Dahlonega
Literary Festival
An Annual Celebration of Readers, Writers, and Books
JasonWetzel and Kathryn Roe Coker
Jason Wetzel has an MA in education and history from Georgia State University. The bulk of his working life was in telecommunications, with side forays as a high school teacher and a Department of the Army historian. His interest is World War II history. He was bon in Australia during World War II. His mother was an Australian war bride, and he is an Australian war baby. Dahlonega, Georgia is home.
Dr. Kathryn Roe Coker received a doctorate in history from the University of South Carolina. She served for thirty years as a historian for the Department of the Army (DA). Her interest in World War II POWs began at Fort Gordon while serving as the deputy command historian. She has published various articles in professional journals like the Georgia Historical Quarterly. While a DA historian, she published numerous books and pamphlets, including A History of Fort Gordon, World War II Prisoners of War in Georgia: Camp Gordon's POWs and The Indispensable Force: The U.S. Army Reserve (1990-2010). Se now resides in Richmond, Virginia with her Miniature Schnauzer and Puggle.
Georgia Pow Camps in World War II
During World War II, many Georgians witnessed the enemy in their backyards. More than twelve thousand German and Italian prisoners captured in far-off battlefields were sent to POW camps in Georgia. With large base camps located from Camp Wheeler in Macon and Camp Stewart in Savannah to smaller camps throughout the state, prisoner reeducation and work programs evoked different reactions to the enemy. There was even a POW work detail of forty German soldiers at Augusta National Golf Course, which was changed from a temporary cow pasture to the splendid golf course we know today. Join author and historian Dr. Kathryn Roe Coker and coauthor Jason Wetzel as they explore the daily lives of POWs in Georgia and the lasting impact they had on the Peach State.
