baseball legend and Army Air Forces officer Joe DiMaggio was processed through the camp during World War II. Famed artist and Marine combat correspondent Tom Lea created illustrations of camp life. Brigadier General John McAuley Palmer commanded the camp during its World War I mobilization phase. Category:Military installations in New York (state) Category:World War I sites in the United States Category:World War II sites in the United States