As a result of the Pearl Harbor attack 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry were sent to live in concentration camps from 1942 to 1945. Most were US citizens and many served in the US armed forces. These Japanese Americans were forced to give up their homes, property, and careers for indefinite and involuntary relocation. They took with them only what they could carry.
Almost 11,000 were sent to Heart Mountain, the only relocation camp in Wyoming, where they lived in barracks. The camp was surrounded by barbed wire with armed police keeping watch from guard towers. Today only a few haunting remnants of the camp can be seen along with a memorial in the form of a walking tour with eight stations explaining different aspects of life at the camp.
This visit was certainly a very moving experience, it was eerie to walk among the abandoned buildings. Learning about the history and conditions of the camp was an eye opener and quite thought provoking.
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