re: Anyone have old family stories about German POW camps where you lived?

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And a camp in New Orleans

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Keeping POWs in New Orleans these days would likely violate the Geneva convention.

Camp Claiborne, Camp Livingston, & Camp Polk trained a lot of US infantry for the war. Prior to the US entering the war, all those camps were used for full scale exercises involving 400,000 troops. Basically the area south of Shreveport, north of Lake Charles, and west of Alexandria was used for a simulated war. Generals Omar Bradley, Patton & Eisenhower all were there.

During the war replacement troops continued to be trained. These camps also held Japanese and Italian POWs, plus used as internment camps for Japanese Americans.

My great-grandfather was the head of one in Houma. My grandmother tells me the German soldiers were incredibly respectful and nice. They were treated fairly and just wanted to go home.

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The most important prisoners included the crew of the German submarine U-505. After the vessel and its code book were captured near Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean on June 4, 1944, the crew was placed in isolation at Camp Ruston. The men were even denied visits from the International Red Cross in order to keep the Germans from learning that their secret codes had been compromise

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The first Japanese POW of the war was from one of the mini subs used in the Pearl Harbor attack. He ended up in a Louisiana POW camp also.

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Some of those POWs were from the African theater, and some of you know those were considered the Super Nazis.

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I've never heard that, most were conscripts who ratted out the hardcore types as soon as they got here. I'd bet 80% of Germans joined the NP out of necessity.
The ones in LA built public buildings, made furniture, farmed and a few married local girls.

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Camp Claiborne, Camp Livingston, & Camp Polk trained a lot of US infantry for the war. Prior to the US entering the war, all those camps were used for full scale exercises involving 400,000 troops. Basically the area south of Shreveport, north of Lake Charles, and west of Alexandria was used for a simulated war. Generals Omar Bradley, Patton & Eisenhower all were there.

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They were called the Louisiana Maneuvers. My mom and dad worked for the Red Cross there during the war. My mom always said they were told not to interact socially with the POWs but she always said they were polite and respectful.
The POWs here were treated a hell of a lot better than American soldiers were treated when they were captured.
It's been a while since I've been there but when the Bentley Hotel was open, they some amazing photos hanging on the walls of that time. Bradley, Patton, McArthur - they all stayed at the Bentley at some during their stay in Louisiana.
The Louisiana Maneuvers are a great part of Louisiana history.
To OP - thanks for starting this thread.

No family stories, but German POW's were housed all along the southern parishes. They worked the rice fields and lived in rice dryers and mills. As small towns have gotten smaller and old mills have been deconstructed, old german artifacts and personal items have been found: medals, buttons, carvings in walls.

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There were Camp Claiborne Camp Bastrop Camp Livingston A camp in Thibadoux Camp Eunice Camp Livingston Camp Polk Camp Ruston A camp at the Hammond airport And a camp in New Orleans

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Don't forget Camp Grant Walker.

My grandpa worked at Camp Clinton while living in Jackson. I've got a piece of furniture that a German officer made him out of pallet wood, finished it w shoe polish. Still looks great.