WWII may not have been fought directly on American soil, but it surely left its mark on the country – and that includes Mississippi. By the early 1940s, the Magnolia State was home to several POW camps. Though long gone, remnants of their presence can still be found, and this route will lead you straight to them.
google.com The route is just over nine hours and leads you to actual camps as well as museums dedicated to them. To edit the map, click here.
- Camp McCain
mississippimarkers.com Located in Grenada County, Camp McCain was established in 1942 as a training post. Not long after, it became one of the nation’s first three POW camps designated for “anti-Nazis.” A total of 7,700 German prisoners were housed at the camp during the war. While at Camp McCain, POWs were put to work in nearby cotton fields. The facility closed in 1944 and most of the land and buildings were sold. Today, it’s a National Guard training center. Though there’s not really much to see, an informative marker, which is about four miles south of Grenada on Hwy 51, depicts the property’s significance.
- Camp Shelby
Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby
Nicole Bishop Since its establishment in 1917, Camp Shelby has served as a training site for various military branches. During WWII, it was the 2nd largest training base in the country (after Fort Benning, Georgia) and one of Mississippi’s most famous POW camps. Over the course of the war, 2,300 German soldiers were held at the camp, and it appears a few of them left their mark. Within the woods that surround Camp Shelby, you’ll find a giant swastika dug into the ground. It’s said that POWs planned to fill the 20’ x 20’ trench with gas and light it on fire in order to guide German bombers to Camp Shelby. Today, you can learn all about the camp’s history at Camp Shelby’s Armed Forces Museum.
- POW Recreation Area
Jason Lykins/Google We featured this Saucier gem a few weeks back (check out the article here). And as a POW-camp-turned-recreation area, it’s the perfect addition to your trip. Aside from exploring what’s left of the former POW camp, you can have some outdoor fun since the recreation area includes a lake, hiking trail, and campground.
- Camp Van Dorn
vandornmuseum.org
google.com Once a 42,000-acre training post, Camp Van Dorn is long gone. However, since it played such a critical role in preparing American troops for combat in WWII, a museum has been opened in its honor. Filled with interesting exhibits and artifacts, it provides plenty of information on the former base, which included a German POW camp. The Camp Van Dorn Museum is located on Centreville’s Main Street.
- Camp Clinton
wikipedia.org Finish off your road trip with a visit to the former Camp Clinton, which once spanned 790 acres and contained 150 buildings. The camp was one of Mississippi’s most notorious because it held the highest ranking German officials. In total, there were “25 generals and several colonels, majors, and captains.” And that was in addition to roughly 3,000 German and Italian POWs.
Just like other POW camps, Camp Clinton put prisoners to work. Several of the German soldiers were tasked with building the Mississippi River Basin Model, which is adjacent to the former camp in present-day Buddy Butts Park. The 200-acre model is the largest small-scale model in the world. It took nearly 20 years to complete! Surprisingly, after only six years in use, it was abandoned and left to deteriorate. Check out the video below for an aerial view of the area.
So, did you know about Mississippi’s POW camps? Ever visited any of these sites? Tell us in the comments section.
google.com
The route is just over nine hours and leads you to actual camps as well as museums dedicated to them. To edit the map, click here.
mississippimarkers.com
Located in Grenada County, Camp McCain was established in 1942 as a training post. Not long after, it became one of the nation’s first three POW camps designated for “anti-Nazis.” A total of 7,700 German prisoners were housed at the camp during the war. While at Camp McCain, POWs were put to work in nearby cotton fields. The facility closed in 1944 and most of the land and buildings were sold. Today, it’s a National Guard training center. Though there’s not really much to see, an informative marker, which is about four miles south of Grenada on Hwy 51, depicts the property’s significance.
Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby
Nicole Bishop
Since its establishment in 1917, Camp Shelby has served as a training site for various military branches. During WWII, it was the 2nd largest training base in the country (after Fort Benning, Georgia) and one of Mississippi’s most famous POW camps. Over the course of the war, 2,300 German soldiers were held at the camp, and it appears a few of them left their mark. Within the woods that surround Camp Shelby, you’ll find a giant swastika dug into the ground. It’s said that POWs planned to fill the 20’ x 20’ trench with gas and light it on fire in order to guide German bombers to Camp Shelby. Today, you can learn all about the camp’s history at Camp Shelby’s Armed Forces Museum.
Jason Lykins/Google
We featured this Saucier gem a few weeks back (check out the article here). And as a POW-camp-turned-recreation area, it’s the perfect addition to your trip. Aside from exploring what’s left of the former POW camp, you can have some outdoor fun since the recreation area includes a lake, hiking trail, and campground.
vandornmuseum.org
Once a 42,000-acre training post, Camp Van Dorn is long gone. However, since it played such a critical role in preparing American troops for combat in WWII, a museum has been opened in its honor. Filled with interesting exhibits and artifacts, it provides plenty of information on the former base, which included a German POW camp. The Camp Van Dorn Museum is located on Centreville’s Main Street.
wikipedia.org
Finish off your road trip with a visit to the former Camp Clinton, which once spanned 790 acres and contained 150 buildings. The camp was one of Mississippi’s most notorious because it held the highest ranking German officials. In total, there were “25 generals and several colonels, majors, and captains.” And that was in addition to roughly 3,000 German and Italian POWs.
Just like other POW camps, Camp Clinton put prisoners to work. Several of the German soldiers were tasked with building the Mississippi River Basin Model, which is adjacent to the former camp in present-day Buddy Butts Park. The 200-acre model is the largest small-scale model in the world. It took nearly 20 years to complete! Surprisingly, after only six years in use, it was abandoned and left to deteriorate. Check out the video below for an aerial view of the area.
Looking for another war-related site to explore? Click here.
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