Reply #1: My father grew up in a German-speaking

[murielm99]

farming community in Minnesota. During World War II, there was a POW camp nearby. Two of the young German soldier-prisoners worked on his family farm. My dad still has pictures of them.

His family spoke German with the prisoners. They treated them well, almost like family. The young prisoners worked with them during the day, and went back to the camp at night. They were cautioned about becoming too close to the Germans, because they were still the enemy.

The way my dad tells it, both the prisoners and his family respected the boundaries set for them, and the relationship was cordial on both sides. My dad never forgot it. This probably did much to promote future peace. Those prisoners certainly went home and told their families and friends the same positive things that my dad told us.