Oral History Interview with Richard Hockensmith, September 23, 2010 transcript

Oral History Interview with Richard Hockensmith, September 23, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Richard Hockensmith. Hockensmith was drafted in the Army in 1942. He was assigned to the 626th Military Police Battalion in Camp Beauregard, Louisiana. They patrolled the streets and served as auxiliary police. He was then assigned to the 394th Military Police Escort Guard Company in Fort Bliss, Texas. They were trained to handle prisoners of war. He also received instruction on personnel management. He was then transferred to a little town about 35 miles east of Waco where a POW camp was established. In 1943 he went by troop ship to North Africa to pick up African and German prisoners from the Afrika Korps to transfer back to a POW camp in Mexia, Texas. He describes the work of a POW at the camp. From Mexia, Hockensmith was transferred to another POW camp in Camp Swift, Texas. He was then transferred into the personnel section of the Medical Corps and was shipped out to the Pacific in late 1944. They traveled to Okinawa, then to Kadena Airfield and remained in this area until January of 1946. He was discharged in early 1946.
Date: September 23, 2010
Creator: Hockensmith, Richard
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Richard Hockensmith, September 23, 2010 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Richard Hockensmith, September 23, 2010

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Richard Hockensmith. Hockensmith was drafted in the Army in 1942. He was assigned to the 626th Military Police Battalion in Camp Beauregard, Louisiana. They patrolled the streets and served as auxiliary police. He was then assigned to the 394th Military Police Escort Guard Company in Fort Bliss, Texas. They were trained to handle prisoners of war. He also received instruction on personnel management. He was then transferred to a little town about 35 miles east of Waco where a POW camp was established. In 1943 he went by troop ship to North Africa to pick up African and German prisoners from the Afrika Korps to transfer back to a POW camp in Mexia, Texas. He describes the work of a POW at the camp. From Mexia, Hockensmith was transferred to another POW camp in Camp Swift, Texas. He was then transferred into the personnel section of the Medical Corps and was shipped out to the Pacific in late 1944. They traveled to Okinawa, then to Kadena Airfield and remained in this area until January of 1946. He was discharged in early 1946.
Date: September 23, 2010
Creator: Hockensmith, Richard
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History