Little-known chapter of WWII history opened (US and German citizens in SA)

[HuckleB]

Little-known chapter of WWII history opened

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/10604859.htm

"Ernst Contag was forced with the choice of relocating his family to Germany or staying in America at an internment camp during World War II. Basing his decision on his dying wife's wish that her children could see the old country, Ernst opted to go back to Germany. From there, the life of he and his family would be changed forever.

Former Aberdeen resident Jim Grabowska and his wife, Kim Contag, detail her late grandfather's story in their book, "Where the Clouds Meet the Water." The book details her grandfather's and father's lives from when they were originally blacklisted while living in Ecuador, their subsequent movement to a West Virginia internment camp and then their arrival in Germany. "The book really brought the family back together. It really shows the strength of family," Grabowska said.

During WWII, North and South America decided to make a unified front against the Axis powers. The United States called for a meeting in Rio de Janeiro at which U.S. officials urged all Central and South American countries to boycott German, Italian, and Japanese businesses and replace them with U.S. establishments. The United States also called for a blacklist of Axis-heritage people in Central and South American countries. Because of this, Ernst and his family were blacklisted by the Ecuadorian government and forced to leave.

They were then shipped to White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., where they were put in the Greenbrier Hotel in late 1942. The hotel was set up by the U.S. government to show Axis powers that their people were being taken care of so that Americans captured in Europe would be treated well also. The hotel was much like a prison, though, as barbed wire lined the outside edges of its grounds and those at the hotel were treated as prisoners.

..."

[bobthedrummer]

1. Another little known WWII fact-Wisconsin had 37 POW camps

unfortunately some of the prisoners stayed on and a few became prominent "Americans" even though they were Nazis.

[HuckleB]

2. Yeah, there were camps everywhere.

Stories of Nazi POWs attempting to escape down dry rivers in Arizona abound.