MENTONE - By the end of World War II, thousands of German, Japanese and Italian prisoners of war were held in more than 660 POW camps across the United States and Alaska.
Those German POWs held in U.S. Army camps worked on farms and in light non-military industry, constructed tract housing and other practical wartime tasks.With the high rate of 19th century German immigration to the Midwest, many who worked with the POWs spoke to them in their native language; some even had relatives or former neighbors among the POWs. In the process, they formed lasting friendships, influencing post-war German values and institutions, as well as American-German relations. A number of POWs eventually immigrated to the U.S. after the war.
Using 10 narrative panels and films about this story, the TRACES mobile museum will be in Mentone Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The BUS-eum will be parked at the Bell Memorial Public Library, 101 W. Main St., Mentone.
For more information, contact Krystal Smith at 574-353-7234.
