| As the war in Europe ended
in 1945, and the Allied ring around Japan grew tighter, the training tempo
at Camp Pickett started to diminish. With so many soldiers being
released from combat in Europe for duty in the Pacific Theater, the need
for thousands of new replacements declined, so some of the training areas
around the camp closed. After Japan’s surrender in September, the
post’s closing seemed to be just a matter of time. All combat training
stopped by year’s end, and the only fully staffed operation left on post
was the hospital.
As 1946 ended, all patients
were discharged or transferred to veterans’ hospitals, and the post entered
first period in a “caretaker” status. Only a very small staff, mostly
civilian government employees, remained to keep the camp ready if needed
in a future emergency.
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