Some New News About Old Stuff.
1. WORLD WAR I-ERA SOLDIER DIES-- The April 28th Louisville (Ky) Courier Journal reports that Rex Robley, a WW I-era soldier died just 4 days shy of his 108th birthday. He met his wife Gracie at Camp Taylor in Louisville in 1919 before being sent overseas and married in 1922 when he returned.
He never saw combat and enlisted after the Armistice was signed. The 18-year-old, 115-pound Army private did Military Intelligence at 3rd Army HQ in Germany.
2. GERMAN WW II POW BUILDING BURNS-- The April 28th Mexia (Tx) News reports that a building used to house German POWs during WW II burned Saturday. Also lost were the town's Tour of Lights Christmas decorations that were housed in it.
Texas had twice as many German POW camps as any other state. There was a problem finding places for the huge influx of German prisoners as the war progressed. In April 1943, 150,000 members of the Afrika Corps arrived, and after that an average of 20,000 a month. Many were sent to Texas because of availability of space and climate. By the end of the war, 78.982 were housed in 14 camps.
The one in Mexia was for Naval officers only and opened in June, 1943.
After the war, the Mexia State School, covering 215 acres and housing 500 disabled persons with 1,400 workers used the site. It serves a 14 county area.
Again, most present-day Americans do not know of all the German and Italian prisoners held in the US during World War II.
Old Stuff, Gotta Love It. --Old Coot
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