Author on POW book to speak next week at New Wells

David Fiedler, son of Leonard and Janet Lorberg Fiedler of Shawneetown, will present a lecture on his first book, "The Enemy Among Us: POWS in Missouri During World War II" at 7 p.m. Aug. 13 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells.

Fiedler has written for the Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times Syndicate.

He is currently the editor of the bicycling site on About.com. His Missouri print media credits include the Missouri Conservationist and Missouri Life magazines. Fiedler is the author of "Ballwin," a pictorial history of Ballwin, Mo.

His book, published in 2003, tells about the 15,000 German and Italian prisoners of war in Missouri, including those at Fort Leonard Wood in central Missouri, Camp Weingarten near Ste. Genevieve, Camp Crowder outside of Neosho, Camp Clark outside of Nevada, and branch camps in Charleston, Malden and Sikeston.

Accounts of the POWs indicate they had plenty to eat, warm clothes, a bed and other opportunities, including education and recreation. The men were paid for the work they performed in accordance with the Geneva Conventions and knew their living conditions were better than fellow soldiers on the front line.

Fiedler lives in St. Louis and is currently working on a novel. He graduated from Washington University and was an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve.

For more information, call 573-833-6188.