Mom's friend laughs watching her climb the ladder to the guard tower at the foreign national detention camp near New Orleans, 1944.

Brought forward for the "What a grin" theme in the Vintage Photos Theme Park. My mother worked in the offices of the U.S. Boarder Patrol, which was responsible for a detention center for German and Italian nationals who were stranded by the war. She and her office buddy, Marie, had to make periodic visits to the facility for work and were never opposed to having a little fun on the job. According to mom, they always made sure to arrive in time for lunch because the chef in the mess hall, a prisoner, had been head chef at one of New Orleans' best hotels and the meals were always delicious.