CENTREVILLE &045; A seven-year volunteer effort culminated Saturday with the dedication and opening of the Camp Van Dorn World War II Museum in Centreville.

The museum focuses on the history of

Camp Van Dorn, an Army base just south of Centreville where 40,000 troops, including the Army’s 63rd &uot;Blood and Fire&uot; and 99th &uot;Checkerboard&uot; Divisions, trained for combat during World War II. The two divisions suffered a combined total of 22,000 casualties in the fight to liberate Europe from Nazi control.

About 30 World War II veterans attended Saturday’s dedication ceremony, including former 63rd Division tech sergeant and radioman Gordon &uot;Shorty&uot; Myers.

&uot;It’s wonderful, because many years from now historians will come here (to the museum) to find out what happened back then,&uot; Myers said.

Named for Confederate General Earl Van Dorn, the sprawling, 42,000-acre training post was built in 1942. Other non-divisional units, including a WAC detachment and a German POW camp, were stationed at the base.

Camp Van Dorn Museum Committee Chairman Mildred Field said the base profoundly impacted the small town. &uot;The townspeople rented their rooms, their garages, everything they had for the soldier’s families to live in. One family even rented their daughter’s playhouse. We were overcome with people, but our southern hospitality came out,&uot; Field said.

Pennsylvania native Harry McCracken, a former 99th Division Medical Combat Unit sergeant, recalled how local residents interacted with soldiers on the base.

&uot;The kids would come on the base and shine our shoes for ten cents, and farmers would sell us watermelons for a quarter. We used to spit the seeds out. When we left, there were watermelons growing under the barracks,&uot; he said.

Later, a crowd of about 200 toured the museum. Dr. Joseph S. Caccamise was surprised to find his picture among the exhibits.

Caccamise, a Baton Rouge resident, was a 32 year-old Army dentist at Camp Van Dorn in 1942.

&uot;A lot of the soldiers had never been to the dentist. A lot of them didn’t have shoes. They were just thankful for any care they got,&uot; Caccamise said.

The museum was funded with a $375,000 grant from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Volunteers used the grant to restore an abandoned bank building on Centreville’s Main Street to house the museum. Only a shell of the red brick structure remained when the museum project was conceived in 1998. &uot;It’s finally come to fruition, but now we’ve got to keep it going,&uot; Field said.

Centreville Chamber of Commerce Chairman James Jelks announced the COC will donate $30,000 to the museum. The museum is still seeking contributions to help repay a $75,000 loan for matching funds for the grant.

Tax-deductible donations should be made payable to the Centreville Museum and mailed to P.O. Box 1045, Centreville, MS

39631.

Field said visitors should call the museum in advance at 601-645-9000 to confirm hours of operation.

&uot;We plan to have it open at least four days a week, but it’s best for people to call ahead,&uot; Field said.

Field said visitors can also call volunteers at 601-645-5930, 601-645-6262 or 601-645-6283 for more information.