by M.E. Jones

DEVENS -- Rhode Island native and Williams College alumnus Anne Marie Reardon has been researching Italian POWS in Massachusetts, and Devens, during World War II.

The topic, presented at a meeting of the Devens Museum Board of Trustees, ties into her studies as a graduate student at Brandies University, where she is pursuing a doctorate in American History.

The aspect of history that interested her most in college was "identity politics," she said. Specifically, "what people choose to keep of their own cultures" in a melting pot such as the United States of America, and "how they present themselves to the world."

This essential query, more subtle than substantial at first, began to firm up as she explored the peculiar plight of Italian prisoners of war in light of public perception. Perhaps not coincidentally, Reardon began her talk with a question, "How many knew about the Italian POWs?"

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