Life for German POWs Leaving America
madison blanchard staff writer The war was over in 1945, but for thousands of German POWs, the journey home was put on hold. Instead of going home, they helped rebuild the countries their army had torn apart. Under the terms of the Geneva Convention, POWs were not allowed to stay in captivity as they were […]
POWs and the Economy
aynsley andras staff writer Faced with a wartime labor shortage that threatened Louisiana’s sugarcane industry, they turned to prisoners of war to keep the crops, and the economy, growing. World War II led about 280,000 young men and women from Louisiana to help in the war, leaving a shortage of workers in local industries, says […]
POWS Path to Louisiana
Guards & Camp Workers
aynsley andras staff writer Inside the prisoner-of-war camps, a team of guards, workers, and overseers ensured the prisoners were well-supervised and cared for, with many duties extending beyond maintaining order. Many people worked inside the prisoner-of-war camps, from staff in the kitchen and dining hall to those providing medical services and guarding the prisoners. Tall […]
Camp Activities
aynsley andras staff writer Prisoners of war engaged in a variety of recreational and creative activities during their time in captivity. From playing soccer and card games to painting and woodworking, these activities offered the prisoners both physical and mental respite. For most of the day, the prisoners of war worked in fields and were […]
Eating at Camp
kade bergeron features editor During World War II, over 2,000 prisoners of war were confined in Louisiana’s Bayou Region, where they faced unfamiliar climates, terrain, and conditions. Yet, one aspect of normalcy remained — their food. Camps had dining halls, sometimes called “mess halls,” that were primarily used for dining and communicating. These spaces served […]
Louisiana Camps
jacob levron staff videographer The Place Bar served as the dining hall for the POW Camp in North Thibodaux. Photo Credit: Jacob Levron, staff photographer The POW camp in Valentine, Louisiana, in 1943. Photo Credit: Nicholls Archive The Thibodaux camp’s POW soccer team. Photo Credit: Nicholls Archives Tents at the North Thibodaux POW camp. Photo […]
Bayou Region Camps
aynsley andras staff writer More than 12,000 prisoners of war (POW) were sent to Louisiana during World War II, with 2,073 sent to camps in the Bayou Region to live in the communities and work the local industries. “You take a soldier out of the war to ship him 5,000 miles away,” says Glenn Falgoust, […]
POW Camps in the Bayou Region
kade bergeron features editor When most think of World War II, the focus shifts straight to military involvement, Adolf Hitler, the Holocaust, and a war thousands of miles away. But the impact of the war came to the Bayou Region of South Louisiana as prisoners of war were brought into camps to help with local […]
Detecting AI: How Good are You?
angel narcisse design editor