Many of the thousands of people who visit Camp Perry each year for its national matches and marksmanship programs may be surprised to learn that Camp Perry served as a prisoner of war camp during World War II.

Even those who know may be stunned to learn that the prisoners didn’t live under the harsh conditions expected of a prison holding Nazis. Prison life was so comfortable that some locals at the time were bitter that the country’s enemies lived in relative ease while their own sons were dying in horrid conditions overseas. But amongst the paradoxes of war was the children’s perception of the prisoners, whom they judged to be nice, ordinary people when viewed up close.