camp hearne

Original site of a world war 2 prisoner of war camp. there is an onsite reproduction of a barracks and a guard tower. the barracks building contains a small museum. A must see for WW2 buffs.

Well, I had a GREAT review...until Windows crashed and I lost it! Let's see if I can recreate the spirit of the "Lost Review"!Although I was initially disappointed when I arrived at Camp Hearne, I quickly learned a wealth of information. Not many people know that during World War II, German and Japanese Prisoners of War (POW's) were interred in Texas. A majority of the German POW's interred in Hearne were stationed in North Africa. According to the Geneva Convention, the POW's were to be held in a climate of which they were accustomed to. That is how Camp Hearne came to be. It was operated from 1942 to 1946. There is not much left of the original camp left. There is an area on site where you can walk among the foundations of barracks long gone. According to the exhibit inside, there ARE some of the original buildings scattered around the County. The Staff has painstakingly recreated a barracks building and a Guard Tower. They are modernized and decidedly a lot cleaner and more comfortable, but you get the feeling of the conditions that the POW's and Guards lived in. I normally hold museums that specialize in a Military theme to a high standard. I was not impressed until we ran across Heino Erichsen, a former German POW who was interred at Camp Hearne. I was informed that several former POW's and Guards remained in the area after they were released from their respective services. That is a plus in my book.Speaking of books, in addition to Mr. Ericksen allowing my son to "interview" him, we purchased his autobiography (which he graciously autographed) and one of his small paintings. I was informed that the Camp occasionally has former POW's and Guards as guests. They will tell their story and interact with the visitors. This is something that you will not get in a History class. Instead of taking a guided tour of the museum, we opted to strike out on our own. From what I overheard from one of the Docents, they are very knowledgeable of details that are easily missed on exhibit pieces as well as events that occurred while the Camp was in operation. This knowledge cannot be learned from a book or movie. It also puts a human face and emotion to events that most school aged children would consider trivial. This makes for a memorable experience.Today was one of their annual events. You can go to their website (camphearne.com) and find a calendar of events. The Camp hosted WWII Re-enactors with their equipment, including vehicles and weapons. There was a weapons demonstration performed by the Re-enactors. There was also a Stuart tank on site. At the entrance to the museum, they had an antique car show. What I considered to be the main event of the weekend actually happened at the Hearne Municipal Airport. This was the reason I drove from Houston to Hearne. Vehicular access was restricted, but a Hearne ISD School bus was provided to shuttle visitors from the Camp to the airport and back. The P-51C "Tuskegee Airmen" and accompanying Rise Above Project mobile movie theater were there. The B-25J Mitchell "Yellow Rose" was also present. You were able to actually walk up and touch these flying pieces of history. For a small donation, you could climb aboard the "Yellow Rose". These aircraft are affiliated with the Commemorative Air Force and are tangible reminders of events past. You are also able to book rides aboard certain aircraft operated by the CAF. To find out more about the mission of the "Tuskegee Airmen", visit www.redtail.org. I feel that I fell short on the rewrite, but I attribute that to it being 02:38 and I have had a very long and eventful day. Handicap access is limited at the camp. there are stairs to the guard tower and steps into the Barracks. The school bus had a wheelchair lift and it is my understanding that the Rise Above theater also has a lift although I did not see it. On the plus side, the theaters and Barracks are air conditioned and access was free! I took over 200 usable photos, so I will post a few here. BTW, I am not a professional photographer, but would appreciate asking permission to copy or use my photos. Thank you!

The museum guide was very informative and pointed out little things you might miss while exploring the exhibits, i.e. the swastika etched on the stove. The POWs were very talented and built structures, put on plays and concerts, and created works of art. Be sure to see the butterfly collection, snakeskin wallet, models, and paintings. Some prisoners worked outside the compound on local farms, so ask the guide to share stories of how the local townspeople interacted with the POWs. Also, the 'escape attempts' made for interesting stories considering the environment and terrain around Hearne. I wish the victory garden had been planted and tended to. You cannot go up into the guard tower.There were darker sides of life in the POW camp. Learn how a group of German POWs maintained 'control' over fellow prisoners resulting in murder and the disbandment of church services. There is seating available if you need to take a rest while viewing the exhibits, and a clean bathroom is available. Bring your own soft drinks, water, and snacks because the camp is in the middle of nowhere. There is an unshaded picnic table outside the building but take into consideration the weather and the bugs.Younger children would be bored, and the grounds are not child-friendly (snakes, fire ants, rough gravel driveway and parking area). If you have mobility issues and can navigate the parking area and steep wooden steps, you should have no problems moving around the museum. Wear sturdy comfortable walking shoes and maybe consider bug repellent. If you are an intrepid hiker with the right preparation, the grounds can be explored.

As the WWII generation dies, we are moving quickly to a time when the war will become only another page in a history book. Places such as Camp Hearne are needed in order to keep it real in the memory of future generations. WWII was a war of such magnitude that it is impossible for current generations to realize that the entire country was swept up in it. The prisoners at Camp Hearne were only a few thousand out of the more than 300,000 German and Italian prisoners who were interned in the US by the end of the war. Camps like Hearne existed in nearly every state in the US. The volunteer docent/guide did a great job in explaining the camp to us and the video is definitely worth viewing. It's only a one-hour stop, but it's an excellent glimpse of a unique aspect of the war you won't find in many other places.

It was something that everyone should visit. It was a piece of history. Those of us who are older know something of WW II, but younger persons should gather the first hand knowledge of their great grandparents.

My family and I visited Camp Hearne on June 19, 2013. We arrived one hour before closing and were greeted very warmly. The site is small but full of history. The woman who gave the tour was very knowledgeable and kept everyone's attention. Each item in the museum has a special "personal" attachment to them. The video that was shared from the history channel shed light on aspects of prison life for those housed in America during the war (WWII). The comparison of how prisoners in Germany (from what I was taught in school) and how the Americans treated POWs were quite enlightening. Learning how the prisoners treated one another was a little shocking. Such places are needed to "clear up" some things people perceive as true. I can't wait until October when the museum brings in more history to absorb.

This museum is located on the site of the original Camp Hearne which was a WWII POW camp that housed hundreds of German soldiers. During that war, there were POW camps throughout the U.S. and Texas had more of these camps than any other state. The camps held German, Italian, and Japanese POWs. This museum is located in a barracks type structure with a rebuilt guard tower nearby and is the only museum, that I know of, in the U.S. that is dedicated to the history of the POWs. There is a Victory Garden outside and the original water tower is just a few hundred yards from the museum. Volunteers guide the visitors through the museum which is filled with memorabilia from WWII. There are items for sale which include T-shirts and books about the camp. The place is only 25 miles from Bryan-College Station where Texas A&M is located. Camp Hearne has a website which gives information about the museum.