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Archiver > PACAMERO > 2000-08 > 0967172986
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Subject: Re: [PA-CAMERON] A New Look for the Site!
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2000 23:09:46 EDT
Hi, Mike. I know from the book that some of the prisoners lived in abandoned CCC camps. Don't know if that was true in Cameron Co. Mostly they were kept in Army posts throughout the country. Some were at FT. Indiantown Gap.
The majority of prisoners were from Germany, initally from Rommel's forces in Africa Later prisoners from the European theater were added. There were some Japenese prisoners and a few Italian.
But remember, this book is basically about the German prisoners. I don't know anything about German emigrants being rounded up and kept in camps, unlike the Jpanese emigrants.
The book goes into some detail about the use of the prisoners to suppplement the shortages in the work force in critical areas, such as farming and factories. Also towards the end of the war the was an effort to teach the prisoners abvout the "American" way of life and to teach them English. It was hoped that those repatriated first (the non-Nazis) would be used in the privisional government to be established in Germany.
Although the book refers to "Nazi Prisoners of War in the US", not all of the German soldiers were Nazis. Nazism was an ideology of Hitler.
Well, enough from a non-historian. It's a good book and well worth the few dollars to learn a LOT.
Mary Ellen
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