TOMATOES, SWEET CORN, POW'S!

During the war years there were a German Prison of War camp about 10 miles away from our farm.

There is some discrepancy on whether they worked on our farm or not. We had 3 acres of tomatoes planted and 30 acres of sweet corn. My uncle had 5 acres of tomatoes as well as the surrounding farmers. It was my understanding that they came out to the farm to pick tomatoes
for the canning factory. However, my brother didn't think so. Picking tomatoes was a daily job and very back breaking job, as well. You had to scoot the crate along until full and then carry it back to the truck when full. Harvesting the sweet corn was a much easier job and done all at once when the corn was mature to can. Since my dad had a truck, he would take the tomatoes from our farm as well as the close neighbors to the canning factory. Food was a vital part of the war effort, and helpers were at a minimum.

In order to plant the tomatoes it took a man on the tractor and two men on the two row planter and they went along and planted the young plants. The planter made the holes and squirted water and fertilizer as they went along.

It seems in my mind that they worked in harvesting, but I'm sure that the country put them to work in the canning process of some source or another.

Since my dad could speak German, he would visit with them. He was rather rusty on his German, but could carry on a conversation with them. They told my dad that they were surprised that our cities weren't destroyed as they had been told before they were captured. They claimed that Germany was prospering when United States was in deep depression. They were thinking that their side was going to win the war. Dad did not argue with them, but listened to what they had to say and their view of the world situation. Dad's view on the subject was--Of course they prospered as they were busy making weapons to fight the war. We were trying to stay out of war if we could.

How the POW'S were housed and cared for is unknown, but they were always under supervision
and watched by the U.S. Government.

Wisdom--Because the Lord is watching over us, we don't have to fear the dangers around us.