Although California was mercifully far from the battles waged during World War II, the war did make its way to Highland through a variety of activities from the draft, to rationing, to scrap drives and the presence of prisoners of war brought to San Bernardino from overseas.

From February 1944 to the end of the war, 499 Italian POWs were kept at U.S. Army Camp Ono in San Bernardino. Determined to be “low-escape risk” and because Italy had already surrendered, the Italians were treated with a relaxed and accommodating nature during their time in San Bernardino.