FROM SWORN ENEMIES TO NAZI NEIGHBORS TO FOUND FAMILY: THE IMPACT OF A WORLD WAR II GERMAN POW CAMP ON A RURAL TENNESSEE COMMUNITY AND THE POWS WHO LIVED THERE

Abstract

The United States hosted over 400,000 POWs during World War II. Although these were America’s enemies, historians have found extensive evidence that friendships developed between POWs, their camp guards, and even civilians. The difference between Camp Lawrenceburg and other internment locations across the country is that some prisoners developed deeper, family-like relationships with two Lawrenceburg residents. This thesis maps the connection between the Stribling-Brock family and the group of POWs who worked for them: how J. H. Stribling’s actions resulted in the camp’s establishment, the Brocks’ relationships with the POWs during the war, and the family’s impact on the German men and their families once they returned home. The research is applied to several public history approaches, presenting opportunities to educate general audiences about this story and its lessons.