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WorseBeforeBetter

(11,441 posts)

119. Fort Hunt Park in Alexandria, VA, between DC and Mt. Vernon.

Fri Jan 4, 2013, 06:26 PM

Jan 2013

(Didn't read the full thread to see if anyone else has posted about this...)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Hunt_Park

"In the 1930s the site was converted into a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. During World War II it was the setting for top secret World War II military intelligence operations (known as "P.O. Box 1142&quot as well as an interrogation center for high-value prisoners of war.[2] At one time the United States Army ran a school of finance there, but this did not last long. Today, the park is a popular picnic and jogging area. A playground and sports facilities are also available, and the United States Park Police man a substation at the park, as well as stables for their police horses.[3] [4]

Lieutenant Commander Werner Henke, the highest-ranking German officer to be shot while in American captivity during World War II, was killed while attempting an escape from Fort Hunt in June 1944.[5] In 1980, the remaining structures at the site were added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Fort Hunt Historic District."

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German prisoner of war camps in the US??? [View all] babylonsister Jan 2013 OP

U mean prisoners of war during WWII. Yes. German and others. Some stayed after the war. bluerum Jan 2013 #1

A lot stayed after the war and received better treatment than black returning vets. kelliekat44 Jan 2013 #44

+1. Pete Jordan (Dishwasher) wrote about it. n/t FSogol Jan 2013 #115

name of book? nt kelliekat44 Jan 2013 #135

a list of the camps niyad Jan 2013 #2

Wiki had nothing on any of the sites I wanted to check out madokie Jan 2013 #85

There were several German POW camps scattered around the U.S. during WWII. dflprincess Jan 2013 #3

That is true. No one wanted the Russians to get them. southernyankeebelle Jan 2013 #8

the Von Braun excuse Larrymoe Curlyshemp Jan 2013 #75

So what is wrong with not wanting to die in the hands of the Russians if you know southernyankeebelle Jan 2013 #84

The Eastern Front during WWII was an awful place to be taken prisoner by either side.... OldDem2012 Jan 2013 #88

Well I remember my father-in-law telling me a story when he was in WWII. He said you be southernyankeebelle Jan 2013 #89

With the way the Germans treated the Russians, you couldn't blame them Victor_c3 Jan 2013 #93

It sounds like you may have been stationed at Bamburg. Jenoch Jan 2013 #107

I was actually in Vilseck and Grafenwoehr Victor_c3 Jan 2013 #126

Germans made Gerber's baby food in the original Fremont, Michigan, plant amandabeech Jan 2013 #77

My mother grew up near a camp in Lufkin Tx... rppper Jan 2013 #113

Same deal, different climate! amandabeech Jan 2013 #116

East Texas is still the "pretty" part of the state... rppper Jan 2013 #117

Actually, I lived in Tyler for a year. amandabeech Jan 2013 #121

Tyler is the church capital.... rppper Jan 2013 #122

I'm a ways south of Tyler. It's horrible all over East Texas. Manifestor_of_Light Jan 2013 #139

It's not the same east Texas I grew up in... rppper Jan 2013 #140

Same here. madinmaryland Jan 2013 #4

I think one was outside of Ayre Mass at Ft Devens. My barracks there was part of the POW camp, at alfredo Jan 2013 #45

Not to long ago I say last week or so I think it was on the History channel they did southernyankeebelle Jan 2013 #5

Here's an article about three internment camps in Texas: kentauros Jan 2013 #105

They said they made sure the children were treated well. southernyankeebelle Jan 2013 #108

What I've read so far is that they were all treated well, kentauros Jan 2013 #110

What I saw on the show was that even within each nationality they had problems. Like in southernyankeebelle Jan 2013 #111

yeah there was even a book that was widely read in schools dsc Jan 2013 #6

And that little girl grew up to be... Bucky Jan 2013 #15

I think Rove is Norwegian. amandabeech Jan 2013 #79

Summer of my German Soldier----Bette Greene, was the book. We virgogal Jan 2013 #41

'Summer of My German Soldier'. TwilightGardener Jan 2013 #43

Yes I was aware of this. northoftheborder Jan 2013 #7

Wow I bet your dad had alot of interesting stories. southernyankeebelle Jan 2013 #9

What do you think we did with the prisoners? Bucky Jan 2013 #10

I didn't know we farmed them back here. I'm aware of babylonsister Jan 2013 #19

They were much less of an escape risk here than if they had been interned in the U.K. Aristus Jan 2013 #49

Plus, having them here and in Canada meant that their food, amandabeech Jan 2013 #80

The "Japanese" camps were for US citizens obamanut2012 Jan 2013 #97

See my post above. Some made baby food. n/t amandabeech Jan 2013 #81

Oh my God! We cooked them and fed them to babies?! That's just terrible!! Bucky Jan 2013 #123

LOL!!! n/t amandabeech Jan 2013 #124

Soylent Reich was my favorite pinboy3niner Jan 2013 #125

we fed them good and put them to work datasuspect Jan 2013 #103

Yes, absolutely. Pine Camp (now Fort Drum) was the first such camp in New York State... Earth_First Jan 2013 #11

+1 JustAnotherGen Jan 2013 #101

We had one about 12 miles north of us in Central NY... Cooley Hurd Jan 2013 #12

I assume you reference the camp in Letchworth, outside Castile? Earth_First Jan 2013 #17

Howland's Island, Cayuga County Cooley Hurd Jan 2013 #20

Quite right... Earth_First Jan 2013 #23

The trail is still navigable, but not much of the camp remains... Cooley Hurd Jan 2013 #30

My uncle was one of the soldiers responsible for guarding prisoners during transport bluestate10 Jan 2013 #13

There were multiple POW camps in the US during the war. n/t RomneyLies Jan 2013 #14

Thanks, everyone. My ignorance is noted! babylonsister Jan 2013 #16

My grandfather was the one who told me about it. Adsos Letter Jan 2013 #52

Darlin'! How the hell are you? Nice to see you! babylonsister Jan 2013 #63

I'm fine, so's the family. Adsos Letter Jan 2013 #94

I found out about them by watching Lars39 Jan 2013 #65

Actually, the prison authorities tried to separate the gung-ho Nazis from the amandabeech Jan 2013 #82

German prisoners in AZ built a tunnel and escaped ChazII Jan 2013 #74

There were many all over the midwest. The Velveteen Ocelot Jan 2013 #18

Not watching Rachel but DURHAM D Jan 2013 #21

The father of a good friend sarisataka Jan 2013 #22

And Italians jberryhill Jan 2013 #24

In the early '70s I knew an Italian former POW pinboy3niner Jan 2013 #25

Perhaps one of the most famous young adult fiction books of all time covers this topic alcibiades_mystery Jan 2013 #26

that's the book I was thinking of dsc Jan 2013 #32

There was one in the Napa Valley, California, just south of Rutherford! Adsos Letter Jan 2013 #27

Yeah, mostly Kriegsmarine Recursion Jan 2013 #28

My mom is from a small town in upstate New York, Catskill, LibertyLover Jan 2013 #92

More cool info on German POWs: many joined the French Foreign Legion and ended up in Indochina alcibiades_mystery Jan 2013 #29

No kidding... Earth_First Jan 2013 #36

I have heard several anecdotes sarisataka Jan 2013 #39

The Wehrmacht and SS were not trained to deal kindly with anyone alcibiades_mystery Jan 2013 #48

I think it depended on the country. sofa king Jan 2013 #73

Yes alcibiades_mystery Jan 2013 #83

Not to mention the probability that many German FFL volunteers already spoke Aristus Jan 2013 #51

My BIL was a German soldier who was held in a French POW camp after WWII ended. SDjack Jan 2013 #130

Indeed alcibiades_mystery Jan 2013 #131

Yes. They picked veggies for one of my great-uncle's farms. nt msanthrope Jan 2013 #31

When I lived in small towns Germany and Austria, I occasionally met men who JDPriestly Jan 2013 #33

There were German prisoners of war working the orange groves and orange processing plants rzemanfl Jan 2013 #34

just to give you an idea of the scope of this operation niyad Jan 2013 #35

They were all over the place. hobbit709 Jan 2013 #37

I'm an hour's drive away from two World War II POW camps in Texas derby378 Jan 2013 #38

The Handbook of Texas Online has an excellent article kentauros Jan 2013 #100

I saw this on the history channel years ago kimbutgar Jan 2013 #40

This message was self-deleted by its author kimbutgar Jan 2013 #42

Here's a fairly extensive list of WWII POW camps in the US.... OldDem2012 Jan 2013 #46

They were doing jobs Americans wouldn't do thelordofhell Jan 2013 #47

I was just talking to someone about this last week newfie11 Jan 2013 #50

I remember meeting German POWs at my grandparent's house procon Jan 2013 #53

You didn't know that? Cleita Jan 2013 #54

No, I didn't know that, Cleita. That's why I asked, and got a great education! nt babylonsister Jan 2013 #70

A nice one at Kandlers hotel elfin Jan 2013 #55

A guy was talking about one of those camps in Ohio a few weeks ago. doc03 Jan 2013 #56

Sure there were. They got treated a lot more humanely than POWs in Europe, iirc. Hekate Jan 2013 #57

There was a large camp just west of Greeley, Colorado. madamesilverspurs Jan 2013 #58

In Louisiana we had Camp Ruston. The POW provided agricultural labor. RB TexLa Jan 2013 #59

I'm impressed how many of you remember, some of you first-hand! Hekate Jan 2013 #60

Thank you all! I'm so astounded at this response. THIS is what DU is good at! babylonsister Jan 2013 #61

There was a German POW camp in Janesville WI too. myrna minx Jan 2013 #62

There were several POW camps in Upper Michigan Kaleva Jan 2013 #64

I had 4 near me including 3 at or very near to West Point... Historic NY Jan 2013 #66

There was a Pow camp in my home town in Michigan Silver Swan Jan 2013 #67

They were all over the place. Lots in Texas sammytko Jan 2013 #68

POW who returned home Bavorskoami Jan 2013 #69

I was born in Joplin Missouri HeiressofBickworth Jan 2013 #71

there were also internment camps for German civilians reorg Jan 2013 #72

My mother-in-law's family is of German ancestry MannyGoldstein Jan 2013 #76

Summer of My German Soldier, the movie was the first I ever heard of the camps... 1monster Jan 2013 #78

Yes, there were several in Alabama. trof Jan 2013 #86

Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX Paladin Jan 2013 #87

Yes, there were German and Italian prisoner of war camps in the US LibertyLover Jan 2013 #90

I am a German American and I had vaquely heard that there were such camps but did not know jwirr Jan 2013 #91

And one for Italians, too obamanut2012 Jan 2013 #95

German POWs could eat where Black US citizens couldn't obamanut2012 Jan 2013 #96

I have posted on the subject here several times in the past grantcart Jan 2013 #98

It's a fascinating story. X_Digger Jan 2013 #99

Camp Waterloo,, only about 4 miles for me. Turned it into a Dept. of Corrections camp after the Purveyor Jan 2013 #102

my land Go Vols Jan 2013 #104

We had them in my area. People still talk about them. nt Courtesy Flush Jan 2013 #106

Studs Terkel's 'The Good War' LanternWaste Jan 2013 #109

I had great-uncles in German POW camps in both the US and Russia. FightForMichigan Jan 2013 #112

One of my grandfathers spent time working in one joelbny Jan 2013 #120

There are lots of things we don't know about our country Blue_In_AK Jan 2013 #114

Many German and Czech speakers in Texas. Manifestor_of_Light Jan 2013 #118

A bunch of Yankees in the 1850s encouraged German immigration to Texas Bucky Jan 2013 #127

Fort Hunt Park in Alexandria, VA, between DC and Mt. Vernon. WorseBeforeBetter Jan 2013 #119

There was one in my hometown in East Texas Jane Austin Jan 2013 #128

google is your friend madrchsod Jan 2013 #129

The 3rd Geneva Convention Libertas1776 Jan 2013 #132

My first awareness of this was from an episode of the Waltons. Scruffy Rumbler Jan 2013 #133

Here's a good book with oral histories: Z_I_Peevey Jan 2013 #134

Germans Treated British and US Prisoners OK, Most Prisoners of Japanese Died a Horrible Death JPZenger Jan 2013 #136

Again, the Geneva Conventions... Libertas1776 Jan 2013 #138

This thread is unreal-thanks to everyone for the education. babylonsister Jan 2013 #137