The History and Location of Camp Allen/Camp Elmore
History
Although we are now known as Camp Allen, most of our facilities are located on what was formerly known as Camp Elmore. We have the distinct honor of being the only Marine Corps camp named posthumously after an enlisted Marine. Pfc George W. Elmore, USMCR, was a 20-year-old Browning Automatic Rifleman with George Co., 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. Wounded, he exposed himself to lay down effective fire until his wounded comrades could be evacuated. His attack was effective, but he lost his life in battle.
Camp Elmore once embraced a 15-acre tract in what was known as the naval base's "South Annex." During more than 50 years of use by the government, the area has been a Seabee training site, prisoner of war camp and U.S. Army barracks area.
Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) at Camp Allen is responsible for serving not only those units stationed at Camp Allen, but all Marine commands in the Hampton Roads area.
Location
Camp Allen, home to Headquarters and Service Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command (MARFORCOM), is located in Norfolk, Virginia. Situated in the far southeastern corner of the state and comprised of seven cities- Norfolk, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Newport News
and Hampton- the Hampton Roads area has a combined population of nearly 1.7 million people.
Predominately a "Navy town," Norfolk is home to the largest naval installation in the world; Hampton Roads is truly a joint forces dream. With local Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard bases and installations, it's a military melting pot. Nearly 3,500 Marines reporting to ten local Marine commands call Hampton Roads home, with 1,400 of them based locally at Camp Allen. Other local Marine commands in the area include the Joint Forces Staff College, Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group (MCSCG), EWTGLANT, The School of Music, MATSG-33, MARDET Dam Neck and three reserve units including, MACS-24, MAG-49/VMM-774, and Co. A 4th AA Bn.
With a rich history dating back more than 400 years, Norfolk is within an hour's drive of Yorktown, Jamestown, and Williamsburg, an area known as the Historic Triangle. Norfolk offers a wide array of cultural and entertainment options including the Norfolk Admirals hockey team and the Norfolk Tides baseball team, as well as museums, zoos, concert arenas and historic battlefields and sites.