Camp Abbot
by Tor Hanson
Today, Sunriver is an idyllic community in Central Oregon, but during World War II, it was the site of Camp Abbot, the westernmost engineer replacement training center of the US Army Corps of Engineers. Under the leadership of Col. Frank Besson, the US Army trained 90,000 men at the camp from 1943 through 1944. Mimicking the European landscape, the surrounding terrain and the swift-flowing Deschutes River were deemed perfect for training young soldiers how to build and demolish bridges. Located about 15 miles south of Bend, the quickly built installation included administration buildings, a hospital, over 50 barracks, mess halls, training grounds, recreation facilities, and a chapel. There, among pine trees and sagebrush, soldiers endured subfreezing winters and 100-degree summers.
Paperback
English
Brand New
Author Biography
Local historian Tor Hanson has lived in Bend, Oregon, for more than 25 years. He is a board member of the Deschutes County Historical Society and editor of its monthly newsletter, the Homesteader. Hanson holds an information and public relations degree from Skurup Folkhögskola in Sweden and is a freelance writer for American and Swedish magazines and newspapers. The photographs are curated from the US Army Signal Corps, the Deschutes Historical Museum, and other sources.
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