The Laguna Army Airfield was built about 2 miles north of Camp Laguna. The army built the Laguna Army Airfield landing strip to support Camp Laguna's training activities. The runway was used for small planes, like the L-4 Piper Aircraft so the vast training grounds could be watched from the air. The runway was long enough for large planes to be used in training exercises also. It was one of many Arizona World War II Army Airfields. The Laguna Army Airfield is still in use today.
Yuma Test Branch was built in 1943 northwest of Camp Laguna, in what is now the Yuma Proving Ground. The Yuma Test Branch, also called the Italians at the Yuma Test Branch, was built to test mobile bridge building equipment. The site is near the Colorado River, thus was ideal for testing mobile combat bridges, amphibious vehicles, and boats. Many Italian soldiers who became prisoners of war after the North African campaign turned and supported the United States in the Italian Service Units. These Italian were used at the Yuma Test Branch to help build the test combat bridges from 1944 to 1945. The Yuma Test Branch site was closed in 1949. In 1951 the site reopened as the Yuma Test Station. The site was renamed the Yuma Proving Ground in 1962.
The Yuma Visitor Center offers addition information about Camp Laguna, Yuma Proving Ground and the surrounding areas.
The US Army has a museums that also showcases the history of Camp Laguna, Yuma Proving Ground and the surrounding areas at the: Yuma Proving Ground Heritage Center.
Historical Markers
Marker at the Camp Laguna site reads:
Camp Laguna operated from April 1942 to April 1944. It was one of twelve such camps built in the southwestern deserts to train United States troops during World War II. The Desert Training Center, a simulated theater of operations, included portions of Arizona, California and Nevada. The other camps were Young, Coxcomb, Iron Mountain, Ibis, Clipper, Pilot Knob, Bouse, Granite, Horn, Hyder, and Rice. Over one million soldiers from approximately 400 units were trained at the center. These units included 13 infantry divisions, 7 armored divisions and numerous non-divisional units. Camp Laguna was the training site for the 3rd and 9th Armored Divisions, 79th Infantry Divisions, Italian service units and special bridge test section. Erected 1998 by Lost Dutchman Chapter 5917, Ancient and Honorable order of E Clampus Vitus, In cooperation with The United States Army, Yuma Proving Ground.
Marker at the Italians at the Yuma Test Branch site reads:
During World War II, the Yuma proving ground of the United States Army Corps of Engineers was known as the Yuma Test Branch, which was used as a floating-bridge test facility. By 1944, more allied troop support was needed to conduct the bridge tests at the Yuma Test Branch. By this time, Italy had surrendered to the United States. A group of Italian prisoners-of-war, who were captured in North Africa, pledged their loyalty and support to the United States. These Italians were then formed into two Italian service units and were stationed at the Yuma Test Branch from 1944 to 1945 to assist in testing floating bridges. In addition to their bridge-building capability, they were talented in fine art, culinary art and stonemasonry. This concrete-lined stone-faced paint shed, decorated with three castles bearing the United States Army Corps of Engineers insignia and one castle inscribed with the word "Italy" was constructed by them to facilitate the safe storage of paint at the Yuma Test Branch. Because the temperature was cooler underground, the paint was stored below ground under all of the stone decorations, a method which was free of fire hazards.
Wahner E. Brooks Historical Exhibit and Camp Laguna
The following are the images of the historic structures in Wahner E. Brooks Historical Exhibit, Camp Laguna and its surrounding areas.
