"Jap Camp" Crossville, Tennessee's POW Camp 1942-1945
This camp was coined the "Jap Camp" by locals of East Tennessee, not because it housed Japanese, that's for sure. In fact, this camp NEVER held a Japanese soldier. The people of East Tennessee took their anger at the current affairs with Japan, out on the prisoners housed there, showing how easily misinformation can spread. The words Internment camp, and Concentration camp, aren't the terms that really depict the POW camps the German Nazi's inhabited during WWII in America. Instead steak dinners, and nightly entertainment were a regular thing in these prisons. Many locals remember, the Nazi's eating better than the people of Crossville. Camp Crossville opened in 1942 and closed by December 1945 for the end of World War II. Crossville camp held some of the highest ranking German Nazi soldiers and as well Italians soldiers. During World War II Tennessee was home to eleven prisoner of war camps. Four of them being large installations. The Crossville location was built on top of the old 1930's CCC camp that was abandoned years before. First prisoners to arrive in Crossville, Tennessee were 1,500 German Nazi's most whom were veterans of General Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps. Camp Forrest nearby held nearly twice as many prisoners, and Camp Crossville eventually became a branch of Forrest as well, Camp Campbell was a special purpose camp which served as a safe house or haven for "anti Nazi's". Prisoners were generally cooperative, Italian prisoners seemed to get along very well with one another, but the German democrats often quarreled constantly among themselves. Small wages could be made for small labor or agriculture tasks. Security at the camps for the most part was highly lax, prisoners were allowed outside the gates/fences on a regular basis for walks etc. Most always these prisoners would return. Of 356,560 prisoners in the United States of America only 1,583 prisoners escaped and of those only 22 were never captured. One story that used to be told, three German submariners had escaped the camp and made their way to a mountain side cabin, were a old granny yelled to them "git" and when they didn't heed her warning she shot one of them dead. When the local deputy sheriff arrived he had told her she shot a German POW and she said she would of never fired, " I thought it wuz a damn Yankee ". Conditions were comfortable for prisoners in Crossville, By the Geneva Convention, the enemy never did without. Entertainment was a nightly thing, steak dinners on the regular, like mentioned before, the prisoners actually lived better than most of the local families in the area. Camp Campbell prisoners formed two Orchestra's. German prisoners camped in at Memphis Camp formed a Orchestra as well. Prisoners were allowed to buy wine and beer as they pleased, even had day trips to the mountains. Camp Crossville and Campbell both had published newspapers. Educational programs were setup at nearly every camp. Gerhard Hennes was a German Lieutenant captured in North Africa on May 13, 1943. Five months later after a few short stays in a bunch of different holding facilities, he entered the gates of Camp Crossville. Imprisoned here for a term of two years. After the war Gerhard Hennes became a U.S. Citizen and in 2004 published the book " The Barbed Wire: POW in the USA". He gives a detailed description into the life at the Crossville Camp. They were given new uniforms, they were never interrogated and were left to the authority of their own German officers. "Three square meal a day" Hennes wrote, breakfast included long forgotten or newly cherished things like scrambled eggs, crisp bacon, fresh orange or V8 juice. All kinds of cereal; and hot caked soaked in maple syrup. Gerhard Hennes had the rank of Lieutenant so he was given the salary of $20.00 a month. Prisoners in return could buy beer, cigarettes, and just about anything they could imagine out of a Sears catalog. The prisoners formed soccer leagues, kept themselves occupied by playing cards and they took educational classes taught by other prisoners. Prisoners had no complaints about treatment, and we know this from Gerhard's book and many post war visits and post war letters. Several German prisoners returned in 1984 to visit Memphis and the Camp site they were imprisoned. Many Germans emigrated to the areas they were imprisoned after the war. Crossville Camp is currently housing Clyde M York 4h Training Center near Ponoma, Tn. Take Sparta Highway from Crossville to Ponoma and left at the crossroads. A museum stands nearby with artifacts from the times, The currently listed number is, (931) 788-2288. Why did we give such good treatment to the Nazi's? Did we go over and beyond the rules of Geneva Convention? How about our POW's how are they treated in their foreign prisons? A great film on YouTube really puts it all in prospective for me, look up A Rich Man's Trick JFK - 9/11. Did we back the Nazi's? Feel free to review this film, in my blog post titled "Can Purposeful Misinformation be used as a Weapon?" These are all loaded questions, some may call them silly, but if we do not ask them, and remember all of our past, both good and shady, how will we move forward and grow? Keep asking questions.
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So the rumors are true, country singer Blake Shelton plans to open his third Ole Red restaurant and entertainment complex, this time in Gatlinburg, in partnership with Ryman Hospitality Properties.
Shelton, a Grand Ole Opry member, multiple award winner and coach on “The Voice,” opened his first Ole Red in his hometown of Tishomingo, Oklahoma, in September 2017, according to a Ryman news release. Shelton and Colin Reed, Ryman Hospitality Properties president and CEO, announced the new location in a Facebook Live broadcast on Ole Red Nashville’s page. It was watched by about 1,500 people at the time. Blake Shelton held a surprise show at the Wildhorse during CMA FestReed and is quoted as saying he hopes to open the Gatlinburg location in February or March of 2019. It should resemble the soon-to-open Ole Red Nashville, but without a rooftop bar, he said. “Gatlinburg is one of my all-time favorite places,” Shelton said in a news release. “This part of the country is full of people who love good food, great music, family and most importantly, a good time. That’s what Ole Red is all about, and I can’t wait to give my fans another place to have fun in Gatlinburg.” “Gatlinburg, it’s definitely a fun party town, but it’s kind of got a country atmosphere, so it’s basically a no-brainer,” he said on Facebook Live. Shelton said he wants Ole Red to add more of a late-night party feel to Gatlinburg. Other blogs are listed as stating, "The business name comes from his 2002 hit song “Ol’ Red.” The Gatlinburg location will be at 511 Parkway, currently the largely vacant Riverbend Mall." However this is not entirely true. For us locals, we know that the Riverbend Mall up until recently was still home to some well loved businesses in the area. I just walked by this building while doing business at Landshark Bar and Grill just up the street, and thought to myself, "Wow this should be a bar" and POOF here is the answer. Plans call for renovating the existing building, a $9 million effort to turn it into a 16,000-square-foot multi-level attraction, with a two-story bar and restaurant, retail space, performance venue, dance floor and outside terrace, according to Ryman Hospitality Properties. While Ole Red will feature lots of music, its primary driver will be food and drink sales, according to the company. The menu will include Hot Chicken & Waffles, barbecue, burgers and other Southern-style fare. Construction is expected to take about nine months, according to a Ryman spokesperson. Mayor Mike Werner touted it as “great news for Gatlinburg. “I am certain that Blake Shelton and Ole Red will resonate with our visitors and become a major draw to this area,” he said in the email. “The development will also provide new employment opportunities, not just for residents of Gatlinburg, but of the surrounding area. This is a win-win for all involved.” I must ask, does Gatlinburg need more "Employment Opportunities" at dead end jobs with no future? Are there not already a shortage of reliable staff in this area? Okay, okay, we will discuss that later. Gatlinburg City Manager Cindy Cameron Ogle said city officials are claiming that the development will be part of ongoing recovery from the November Gatlinburg Arson comited by 2 unnamed 15 year old boys from Anderson County, TN. We got a hint that this may be coming earlier this year, when legendary singer, pop icon and coach on the hit series "The Voice" stopped in to eat at a local restaurant I bartend at. This may not seem to make sense but, Kelly Clarkson happens to be married to Blake's manager and is quoted as stating, the following about working with her on "The Voice". "Having Kelly here—she's married to my manager—we've been friends forever," Blake added. "It was only natural that her being here in Los Angeles, working on this show, we're all going to get together and hang out." I wonder if we will see any celebrities walking on the strip anytime soon! Rose Glen 1850 Greek Revival Architecture Added to NRHP JULY 18 1975 Dr Robert Hatton Hodsden 1806-1864 he was a Sevier county resident, politician, and physician. In 1860 he was one of the county's wealthiest individuals in the area. Dr Hodsden was the attending phsycian on the Cherokee Indian removal, referred to the Trail of Tears. Dr Hodsden also represented Blount County in the late 1830's and between 1841-1845 in the state legislature. Hodsden was a slave owner, but he was pro union during the American Civil War, and was member of the Sevier County delegation at the East Tennessee Convention in Greenville in 1861. In 1843, after the death of his first wife, Hodsden married a widow, Mary Brabson-Shields (1818–1888), whose father, John Brabson, had established the Brabson's Ferry Plantation at Boyds Creek, and had given his daughter what is now Rose Glen as a gift for her first wedding. Hodsden and Brabson-Shields initially resided in Maryville, but eventually moved to Rose Glen, where they completed the plantation house and villa in 1850. The plantation was made up of 2,377 acres and many things were grown on the farm and sold in nearby farmer's markets in Knoxville, Tennessee. By 1860, Rose Glen had grown to 2,377 acres roughly worth $28,000, making it by far the most valuable farm in Sevier County. Livestock at Rose Glen included fourteen horses, thirty-seven cattle, sixty-seven sheep, four oxen, and one-hundred eighty hogs. Hodsden and fifteen slaves produced 3,400 bushels of oats, 360 bushels of wheat, 50 bushels of sweet potatoes, 18 tons of hay, 100 pounds of wool, 300 gallons of molasses, and over 3,000 pounds of butter, annually. Rose Glen's 1,200 pounds of rice was one of the largest rice crops in East Tennessee. The plantation also had a small winery The design of Rose Glen was modeled after architect Minard LaFever's "Design for a Country Villa," which appeared in both LaFever's Modern Builders Guide (1833) and Beauties of Modern Architecture (1835). The design called for a "five-part" villa, consisting of the central block and two wings, and two symmetrically-placed outbuildings aligned with the house's northeast and northwest corners. At Rose Glen, these two outbuilding which were used as an office and a loom house were connected to the main house by flower-lined walkways. The loom house and office have designs that match the house, with the same weatherboarding and brick chimneys. A rose garden was maintained in the space between the outbuildings and the main house and the remnants of the garden can still be seen. Also a smokehouse, outhouse, springhouse, double cantilevered barn, and a hay barn sit across the main road without a fence around it. Dr Hodsden's office is still on site as well. Dr. Hodsden being pro-union he actually had a saltpeter mine on the property and sold to the confederates. Civil War On the 26th of January 1864, Brig. Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis, having had various brushes with Confederate cavalry, deployed his troops to watch the area fords. Two Confederate cavalry brigades and artillery advanced from Fair Garden in the afternoon but were reported about four miles from Sevierville. Other Confederates attacked a Union cavalry brigade at Fowler’s on Flat Creek, and drove it about two miles. No further fighting occurred that day. On January 27, 1864, Rose Glen was a strategic point in a skirmish known as the Battle of Fair Garden, fought between Union forces led by Colonel Edward McCook forces led by Major-General William Martin (Martin was helping to cover James Longstreet's retreat after the Siege Of Knoxville. In 1873, Abraham Jackson Hicks (1841–1903) took control of Rose Glen when he married Hodsden's daughter, Mary Pasteur Hodsden (1854–1942). After Hicks' death, Rose Glen passed to eldest his son, John Hodsden Hicks (1874–1948) Union scouts observed that the Confederates had concentrated on the Fair Garden Road, so Sturgis ordered an attack there in the morning. In a heavy fog, Col. Edward M. McCook’s Union division attacked and drove back Maj. Gen. William T. Martin’s Confederates until about 4:00 pm. At that time, McCook’s men charged with sabers and routed the Rebels. Sturgis set out in pursuit on the 28th, and captured and killed more of the routed Rebels. The Union forces, however, observed three of Longstreet’s infantry brigades crossing the river. Realizing his exhaustion from fighting, lack of supplies, ammunition, and weapons and the overwhelming strength of the enemy, Sturgis decided to evacuate the area. But, before leaving, Sturgis determined to attack Brig. Gen. Frank C. Armstrong’s Confederate cavalry division which he had learned was about three or four miles away, on the river. Unbeknownst to the attacking Federals, Armstrong had strongly fortified his position and three infantry regiments had arrived to reinforce him. Thus, the Union troops suffered severe casualties in the attack. The battle continued until dark, when the Federals retired from the area. The Federals had won the big battle but the fatigue of continual fighting, lack of supplies and, ammunition forced them to withdraw. In present day, Rose Glen Literary Festival has been held on the grounds, in honor of the history and legacy of Rose Glen Plantation. Reese Marshall donated 67 acres of land to what is now, Walters State Community College, Sevier County Campus. The Rose Glen Literary Festival was held there from 2010 to 2013. Unfortunately even this quickly came to an end after three short years. Walter State Community College sits to the North of the main house and owns the land in which the cave/mine is on. The ridge to the North East is the main battle ground. Currently, the property sits in ruins, while the owner collects tax breaks for hosting horses on its land. The history sits forgotten, and underappreciated at this busy intersection. Students, residents, and Americans alike, passing its location without thought. There is one place on the historic property, which does get some attention, this is the Hodsden Cave, on Old Newport Highway which is still accessible. This cave is one of the few man made caves which still exist to show the last of the area during this strange era. This cave was used to mine saltpeter during the Civil war, and was the site of Dr Hodsden saltpeter mining operation at Rose Glen Rose Glen, has a history which is almost unbeatable, it has a past that is important to be remembered, so get out there, explore, and document history before it too is gone. #hikedontwalk #historicarchaeology #mikethehikingguide #roseglen #sevierco #easttennessee #civilwartrail #civilwar #fairgarden #battle -Thanks for reading Mike Looking out from the Rose Glen Saltpeter operation. Saltpeter in it's raw state "Change Something" I personally love this - Mike
I wonder how many of you reading this blog, have ever heard of Cade's Cove. This iconic "abandoned" mountain town is well known and well loved by many. Somehow this place makes each person feel like it is only there for them. That this is their spot, their memory, their "place".
But it is this entitlement that is ruining it. Over the past several years, this once peaceful echo of a bygone era, has become nothing more than a drive-thru zoo, I mean come on, we are all ENTITLED to our very own photo of Black Bears in their "natural habitat" right? Okay, lets not get off topic... If you have heard of Cade's Cove, than you have probably seen the popular TRASH article written by Jason Fishman, claiming that a network of tunnels runs under the John Oliver cabin. You can access the article by clicking here. While this article does not hold any factual data about the true location, description of uses for the tunnel/caves in question, not all of this article should be scoffed at. The area known as Cade's Cove historically was referred to as "Caves Cove" and was phonetically changed over time. This nickname stuck because there does happen to be a network of caves, and karsts which connect and drain directly into Cade's Cove. Many scientists have dutifully hand drawn maps of miles worth of caves in the GSMNP. Much of East Tennessee was actually a prehistoric sea, because of this, the underlying ground is composed of Limestone. This limestone wears away easily, and when water repeatedly beats its way through, it becomes a cave. Much of the Native American history is actually lost here, sure you hear about the Cherokee, and everyone local seems to claim that they too share some genetic past with them. But what is not well known is that the Cherokee were actually the last to arrive. The mounds they used were built by their distant ancestors and many of the Cherokee moved into seclusion, using the cave networks, and physical land features found and used by previous tribes. Once you learn about this, the story about the network of lost Native American Cave cities becomes a not too distant idea. Still not convinced? Here is something that might blow your mind. Did you know that the US lost so many marines at Iwo jima due to their misunderstanding of cave systems? The Japanese were hiding 20,000 troops inside a network of tunnels in the dormant volcano at the head of the Island. This just proves to remind us not to think so ethnocentrically and to be open to and notice things that might be out of our personal norm. Now why would they purposefully provide misinformation you ask? Well, simply put, they want to keep you out of those caves... Why? Well, that is for another post! Street Light Interference Phenomenon a term coined by British Author and pictorial archivist, and researcher into the paranormal: Hilary Evans - Born March 6, 1929 and Died July 27, 2011. SLI is possibly a psychic event that is just beginning to be recognized and studied. Evidence is almost anecdotal. A person who has an effect on street lights is also known as a slider finds that the light switches on or off as he or she passed underneath it. You would naturally think it is caused by a faulty street light or bulb issue. SLIders claim it happens on a regular basis regardless. SLIders often have effects on other electronic devices such as wrist watches, televisions, cd players, radios, and debit/credit cards. Batteries suddenly being drained from devices not limited to but such as cellular devices, cameras and GPS's. Dr. Richard Wiseman at the University of Hertfordshire in England created a one of a kind kiosk type machine called the " Mind Machine " that he set up all over England collecting data. He was collecting data from the general public as they passed by doing their day to day activities. Trying to capture the possible psychic abilities of the general public. Hilary Evans considered one of the foremost people on this subject Street Light Interference and created the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena (ASSAP). After Receiving numerous reports from people claiming that streetlamps respond to their presence in an inexplicable fashion, Evans decided to take on the challenge, collecting hundreds of accounts of SLI through his Street Lamp Interference Data Exchange (SLIDE). The culmination of this research – what turned out to be his final book – it is brief but highly informative! SLIDERS: The Enigma of Street Light Interference (2010) Hilary's approach was neither that of the passionate conspiracist nor of the ruthless debunker. Rather, he adopted an open-minded, educated tone: “SLI has a basis in physical reality which is amenable to investigation: SLIs are physical objects and the SLI effect, if it exists, must be ultimately a physical process. By its nature, SLI lends itself to methodical observation and controlled testing.”
Hilary usually concluded that the key to explaining mysterious events lay with the person undergoing those events, rather than with some outside force. Author Massimo Polidoro wrote in Skeptical Inquirer he has considered claims of SLI examples of correlation not implying causation, or of confirmation rias: people are much more likely to notice when a nearby street light turns on or off than they are to notice a light turning on or off from a distance or a street light in a steady state at any distance. This is compounded by a failure mode of street lights known as "cycling" in which the street lights of the high pressure sodium type turn off and on more frequently at the end of their life cycle, High pressure sodium engineer at General Electric quoted by Cecil Adams, summarizes SLI as " A combination of coincidence and wishful thinking ". HPS High Pressure Sodium - Contain Mercury widely used in outdoor lighting solutions and also used widely as grow lights. Understanding the change in human color vision sensitivity from photopic to mesopic and scotopic is essential for proper planning when designing lighting for roadways. About 100 lumens per watt when measured for photopic lighting conditions. The loss of sodium in the arc causes the "cycling" sodium is highly reactive element and is lost in a reaction with the aluminum oxide of the arc tube. These lamps can be started at a relatively low voltage but as they heat up during operation, and more and more voltage is required to maintain the arc discharge. As the lamp gets older the maintaining voltage for the arc eventually rises to exceed the maximum voltage output by the electrical ballast. As the lamp heats to this point the arc fails and the lamp goes out. Lamp cools down, gas pressure in the arc tube reduces and the ballast can once again cause the arc to strike. Energy Fields - Energy emitted by the human body? SLIder's claim that lights turn out when they are tired, stressed, furious, and or sad. Some often believe is some sort of static electricity produced by their body. However the energy from we know that produced by the body is known to science is via food and breathing, and is used by the body. Warmth is the only other thing, static electricity is not produced by human beings, but by rubbing things together. Wearing Synthetic clothes in a dry climate is one cause, it has nothing to do with a state of mind. Personally, I have had many experiences with this phenomenon and it started at a young age, at one point I was keeping track of them. I can remember being in the car with my mother on trips across the country and being deep in thought listening to my discman. I remember we took a trip to Nashville, Tennessee it must of been 1995 because the Real McCoy album Just Another Night had just come out and I felt the need to listen to it on repeat. While in the back seat staring out the window I would notice the highway lights going out one by one as we passed, in succession. Years later I can recall driving to and from work at Fort Myers Southwest International Airport the lights going out as I would pass in my car late night driving home sometimes 2-3am in the morning. In late 2015 while living in Fort Myers, Fl, Amanda Maltz as my witness saw a string of Christmas lights illuminate on their own without being plugged in while her and I consequently were arguing over non sense. Lights always seem to turn out when I come near it's just a thing I have noticed. It's not all the time, it's nothing I can control. I can recall some sort of light interference in many places I have traveled to from New York City, Chicago, Florida, California, Las Vegas, Nevada to name a few. I would agree I think it has do with the energy of the mind per say something about being deep in thought. I have a mechanical background as well and I think it's too easy to just say hey it's all just a coincidence happening everywhere for all of these SLIder individuals. That it's " just the cycling of the lights ", A friend of mine who is a scholar in his field and brilliant in many respects, has many claims himself about Street Light Interference Phenomenon and how he has noticed it in his lifetime. This would surprise many people who believe this is just pseudo science. Since a young age my friend Travis Doll has had experiences with batteries draining on him, he cannot wear a wrist watch for this reason. Every watch he owns would become drained and need to have battery replaced, sort of a big inconvenience once you replace that battery twice in a month lol yea that would get old fast. One of my only friends that also see's the street lights turning out as he passes underneath whether its walking, riding a bicycle, driving by in a car, lights turn off as he goes by. He has seen this occurrence in Fort Myers, Florida, Key West, Florida, St. Petersburg, Florida, and North Carolina. Who else has an experience they want to share? Email Me at [email protected] or just drop me a line anyway! #hikedontwalk #historicarchaeology #mikethehikingguide #guidedbylights #behindgreenlights #sliders #paranormal #sli #streetlightinterference #phenomenon #research #unknown On Wednesday January 4, 1984 a US Air Force RF-4C Phantom II disintegrated as it crashed into The Smokies at 450 mph. Killed in the crash were pilot, Capt. David F.Greggs 26 of Montgomery, AL and Navigator, Capt. Scott A. Miller 32 of Irving, TX. 19hours after witnesses saw it crash and explode while on it's way back to Shaw Air Force Base near Sumter, South Carolina from a photo reconnaissance mission. An Air Force Security team with a five man crew arrived to camp over night at the crash site. Col. Jerry Daniel Vice Commander of the 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing At Shaw Air Force Base led the recovery mission. My real wonder and curiosity is what exactly were they taking aerial photography of? On whose orders? Did someone else play a part in this accident? Conspiracy..... Ranger Mike Sharp led a Five member Civil Air Patrol team in the recovery was quoted saying " we literally found the wreckage once we slipped on a piece of metal". Snow had covered the crash site on Inadu Knob near Old Black in The Great Smoky Mountains. Larry Arrendale a officer with FAA in Atlanta, Ga said there was " no indication of trouble", before air controllers lost contact with the jet at 7:12pm Wednesday. 35 Park Rangers, Civil Air Patrolmen, and Air Force Personnel searched on foot and on horse back for over eight hours Thursday before finding the crash site. The Air National Guard contributed a fixed wing airplane and a helicopter to assist in the efforts. The Fighter jet slammed into the mountain only yards from the famed Appalachian Trail between Inadu Knob and Old Black not far from where Snake Den Ridge joins the AT. Eyewitness Estelle Jenkins of Cosby, Tennessee claimed Wednesday she heard a jet that sounded like it was in trouble and moments later she heard it burst into a loud explosion. F4 Phantom II Top Speed: 1,473 mph Length: 63' Wingspan: 38' Engine: General Electric J79 Unit Cost: U.S. 2.4 Million Production: 1958-1981 5,195 units built Snake Den Ridge Low Gap Trail is a 13 mile loop trail considered to be rated difficult. I would say this is one of the toughest hikes I have been on, 5miles to the crash site at just about a total incline the entire way up to the junction at the Appalachian Trail. Best part is 5miles down haha, by that point if you're doing this all in one day, your ankles are ready to give out on the descent down, every step becomes almost a life or death stumble down the mountain side. This area of The Great Smoky Mountains is for the most part some of better secluded spots to get away from the tourists. The trees in this area of the park for the most part were not logged back in the day so this is mostly a old growth forest you are hiking through. Mainly due to how steep this section is in the Park. Once you are there the wreckage is scattered through out the woods, do some exploring to find most of it and make sure you leave it were was found. Leave only footprints.. this is a sacred site and should be treated like that. Rest In Peace Scott and David, Thank you for your service. #f4phantom #sumter #363tacticalwing #usaf #smokies #hikedontwalk #historicarchaeology #mikethehikingguide #cosby #Appalachiantrail #blogwriter
Thanks for reading - Mike |
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