I watched this program on Minnesota public television while on a recent vacation back to my home area, and was delighted to find that is is available on YouTube. It is an outstanding and uplifting program, and will be of interest to those outside Minnesota (I think a map in the video shows other POW camps scattered around the U.S.).
Somehow while growing up in the 50s and 60s I never learned that there were German prisoners-of-war living here and working on farms during the war. It was win-win for American farmers and for the prisoners. This video is well worth watching IMHO.
I haven’t watched the video yet but I intend to. I wanted to comment right away though because I had no idea that there were any WWII POW camps on US soil until two years ago when my niece got married. The ceremony was at a little chapel in Glenview, IL where the Naval Airbase used to be. The base was closed many years ago and torn down for new housing, recreation and shopping areas. But the chapel was spared because it was built by German POWs and now has landmark status.
ReplyDeleteThank you. My father was at one such camp during WW2, IN Minnesota (yeah, he was on the wrong team).
ReplyDeleteThat's cool. I hope your father's experience was as positive as that of most of the stories told in the video.
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