GRANADA, COLORADO—UPI reports that Camp Amache, a World War II-era Japanese internment camp located in southeastern Colorado, could become part of the National Park system. Between 1942 and 1945, some 10,000 people were detained at Camp Amache, where they lived in 29 blocks of military-style barracks surrounded by barbed wire fence, six watch towers, and armed guards. Local teacher John Hopper, with the assistance of the city of Granada and his high school students, have worked to maintain and restore the site since 1993. Archaeology field school students under the direction of Bonnie Clark of the University of Denver have uncovered traces of gardens kept by the detainees, building foundations, and artifacts now kept in a student-run museum. The students’ work could become the basis of a National Park interpretive center, Clark explained. “I hope it helps people remember that this happened,” added her student, Kylie Dillinger. To read about the remains of a Japanese village in Canada that was abandoned when its residents were forced into internment camps, go to "World Roundup: Canada."
