Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum in Carrabelle is presenting a special exhibit commemorating the anniversary of D-Day. This exhibit will be on display from Tuesday, June 2 until Saturday, July 18.  The museum is open every Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm. There is no charge for admission, but donations are gladly accepted.    

Camp Gordon Johnston was established in 1942 in Carrabelle to train entire infantry divisions, including the U. S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division and their support units, in amphibious warfare. That training and the men who received it would be put to the test on the heavily fortified beaches of Normandy, France on D-Day, June 6, 1944. The first amphibian infantry assault teams to arrive on French soil were from the 4th Infantry Division at Utah Beach. The D-Day invasion, the largest seaborne invasion in history, included over 100,000 Allied troops.

The exhibit will include personal papers, historic photos, and artifacts belonging to Capt. John E. Mellen, generously shared by his family. Capt. Mellen commanded the 818th Amphibious Truck Company and served with them from their training at Camp Gordon Johnston through the end of the war. The 818th trained at Camp Gordon Johnston in late 1943 and early 1944 before deploying to England in preparation for the Normandy invasion. On June 6, 1944, they landed on Utah Beach as part of the 1st Engineer Special Brigade, supporting the 4th Infantry Division. For this the 818th received a Meritorious Unit Citation and Croix de Guerre with palm and five members received Bronze Stars. 

Added to the exhibit this year is the story of Victor Lucek of the 3891st Quartermaster Truck Company, who landed with his truck on Utah Beach on June 7, 1944, D+1. His experiences offer another viewpoint on the huge logistical effort and bravery required during the Normandy invasion. The exhibit also features interviews with members of the 4th Infantry Division and accounts from German defenders. These, along with other tributes to D-Day, offer a more complete perspective on this historic event. The museum’s three WWII military vehicles will also be displayed.

An Army training short film, captured by the U.S. Army Signal Corps, documents the D-Day preparations as they happened at Camp Gordon Johnston in March 1943. This video of amphibious assault training on Carrabelle Beach will play continuously during the day. These training exercises were to be the last training before troops shipped out to England. 

Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum is located in Carrabelle, directly across from Carrabelle Public Beach Park at 1873 Hwy 98 West. For more information, contact Camp Gordon Johnston Museum at (850) 697-8575 or museum@campgordonjohnston.com. Funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.