During the height of WWII some 16 million Americans went off to serve in the United States Armed forces. Men of fighting age were overseas fighting a war on two fronts. Women were working in munitions plants, factories or serving in their own ways. The entire country was behind the war effort. Daily items were rationed and much of what America produced went to the fighting men overseas. In many cases the family farms were the hardest hit, sending their sons off to Europe and the Pacific and leaving the farm to go untended.

England had begun taking German soldiers prisoner in North Africa as early as 1941. But they didn't have the room or resources to care for them. So, in 1942, the British the United States to take over care for some of the prisoners of war. The United States began building camps, more than 500 in total, that would come to house more than 400,00 prisoners of war across America.

this video is about how we made the most of the situation by giving Germans work on family farms to help with the war effort and support local business at the same time.

The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum is a military history museum located on Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa. Please enjoy our wide variety of videos chronicling our nation's military history through the stories of our veterans. If you would like to learn more about us please visit our website at www.goldstarmuseum.iowa.gov