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Did you know German & Italian WW2 POWs were imprisoned in the US?
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:47 pm
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:47 pm
370,000+ German and 50,000+ Italian POWs were imported and divided up in detention centers in every US state. I did not know this.
I knew we had the controversial Japanese internment camps in the US, but somehow I missed news on the other Axis Powers prisoners, despite the countless WW2 documentaries & movies I've watched that seemingly never mentioned this. I just thought they were in make-shift camps in Europe/Asia ...or outright killed ("Take no prisoners" orders)
I recently watched a doc on Anniston, AL and it mentioned its Fort McClellan housing the POWs. So I assume there will be posters familiar with their state's fort history that were aware of the extradited WW2 POWs, but this completely escaped my dumbass.
I knew we had the controversial Japanese internment camps in the US, but somehow I missed news on the other Axis Powers prisoners, despite the countless WW2 documentaries & movies I've watched that seemingly never mentioned this. I just thought they were in make-shift camps in Europe/Asia ...or outright killed ("Take no prisoners" orders)
I recently watched a doc on Anniston, AL and it mentioned its Fort McClellan housing the POWs. So I assume there will be posters familiar with their state's fort history that were aware of the extradited WW2 POWs, but this completely escaped my dumbass.
73
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:49 pm to LSUFreek
There was a German POW camp in Ruston, LA
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:50 pm to LSUFreek
You can go out in the woods between Tioga and Pollock and find evidence they left behind, to this day.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:50 pm to gungho
And Donaldsonville I think.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:50 pm to LSUFreek
There was one in Clinton ms. They built a scaled size basin model of the Mississippi River. Look it up, it's pretty cool
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:50 pm to LSUFreek
Camp Ruston
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:50 pm to gungho
quote:
There was a German POW camp in Ruston, LA
They were also housed at Camp Claiborne near Forest Hill.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:51 pm to LSUFreek
Yeah i saw a documentary years ago where German POWs commented how the train ride through the countryside took days, and they couldn't belive how vast America was.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:51 pm to gungho
quote:
There was a German POW camp in Ruston, LA
I took high school art in a repurposed building from that POW camp. It was actually more toward Arcadia but called Camp Ruston
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:51 pm to LSUFreek
yes
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:53 pm to LSUFreek
There was a German prison camp in Picayune. My grandfather used to drive a transport bus that took them to work in a box factory.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:54 pm to LSUFreek
My land was, for the most part, cleared by German POWs. Their prison camp was in the vicinity of the Hammond airport. My grandfather used to talk with them. He told my mother that they were so surprised to find intact American cities. Apparently, they were shown propaganda films of America in ruins. Most did not want to return to Europe after the war.
Edit: to fix a swipe type error
Edit: to fix a swipe type error
This post was edited on 8/6/25 at 12:57 pm
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:55 pm to LSUFreek
I knew we had some prisoners over here.
I’ve always wondered if any stayed here after the war or would we even let them? I assume we’d send them back to Germany
I’ve always wondered if any stayed here after the war or would we even let them? I assume we’d send them back to Germany
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:55 pm to LSUFreek
Mexia Texas
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:55 pm to LSUFreek
Im guessing you never heard of camp Shelby.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:56 pm to gungho
Yes. I know German soldiers were held at Camp Claiborne just north of Forest Hill. I have a book from the library there that had been signed out by a German soldier. I don't remember the title and it is hiding somewhere in my house. My moms oldest sister worked at the library as a volunteer and this is one of several books she was given when they started closing down Claiborne.
quote:
During World War II, Camp Claiborne in Louisiana housed both German and Italian prisoners of war (POWs). These POWs were utilized for various tasks, including working on army projects and local farms. The POW camp was established at Camp Claiborne as the war neared its end and the need for training facilities diminished.
Here's a more detailed look:
Establishment and Use:
Camp Claiborne was originally established in 1940 to train soldiers for WWII. It became a POW camp as the war progressed and the focus shifted from training to internment.
POW Population:
Both German and Italian POWs were held at Camp Claiborne. The German and Italian prisoners were separated into different compounds due to their strained relationship.
POW Labor:
The POWs were employed in various capacities, including working on army projects and local farms. This labor helped alleviate labor shortages in the area due to the war effort.
Camp Claiborne's Evolution:
As the war ended and training needs decreased, Camp Claiborne transitioned from a training center to an induction center and later an Infantry Replacement Center.
Integration into Forest:
After the war, the land that had been Camp Claiborne was returned to the National Forest Service and integrated into the Kisatchie National Forest, according to www.dalecenter103id.org.
This post was edited on 8/6/25 at 1:05 pm
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:56 pm to LSUFreek
quote:
Did you know German & Italian WW2 POWs were imprisoned in the US?
Yes. And after the war and they were released, many stayed in towns like Des Allemands, which means,” The Germans” in French.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:57 pm to LSUFreek
quote:
370,000+ German and 50,000+ Italian POWs were imported and divided up in detention centers in every US state
Sounds familiar but they all came from our southern border recently
Posted on 8/6/25 at 12:58 pm to OldCat55
I know a local old man that you’d probably recognize his name but he was the first to tell me about the camp at the airport in Hammond. He was full of local knowledge.
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