There were several different WWII Army camps in the Goffs area. As this area was only a railroad stop with a small town, the camp areas never had a proper Army name like the large Desert Training Center divisional camps. Units were just stationed at "Goffs". Some of these camps were QM (QuarterMaster), Evac Hospitals and RHD (Rail Head Div., for unloading goods). The Goffs camp area was part of the US Army Desert Training Center in Riverside County, California. The sites of the camps around basically surrounded the former Santa Fe Railroad depot at Goffs, California. Goffs is on U.S. Route 66, 6 miles (as the crow flies) north of the current Interstate 40 and west of Needles in San Bernardino County, California. Currently at the south east end of the Mojave National Preserve. The camps at Goffs were 18 miles northeast of Camp Essex and Camp Clipper.
Built in 1942, the camps at Goffs were built to support the troops in divisional size camps training to do battle during World War II. As each unit moved in, they'd build shower buildings, latrines, wooden tent frames and water tanks. A firing range for training was also built. Goffs Army Ammunition Depot #4 was constructed to house ammunition, shells, practice landmines, etc. for use in divisional camp maneuvers. For safety, the ammunition storage was kept 3 miles south of the camps near Goffs Butte. The 7th Motorized Division (previously and later renamed the 7th Infantry Division) was stationed here from August 14, 1942, to October 18, 1942. They came from and returned to Camp San Luis Obispo, California. A total of 15,000 troops were stationed at the camps. All the Desert Training Center camps closed in May 1944.
The 51st Evacuation Hospital was started by World War I veteran Dr. Orrin S. Cook. Dr. Orrin Cook worked at Mercy General Hospital, Sacramento, California. He asked the US Army Medical Department to start Army field hospital in Sacramento. With Colonel William E. Shamborra activation start and was headquartered at Fort Ord in Monterey, California. 51st Evacuation Hospital became official in September 1942 stationed now at Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington. The 51st Evacuation Hospital operated a 750-bed Evacuation Hospital Colonel Wendell A. Weller was the first Commanding Officer. In March 1943 the 51st Evacuation Hospital was moved to Fort Lewis and to camp Goffs arriving in April 1943, to support the Desert Training Center. Goffs, California in April 1943. In May 1943 some of the 51st were moved to support the Banning General Hospital. In December 1943 much of the 51st move to Camp San Luis Obispo, California. The 51st moved to Camp Cooke, Oceano, California for training. In March 1944 the 51st moved to the staging area at Camp Patrick Henry, Oriana, Virginia. From staging area 51st traveled 23 day by a Liberty Ship to Oran, Algeria. After 2 months the 51st moved to Naples, Italy and ran a hospital at the Naples Fair Grounds till 11 August 1944. Next the 51st moved to Draguignan and set up an Evacuation Hospital. On 29 September 1944 the 51st moved to Vincey, France. In November 1944 they moved to Saint-Dié-des-Vosges. On 14 March 1945 they moved to Sarre-Union, France. On 24 March 1945 they moved to Neustadt, Germany. On 4 April 1945 they moved to Walldürn, and to Welzheim on 20 April 1945. On 20 July 1945 they moved to Stuttgart. On 12 October 1945 they ended working Germany and shipped home. On were sent to the 216th General Hospital in Bad Cannstatt in Germany.
The landing strip was one mile to the north of the Goffs schoolhouse (Army PX). The air strip was used to support training activities and the depot. The runway was used for small planes, like the L-4 Piper aircraft so the vast training grounds could be watched from the air. This is not to be confused with the civil landing area 2.25 mi NE of the schoolhouse which was abandoned in the late 1930s.
Marker 136 at Goffs in California reads:
Erected 2008 by Billy Holcomb Chapter E Clampus Vitus in cooperation with the Mojave Desert Heritage & Cultural Association. (Marker Number 136.)
NOTE: In reference to the 7th Inf. Div., they were called the 7th Motorized Division at that period in time.
Goffs, California is an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, California. It was built by the Santa Fe Railroad as Mojave Desert rail station. Santa Fe rail workers lived in the town. Before 1931 Goffs was busy stop on the famous Route 66. when a more direct route between Needles and Amboy was built. Near by town are to the east the town of Homer, to the southwest the town of Fenner and to the north the towns of Blackburn and Purdy. From 1893 to 1902 the town was called Blake after Isaac Blake who constructed the Nevada Southern Railway. The Nevada Southern Railway later became part of the California Eastern Railway that operated from 1895 to 1923. To serve the travels and the Santa Fe rail workers there was a large general store, now abandoned. To teach the children of the rail workers, in 1914 a schoolhouse was built. The schoolhouse is now a mining and military museum called the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association (MDHCA). There are many abandoned mines around Goffs.