Theodore Roosevelt Boginski (Bo) and “Doc” Snipes consented to pose briefly in front of the mess hall at Camp Oklahoma City, France. “Bo” is Mess Sgt & Snipes is Company Aid Man.
Friends at Redeployment Camp
Category: Past
Awaiting Redeployment
Our field mess hall at Camp Oklahoma City, France. Our 87th Division was the first unit to be processed here in redeployment home & then to the Pacific.
Bernard McKenzie, June 17, 1945, near Reims, France
“Bo” orients Doc Snipes on the Pacific War. War in Europe was over, but we were all thinking of the Japs.
Bernard McKenzie, June 17, 1945
A soft drinks truck paused briefly to take care of business in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.
Bernard McKenzie, June 17,1945
Trier, Germany, on the Moselle River, was also the victim of our bombs.
Bernard McKenzie, June 17, 1945
Large cities of Germany were not the only ones who saw the havoc of war. This is the view of a small town outside Cologne.
Bernard McKenzie, June 17, 1945
Camp Oklahoma City, Next Best Place to Being Home
Complete & successful destruction of a Nazi Party headquarters building near Cologne, Germany.
Bernard McKenzie, June 19, 1945
A view of the picturesque Moselle River near Wasserbillig, Germany. Our regiment had taken Wasserbillig only after a terrific price in human lives last winter.
Bernard McKenzie, June 19, 1945
The cathedral was to have been the chief subject near Bonn, Germany, and while hurriedly passing through, the picture was snapped.
Bernard McKenzie, June 19, 1945
This photo, which I’d always assumed was of a sign constructed by a home-sick G.I., pointed the directions of American redeployment camps, or repo-depos. The camps were named after U.S. cities. My dad was at Oklahoma City.
Redeployment centers near Reims, France, were organized & functioning in these U.S. city named camps . Our Division was redeployed at Oklahoma City.
Bernard McKenzie, June 19, 1945
These redeployment camps near Reims served as a funnel to prepare millions of American G.I.’s for military operations elsewhere in the world and to send the luckier ones home. The map below shows the location of the various camps around Reims. The first photo shows the long lines for the “Gourmet Restaurant” at Camp Boston. The second photo is of my dad’s camp, Oklahoma City.
Looking Forward to the End…
American soldiers & not French are boarding this GI vehicle with some of the ruins.
Bernard McKenzie, June 26, 1945
Camp Home Run, once a German held fort, was our waiting place for the boat.
Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 20-26, 1945
This picture was taken as our advance party convoy entered the city of Aachen, Germany.
Bernard McKenzie, June 20, 1945
American Cemetery of World War II soldiers. Located in Belgium, just across the German border.
Bernard McKenzie, June 20, 1945
“In Flanders Fields the Poppies Grow…” This snap is but a tiny sector of Flanders in Belgium. Nothing but poppies were visible in the field. A very beautiful sight.
Bernard McKenzie, Flanders, Belgium, June 20, 1945, quoting a 1918 poem by John McCrae
The very busy business cross intersection in the heart of Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.
Bernard McKenzie, June 20, 1945
A Mystery to Solve
All of the photographs on this site are scans of originals that my father Bernard McKenzie took on his trek across western Europe at the end of World War 2. To this point the descriptions written on the back have been meticulous, detailed in the handwriting of my dad and the vernacular of the times. They’ve also been accurate, both chronological and locations. This blog post has helped me identify the first discrepancy, a photo and description dated far out of sequence. What’s going on? I hope to figure it out as I keep following the trail of photographs back into Germany.
The lazy Moselle River near Wasserbillig, Germany.
Bernard McKenzie, June 22, 1945
While this photo does appear to be of the Moselle River, Luxembourg is on one side while Germany is on the other. The photo is also obviously extremely mis-dated, as my dad was at Camp Home Run in Le Havre, France, on June 22.
First Glimpses of a Devastated Le Havre
Three or four roofs remained intact at Le Havre.
Bernard McKenzie, June 22, 1945
Can Le Havre ever be a great city (again)? The used stone should be a prosperous business.
Bernard McKenzie, June 22, 1945
Le Havre’s a Home Run
French girls were on hand at Camp Home Run to make for a less “G.I.” atmosphere.
Bernard McKenzie, June 23, 1945
A German-constructed pill box surrounding their old fort at Le Havre, France.
Bernard McKenzie, June 23, 1945
A distant view of Le Havre, France. Taken from the top of an old German fort. Church and other buildings in the foreground were relatively untouched–buildings in the background were demolished.
Bernard McKenzie, June 23, 1945
Entrance gate to Camp Home Run.
Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 23, 1945
Underground tunnel barracks that we were housed in during our 5 days at Home Run.
Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 23, 1945
A sector of Le Havre that had missed some bombs.
Bernard McKenzie, June 23, 1945
Service deluxe was to be had at Camp Home Run. Here are a few French girls who dished out food in the kitchen.
Bernard McKenzie, June 23, 1945
Once a German fort, Camp Home Run was a restful place for American G.I.’s awaiting shipment home.
Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 23, 1945
Thinking of WW2 Veterans on Veteran’s Day
Veteran’s Day need not be a politicized holiday. Looking back at these amazing photos that are the greatest gift my father left us, I see Americans fighting oppression and tyranny. I see the great nation and people of France so devastated yet only weeks after the end of the war the smiles have returned to many of their faces. Veteran’s Day is a day to remember what binds us all together, the valor of generations of young people to protect fellow humans. I am proud to say that my dad was a veteran of World War 2 along with his brother, who landed in Normandy 24 hours after D-Day, and their dad before them was a veteran of World War 1.
Le Havre & her harbor from the distant hill at Camp Home Run.Bernard McKenzie,
June 24, 1945
German PW’s are completing work on a volley ball court. Soon after they finished we played a game.
Bernard McKenzie, June 24, 1945, Camp Home Run
A flag raising ceremony at Camp Home Run.
Bernard McKenzie, June 24, 1945
Here we could write letters, play cards, checkers, ping pong, read, etc. (Camp Home Run Day Room)
Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 24, 1945
At Camp Home Run–near Le Havre, France–we had all the service one would want. French girls served us in a cafeteria manner.
Bernard McKenzie, June 24, 1945
Pray for Le Havre
Think about communication and getting your hand on news in the World War 2 era. Cables. Wires. Telegrams. News reels. First word of events that changed the course of world history were first discovered by everybody in 72 point type in newspaper headlines. Seeing the devastation in these photographs of Le Havre 73 years later, the utter horror of World War 2 is shocking. To the people who lived here, they must have thought humanity was ending.
A view from Camp Home Run looking out to the ocean.
Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 25, 1945
Le Havre & the Harbor.
Bernard McKenzie, June 25, 1945
A limited view of Le Havre from the distant point at Camp Home Run.
Bernard McKenzie, June 25, 1945
More ruins of Le Havre.
Bernard McKenzie, June 25, 1945
Remnants of a War, Le Havre
Le Havre was just coming back to life after being destroyed for its location as a gateway to the European theater in World War 2. Le Havre took a major hit when the Germans seized control, then suffered utter devastation when the Allies regained the stronghold.
Business “not as usual” in the heart of Le Havre proper.
Bernard McKenzie, June 26, 1945
German forts (pill boxes) at the harbor front. The Jerries at one time were very entrenched here.
Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 26, 1945
Our bombers scored here.
Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 26, 1945
Home was never like this. Thank God.
Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 26, 1945
The “Ghost City” of Le Havre, France.
Bernard McKenzie, June 26, 1945
Past Present Future 