House Bill hb9107

    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                HR 9107

        By Representative Kendrick






  1                         House Resolution

  2         A resolution recognizing the veterans of the

  3         amphibious training center at Camp Gordon

  4         Johnston.

  5

  6         WHEREAS, in April 1942, during the early stages of

  7  World War II, Franklin County was selected as the site of a

  8  United States Army amphibious training center charged with a

  9  mission to teach all phases of amphibious operations, the

10  objective being to form a highly efficient, well-coordinated,

11  hard-hitting, and fast-moving amphibious force, mentally and

12  physically hardened for arduous field service and battle, and

13         WHEREAS, on September 10, 1942, the first troops

14  arrived at Camp Carrabelle to prepare for the 38th Infantry

15  Division, the first unit scheduled for training at the hastily

16  constructed base, and, in January 1943, the same month the

17  post was renamed Camp Gordon Johnston, the 28th Infantry

18  Division arrived to begin training, followed by the 6th

19  Communications Squadron, the 78th Smoke Generator Company, and

20  the 377th Coast Artillery Battalion, and

21         WHEREAS, in June 1943, the United States Navy assumed

22  the amphibious training mission, altered now to emphasize

23  loading and unloading landing craft quickly and quietly by day

24  and night, organization and control of troops during such

25  operations, and tactics and movements of combat teams working

26  in concert and individually to seize and secure beachheads and

27  advance inland toward the division objective, and

28         WHEREAS, the United States Army 4th Infantry Division,

29  the last division assigned to the amphibious training center

30  at Camp Gordon Johnston, completed its stint in October and

31  November 1943 under Navy supervision, culminating three years

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                HR 9107

    775-120-02






  1  of preparation for what would become a turning point in the

  2  war, and

  3         WHEREAS, on D-Day, June 6, 1944, during the Normandy

  4  Invasion by the United States and its allies, the first

  5  amphibious infantry assault teams to arrive on French soil

  6  were from the 4th Infantry Division of the United States Army,

  7  NOW, THEREFORE,

  8

  9  Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of

10  Florida:

11

12         That the House of Representatives pauses in its

13  deliberations to recognize and honor the troops of the United

14  States Armed Forces who were involved in amphibious training

15  at Camp Gordon Johnston by which they were equipped to stand

16  against the forces of tyranny during World War II and to

17  express a special, heartfelt gratitude to the members of the

18  United States Army 4th Infantry Division for their sacrificial

19  efforts in the invasion of Normandy in the final push to end

20  the war in Europe.

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.