Special Exhibit for June 3-July 12: Commemorating D-Day
Camp Gordon Johnston was established in 1942 in Carrabelle to train entire infantry divisions, including the U. S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division and their support units, in amphibious warfare. That training and the men who received it would be put to the test on the heavily fortified beaches of Normandy, France on D-Day, June 6, 1944. The first amphibian infantry assault teams to arrive on French soil were from the 4th Infantry Division at Utah Beach. The D-Day invasion, the largest seaborne invasion in history, included over 100,000 Allied troops.
The exhibit will include personal papers, historic photos, and artifacts belonging to Capt. John E. Mellen, generously shared by his family. Capt. Mellen commanded the 818th Amphibious Truck Company and served with them from their training at Camp Gordon Johnston through the end of the war. The 818th trained at Camp Gordon Johnston in late 1943 and early 1944 before deploying to England in preparation for the Normandy invasion. On June 6, 1944, they landed on Utah Beach as part of the 1st Engineer Special Brigade, supporting the 4th Infantry Division. For this the 818th received a Meritorious Unit Citation and Croix de Guerre with palm and five members received Bronze Stars.
A video of amphibious assault training on Carrabelle Beach will play continuously during the day, with a new showing every 10 minutes. This Army training short film, captured by the U.S. Army Signal Corps, documents the D-Day preparations as they happened in March 1943. Several well-known photographs of this training were taken from this footage. These exercises were to be the last training before troops shipped out to England.
The exhibit also features personal interviews with members of the 4th Infantry Division and accounts from German defenders. These, along with other tributes to D-Day, offer a more complete perspective on this historic event. The museum’s three WWII military vehicles will also be on display.
Funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.
Special Exhibit for July 15-August 30: End of World War II
On May 7, 1945 Karl Donitz, a naval admiral, ardent Nazi, and Hitler’s successor, agreed to the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany’s armed forces to take effect the next day. The document of surrender was signed that day at Reims, in northeastern France by General Alfred Jodl. On May 8, people filled the streets in celebration and this day is known as Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day).
On August 14, 1945, the Japanese surrendered without qualifications to the U.S. and preparations began for an official surrender and the end of World War II. Earlier that month an atomic bomb had been dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and then Nagasaki. On September 2, the formal surrender documents were signed on the decks of the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay. This day is celebrated as Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day) in the United States.
This special exhibit commemorates the events that brought World War II to an end. It features a collection of artifacts related to the surrender, including souvenirs from Japan, photographs of post-war Japan, and more. Highlights of the exhibit also include documents from the Nuremberg trials, such as a vintage copy of Hitler’s will as well as occupation-era souvenirs from Germany and Japan, and striking images of post-war Germany. Items that relate to the preparation for the invasion of Japan (thankfully unnecessary) will also be on display.
Funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.
Past Events
Sidney A. Winchester Building Dedication at Camp Gordon Johnston Museum
The Camp Gordon Johnston Association and WWII Museum was honored to dedicate our museum building on September 21, 2019 to the late Sidney A. Winchester, a Carrabelle native, U. S. Army veteran and key supporter of Camp Gordon Johnston Museum. We were joined by U.S. Congressman Neal Dunn, M.D. (FL-02) who made two very special presentations during the ceremony. Congressman Dunn presented a container of sand from Utah Beach, Normandy, France to the Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum and then presented an American Flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. to Sidney Winchester’s wife, Bobbye, who accepted the flag on behalf of the Museum in honor of Sidney’s service both as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne and as a charter member and champion of the Camp Gordon Johnston Association. The sand from Utah Beach and the flag will be on display at the Museum. Also on this day, Camp Gordon Johnston Museum celebrated Smithsonian magazine’s 15th annual Museum Day. This national celebration honors museums that follow the example of the Smithsonian with free admission.
Click Here to see the Video of the Dedication Ceremony and Congressman Neal Dunn’s special presentations. Thanks to Mayor Brenda La Paz for this video! Click here to learn more about these events.
