The History of Camp Swift, Texas

Camp Swift, Texas is a small census designated placebus the soldiers back and forth between Camp Swift
but was once an area consistently teeming with up toand Austin, making record profits from doing so.
90,000 people on a regular basis. The area has aSome of the more colorful tales of the area come as
colorful history filled with military stories, horrific tales ofa result of the prisoners and detainees located at the
murder, and humorous stories of prisoner escape.camp. At one point, a group of German detainees
Camp Swift, about 30 miles east of Austin, wasdonned suits, stolen from their guards, and boarded a
established in 1940. While Pearl Harbor was a surprisehot air balloon in an attempt to escape. These
to most, the US government had actually beendetainees received an excellent aerial view of the
prepared for some sort of attack and as early asinfantry training before crashing their balloon and being
1939 was already preparing for war. It was in thiscaptured. In another instance, a German soldier
mindset that Camp Swift was created. Created andescaped and ran, only to be sent to the hospital with a
designated as a camp in 1940, work could not begin ondog bite on his bottom due to the fact that a dog had
building the facilities until 1942. At that time the nearlysmelled the piece of bologna that he had hidden in his
3000 buildings were constructed from scratch and inback pocket. Even more embarrassing for the soldier
only 140 days at a cost of almost $25 million.was the fact that this dog was a "German" Shepherd.
Initially the camp was solely a training facility forIn 1942 there was a grisly murder at the camp. One of
infantry but slowly took on more roles. A large numberthe camps trainees, George S. Knapp, was known for
of combat medics and nurses were also trained here.having mental problems and prior to being drafted was
Due to this fact, there was a shortage of nurses for alla resident of the mental facility in St. Paul Minnesota.
the area hospitals that lasted until well after the war.On one of his leaves he stole a commander's car and
During these times the area was bustling with activitydrove to Austin. However, shortly outside of camp he
but did not reach its full potential until later in the warencountered a girl walking home from school. He
when it also became a prisoner of war camp foroffered to give her a ride, but when he refused to
captured German and Russian soldiers.take her home she began to become hysterical. In an
Soldiers being trained here were regularly bussed toeffort to silence her, Knapp strangled her and dumped
Austin, and as a result, a thriving transportationher in a field. He was quickly caught and confessed to
business was created here and still remains. Thethe murder, and shortly after was court-martialed and
Kerrville Bus Company had an exclusive contract tosentenced to be executed.