Travel feeds the lifelong learner in me and inspires the journalistic side of me with the stories we find. Sometimes we come across things that break our hearts. We don’t avoid these places because they are part of our history, as ugly as it is sometimes. The National Prisoner of War Museum in Andersonville, Georgia, reminds us of the horror of war.

Every third Friday in September is National POW/MIA Recognition Day and I think about our visit there. I hesitate at times to talk about it because the stories are tragic and sad. But you get a new appreciation for those who sacrificed for their country in the name of freedom. Three stories stand out to me from the National Prisoner of War Museum.

Mary Edwards Walker

Just a few women are listed as prisoners of war. Mary Edwards Walker is the first. She was a Union Army surgeon during the Civil War. The Confederates captured Walker on April 10, 1864, and accused her of being a spy. She was never held at Andersonville, but spent two days in a Virginia prison. Walker was exchanged for a Confederate surgeon.

For her efforts during the war, Walker was given the National Medal of Honor. An exhibit at Chattanooga, Tennessee’s National Medal of Honor Museum honors her service.

Andersonville

Andersonville was the site of a military prison camp during the Civil War. About 13,000 Union soldiers died here. They were put outside in the Georgia heat without shelter. As you can see, they would often take off their uniforms and create “tents” to shield themselves from the sun.

We visited in July and it was hot. I cannot imagine being outside all the time in the Georgia heat.

The Iran Hostage Crisis

I watched the Iran Hostage Crisis unfold as a pre-teen in the late 70s. The National Prisoner of War Museum shares the story that I watched on the news every night. Initially, 66 people were taken hostage in Iran in 1979. Some were released but 52 were held captive for 444 days. I still remember the daily news reports and the prayer services that were held for them. A display at the museum says only the 13 Marines captured were legally considered prisoners of war, even though one could argue all of them were. The Marines were given the Prisoner of War Medal of Honor.

Tips when visiting the National Prisoner of War Museum

1. Make sure you plan an entire day. You may not need it, but we didn’t plan enough time and regret it. We only saw one of the films because we were short on time. It was excellent and I wish we had seen the other.
2. Take the time to visit Andersonville’s prison grounds. You’ll find monuments and markers throughout the site that tell the story of the Union soldiers who were held there.
3. Don’t miss the National Cemetery. We briefly stopped there but it would have been great to spend an hour or two walking through it.

4. Drive across the highway and visit the Andersonville Civil War Village. You will find several cute shops and museum.

We spent several days in Sumter County and Americus. We visited Plains, home to former President Jimmy Carter, who was in office when the hostages were taken in Iran. You can read about our visit here.

No trip to Americus is complete without a stop by the Windsor Hotel. We spent two nights here. You can go inside and take pictures. President Carter and his wife Rosalyn were frequent guests. Franklin Roosevelt was there in 1928.

There’s a lot to do in Americus and Sumter County but don’t bypass the National Prisoner of War Museum. The stories are difficult to see but are ones we should not forget.