The Brown County Historical Commission dedicated a Texas Historical Marker on Monday to memorialize the German Prisoners of War who were held at Camp Bowie during World War II.
The marker, located on FM 45 at the T.R. Havins Unit in Brownwood, now marks the existence of the prisoner of war camp that was established July 10, 1943 which was located just east of the Brownwood Country Club dam. This facility was designed to accommodate up to 3,000 prisoners and housed German prisoners of war. The camp had wooden military style barracks, mess halls, medical facility and a command building, and by September 1943, the camp housed 2734 POWs. The prisoners arrived by train at the Santa Fe Depot and marched 3 ½ miles to the camp.
Brownwood Mayor Stephen Haynes, County Judge Ray West, and Sunni Modawell of the Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed guests to the ceremony and outlined the impact that Camp Bowie and the prisoners of war had on the area.
“Camp Bowie has left such an important footprint on our community and our society,” Mayor Haynes said. “It is so proper that we dedicate something to Camp Bowie and especially to the POW’s camp.”
Dr. Jeff Turner of Brownwood talked about his father, who was a chaplain at the POW camp, and the experiences of one of the POW’s who later in life returned to Brownwood (see video below).
Willie McWhorter, Program Coordinator, Military Programs Division of the Texas Historical Commission was also on hand at the ceremony and outlined the Camp Bowie POW camp’s place in history.
“Today we’ve gathered to commemorate Camp Bowie’s prisoner of war camp and the United States soldiers in uniform who served here during the war. Part of a larger and more encompassing war effort as well as the local civilian need and action to locate this prisoner of war camp here,” McWhorter said. “As one of 70 prisoner of war camps that detained enemy combatants and alleviated labor shortages across the state of Texas, Camp Bowie’s POW camp is one of the few that is preserved as well as it is through the historical record thanks to the research done by the Brown County Historical Commission.” (see full comments in video below).
Mayor Stephen Haynes read the plaque when it was unveiled at the event (pictured at top).
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Mayor Stephen Haynes makes comments at the dedication ceremony
Willie McWhorter speaking with Brown County Historical Commission Chairman Ronnie Lappe looking on.
