During World War II and in the aftermath, Huntsvillle joined Tullahoma in Tennessee in the running to acquire some German ingenuity and labor when Prisoners of War were relocated to the United States and to get coveted engineers.

Tullahoma seemingly got the better of it when 11 POW camps were opened there in the Volunteer State, and with it German inspired production facilities in the small Middle Tennessee city.

Huntsville, however, didn’t fare too bad. What would become known as the Rocket City was the site for a chemical weapons arsenal that later became home to NASA and a vast Department of Defense network that includes surrounding research parks.

The birth of what was originally Redstone Arsenal has blossomed into a still-growing space and defense industry leader that began when the government’s Operation Paperclip brought Werner von Braun and his team of German rocket scientists to the Tennessee Valley to launch America’s space program.

“After the war the story goes, and I think it’s pretty much a true story, during negotiations between (influential Alabama congressman John Sparkman) and his counterpart in Tennessee, Huntsville got von Braun and that team, and they got all the BMW turbines and airplane test equipment and stuff,’’ said retired Army veteran Tom Bruce, president of the Huntsville-based Alabama Military Collectors Association (AMCA) that held one of it’s bi-annual show April 29-30 at the Jaycees Community Building.

“It could have gone the other way around, because at the time they probably thought they were getting the better end of the deal. Probably for a while they did have the better end of the deal. Those wind turbine tunnels are still running today up there.’’

Bruce said a former general in command of Tullahoma’s Camp Forrest said the technology brought by the Germans was invaluable even in today’s aviation market.

“It’s why we have the technology we have today,’’ said show exhibitioner Dr. Elizabeth Taylor, author of “Voices of Camp Forrest in World War II.’’

The POW camp, one of thousands in the U.S. during WWII, injected blood into an economy stalled by the war. Captured soldiers provided field work for men absent fighting in the war, houses needed to be built and homeowners took in renters in a two that previously had 4,500 residents.

Taylor was just one of many presenters with tables at the show featuring items from the Civil War-era through Vietnam and more recent years. Artifacts from the likes of French units from early wars, some from then-enemies Japan and Vietnam were also on display.

Many of the items were for sale, while some were only for exhibition like a set of field communication radios. Items for sale ranged from uniforms to weapons, guns and holsters, knives, helmets, medals and patches, insignia, documents, field gear and more.

Japanese born David Rogers, who had a very different Asian name before he arrived in America in 1952, was adopted then later naturalized as a citizen in 1967. He was drafted into the Army in 1971.

His exhibition was eye-catching with Japanese flags worn by soldiers, ceremonial belts that were gifts from townspeople to protect the combatants from harm along with other battle artifacts from the Pacific War of WWII. He had a pair of rare, iconic Japanese fighter pilot goggles.

He doesn’t read Japanese, speaks with a Southern accent and said he gets help from another group member to interpret Japanese writing on the flags that have messages such as “good luck in battle’’ and “kill the Imperialist dogs.’’

The AMCA was founded in 2006 as a non-profit 501(C)(6) and has this mission statement on the website almilitarycollectors.org:

To protect the collection of military relics, artifacts and memorabilia to ensure their proper recognition and place in history.
To provide a forum which stimulates and promotes the free exchange of knowledge and information among collectors, historians, hobbyists and the public.
To conduct exhibitions where AMCA members and the general public may buy, sell and trade military artifacts.
To encourage the collecting of militaria and educating the public in its historical significance.

Spirited, campy brothers Dr. Richard and John Forman Neely, had an interesting collection of uniforms among their items. One was a bugle, which the Good Doctor played to the crow’s approval.

But John Forman produces perhaps the most intriguing artifact at the show. He pulled from a locked box a worn, obviously old black top hat that inside was stamped with the initials “AL.”

“You’re kidding,’’ a visitor said.

“I’ve got the papers to prove it,’’ said Neely, smiling about a hat that’s been authenticated as being worn by the country’s 16th president.

Photo credits: Steve Babin