Gregory Sumner, author of "Detroit in World War II," was the guest speaker at the April 26 evening meeting of Rotary of Grosse at The War Memorial. He was greeted by President Ted Everingham.
 
 
Sumner has previously talked about the book at the War Memorial, so he focused on a new book he is writing about prisoners of war in America. At one point, there were 500,000 POWs in the U.S. consisting of German and Italian soldiers. These soldiers were transported on ships that delivered supplies and men to Europe and Africa. They served the purpose of replacing a labor shortage caused by the war.
 
At one point, there were 6,000 POWs in Michigan, housed at Fort Custer and 32 other locations around the state. They were brought in for seasonal work on farms and to cut trees. Due to the sheer size of Michigan, there was little chance of any escaping. 
 
Sumner is fascinated by the human interest stories that developed between the local citizens and the prisoners. They eventually didn’t view them as enemies but as humans, arranging soccer matches, eating meals together, and putting together dances. Many of the POWs found ways to become American citizens after the war through marriage and sponsors.