Talks with my Dad can lead to mutual frustration but many times they lead to interesting and previously unknown (to me) information.
Our most recent discuss was about the German P.O.W. camps kept in the United States during the WWII. The history is extensive, fascinating and exactly in the history curriculum. There is a list here and stats here. A page of murals painted by the P.O.W.s housed on the Wright-Patterson AFB is here. A plaque about the murals is here.
Some P.O.W.'s were glad for the chance to be encamped in America, thinking it was a chance to escape from the Nazi grasp. Americans were, for the most part, not sympathetic to their plight. The death of a Captain, terrified for his life, changed that.
2 comments:
So much info to take in. Although I've spoken with family members about this time, it still is so very humbling to see and hear it again, anew.
There was one outside of Milwaukee in what was then the General Mitchell Airfield. The Germans were allowed to leave camp and hitch or take a bus into the city. My grandfather, with my Dad at his side, would pick them up to listen to their stories.
Major difference from the Civil War P.O.W. camps - those were horrifying.
Post a Comment