Topaz joins 12 other national historic landmarks in Utah. It was designated in March by Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne because of its artifacts, including the original barbed wire, guard tower footings, foundations of mess halls and latrines. Each block used as a residential area shows walkways, stone gardens and evidence of life at camp.

"Our nation was a different place then, and it is important to learn the lessons of the past that came from wartime hysteria, prejudice and failure of political leadership," said Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., who attended the event. "I like to think we have come a long way since then, but I have the suspicion we are still making those mistakes. This site allows the future generations to learn from the past. "

According to the Topaz Museum, the government and the U.S. Army, citing "military necessity," locked up more than 110,000 men, women and children in 10 remote camps.

They were never convicted or even charged with any crime but were incarcerated for up to four years in the camps, surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards.

Topaz opened Sept. 11, 1942, and housed more than 8,000 internees from the San Francisco area.

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Info on Web

For more information on the Topaz Internment Camp, log on to www.topazmuseum.org.

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E-mail: terickson@desnews.com