“ a a ae i 6D Ogden Standard-Examiner, Sunday, POWs. : From 1D | labor in military installations,” - Powell _ The Germans who came to Utah were among 370,000 Ger- soldiers captured during - World War II in Africa, Italy and . France. . ~<° Originally, the men were sent “to camps in England but when - Space ran out, Powell said, Ar- my-run camps were opened in all but three states in America. As a signer of the Geneva Convention — an agreement calling for the humane treatment of prisoners of war — the United States was obligated to care for the captured Germans, the historian said. sane “We felt a commitment to pro. vide them with adequate housing and adequate food,” he said. “It was much easier to provide them gee .With this in the United said. After successfully using Italian ‘prisoners as laborers, the depot | the University of Utah Press. man April 12, 1987 States *s-. rather than sending it across the ve~. Qcean. It was also argued that it «would be much easier to guard «x. the prisoners in the United States than in Europe.” Another practical reason for ‘moving prisoners to America was to put the men to work on mili- also put German POWs into jobs such as loading and unloading materials. Local canneries, sugar beet farmers and fruit growers al- SO contracted for the men’s ser- vices. : “Most of the prisoners liked the opportunity to work,” Powell many was ravaged by war, Powell said. “It was a lot better to work said the Germans did their best than to sit around. But the bigto live up to terms of the Geneva gest incentive was the prisoners Convention. were paid for their work — 80 “Given the situation in Germacents a day.” ny, there was no hope they (the , The pay, which was equivalent Americans) would have steaks or to an American soldier’s wages, fried eggs as the prisoners did was issued in coupons the men here,” he said. The Americans could save or redeem at the depot did suffer hardships, lose weight canteen for such items as cigaand get sick, but “that was somerettes, soda pop, beer, razor thing most of the German people blades and ice cream. , - experienced as well.” The German POWs ranged in While the Germans were generage from 17 to 48 and repreally well-received by the Utahns, sented all political views, from ‘Powel l said there were isolated hard-line Nazis to those opposed incidents of bad feelings or exto Hitler. : ~When they weren’t. working, _ Changed insults. the prisoners could take part in _ The ugliest prison camp inci- numerous activities offered in the compound. There were classes in English or history, sports such as soccer and ping pong, and weekly le tm te oe tee we tary installations and in agricul- -movies and relig ious services. ture to ease the labor shortage The prisoners published their caused by the war, Powell said. Own newsletter, organized an or. The first prisoners came to chestra and stage d plays. Utah in 1944 and were housed at Overall, the men were imTooele. Other Utah camps were pressed with their treatment in located at Clearfield, Hill Air ‘the American camps, Powell said. Force Base, Fort Douglas, DugSome gave him glowing accounts way and at the old Bushnell Hosof the transportation, housing pital in Brigham City. and food they received. Agricultural camps were estab“The real anguish (for them) lished at Salina, Orem, Tremonwas mental — being away from ton and Logan. their families, being lonesome But the largest camp was in and homesick, and not knowing Ogden, where up to 4,000 prison- what was going on at home,” he ers lived from 1944-46 on west Said, noting many of the men 12th Street at Defense Depot Og- were gone four years. den, then known as the Utah ArThe prisoners were well fed, so _ . my Services Depot. much so that many gained “Ogden was kind of a pioneer weight, Powell said. But there in terms of using prisoner of war were complain ts from some te Americans about the rations, he said, citing a Salt Lake City newspaper headline which declared “No More Steaks for War Prisoners.” The historian said many hoped that treating the Germans well . would insure American prisoners in Germany would also fare well. Although the two situations are difficult to compare because Ger- dent of the war occurred in Utah in 1945 when an American guard at the Salina camp opened fire from a tower on 300 sleeping German prisoners. : The shots from the .30-caliber machine gun killed 9 men and wounded 20. The guard, who had made comments ty that “he did Germans,” was Hospital but his ‘is unknown, in the communinot care for the sent to Bushnell subsequent fate Powell said. The only positive aspect of the tragedy was the compassion and care the residents of Salina gave the wounded and the other prisoners, the historian said. “The nation was shocked by this shooting in Salina,” he said. “To have an American soldier open fire and kill that many men and wound that many was really a sad chapter in the history of the war.” — | ! | _ | | _ ! i - | ! _ | |