World War II POW Camps in Ohio
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Published: 2018
Language: eng
Number of pages: 192
ISBN-13: 9781467141666
Subjects: World war, 1939-1945, prisoners and prisons, american; Prisoners of war; United states, history, 20th century; Europe, history, military
Description: "During World War II, more than six thousand prisoners of war resided at Camp Perry near Port Clinton and its branch camps at Columbus, Rossford, Cambridge, Celina, Bowling Green, Defiance, Marion, Parma and Wilmington. From the start, the camps were a study in contradictions. The Italian prisoners who arrived first charmed locals with their affable, easygoing natures, while their German successors often put on a serious, intractable front. Some local residents fondly recall working alongside the prisoners and reuniting with them later in life. Others held the prisoners in disdain, feeling that they were coddled while natives struggled with day-to-day needs. Drawing on first-person accounts from soldiers, former POWs and residents, as well as archival research, Dr. Jim Van Keuren delves into the neglected history of Ohio's POW camps"--Back cover.