The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center in St. Joseph has announced an event teaching about the history of Prisoner of War (POW) camps in Southwest Michigan.
The event will take place at the Heritage Museum Friday, August 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission to the event is free with a suggested $5 donation.
During World War II, Michigan became a temporary home to 6,000 German and Italian POWs. At a time of home front labor shortages, they picked fruit in Berrien County, harvested sugar beets in the Thumb, cut pulpwood in the Upper Peninsula and maintained parks and other public spaces in Detroit. The work programs were not flawless and not all of the prisoners were cooperative, but many of the men established enduring friendships with their captors. Author Dr. Gregory Sumner tells the story of these detainees and the ordinary Americans who embodied our highest ideals, even amid a global war.
This program is part of a three series collaboration with the Campus for Creative Aging and Region IV Area Agency on Aging.
