Camp Santa Anita Ordnance Training Center, at Santa Anita Park, from 1942-1945, is featured in a temporary exhibit at Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage, through March 30.
Photo of top half of the cover of a tabloid-sized souvenir program given by the Army Ordnance, at an open house held in September 1943 at the Los Angeles Collesium. Writing across front reads: ORDNANCE IN ACTION Man O'War Ordnance Training Center Camp Santa Anita, Arcadia, California.
1. "Santa Anita Ordnance troops reviewed." News clip, circa 1942-1943?
2. "Camp Santa Anita houses Polish refugees." Arcadia Bulletin, November 8, 1943.
3. "Army camp needs told." Arcadia Tribune, October 29, 1942.
4. "Arcadia camp 'showplace'." News clip, January 21, 1943.
5. "G.I. Santa Anita." Westways, December 1943, p. 12-13.
6. Four issues of Man O' War, publication of the camp from 1943 and 1944. See also bound volume of this in Arcadia archives.
7. "Veterans visit their old camp." Los Angeles Times, August 14, 1967, Part II-S.
8. Notes taken from interview with William Dillon, Captain in the 14th Field Artillery Observation Battalion, once assigned to Camp Santa Anita. August 27, 1980.
9. "Camp Santa Anita remembered: during WWII it was the Great Arms Place." Los Angeles Times, December 25, 1981, Part III, page 1 by Shav Glick.
10. "Dear Joe." Handbook for soldiers stationed at Camp Santa Anita.
11. "Santa Anita goes to war." Source and date unknown.
12. "Colonia Santa Rosa." Copy of Spanish brochure regarding Polish refugees at Camp Santa Anita. Also includes correspondence regarding refugees.
13. Letter from Bronislaw Keilbasa to the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce, April 2, 1995. It requests information on Polish refugees that stayed near Arcadia during World War II. Enclosed was an article, "Wartime living - happiness in California," dated November 15, 1942.
14. Copies of documents regarding Polish refugees at Camp Santa Anita, courtesy of Bronislaw Kielbasa. 35 pages.
15. Letter to Mrs. Pat Corpe Krig from Jane Breiseth dated July 16, 1999, with information about Annadorf and Camp Santa Anita. (cc: Mary Beth Hayes) Three attachments: (1) Listing of soldiers who worked at Annadorf while stationed at Camp Santa Anita, people interested in Annadorf , and sources for further research. (2) copies of photos of Annadorf and Art Monaco receiving Legion of Merit at Camp Santa Anita. (3) Information on Camp Santa Anita copied from the United States Army in World War II: The Technical Service: The Ordnance Department Planning Munitions for War. 11 pages total.
16. Letter from Mary Beth Hayes to Jane Breiseth dated September 15, 1999, thanking Ms. Breiseth for information about Annadorf.
17. Letter from Mary Beth Hayes to Phillip C. Kellison requesting information on the images Mr. Kellison might have of Camp Santa Anita. Referred to by Researcher Jane Breiseth. September 15, 1999.
18. All bets were off. Shav Glick , a longtime Times sportswriter, recalls when he served at the Camp Santa Anita Army training camp during World War II. Los Angeles Times, November 4, 2003, p. D1.
19. Santa Rosa Colony: story of a Polish War-Refugee Camp, in Mexico. English translation of document #12 above.
20a. Annadorf: a German town in the San Gabriels. Part 1 of 3. Published by Wrightwood Historical Society, December 7, 2001. Printed from Internet Website http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/WrightwoodHistorical/ on December 30, 2005.
20b. Annadorf: a German town in the San Gabriels. Part 2 of 3. Published by Wrightwood Historical Society, January 4, 2002. Printed from Internet Website http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/WrightwoodHistorical/ on December 30, 2005.
20c. Annadorf: a German town in the San Gabriels. Part 3 of 3. Published by Wrightwood Historical Society, February 1, 2002. Printed from Internet Website http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/WrightwoodHistorical/ on December 30, 2005.
21. Down the home stretch at Santa Anita: the week the race track became a camp for Polish refugee children, October 1943. By Joyce Young-Kelly. Submitted to Professor Charles Roberts, Department of History, California State University, Sacramento. With cover letter from Joyce Kelly to librarian Yvonne Ng.
22."Santa Anita Park to be Nazi Camp: German Prisoners of War Will be Kept at Former Race Track Plant." Los Angeles Times, February 19, 1944.
23. "Santa Anita transformed: former Jap Assembly Center fast becoming army training hub." Los Angeles Times, December 14, 1942.
24. "Lee Side o' L.A. by Lee Shippey. A journalist's description of Camp Santa Anita." Los Angeles Times, April 28, 1943.
25. "Nation's armed might show attracts 50,000: 'Times'-Army Ordnance in action display at Exposition Park also will be open today." Los Angeles Times, September 12, 1943.
26. "Santa Anita will house 2000 Nazis: Army confirms plan for Prison Camp. " Los Angeles Times, March 9, 1944.
27. "Santa Anita Park ready in month." Los Angeles Times, September 20, 1944.
28. Wartime living: happiness in California. 727 Poles discovered happiness at the barracks of Camp Santa Anita. Polish refugees, 350 children who were wards of Poland's Government in Exile, stayed for six days on their way to Mexico City. Time Magazine, November 15, 1943.
29. Editor of U.S. Army camp paper Man O' War of Santa Anita, California Army Ordnance Training Center will be the editor of Toykyo Express, a new newspaper for the Pacific theater. Time Magazine, June 5, 1944.
Five soldiers seated at tables receiving instructions from teacher at front of room on operation of automatic pistols according to material on blackboard. This was one of training rooms at Santa Anita Park while it served as Camp Santa Anita, an Army Ordnance training center.
U.S. Army personnel looking through periodicals in front of wagering windows at Santa Anita Race Track during years it was used as Camp Santa Anita, a U.S. Army Ordnance training camp.
Paul Graf, 90, of New Albany, Indiana, came back to Arcadia to see Santa Anita Park again. He had been based there as a United States Army staff sergeant during World War II, when the track was turned over to the Army Ordnance Corps for training purposes and was officially renamed Camp Santa Anita. Graf said he used to run for exercise on the Anita Chiquita training track, which was eliminated when the Santa Anita Fashion Park was built in the 1970s. Graf had arrived at Camp Santa Anita around November 1942, after the site had already been used as the Japanese Assembly Center. Photo shows Graf holding an issue of Man O' War, a newspaper issued by army personnel at Camp Santa Anita.
A platoon of U.S. Army Ordnance soldiers is seen drilling on a wet day at Camp Santa Anita. The barracks, that just a few months earlier had been housing for the Japanese evacuees, is seen in background.
Eight civic minded men armed with shovels have apparently just installed sign reading: Give the Boys a Lift. This would have been during World War II when thousands of Army personnel were stationed in Arcadia and the sign designed to encourage residents to give the soldiers rides into Pasadena or other locations.
A single military tank stuck in mud with soldier with helmet working on it. Seen in right background under oak tree is a single car. This is north of Foothill Blvd. in Arcadia.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to support legislation establishing February 19 as "Remembrance Day" for those Japanese who were sent to internment camps during World War II. Locally, an internment camp was set up at Santa Anita Park.
Ed Inouye of West Covina, whose family was sent to the internment camp at Santa Anita Park during World War II, died on February 19th. He was instrumental in getting the government to pay reparations to some of the imprisoned families.
Interview with author Brad Pearson who wrote the book The Eagles of Heart Mountain. He tackles the injustice of Japanese-American incarceration through the exploits of a World War II camp football team. Article mentions many evacuees were detained at Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia before being shipped out.
World War II internees reunite. Japanese Americans detained at Santa Anita Park before being sent to camps share photos, memories and friendship, at 75th anniversary event in Little Tokyo. See hard copy in VF Assembly Center.
A new exhibit at the Ruth and Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum is about the Santa Anita Assembly Center, a temporary facility at Santa Anita Park that held Japanese Americans before they were sent to more permanent internment camps during World War II. The opening reception will feature speakers Osamu Miyamoto, Akkiko Nomura and others. Dana Dunn is the curator.
1. "The Shops at Santa Anita"aren't right for Arcadia. Mailed to residents in February, 2006 by Westfield Santa Anita in opposition to new mall. Photos in the flyer are not of Arcadia Fire Department or Arcadia Police Department. 2. "Date Night at The Grove," invitation from Caruso Affiliated, Apri…
1. "The Shops at Santa Anita"aren't right for Arcadia. Mailed to residents in February, 2006 by Westfield Santa Anita in opposition to new mall. Photos in the flyer are not of Arcadia Fire Department or Arcadia Police Department.
2. "Date Night at The Grove," invitation from Caruso Affiliated, April 2006.
3. "Stop The Shops at Santa Anita" and billboards, wall signs, animated signs, mailer paid for by Santa Anita Shoppingtown, L.P.
4. "Public Scoping Meeting: the Shops at Santa Anita Park-Revised Project," June 13, 2006.
5. Grand opening and open house of the office of The Shops at Santa Anita and Caruso Affiliated. May 2006.
6. "Caruso Project Faces Key Test on Wednesday." San Marino Tribune, April 5, 2007.
7. Caruso Affiliated newsletter "Speaking Santa Anita, an update on The Shops at Santa Anita" sent to residents. December 2006. Arcadia firefighters support the shops. Planning Commission hears from Arcadians such as Ruth Dunlop. Supporter spotlight on Nancy Chan.
