ogs . ▁Many ▁adult ▁males ▁were ▁draft ed ▁into ▁the ▁military ▁or ▁volunt arily ▁joined . ▁Ex cluding ▁d raf te es , ▁ 4 8 7 ▁men ▁from ▁the ▁G ila ▁River ▁Center ▁volunte ered ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army , ▁twenty - three ▁of ▁whom ▁were ▁killed ▁over se as . ▁ ▁Pr ison er ▁of ▁war ▁cam ps ▁ ▁With ▁America ' s ▁entry ▁into ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁came ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁hundreds ▁of ▁prisoner ▁of ▁war ▁cam ps ▁for ▁approximately ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁German , ▁Italian , ▁and ▁Japanese ▁men ▁who ▁were ▁captured ▁over se as . ▁The ▁largest ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁newly ▁built ▁pr isons ▁was ▁Camp ▁Florence , ▁located ▁near ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Florence ▁and ▁not ▁far ▁from ▁the ▁G ila ▁River ▁Center . ▁Over ▁ 1 3 , 0 0 0 ▁prisoners ▁made ▁Camp ▁Florence ▁their ▁home ▁between ▁its ▁opening ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁and ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁The ▁ 5 0 0 ▁a cre ▁complex ▁featured ▁bar ra cks , ▁a ▁hospital , ▁a ▁b ak ery , ▁a ▁sw imming ▁pool , ▁ball ▁fields , ▁and ▁several ▁the aters , ▁all ▁surrounded ▁by ▁the ▁usual ▁concert ina ▁wire ▁and ▁watch ▁to wers . ▁All ▁of ▁the ▁prisoners ▁were ▁from ▁either ▁Germany ▁or ▁Italy , ▁many ▁of ▁whom ▁had ▁been ▁captured ▁during ▁the ▁North ▁African ▁Camp aign . ▁The ▁It ali ans ▁were ▁sole ly ▁en list ed ▁men ; ▁officers