Prisoners of War in New Mexico Agriculture

Abstract of Interview

CONSULTANT:    Rosemary Alvarez-Stutts

DATE OF BIRTH:     November 21, 1934

SEX:     Female

DATE(S) OF INTERVIEW:  June 5, 2000

LOCATION OF INTERVIEW:  New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum

INTERVIEWER:  Jane O’Cain

SOURCE OF INTERVIEW: NMF&RHM__x___   OTHER:

TRANSCRIBED:     YES___x____            NO_______

NUMBER OF TAPES:  One

ABSTRACTOR:  O’Cain

DATE ABSTRACTED:  July 27, 2000

QUALITY OF RECORDING (SPECIFY):  Good with occasional intrusion of noise (papers being rustled).

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE:  Describes her memories of prisoners of war (Italian and German) working on her parents’ farm near Salem, New Mexico, during World War II.

DATE RANGE:  1943-1946

ABSTRACT (IMPORTANT TOPICS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE):

TAPE ONE, SIDE ONE:

The consultant’s parents owned an irrigated farm near Salem, New Mexico, where they raised alfalfa and some small grains. After the start of World War II (hereafter WWII), the Alvarez family lost their traditional labor, men from the neighborhood. Rosemary recalls that the women from these families did assist with the harvest for a period of time.

She does not recall hearing talk in school or at home about plans to locate a prisoner of war (hereafter POW) camp in Hatch. She remembers the German POWs working for her father, more so than the Italian POWs.

The consultant discusses that she went to the POW camp with her father when he went to arrange for labor. Her father would drive to Hatch in his small truck and pick up “twenty-five” prisoners and their guard.

She remembers the POWs as being happy. The POWs presented her with three or four oranges one morning upon their arrival at the farm.

The consultant discussed the German prisoners of war with a man who had served in the military during WWII. He thinks the German soldiers were “atrocious,” a very different assessment than that made by the consultant.

TAPE ONE, SIDE TWO:

The consultant believes that the “U.S. government” made the right decision in allowing the POWs to work in agriculture.

She discusses some of the rationing that occurred during the war years. Her father would give extra ration coupons to others more in need than his family.

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