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German POWs on the American HomefrontExplore more photos from the story |
In the mid-1940s when Mel Luetchens was a boy on his family’s Murdock, Nebraska, farm where he still lives, he sometimes hung out with his father’s hired hands, “I looked forward to it,” he said. “They played games with us and brought us candy and gum.” The hearty young men who helped his father pick corn or put up hay or build livestock fences were German prisoners of war from a nearby camp. “They were the enemy, of course,” says Luetchens, now 70 and a retired Methodist minister. “But at that age, you don’t know enough to be afraid.”
Since President Obama’s vow to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp erupted into an entrenched debate about where to relocate the prisoners captured in the Afghanistan War, Luetchens has reflected on the “irony and parallel” of World War II POWs and Guantanamo inmates. Recently, the Senate overwhelmingly rejected providing funds to close the U.S. military prison in Cuba, saying that no community in America would want terrorism suspects in its backyard.
But in America’s backyards and farm fields and even dining rooms is where many enemy prisoners landed nearly 70 years ago. As World War II raged, Allies, such as Great Britain, were running short of prison space to house POWs. From 1942 through 1945, more than 400,000 Axis prisoners were shipped to the United States and detained in camps in rural areas across the country. Some 500 POW facilities were built, mainly in the South and Southwest but also in the Great Plains and Midwest.
At the same time that the prison camps were filling up, farms and factories across America were struggling with acute labor shortages. The United States faced a dilemma. According to Geneva Convention protocols, POWs could be forced to work only if they were paid, but authorities were afraid of mass escapes that would endanger the American people. Eventually, they relented and put tens of thousands of enemy prisoners to work, assigning them to canneries and mills, to farms to harvest wheat or pick asparagus, and just about any other place they were needed and could work with minimum security.
About 12,000 POWs were held in camps in Nebraska. “They worked across the road from us, about 10 or 11 in 1943,” recalled Kelly Holthus, 76, of York, Nebraska. “They stacked hay. Worked in the sugar beet fields. Did any chores. There was such a shortage of labor.”
“A lot of them were stone masons,” said Keith Buss, 78, who lives in Kansas and remembers four POWs arriving at his family’s farm in 1943. “They built us a concrete garage. No level, just nail and string to line the building up. It’s still up today.”
Don Kerr, 86, delivered milk to a Kansas camp. “I talked to several of them,” he said. “I thought they were very nice.”
“At first there was a certain amount of apprehension,” said Tom Buecker, the curator of the Fort Robinson Museum, a branch of the Nebraska Historical Society. “People thought of the POWs as Nazis. But half of the prisoners had no inclination to sympathize with the Nazi Party.” Fewer than 10 percent were hard-core ideologues, he added.
Any such anxiety was short-lived at his house, if it existed at all, said Luetchens. His family was of German ancestry and his father spoke fluent German. “Having a chance to be shoulder-to-shoulder with [the prisoners], you got to know them,” Luetchens said. “They were people like us.”
Comments
My dad would never talk about WW II because he was unable to fight but since his death, I have been told that he was a "storekeeper at Lockheed" in Marietta, GA and supervised prisioners of war as a civilian employee. I would love to know where I might find this information. I think others in GA would also find this an interesting addition to this POW article.
Posted by Becki Jones on September 16,2009 | 03:54PM
There is great worth in the resurgence of articles of this sort... some of the german descendants of POW'S shipped as far south as Auburn Alabama, one descendant became my great aunt! Having lived in the Eifel @ Spangdahlem Air Base from 1972-1977 I enjoyed the cobblestone streets and stone archetecture with a curiosity still unrequited today, owing to my innate american expectations. Frequent trips to Trier one of the oldest cities in the Eifel, imbued an appetite for what I call the sage of genuine history enhanced by the best Kasekucken, cheese, and wine in the Eurosphere ... I still long for the loaves of golden bread and Yakobs black Kaffee... thanks for taking me back with this article.
Posted by Patricia Dupre on September 16,2009 | 04:03PM
Equating extremist terrorists with WWII German POWs?? I sense some mismatch here.
Posted by R Ellis on September 16,2009 | 04:34PM
there is a great difference between the axis pows and the suspects at gitmo. the article implies that there is not. WRONG answer. most of them will go back to killing US as some as they are released,as some that have been released have already done. those suspects should never be allowed to enter the USA at all for any reason.
Posted by william gussin on September 16,2009 | 05:33PM
My father used to work with German POWs in Minnesota. His family spoke German at their household. His country school had German and English lessons and the country church services were in English and German. He remembered bringing home German POW's from the factories for the weekends. The German POWs were polite and often couldn't believe that people in the USA,(the enemy) lived a German life style. My father recalled that once one of the POWs broke down and cried how much he missed his own home and family and couldn't get over the fact that my father's family reminded him of being home. I am amazed that very few people realize that there were German POW camps thoughout the United States. I enjoyed the article.
Posted by Dr. John Urban on September 17,2009 | 07:16AM
Yes, it is important to distinguish between ordinary prisoners of war, who have done nothing wrong, and accused war criminals. Most of the German P.O.W.'s were in the prior category. Assuming that they hadn't personally murdered any Jews or anything like that, they were simply men who had been doing their duty and who had the misfortune to fall into enemy hands, sort of like John McCain. Under international law, they are to be humanely treated, given proper foor and medical care, and simply sent on their way when the war is over, and they may be released to a competent sovereign responsible for their good behavior.
But there is the rub. We here in the House of War have been at war with the House of Submission for some 1300 years. When can we say that the "war" is over that the prisoners of war may be thus released? We complain that some of those we have let go have returned to battle, but why should they not have done so? If those hundreds of thousands of Germans we captured in North Africa had not been kept in custody, as described in the article, certainly we would have met them again at Monte Cassino or in Normandy.
Posted by Lou Gots on September 17,2009 | 10:29AM
I think that when we also take under consideration how many, but certainly not all, of these soldiers came to be incorporated into their military at that time, and that even if enlisted, they did not do so with Anti-American or Anti-Semetic ideologies-- it becomes quite evident that the disdain which is blatantly infused with the extremist mindset of terrorism is not present. I have many times heard of, and have experienced directly for myself that ignorance about others does not automatically equate to a contention for others, but that it is absolutely a blank canvas for which misinformation is easily spread. Adapting to your environment is a natural occurrence. When the environment is one of survival by killing, then such is the act required to live. But when the environment is one that provides for an activity that is more conducive to peace of mind, then so too are the acts in kind.
Just my two cents...
Posted by Joseph Harmon on September 18,2009 | 09:01AM
When A family moved into our tennement house at 1538 DeKalb Avenue in Brooklyn, N.Y. the children could noT speak English. The father operated the Radio Store in the front on the first floor. We lived on the top floor and my parents were the 'janitors'. All the children in the apartment house played together in the back yard and the only word that was almost the same in German and English that we kids knew was "penny" or the German word was similar. That changed eventually.
Mr. Breyers was an alien and a member of the American Nazi Bund, whose U.S. leader was Fritz Kohn (spelling???). Fritz "whatever" visited Mr. Breyers often. Also, one weekend they took my brother and myself to Camp Yapank (spelling?)on Long Island,a Nazi Bund Camp. I remember CLEARlY the Bund Members marching around a field with their brown belts on their Nazi uniforms and carrying the Nazi flag Swatztike on it. I was about 12 and even then I remember I was kinda spooked about it. They marched and yelled "Heil" but can't remember if they said "heil hitler".
It seems that Mr. Breyers was not supposed to have a short wave radio in his possession nor was he supposed to be in contact with Fritz Kohn (again, spelling?) Mr. "B" was picked up and sent to Ellis Island and was supposed to be sent to Texas to a 'camp'. We don't think he ever was but when visiting our family and Mrs. Breyers and kids at the same time in the early 40's, the three kids were talking about and looking forward to being sent to a camp in Texas for the duration of the war. The oldest boy who was about 13, spoke of having 'butter' and horse back riding etc. etc. He was a short wave operator also. It seems the prisoners of war in camps had it better than AMERICAN CITIZENS at that time.
I still have a disk on a string that I wore as ID when in the 8th grade in PS 162 in Brooklyn, NY. and many pictures. It was a long long time ago! ANYONE OUT THERE REMEMBER?? PLEASE GET IN TOUCH!!
Posted by Nancy VanTwistern on September 19,2009 | 01:30PM
Here in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan (smack in the middle of the Mitten) our local newspaper recently ran an article about German POWs that lived and worked in this area. There was little evidence of their being here except for the memories of a number of people whose recollection was that the prisoners were used primarily to support agriculture.
Posted by Thomas H. Weiss on September 23,2009 | 02:13AM
I have looked and looked for information on a German POW camp that was located in Evangeline State Park, St. Martinville, La. during WW II. As a small child I remember seeing the German prisoners riding in the back of trucks coming back into town after working in the fields. I have vague recollections of going to the park and seeing the guard towers. The history of the camp seems to have been lost, it is not listed in any sites that refer to the WW II camps. The local weekly newspaper editor has researched their archives and can find no information.
Posted by Lane Eastin on September 25,2009 | 12:58PM
About fifteen years ago public TV in Spokane, WA, did two programs, available as videos, about POWs in this area. One was about the navy's Farragut boot camp near Athol, Idaho, that had an adjacent camp for German prisoners. The prisoners could volunteer to work on local farms, I think. And they could watch all those young navy recruits marching outside their fence.
Some Italian sailors from a commercial Italian steamship were put in a camp in western Montana when the war started, where they eventually were allowed time off in town. Some stayed on after the war. Both stories were fascinating. I hope the TV station still sells those videos; they are priceless reminders of another world, and might serve as mementos to others who have lost the memories of their local encounters.
Posted by Donald Seiveno on September 25,2009 | 10:37PM
Good article.Now,enlighten the readers on all the Italian POW's that were sent here from North Africa.
After Italy surrendered and became an ally,they technically were no longer enemy combatants.
I knew one when I was stationed in Sicily. He told me a great story of his train ride across our country from Charleston S.C. to Seattle/Tacoma,Wash.
When they arrived they were put to work loading ships headed to the south pacific.
They lived in camps that had originally been set up for P.O.W.'s only difference was the guards were other Italian soldiers, and there was no lock on the gates.
Posted by Tim on September 29,2009 | 07:01PM
Captured german machinists worked at the 5th echelon military machine shop in Topeka Ks. during the war, where my father worked. One told me that after his train ride from the Atlantic coast, he realized that Germany could not prevail, and vowed to help bring the war to a rapid conclusion.
Posted by john m. faw on October 1,2009 | 04:54PM
For several years I researched the topic of German POWs held in the US, particularly western Nebraska. The results is a novel titled, BECKER'S FARM. This was a collection of stories, combined with a bit of imagination. The book underscores the extreme humanitarian treatment German POWs received at the hand of their 'enemies'.
I have also spent many years visting Japanese POW camps for allied soldiers in Asia. Needless to say, the Japanese were not as 'kind'.
BECKER'S FARM and its sequel THE MAN IN THE BLACK AND WHITE DRESS can be had on Amazon Books.
W.V. Timmons
Posted by WILLIAM V. TIMMONS on October 1,2009 | 06:47PM
Who would have thought that being a German P.O.W. at Fort Benning, Georgia during WWII would cause a fight between two brothers. After my Uncle Gustav was released at the end of the war he got two pairs of shoes and was sent back to Germany. My poor father who had fought on the Russian front and was captured by the Russians but managed to escape asked his older brother for one of the pair of shoes. For some reason Gustav's response was no. This of course irked my father to no end and he complained that Gustav had it the easiest during the war being captured by the Americans and a P.O.W at Fort Benning. My father was still mad about it many years later when he told me, his son, about this fight he had with his older brother over a pair of American shoes.
Posted by George M. Dengler on October 7,2009 | 11:07AM
There was even a POW camp here in Utah. More sad history from here is that a guard went crazy & opened fire on a large group of German POWs - Several were killed and are buried in the Fort Douglas Cemetary in Salt Lake City.
Posted by Karen Jensen on October 9,2009 | 11:26AM
I had never heard of German POW's being 'housed' in America before, I was born in 1947. Amazing story. What compassion. I somewhat understand the need factor for the labor in the crtical time during the war, however, my first thought that came to mind as I was reading this story was what a contrast it was, the treatment of the German POW's to the treatment of the Japanese Americans at the beginning of the war. Many Japanese Americans lost everything they had and were not treated all too well in their camps. They were view as the enemy, even though many were U.S. citizens. Only in America can there be such folly. I wonder what our veterans who fought in Germany feel about this story. Amazing how much there is to know about our American history and what motivates us to do the things we do. America took from those who were living and contributing to building of the country, Japanese Americans, and gave to those who took up arms against America, Germans! Now isn't that interesting!
Posted by Gary McCallister on October 12,2009 | 09:00AM
My Uncle Bill, was in charge of a group of German POWs that were picking cotton in southern Arizona. One of the POWs told him that he remembered when the Fuehrer promised that the German troops would march across the US, but he never told them that they would be pulling 100 lb sacks of cotton. My uncle loved to tell this story and he would often bring one or two home to his family for dinner.
Posted by Patricia Coburn on October 12,2009 | 03:16PM
There is an interesting little paperback book titled Stark Decency, by Alan Koop [C.Everett's son], about the POW camp for German prisoners in Stark, NH. This was on the location of a former CCC camp in northern NH. The book chronicles the interesting contacts between pows and area citizens.
Posted by Art Pease on October 12,2009 | 03:17PM
I took my Army dischard and stayed in Germany following my 3-year tour. As a civilian I was subject to German income tax. Well, I was audited.
I went to the audit looking as poor as I could, and hoping for the best. The auditor said he had been to America and he though it was a great country. I immediately felt better, until I asked where he had visited.
He said, "Well, I was a POW camped outside of Chicago".
Boy, I almost passed out! I knew this audit would not go well.
He contined, "They treated us very well, and even took us to Chicago to buy Christmas presents for us to send home."
"Getting back to you taxes", he said. "You say you don't owe anything?" I forgot what I said, I couldn't think.
He said, "I agree, you should have to pay a thing." He stamped all my papers, I gave a sigh of relief and left the office.
Posted by Robert Fitzgerald on October 12,2009 | 05:05PM
Well, I guess I have to add my two cents. As a little fellow, my family would come to the pocono mtn (long pond, pa) and we would stay most of the summer working on Starkey' farm. We would pick beans cabbage and spinach. There were German soldiers that would pick right along with us. I was quite young (13 or so) and didn't mind trying to talk with them. they were housed at the Tobyhanna Depot base. don't remember any of them trying to excape. (the good old days)
Posted by fran on October 13,2009 | 06:27AM
I am not old enough to remember events in the 1940s but I have heard things. I haven't read much of anything about the POW workers I found had had been used near my birthplace by the canning factory we had for sweet corn on the Minnesota and South Dakota border area near the southern end of Big Stone Lakr.
Posted by Michael Lilly on October 13,2009 | 07:20AM
Camp Shelby, just south of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, has an excellent museum highlighting its ~100 year history. A few alcoves are dedicated to photos, letters, and memorabilia describing its time as a WWII German POW camp. What impressed me the most was the German's liberal treatment and freedom of expression.
The prisoners formed a symphony orchestra with instruments provided by the local area. In return, the orchestra gave concerts at many local churches, functions, and at what is now the University of Southern Mississippi.
The prisoners formed a soccer league that included a number of teams. Not only were there intra-mural games and championship playoffs, but some of teams played exhibition games at local schools.
Many years ago, a feature article in the local paper reported that a number of prisoners returned to south Mississippi after the War to create a new life and become US citizens. The article went on to say that many married local girls they had met while working at farms or in towns during the War.
Posted by Henry Coolidge on October 14,2009 | 12:54PM
There were quite a few Italian POW's in Ogden, Utah. We used to watch them play baseball in Ogden Canyon. They mingled freely with the women who worked at the Navy Depot and Second Street. We had them to Sunday Dinner on occasion, and gave them presents on Christmas. I never learned Italian, but many of them expressed a desire to return to Utah after the war (or remain, if they could). Utah also had Japanese camps, (Topaz, for instance) many stories have been told of the hardships the Japanese suffered. The majority of them were born and raised, married and had children here in Utah, yet were treated as the enemy by the Govt...one of the many shames our country has done...i.e. Andersonville, the notorious POW came in the Civil War. When will "civilized" people become civil???
Posted by joyce hunt on October 14,2009 | 08:12PM
I read that "interesting little paperback" referred to above aby Art Pease. I have seen the area where the POW camp (for-merly a CCC camp) near the Canadian border of NH. I gave copies to my grandchildren, so that they may realize that are alternatives to treating incarcerated people. It can be with respect and kindness, or fear and suspicion. The little book STARK DECENCY (from Stark, NH) elevates the goodness of people of good will . It also teaches us not to jgeneralize from the worst - that can be very unfair & misguided.Expect the best. You might be surprised!
Posted by Lee Hart on October 18,2009 | 01:04PM
Hello, Mt. Pleasant! Coincidentally, I was telling my husband just recently about my memories of my Grandfather, whose small farm was just north of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, having several German prisoners of war "delivered" to the farm every week day. He lived in Midland and had never heard of this program. I would have been ten or eleven years old. We lived in town and visited "the farm" every week. I recall being interested that there were German prisoners working for Grandpa, but my brother and I never felt afraid. Grandpa, who was not a kind man and would have reacted to any sign of laziness or insubordination, thought they were fine, hardworking young men.
Posted by Carol Bowen on October 19,2009 | 11:57AM
My grandfather, Curtis C. Baldwin raised wheat in NW Neb, not far from Fort Robinson. Family lore says he used POW labor during harvest. I now have a "ship in a bottle" (a vinegar bottle, according to the story) which one the POW's made and sent to Grandpa after he returned home. I would like to hear from anyone who might know anything about this.
Posted by Karolyn Jones on October 19,2009 | 07:02PM
when I was young, I LIVED IN NORTH EAST pHILA. pA. NEAR A SMALL mILITARY CEMETERY. i REMEMBER THEY HAD SOME GERMAN POW WORKING ON THE GROUNDS THERE. I CAN NOT REMEMBER THE EXACT YEAR.
Posted by vick simonds on October 25,2009 | 04:15PM
First, equating the prisoners at GTMO to the AVERAGE Germans and Italians from WW2 is bogus. There were SS and the like that were held under tighter security. The ones who worked outside were mainly regular soldiers who were just happy to not be fighting.
The article talks about the camps being in the south, there were more than a few in other areas, one, Camp Michaux was near my home. If you search my name and that camp you will find an article about it.
Posted by Ralph Brandt on October 25,2009 | 11:35PM
My Grandfather received a couple of oil paintings and a photo from a German POW that was at Camp Ogden. I'm not sure if he received them after his release or while he was still in Camp Ogden. His name was Albin Faulwetter the pictures are in excellent shape and I have them hanging on my wall. I always thought that it was kind of strange when I was told where the paintings came from.
Posted by Wendy Peterson on November 1,2009 | 06:08PM
My mother was a WAC in WWII she was stationed in the dakodas in around 1942 as i recall she was in the motor pool and she said she used to to transport prisoners. Her name was Francics P. Hammond She Was born in 1922. I Have pictures of her troop and pictures of snow storm so bad they had to shovel out of there barriks. if anyone has a similar story please contact me.
Posted by tracey lyon on November 17,2009 | 08:41PM