Demobilization

The 40th Battalion found itself assigned to Camp Cleveland, one of seventeen "city camps" hastily constructed on the Champagne plains around Reims, France. These camps, named after American cities, were part of the Assembly Area Command (AAC) established by the Communications Zone on April 9, 1945. Camp Cleveland was built at the Reims-Wez-Thuisy airfield (Advanced Landing Ground A-79), where the 825th Engineer Aviation Battalion had previously constructed wartime facilities.

From June 29 to August 5, 1945, the men of the 40th lived in tent rows and wooden huts at Camp Cleveland, waiting for their orders home. The choice of Reims as an assembly point may have seemed puzzling—it was 150 kilometers from the nearest port—but it offered significant advantages.

The city sat astride major rail lines and highways leading to Paris, Le Havre, Antwerp, and the Mediterranean. The surrounding plains provided ample space for the massive tent cities without disrupting civilian areas, and the presence of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) meant existing infrastructure and logistics support were already in place.

Life at Camp Cleveland was a mixture of boredom and anticipation. Soldiers could visit Paris, just ninety minutes away by truck convoy, climbing the Eiffel Tower and attending shows. Some took advantage of two-week furloughs to Switzerland or the French Riviera. They celebrated the Fourth of July and Bastille Day in liberated France, sharing in the joy of a continent finally at peace.

The 40th Signal Construction Battalion's presence at Camp Cleveland reflected the Army's continued segregation practices. As an African-American unit, they were quartered in designated areas separate from white troops, a reminder that even in victory, the promise of equality remained unfulfilled.

On August 6 and 9, 1945, atomic bombs fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. When Japan surrendered on August 15, V-J Day, the entire redeployment plan changed overnight. Instead of preparing for jungle warfare in the Pacific, units like the 40th were now bound directly for home.

From August 5-7, the battalion boarded trains at Mourmelon, beginning their journey south through the Rhône valley to Marseille. This 700-kilometer trip took them from the assembly areas to the Delta Base Section, where the U.S. had established staging areas to process troops for embarkation.

Arriving at Camp Calas on August 7, the 40th entered what soldiers called the "Delta Dust Bowl"—a collection of three staging areas near Marseille capable of housing up to 130,000 troops. These tent cities, built on hot, dusty plains, were designated as Staging Area No. 1 (Calas), No. 2 (St. Victoret), and No. 3 (Arles). Together, they processed the massive flow of personnel heading home.

The choice of Marseille made strategic sense. Channel ports like Le Havre, Cherbourg, and Antwerp were overwhelmed with equipment, supplies, and returning prisoners of war. Marseille, captured in August 1944 and expanded throughout 1945, offered modern harbor facilities capable of handling liberty ships and troop transports with fewer delays.

Living conditions in the staging areas were uncomfortable—canvas tents under scorching sun, dust everywhere, and basic facilities. Yet there were diversions: bus lines to Marseille for recreation, makeshift canteens, movies, and the constant hope of boarding orders. By August 15, the staging areas had already processed over 123,000 personnel, a testament to the massive scale of Operation Magic Carpet.

On August 16, fortune smiled on the 40th. They received seven days of Temporary Duty (TDY) orders to Cannes on the French Riviera — a reward for their long service and a taste of the peacetime world they had helped secure.

For a week, these soldiers who had strung communications wire from Normandy to the Rhine could walk Mediterranean beaches and experience the luxury of one of Europe's most famous resort destinations.

Returning from their Riviera interlude, the battalion prepared for the final leg of their journey.

On August 30, 1945, they boarded the SS Sea Robin at Marseille, joining the convoy of liberty ships and troop transports that formed the backbone of Operation Magic Carpet. These Liberty ships, built to carry cargo during the war, were now tasked with the monumental job of bringing millions of servicemen home.