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Italian Prisoners of War (1942-1946) -- Captives and allies.

During World War II 51,000 Italian prisoners of war (mostly captured in North Africa) were detained in the United States. They were placed in 21 camps in 18 States.

After Italy signed an armistice with the Allies in September 1943, most of these soldiers (70% to 90%) agreed to swear allegiance to the United States and to collaborate in the fight against Germany, enrolling as Italian Service Units (ISUs). If they did this, they would be treated well, be given a job on their facility and could have freedom of movement with permission. Those who continued to swear allegiance to Italy (initially 15,000 but the number progressively declined) were considered non-compliant and referred to as NONs. The officers who were more educated and indoctrinated in Fascism were the most reluctant; many of them (four thousand) were shipped to Hereford, Texas. When five of them died there, not too long before the war ended, fellow prisoners built a chapel to them.

The initial opposition of the public and military leaders to the use of prisoners was soon overshadowed by the use of 35,000-45,000 men with only minor discipline issues. In a short time the Italian communities and the Catholic parishes near the installations were inviting the men to Sunday dinners, dances and outings.

The ISUs contributed one millions hours of labor to the war effort. They were farm workers, bakers, ditch diggers, dock works, freight handlers for trucks, railcars, fulfilling the needs of the communities in which their camp was located. In financial costs the programs saved the United States an estimated $230 million, not enough to pay for the costs of caring for the war prisoners, but a large contribution to help defray those costs.

All prisoners were sent back home by 1946. Several of them returned to marry.