T. Hoyle Rogers
Megan Darragh
Mr. Thomas
US History H, Period 3
1 May 2006
Personal Interview of T. Hoyle Rogers
I chose to interview my great uncle, T. Hoyle Rogers, who we often refer to as “Skeeter”. My great uncle served during World War II as a driver for the major officers of the corps, and even drove for General Patton once. To this day, my great uncle resides in his hometown of Leicester, North Carolina, and cherishes his memories of the war days. As he is quite distant from myself, the interviewer, we chose to conduct this via email. Here are his responses to some questions.
Q: I have heard you mention before that you drove for Patton during the war, and that you spent most of your time in Europe. What all did your job entail, and what was your average schedule like? What did you like or dislike about this position, and was it your choice at all?
A: I only drove for Patton once during my time in Europe. I spent 2 years driving the Colonel of the 20th Corp Headquarters. Other than driving the Colonel I spent my days doing vehicle maintenance, learning map reading, and training. Most days started at 6:00 AM. As far as liking or disliking this position, it was better than being a foot soldier.
Q: Did the soldiers have much downtime, and if they did, what all did they do to occupy their free time?
A: During off duty hours we had many opportunities to get acquainted with the English people. Groups were taken on sightseeing trips to Oxford University, Bath, London, and other cities of interest.
Q: My oral history project mainly focuses on the music of the World War II era. What kind of music was popular at the time, and did you have a favorite musician or band that you listened to a lot?
A: Country music and gospel music were what I listened to the most.
Q: Did the soldiers overseas have access to American music? Were there ever concerts or performances done for them, like the concerts for soldiers overseas today?
A: There was American Music overseas such as USO shows. I saw Bing Crosby once.
Q: In your opinion, do you think that music at all influenced the war effort? Do you think that the war played any part in boosting morale or support for both the soldiers and their families at home?
A: Music helped the soldiers relax and did provide entertainment to the troops.
Q: How often did soldiers get news updates from home, and how was communication at that time accessible to the soldiers overseas?
A: News from home was irregular. Most of the letters had been censored and sometimes parts of the letter had been removed.
Q: Is there anything in particular that you would like to share about your experience in the service?
A: The command car had the following people in it: driver, Colonel, machine gunner, and interpreter. We would sometimes interview prisoners. After the war, we were issued a Mercedes and I drove the officers and we toured Europe. I received a Bronze Star and 4 Major Battle Stars.