▁were ▁held ▁at ▁cam ps ▁in ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁A part ▁from ▁athlet ics , ▁to ▁occup y ▁their ▁time ▁and ▁ear n ▁money ▁the ▁prisoners ▁could ▁ac quire ▁a ▁pass ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁veget able ▁fields ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁Also , ▁those ▁who ▁ren ounced ▁Italy ' s ▁fasc ist ▁government ▁were ▁organized ▁into ▁Italian ▁Service ▁Units ▁and ▁sh ipped ▁to ▁military ▁facilities ▁throughout ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁including ▁Fort ▁Law ton ▁in ▁Seattle , ▁Washington . ▁ ▁Although ▁Camp ▁Florence ▁was ▁much ▁bigger , ▁Camp ▁Pap ago ▁Park ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁famous , ▁for ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁A xis ▁prisoner ▁of ▁war ▁escape ▁from ▁an ▁American ▁facility . ▁Loc ated ▁near ▁Phoenix , ▁Camp ▁Pap ago ▁Park ▁had ▁a ▁maximum ▁population ▁of ▁ 3 , 1 0 0 ▁and ▁consisted ▁of ▁five ▁separate ▁comp ounds ; ▁four ▁for ▁en list ed ▁men ▁and ▁one ▁for ▁officers . ▁Both ▁German ▁and ▁Italian ▁prisoners ▁were ▁admitted ▁at ▁first , ▁but ▁by ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁the ▁facility ▁had ▁been ▁designated ▁for ▁use ▁by ▁the ▁former ▁only . ▁The ▁Great ▁Pap ago ▁Es cape , ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁known , ▁occurred ▁on ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁December ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁While ▁other ▁prisoners ▁were ▁dist ract ing ▁the ▁gu ards ▁with ▁a ▁Christmas ▁celebr ation , ▁twenty - five ▁Germ ans , ▁most ▁of ▁whom ▁were ▁from ▁the ▁Kriegs marine , ▁craw led ▁through ▁a ▁ 1