Camp Kilmer, New Jersey was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops billeted at Camp Kilmer in preparation for transport to the European Theater of Operations in World War II. Eventually, it became the largest processing center for troops heading overseas and returning from World War II handling over 2.5 million soldiers.

The camp was named for Joyce Kilmer, the soldier-poet of World War I. His home was in nearby New Brunswick, New Jersey.

The site was selected in 1941 by the War Department as the best site to serve the port of New York. Construction began in early 1942. Located at , the closest town was New Brunswick located two miles to the south. Plainfield was located four miles northeast of the camp. New York City could be reached by the mainline of the Pennsylvania Railroad, it was about 22 miles to the north.

The buildings were constructed of wood and were painted bright contrasting colors for a camouflage effect. This was similar to the Dazzle camouflage used for ships in World War I.

The first unit to arrive at Camp Kilmer was the 332nd Engineer General Service Regiment, a complement of 1,239 enlisted men and 52 officers. The unit arrived July 22, 1942 on three separate trains from Camp Claiborne, Louisiana.

At Camp Kilmer troops would receive medical injections, send personal effects home and get the supplies needed before loading onto transport ships for travel to the ETO.

The camp remained active until the fall of 1949 when it was no longer needed.

Uses after WW II

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In the fall of 1950, with hostilities in Korea, the camp was again reactivated. It was placed on inactive status again in June 1955. In November of 1956 it served as an initial place for housing for refugees from the 1956 Hungarian Revolution until June 1957. In March 1958, Camp Kilmer became Headquarters II of the US Army Corps (Reserve).

Environmetal hazard

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It was permanently closed in 1995. Camp Kilmer is soiled with numerous contaminants including PAHs, VOCs, SVOCs, PCBs, asbestos, and Heavy metals affecting groundwater, surface waters and sediment, as well as the soil.

External links

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• Camp Kilmer overview at GlobalSecurity.org
• Digital recreation of pamphlet issued to troops billeted at Camp Kilmer
• Digital Archives of New Jersey History, Camp Kilmer information
• EPA report 2005

History of New Jersey | Middlesex County, New Jersey | United States Army posts