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Camp Forrest during World War II |
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Mail Sent: Thu 7/30/2009 8:07 AM |
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Hi, Steve-
I have been
looking in to Camp Tyson (located in Paris),
too. Camp Tyson was one of the barrage
balloon camps. Interesting stuff. The UT
Special Collections library has some records
from Camp Tyson. Special Collections will
be opening in the library next week. They
had to move from their original location due
to structural problems with the building.
I met a few
weeks ago with the History prof who is
moderating the History Honors program this
semester. She told me that when one is
writing a senior thesis, one looks at the
records first to see what questions come up
as opposed to asking the question then
hoping the records back up one's thesis. My
POW/agriculture thesis had gone by the
wayside. I am merely looking records from
the camps to see if there are any common
threads (other than the obvious) or to see
if there is something unique that sticks
out. That's where I am at this time -
looking at different records, newspaper
clippings, etc.
Hope all is well
with you!
Connie Sachs
Student Assistant, EECS
University of Tennessee
Claxton 203
Knoxville, TN 37996
(865) 974-5067 |
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Mail Sent: Thu 6/18/2009 8:46 AM |
Steve-
Good morning. Just wanted to touch base
with you. I have quit my full time job and
am working part time at UT so I can be in
school full time next semester. I am taking
this summer off (too expensive to go to
summer school), so I am continuing my POW
camp research. The more I look at it, the
more I am interested in the POWs and
agriculture.
Hope all is well with you-
Connie Sachs
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Mail Sent:
Thu 4/16/2009 4:32 PM |
Hi, Steve-
Hope all is well with you. Whew! This has
been a tough semester! I am in History
Honors this semester. After this, I will go
on the research and write a senior thesis.
I am going to do my thesis on the German POW
camps in TN. I have to narrow my focus, so
I will be thinking about that over the
summer. I have been working full time and
going to school full time, so life has been
crazy!
My Dad died in Arizona on April 1. My 5
siblings and I all got to see him over
spring break two weeks earlier and we
celebrated his 77th birthday with him. Two
of my children and I spent the week before
Easter in Arizona with my family for my
Dad's funeral.
I am ready to start delving into the German
POW camps more (as I mentioned above). A
couple of questions I am looking at re: the
camps are: how did the camps impact
(economically, socially) the communities
they were in? what made the camps in TN
unique from the camps in other parts of the
country (for example, how the POWs were
treated as opposed to the local African
American population)? Any suggestions
you can make for other questions to ask
would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Take care-
Connie Sachs |
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Mail Sent: Wed
11/26/2008 |
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Steve-
Hope you are having a great Thanksgiving
week so far.
I am writing to you because I have the
opportunity to participate in the 2009
Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and
Creative Activity at the University of
Tennessee. I would use my German POW camp
research. My thesis would be something
having to do with the impact the POWs had on
the agricultural economy of Tennessee.
Do you know of anyone whose family may
have used German POWs on their farms during
1942-1946? I would appreciate any
assistance you would be able to give me. I
am of the opinion that if the German POWs
had not been available as contract labor in
several different agricultural industries,
the United States may have seen a collapse
of the agricultural economy due to the
shortage of manpower because of the war (the
majority of able-bodied men were serving in
the military).
Thank you for your time and assistance. I
will let you know if I get into this
competition. You will have to come see me!
Viewing of the projects for the general
public is April 2, 2009 at the University
Center ballroom.
Happy Holidays-
Connie Sachs
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Mail Sent: Thu
7/17/2008 12:44 PM |
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Hi, Steve:
Thought of you the other day as I
was perusing through some of my
notes. What a journey this is
turning into! My research has taken
me to reading about German POW camps
in MN and WI as well. Now I’m
thinking I may want to explore the
impact the POWs had on the
agricultural economies of this
country as they were the ones who
filled in during severe manpower
shortages. Did you know that all
but four states had POW camps??
That was new to me.
Only able to research in spurts now
- between semesters. But, it's all
good!
Hope you’re well. Stay in touch.
Connie Sach |
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Mail Sent: Thu
6/26/2008 4:08 PM |
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University of Tennessee Center for
Study of War and Society |
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From:
Constance Sachs
mailto:zickbeeut@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 2:08 PM
To:
brownf08@gmail.com
Cc:
steve@blountweb.com
Subject: Center for Study of War and
Society
Dear Mr. Brown:
It is with fascination and sadness that I
read your article in today's News Sentinel
about UT's Center for Study of War and
Society. I am currently a Senior History
major at UT doing independent research into
WWII German POW camps here in Tennessee.
Though I haven't gotten very far into my
research (I also work full time and am on
the tail end of raising three children as
well as being a part-time student who is
currently in summer school), I was looking
forward to the Center as being a primary
source for my research. I have been in
contact with a gentleman named Steve Speer
who has put together a website about one of
the POW camps, Camp Forrest, in Tullahoma.
I mention Mr. Speer because I wonder if
perhaps various veterans groups may want to
contribute to the continuation of this
center. Your article mentioned that Cynthia
Tinker was instrumental in assisting the
ETVMA to research over 6,000 names of fallen
soldiers from East Tennessee. I would hope
her contribution to these veterans' families
would spur the families to donate to the
Center in order to keep it open and vital.
Mr. Speer and I have spoken several times,
agreeing on how vital it is to record the
memories of our veterans, especially those
from the older wars, so we have an accurate
history of those wars. With so many of our
WWII veterans leaving us in such large
numbers daily, capturing their memories,
either orally or on paper, is vital. My own
father served stateside in the Korean War
and I have a brother and two brothers-in-law
who also served in the military.
Do you know if there is any effort among
veterans' groups to keep the Center for
Study of War and Society open? Another
thought may be to make it an extension of
the American Museum of Science and Energy in
Oak Ridge, since both entities have WWII in
common. I'm sure that would be a huge
undertaking, though.
I'm not sure what can be done to keep the
Center open, but I would hate to see the
records it houses just end up on a shelf
somewhere and the memories of our WWII
veterans fade away with them.
Thank you for your article.
Sincerely-
Connie Sachs |
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Wed 5/7/2008
2:35 PM |
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Seeking information for thesis |
Mr. Speer:
I am a Junior History major at UT -
Knoxville researching WW II German POW
Camps in TN. I understand that Camp
Forrest was one of four POW camps in TN
– the other three being Camp Crossville
in Crossville, Camp Campbell in
Clarksville, and the Memphis Armed
Services Depot in Memphis. I would be
appreciative of any information you may
be able to give me about Camp Forrest or
anyone you many be able to put me in
contact with who would have first hand
experience about Camp Forrest. This
research is for a possible Senior
Research project or Master’s Thesis.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Cope Associates, Inc.
2607 Kingston Pike, Ste. 5
Knoxville, TN 37919
(865) 694-9000
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Wed 5/7/2008
I spoke over the phone with Connie earlier
today and shared a little about what this
web site has come to mean to me. She wrote
the following note later today. |
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Mr. Speer:
Just perusing through some of the
e-mails listed on the Camp Forrest
website. It’s great! You’re right –
people love to share their memories. It
seems to me that when one has had a good
experience, sharing memories makes that
experience last longer. Obviously,
people remember good things about Camp
Forrest. Thank you for the wonderful
website. It’s a wealth of great
information!
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