Camp Darby

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Camp Darby 43°38′N 10°19′E / 43.633°N 10.317°E / 43.633; 10.317 is a United States military complex located between Pisa and Livorno. The base was formally dedicated on 15 November 1952 and is named in memory of Brigadier General William O. Darby, Assistant Division Commander of the 10th Mountain Division, who was killed by enemy artillery on 30 April 1945 on the shore of Lake Garda, Italy.

The main square on Camp Darby is dedicated to the memory of Pvt. Masato “Curly” Nakae, a Japanese-American soldier who fought during World War II in the vicinity of Pisa with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate) who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic acts.

Camp Darby is home to the American Beach in Tirrenia, the only U.S. military beach in Europe and a popular vacation destination for military personnel on leave. It is also home to the Darby Military Community, the 731st Munitions Squadron (MUNS), 405th Army Field Support Battalion- Italy, 839th Trans, Livorno Unit Schools, AAFES, and DECA. Annual events open to the public include the Run to the Tower in September/October [1] and the Italian-American Carnival in June.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the 7th Medical Command had its United States Army Europe (USAREUR) Contingency Hospital warehoused here. The 100 bed USAREUR Contingency Hospital was Congressionally mandated after the bombing of the barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. Its mission was to be prepared upon 18 hours' notice from Congress to respond to any terrorist or natural disaster in the eastern hemisphere. The unit drew its staff from hospitals throughout Europe and deployed in support of Display Determination exercises in Turkey (1987 and 1989) and northern Italy (1988). Captain Laurent La Brie configured the unit for its newly outlined mission and was in charge of the maintenance element from 1987 to 1990.

In 2012 the U.S. Army has announced that the Garrison at Camp Darby would be realigned as a satellite installation of USAG Vicenza at Caserma Ederle with some reduction in staffing and would be referred to as Darby Military Community. [2]

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References

  1. ↑ http://www.army.mil/article/67886/Race_still_going_strong_after_29_years/
  2. ↑ http://www.facebook.com/notes/vicenza-garrison-command/italy-force-structure-changes-and-the-effect-on-the-vicenza-military-community/357977527552475
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