The Camp Atterbury City is located in south-central Indiana, just west of Indianapolis. This city was once a World War II military base camp. The city is currently a civilian and military training center, and the city is governed by the Indiana National Guard. There is a population of 77,657 people. The city's population is composed of primarily of military personnel.
In addition to its military population, Camp Atterbury is home to Afghan refugees who have fled the Taliban and who will eventually return to their native land. The city is organized into mayor cells, each with its own leadership, and it holds weekly meetings to help integrate refugees into society. It is a place where they can feel safe and be productive. The city has about 1,600 Department of Defense personnel. The majority of these military members have served in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The town had nearly 9,000 POWs when it was established in 1941. The name came from a local native of Indiana, Brigadier General William Wallace Atterbury. He served on the staff of General John G. Pershing during World War I. By October 1944, there were nearly 9,000 POWs living in the camp. Throughout the war, Camp Atterbury served as a military separation and reception center. During World War II, Camp Atterbury discharged 537,344 enlisted men and 39,495 officers.
In addition to being a medical base, the camp's primary mission was combat training for the U.S. Army. During the peak years of World War II, four US Army divisions trained at the camp. The Wakeman Hospital Center, which became the largest hospital in the Fifth Service Command, trained medical personnel and treated 85,000 patients during the war. Between 1943 and 1946, part of Camp Atterbury served as an internment center for approximately 15,000 soldiers. Most of the prisoners of war were Italians.