Camp Stoneman History

7/31/2019 Camp Stoneman History

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Camp Stoneman, Pittsburg, CaliforniaCamp Stoneman was located in N. California, at Pittsburg, 40 miles NE of

San Francisco. A staging area and rifle range for troop training by the Army,

and established as a Class I installation, it was also used as a facility of the San

Francisco Port of Embarkation.

Though the sound of thousands of marching feet is but a memory today,

Camp Stoneman was once the principal "jumping off point" for more than one

million soldiers destined for operations in WW II's Pacific Theater, and again

several years later during the Korean War. Consisting of more than 2,500

sprawling acres, it sprang to life in 1942. Its function was to rapidly process

troops for overseas service by completing paperwork and updating records,

arranging for last minute training, providing medical and dental care, and issuing and servicing equipment.

Camp Stoneman, named after George Stoneman, a Civil War cavalry commander and early Governor of

California, had a lifespan of only 12 years, being activated on May 28, 1942, and decommissioned on August

30,1954. The day-to-day operation of the camp was a tremendous task. In addition to receiving, processing andembarking thousands of troops each week, waiting soldiers were housed and fed, medical and dental

examinations and corrective work conducted, clothing, equipment and records put in proper order, final training

provided, and numerous other odds and ends taken care of.

Camp Stoneman consisted of more than 800 cream and khaki-colored buildings, capable of accommodating

20,000 troops at peak capacity. The average length of a stay for troops bound overseas was one to two weeks.

When soldiers returned at the conclusion of World War 11 and the Korean Conflict, the average person was

cleared out in less than 48 hours. A number of conveniences were maintained at the installation for use by the

soldiers who were often restricted to post during their entire

stay. The camp boasted three motion picture theaters, a ten-

thousand seat outdoor theater, weekly USO shows throughout

much of World War II, eight well-stocked branches of the PostExchange, a huge service dub, and much more. USO show

entertainers included Hollywood stars such as Groucho Marx,

Garry Moore and Red Skelton. The largest telephone center in

the world was operated at Camp Stoneman in 1945.

[http://www.militarymuseum.org/CpStoneman.html]


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REVISED SITE SURVEY SUMMARY SHEETFOR

DERP-FUDS SITE NO. J09CA077300C M TONEMAN

SITE NAME: Camp Stoneman. The site was also known as Camp Stoneman MilitaryReservation; Camp Stoneman Military Reservation, Contra Costa; Pittsburg Staging Area;Central Valley Project; Camp Stoneman, Pittsburg; Rancho Los Medanos; PittsburgReplacement Depot; Pittsburg Replacement and Reclassification Depot; Camp StonemanReplacement & Reclassification Depot & Rifle Range; Camp Stoneman West ~anisoisohRifleRange; Camp Stoneman Rifle Range; Camp Stoneman U.S. Army Reserve Center; CampStoneman Military Reservation Pittsburg; and West Garrison Rifle Range, Camp Stoneman,CA.LOCATION: The site is located in Northern California, in Contra Costa County, inthe City of Pittsburg, 40 miles northeast of the city of San Francisco (Figures 1 and 2). -SITE HISTORY: In 1942, the War Department acquired 1831.41 fee acres, 5.61easement acres, 0.33 license acre, 0.03 permit acre, and 1004.16 leased acres. The totalacreage acquired was 2841.54. Of the fee acres, 17.07 were acquired from the City ofPittsburg and 1814.34 were acquired from the private owners. The easement acres wereacquired from private owners. Of the license acres, 0.28 was acquired from Contra CostaCounty, and the remaining 0.05 was acquired from private owners. The 0.03 permit acrewas acquired from the State of California, Division of Highways. Of the lease acres, 897.01were obtained from private owners and the remaining 107.15 were acquired from the City ofPittsburg. The site was used as a staging area and rifle range for troop training by theUnited States Army, and was established as a Class I installation (later used as a personnelreplacement and reclassification depot). The site was also used as a facility of the SanFrancisco Port of Embarkation, known as the West Garrison Area of Camp Stoneman. Theimprovements to the site consisted of motor repair shops, ordnance storage, carpenter shops,paint and utility shops, oil storehouses, warehouses, target buildings, infirmaries, a hospital,clinics, dental shops, administrative buildings, mess halls, officers quarters, family quarters,md nurses quarters, barracks, latrines, chaplain office, firehouses, guard houses, stockades,a post office, recreational facilities, bowling alleys, gymnasium, tennis courts, a footballfield, baseball diamonds, softball fields, basketball courts, generator houses, steam plants, oilstorage tanks, steam pumps, incinerators, a pump house, and septic tanks. The 1004.16leased acres were terminated prior to 29 May 1958 (no indication of restoration). On 29October 1954, a total of 1.46 fee acres were reported excess to General ServicesAdministration (GSA), and were conveyed to the Pittsburg Unified School District byquitclaim deed on 20 January 1955. A total of 8.94 fee acres (used for a reserve center)were conveyed to GSA on 15 May 1964 and later turned over to private individuals byquitclaim deed. The remaining 1821.01 fee acres were sold to various individuals and cityand state agencies between 1959 and 1962. There is no information regarding restoration forthe fee acres.


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-REVISED SITE SURVEY SUMMARY SHEET

FOR- DERP-F'UDSSITENO. 09CA077300

CAMP STONEMAN

The site is currently owned and occupied by the City of Pittsburg and various privateowners.SITE VISIT:A site visit was conducted on 4-5 March 1991 by Mr. Roger Norris and Mr.Jenn-Yih Peng of The Earth Technology Corporation. Mr. Robert Bedell, retired seniorengineering technician for the City of Pittsburg, provided historid maps of Camp Stonemanand provided detailed descriptions of the locations of camp remnants. The site is currentlyoccupied by the City of Pittsburg and numerous private owners. According to Mr. Bedell,the only remnants of Camp Stoneman are the rifle range, the main chapel, the sewagedisposal plant, two trash-burning incinerators, several sets of warehouses and somefoundation debris. The 300-yard rifle range is abandoned and is located in a residential area.Records indicating whether the Army EOD swept the rifle range area before turning it overto the GSA are not available, however, according to Mr. Bedell, the City of Pittsburgh hasthoroughly examined the rifle range and the adjacent area and have not found any explosiveordnance. The concrete-and-earth target line and two earth-berm firing lines are part of avacant grass field. The Camp Stoneman military chapel has been renovated and is currentlyused by the Community United Presbyterian Church of Pittsburg (since 1954). The City ofPittsburg owned and operated the sewage disposal plant between 1966 and 1984 andabandoned i t in 1985.. Th e sewage disposal plant property is currently leased to anautomotive salvage company. Mr. Joseph White purchased the incinerator property from theDOD in 1962 and then sold it to Mr. Robert Markstein in 1978. The incinerators have notbeen used since DOD occupation. The DOD-built warehouses are currently used aswarehouses and private offices by Tennessee Chemical Company, Merit Ends Inc., CentralValley Tire Service, and other businesses. Foundation debris is located along the north sideof East Leland Road between Harbor Street and Loveridge Road, and along Harbor Streetnear Bliss Avenue. During the investigation performed by the St. Louis District DER P teamat Camp Stonemen property, evidence was found that a military munition may be located atandther nearby site. An artillery round was found on the property of the Dow Chem icalCom pany, S ite No. J09CAOO8800. Th e investigation also identified another area where highconcentrations of lead may be found. (SeeAttachment 1 - Extract from Draft ArchiveSearch Report for Camp Stoneman.)


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DEFENSE ENVIRONMENTALRESTORATION PROGRAMFORMERLY USED DEFENSE SITESFINDINGS AND DETERMINATION O F ELIGIBILITY

CAMP STONEMANCONTRA COSA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA . .SITE NO.J09CA077300 ..

FINDINGS OF FACTI.1. Ln 1942, the War Department acquired (from private owners, the Ciry of Pinsburg,Contra Costa County,and the State of California) 1831.41 fee acres, 5.61 easement acres,0.33 Lictnse acre, 0.03 pcnnir acre and 1004.16leased acres. Toral acnagc acquind was -2841 54.

2. The site was known as Camp Stoneman Military Reservation; Camp StonemanMilitary Reservation, Conua Costa; Pinsburg Staging Area; C e n d Valley Project; Camp

-Stoneman, Pittsburg, Rancho Los Medanos; Pittsburg Replacement Depot; PittsburgReplacement and Reclassiiication Depor Camp tone man Replacement & ReclassifcationDepot and Rifle Range; Camp Stoneman West Ganison Rifle Range; Camp Stoneman RifleRange; Camp Stoneman U.S. Army Reserve Center, Camp Stoneman Military ResewanonPittsburg; and West GariLson Rifle Range, Camp Stoneman, CA. The site was used by theU.S. Army as a staging area and rifle range for troop training and was established as a class Iinstallation for the b y later used as a personnel replacement and reclassification &pot).The site was also used 'as a facility of the San Francisco Port of Embarkation. Improvementsto the site consisted of m otor repair shops, ordnance storage, carpenter shops, paint and utilityshops, oil storehouses, warehouses, target buildings, infirmaries, a hospital, clinics, dentalshops, adminisnative buildings, mess halls, officers quarters, family quarters, and nursesquarters, barracks, latrines, a chaplain office, firehouses, guard houses, stockades, a postoffice, bowling alleys, gymnasium, tennis courts, a football field, baseball diamonds, softballfields , basketball courts, generator houses, steam plants, oil storage tanks, steam pumps,incinerators, a p u p house, and septic tanks. The site was used exclusively by DOD uringthe period of DOD ownership.3. The 1004.16 leased acres were terminated prior to 29 May 1958with no indication ofrestoration. By quitclaim deed dared 20 January 1955, 1.46 fee acres were conveyed to thePittsburg Unified School District 8.94 fee acres were transferred to the GSA on 15May1964,ayi subsequently sold to private individuals. The ~ m a i n i n g 821.01 fee, 5.61casement, 0.33 license and 0.03 permit acres were conveyed to various individuals, city andstate agencies between 1959 and 1962. There is no information regarding restoration for thefee acres. The site is currently owned and occupied by the City of Pitrsburg and variousprivate owners.


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-DEFENSE ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION PROGRAM FOR FORMERLY USEDDEFENSE SITES, FINDINGS AND DETERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY; CAMPSTONEMAN, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, SITE NO. J09CA077300DETERMINATION

Based on the foregoing findings of fact, the site has beendetermined to be formerly used by the DOD. Therefore, it iseligible for the Defense Environmental Restoration Program forFormerly Used Defense Sites, established under TO USC 2701 etseq. :

1203 3Date ~ri gad ier eneral, U.S. Armycommanding -


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10Mile Figure 10 5-cale LocationMapCamp StonemanSource: Basemap from U.S.G.S.. 1250.000 A,orth ganJose. Sacramento.Santa Rosa.

and SanFranciscoOuadrangles. Site No.J09CA077300-


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0 1R 1 Mile Figure 2-cale SiteMapCamp StonernanSource: Base map from U.S.G.S.. 124.000 NO th'.Antioch SouBh. Antioch Noflh. Claytonand Honker BayQuadrangles Site No.J09CA077300

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Camp Stoneman History

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