Prisoners of War in New Mexico Agriculture
Abstract of Interview
CONSULTANT:
Mary E. Dowell
TAPE NUMBER: RG2000-119
DATE
OF BIRTH: January 20, 1912
SEX:
Female
DATE(S)
OF INTERVIEW: September 26, 2000
LOCATION
OF INTERVIEW: Dowell residence,
Artesia, New Mexico
INTERVIEWER:
Marcie Palmer
SOURCE
OF INTERVIEW: NMF&RHM___x__OTHER_______
TRANSCRIBED: YES___x____
NO_______
NUMBER
OF TAPES: One
ABSTRACTOR:
Marcie Palmer
DATE
ABSTRACTED: December, 2000
QUALITY
OF RECORDING (SPECIFY): Good
SCOPE
AND CONTENT NOTE: An Artesia
resident’s perspective on a nearby prisoner of war camp during World War II.
DATE
RANGE: 1943-1946
ABSTRACT
(IMPORTANT TOPICS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE):
TAPE
ONE, SIDE ONE:
During
World War II when housing was scarce, Mary Dowell rented an apartment in her
Artesia home to Lt. George B. Leckner and his family. Lt. Leckner was in charge
of the Artesia sub-camp for prisoners of war. Mrs. Dowell says she became good
friends with the lieutenant and his wife, but he only spoke about the camp once,
at a time when one prisoner was temporarily missing.
Dr.
Stroup of Artesia visited the camp each morning to eat breakfast and see any
prisoners who needed treatment. He insisted that the POWs eat their lunches in
the shade of a tree when they were on work detail at farms in the area.
Treats
like candies and chewing gum were rare because of rationing during war, but the
POWs could get them at their canteen. They would give treats to Dr. Stroup for
his grandchildren.
Mrs.Dowell
says she was told that the prisoners stayed in small houses in back of the
Alfalfa Growers Association before the sub-camp was completed.
Mrs.
Dowell cannot remember the townspeople talking about the sub-camp coming to
Artesia.
To
Mrs. Dowell’s knowledge, the people of Artesia were not nervous about having
prisoners of war near town. She and other mothers were not protective of their
children playing in the yards and “hardly ever” locked their doors.
There
was a widespread rumor during that time, Mrs. Dowell recalls, that two prisoners
escaped and tried to steal a car near Dayton. It was rumored that one prisoner
was shot by a farmer. After that, she understands, none of the other prisoners
tried to escape because they knew that farmers had guns.
Mrs.
Dowell feels that the prisoners here were probably treated well or some of them
would have not come back to visit or live in New Mexico.
The
Johnsons and Quentin Rogers employed POWs, Mrs. Dowell says.
Return to list of oral history consultants
Please
send questions or comments to: archives@lib.nmsu.edu
Rio Grande Historical Collections * New Mexico State University Library MSC 3475
* P.O. Box 30006 * Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003-3006 ** Telephone: 505-646-3839
FAX: 505-646-7477