This Arkansas POW Camp Tour Will Chill You To The Bone
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Along the southeastern part of the state resides a cluster of POW and Internment Camps that are filled with a chilly, yet fascinating history. Let’s take a photo tour of these spots frozen in history.
Although they're not the only POW or Internment Camps in the state, these are relatively close enough to make a day trip. To see the map of today’s tour, go right here.
Not much is left of the Bassett POW Camp but it can be seen from U.S. 61. The camp held about 300 German and Italian POWs after the surrender at Wehrmacht. POWs spent most of their time picking cotton for 80¢ a day. The site has an information panel and the original concrete gates.
The majority of the airport has been remodeled to serve the general public but during the war the airfield was specifically created to train army air forces. Medium bomber and transport pilots underwent mission drills until 1946. Outlines of the wartime streets and foundations of the military hangars can still be seen.
The best way to learn more about this camp is to visit the nearby World War II Japanese American Internment Museum. The museum in McGehee has exhibits about the Rohwer War Relocation Center as well as the Jerome Relocation Center. Rohwer has a memorial, cemetery, and information panels. Interestingly, the audio narrator for the tour is George Takei. He and his family were forced to live at the camp when he was 5 years old.
Tucked away at the University of Arkansas - Monticello resides the remains of the Monticello POW Camp. The camp held 3,800 Italian POWs and 1,500 U.S. military personnel at its peak. There are plans to further preserve the area and create a walking tour. You will need to reach out to university officials before poking around the forest but the barracks can be seen while touring the campus or the neighboring Drew County fairgrounds.
Similar to Bassett, not too much remains but the melancholy presence can still be felt. Jerome was the last American relocation camp to be created but also the first to close. The camp held 8,500 Japanese-Americans at its peak in 1943 and later held German POWs in 1944. Today you can see a schoolhouse, smokestack, water tank (with gunshot scars), and foundations in the area.
Some other interesting places of note within Arkansas would be Fort Chaffee in Fort Smith or Camp Robinson in North Little Rock. Although the war was a dark stain on American history, all we can do is continue to work towards preserving, remembering, and learning from these spots.
Have you stopped by these historic places before? Share your experience with us in the comments below!
Arkansas has fascinating history from every era, from almost never becoming a state to this particularly bizarre event from 50 years ago.
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