Marion, I learned that there were p.o.w. camps in the United States but I did not realize that there were so many. Whenever I am looking at a fort or camp's history it seems that there was a p.o.w. camp there, and some very early in the war. The 160th was there when prisoners were taken. After they crossed the Rhine the 160th stayed south of Berlin and went south following the eastern border of Germany into Austria. Many times, as they headed east there would be a march of surrendered German soldiers headed west, single file along the road side their columns stretching for miles. Sometimes it seemed they were on their own. If they knew they were going to be prisoners, the Americans were the first choice.
I remember that there was a young German couple with a young son in our neighborhood. My first memory of them is from about 1952. They spoke very little English and what they did speak had such a strong German accent that I could not understand it. I remember how friendly my Dad was to them and I could not understand how he could do that ( even at my age I knew something about what had gone on in the war). I recently learned that Karl made our kitchen cabinets there at our old house. Dad would stop and visit them and have long conversations. I even asked him if these weren't the same people that he fought against in the war. He said the war was over. My Dad visited them occasionally up until he quit driving a few years ago. They were Karl and Hedwick, they raised two sons and they still live in the old neighborhood.
Glen Blasingim