Courtesy of Library of Congress, Smith, Rothacker C., "Interview with Rothacker Smith [3/24/2006]," Veterans History Project, 24 March 2006
Description
A conscientious objector, Rothacker Smith, served in the 366th Infantry Regiment as a medic during World War II. The 366th shipped out to Italy but was assigned to guard duties, making Smith's life as a medic a fairly easy job. When they were attached to the 92nd Division in December 1944, he was called upon to use his training in combat. On December 26, 1944, he was wounded by friendly artillery fire that he later found out was called in by Medal of Honor recipient John Fox on his own position in Sommocolonia to stop an enemy advance. Smith subsequently was captured by the Germans and held until the end of the war. He attended the White House ceremony when Fox's widow received his medal from President Bill Clinton.
Condensed Transcript of Interview with Conscientious Objector Rothacker Smith
Transcribed and Condensed Excerpt of Interview with Conscientious Objector Rothacker Smith
Source-Dependent Questions
- How did Rothacker Smith describe the geography of the battlefield and the objective of the Germans?
- How did Smith describe the attack he was injured in?
- What was the German motivation for not taking black prisoners of war? How did that influence Smith's mental state during the conflict?
Citation Information
Smith, Rothacker C., "Interview with Rothacker Smith [3/24/2006]," Veterans History Project, 24 March 2006. Courtesy of Library of Congress