Between 1942 and 1946 about 500,000 enemy prisoners of war were in 155 major detention camps plus 511 branch, side or satellite camps in the U.S. Of these POWs, an estimated 13,000 were in North Carolina – 3,000 Italians, 10,000 Germans.
In 1940 73% of the residents in North Carolina lived in rural areas. 362,500 North Carolinians served in the military during World War II. 262,942 men were drafted (7.36% of the population). The USDA reported in 1942 that 2 million men had left their agricultural jobs in the United States. So there was a dire need for farm labor in North Carolina and in America.
By April of 1943 a decision was made by the U.S. government to use prisoners of war as agricultural workers. By July of 1943 the USDA developed a procedure for using the POWs. Farmers were to contact the county agent with a request for workers. The farmer had to certify that no other labor was available, and the farmer would pay the government the prevailing wage for the workers which was 40-50 cents an hour.
In this presentation we look at how POWs were used in agriculture and the pulpwood forests of the state. We also look at the experiences of the POWs.