Kingwood man tells of World War II internment

KINGWOOD, TX (KTRK) -- We've shown you the internment camps in Texas where Jhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifapanese, German and Italian Americans were imprisoned during World War II.

Now we have the story of a man who spent five years imprisoned in a camp in Crystal City, Texas, near the Mexico border. He's sharing his experience to make sure America never forgets what happened.

For many of the kids at Kingwood High School, what happened during World War II is the stuff of textbooks, not real life. Eighty-six-year-old Eberhard Fuhr aims to change that.

"At the age of 17, what most of you are right now, I was actually arrested and interned for five years of my life," Fuhr told students.

Arrested and imprisoned for being a German national, but Fuhr and his parents left Germany when he was just three years old and moved to Cincinnati.

"There was never any internee charged with doing anything wrong," Fuhr said.

The internment camp is in Crystal City, Texas, located just 35 miles from the Mexican border. It's where Fuhr and his family spent years during World War II.

Fuhr and his family were among thousands of German, Japanese and Italian Americans and nationals to be imprisoned here.

The camp closed in 1948.

Eyewitness News visited the remains of the camp earlier this year with William McWhorter of the Texas Historical Commission. He showed us what used to be the German elementary school during World War II. It's now a Crystal City ISD campus, and one of the buildings used during the camp years is still in use today.

Fuhr was just 17, a high school student, when he was interned and that's what drove his story home to the kids at Kingwood High School.

"For me to think that if I were to be sitting in history one day and just be called out of class and know that I would never see any of those people again, or if I did, it would be several years until that were to happen, that's a scary thought to me," Kingwood High School student Jason Dayvault said.

Fuhr's visit brought a dark chapter of American and Texas History alive for students. History teacher Gini Foreman spent four months arranging the visit.

"I think that today was so invaluable to give them an insight of what they've never experienced," Foreman said.
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It was a lesson plan that may have really resonated with these juniors.

"He's not just here to tell us like what happened in those internment camps but he's also here to help prevent what could possibly happen in the future," student Jacqueline Courchene said.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE

Limbless-coping with motherhood.

KINGWOOD, KHOU Texas—A Kingwood mother who lost her limbs after giving birth has reached one of her goals.

Katy Hayes wanted to walk at the same time as her daughter. Now, they are taking baby steps together.

After giving birth to her third child in February of 2010, the 42-year-old mother’s body was invaded by a rare strep infection.
While she was in a coma, her husband Al had to make the incredibly difficult decision to amputate her limbs.

"It’s not an issue," said Al. "I don’t think that she holds it against me but it may be something that I still hold against myself."
Al promised to take care of Katy and has been there to catch her if she falls on her prosthetic legs.　

When KHOU 11 News visited the Hayes’ house last year, Katy said she wanted to walk by the time her daughter, Arielle, took her first steps.
"She’s already mastered it and moved on," said Katy. "She’s such a good baby."
Reaching one goal at a time is how Katy copes. She does have her moments, though.
"I have to surrender to the ‘I am alive’ and this is the new life I have," Katy said through tears. "Someday I’ll have legs with knees and toes that I can paint again because I miss that too."

The slow process is made easier by the fact that Arielle understands her mother needs special care.

"She had looked at me and noticed that I didn’t have hands and she stuck her hand in my fried okra and she started putting them in my mouth because she realized I couldn’t feed myself," Katy said.

Katy Hayes’ story is featured in the latest edition of People magazine. The article is called "A Life Worth Living."

If you would like to help the Hayes family with expenses or learn more about their fundraisers, visit katyhayesfund.com