During World War II, Nazism didn't just exist in Europe.
Far from the battles raging on European soil, Nazism was alive and well at the German Prisoner of War Camp at Fort Robinson. (For an overview of Axis POWs in America, please see Axis POWS in America during WW2). Prisoner of war Stabsfeldwebel (Sergeant) Harry Huenmoerder, a 37-year old senior ranking non-commissioned officer from Hamburg, was pro-Nazi. Worse, he’d been elected camp spokesman, an important position guaranteed by Article 43 of the Geneva Convention. The camp spokesman offered an important link between the POW’s and the American command.
But Huenmoerder had been in the German military for over thirteen years, and Hitler’s rhetoric had taken root. He came to Fort Robinson in November of 1943 with the first batch of prisoners captured in Tunisia by the British. (Learn more about daily life at the Fort Robinson POW camp) Even though the American officers knew of Huenmoerder’s party connections, they were hesitant to remove him from his post. According to a Field Service Camp Survey of February 15, 1945, Huenmoerder’s character was “beyond reproach. He is honest and sincere in his dealings, commands the respect of the Commanding Officer as well as the men of the compound.” His pro-Nazi tendencies were no secret to the other prisoners. Indeed, they had elected him to his post.
Strangely enough, Nazi camp spokesmen were not uncommon in the numerous camps throughout America. In fact, such camps were usually models of efficiency, and the Americans were reluctant to disturb this delicate balance, at the very least because the American press had a field day with any sort of controversy surrounding the German prisoners.
But there were those at Fort Robinson who weren’t too thrilled with a Nazi in such a position. Austrian PW’s wrote a letter to the U.S. War Department, calling Huenmoerder the “head Nazi” and requesting transfers to an all-Austrian PW camp. They even accused the American camp commander of having a strong dislike for anti-Nazis and Austrians. Unfortunately, their transfer request was denied.
From 1943 through 1945, Nazism continued to plague the PW camps in America. At Fort Robinson, beatings, threats, and the burning of the national PW newspaper, Der Ruf, created a tense environment. One incident involved POW Ernst Guenther Ummack who read and translated American newspapers for other prisoners. He was put into protective custody at the fort because other POWs had threatened his life.
By July of 1945, Nazism in the camps—and at Fort Robinson—had become so pronounced that the Provost Marshal General’s Office finally issued a directive banning Nazis from being elected camp spokesman. Huenmoerder was transferred to Camp Clark, Missouri, where, according to an American officer, “all good Nazis go.” Wolfgang Dorschel, a progressive anti-Nazi, replaced Huenmoerder as spokesman and stayed in his position at until the Fort Robinson PW camp closed in 1946. During his tenure, Dorschel created a unique discussion group on denazification that led to nearly every man in the camp signing a petition promising to break with Nazism forever. Thankfully, Huenmoerder’s Nazi legacy disappeared.
