CAMP TYSON BOOK NOW AVAILABLE
Above is the cover photograph of |
Camp Tyson Book Has Arrived
|
Camp Tyson was unique and historic for several reasons: --As the only such facility in the U.S., the soldiers who served there had an experience unlike any other soldiers anywhere. --Camp Tyson was responsible for the transformation of Paris from a small town to a city, with its influx of hundreds more construction workers, soldiers and their families and subsequent modernization of its infrastructure to accommodate its new citizens. --Of special significance, Camp Tyson was the home of the all-black 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, which was the first battalion to rush onto the beaches on D-Day. They were trained for that battle at Camp Tyson and their accomplishments have been largely unheralded. McFarlin was able to track down soldiers who were trained there and were at D-Day for interviews --Additionally, both Italian and German prisoners of war were held there during and after the war. McFarlin interviewed former soldiers who remembered the German and Italian prisoners. Most of the book is written from first-person interviews. Additionally, McFarlin received many documents never before seen as a result of a Freedom Of Information Act request, as well as many documents from the Library of Congress and other government sources. The book chronicles the history of the camp, from its construction through its use during the war, the closure of the camp and its subsequent purchase by the Spinks Clay Co. The book is published by Merriam Publishing. McFarlin has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history and public history from Murray State University. She is the News Director for WENK/WTPR and also writes for Paris! Magazine. |
This page added by
Shannon McFarland
January 21, 2016