Outside the Fence

An Army Captain, his wife, four kids aged three to nine, and a dog were having a leisurely trip across the country in their 1941 Pontiac, bound for his new assignment in Stockton, California. Before they arrived, however, the whole world had changed. World War II had begun.

The three daughters in this family, with input from their older brother, tell of these times in this blended memoir.

While we were in California, the country was making jarring adjustments to war mode. Our next stop would be Temple, Texas, where Camp Hood was becoming Fort Hood.

As the war went on, Prisoner of War Camps were set up across the country. A Camp near Monticello, Arkansas was one of these and was our next stop. It housed Italian Prisoners of War. We thought the prisoners were very interesting, and they seemed interested in us as well.These camps were smaller and nearer to smaller towns. We found no other Army kids, and four new kids really stood out in a small town. We relied on each other.

The next move took us to Lordsburg, New Mexico. This camp housed German prisoners. We were growing older and were given more freedoms. This was perfect for us, as there were ghost towns in the desert nearby. We loved it. Adventures were around every corner.

These are the stories of children in a unique time and place.