This digital story recording was created in conjunction with the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program and its Stories from Main Street student digital storytelling initiative. The project encourages students and their mentors to research and record stories about small-towns and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, as well as thoughts about American democracy. These documentaries, websites, and interviews are then shared on Smithsonian websites and social media.

Seventh grade students in Marshall, Texas, worked in coordination with the Texas State Historical Association and National History to create multimedia websites that includes interviews with family, friends, and local residents. The work was supported by Museum on Main Street's Youth Access Grants in 2013-2014. In this project, a student interviews an Army veteran, police officer, and clergyman.

Katie (00:00): I understand that you were in the Army. So what branch of Army were you in?

Father John Himes (00:04): I was in the field artillery.

Katie (00:04): Field artillery?

Father John Himes (00:06): Mm-hmm.

Katie (00:07): How long were you in the Army?

Father John Himes (00:09): 22 years.

Katie (00:10): What inspired you to join the Army?

Father John Himes (00:14): The first time I joined the Army was the draft board. I was drafted. I served two years, and then I got out of the Army and was a police officer for seven years and decided that I liked being in the Army much more than I liked being a police officer. So back in the Army.

Katie (00:36): Were you in any live battles?

Father John Himes (00:39): I fought in Vietnam and Desert Storm, Desert Shield and Panama.

Katie (00:46): What was it like?

Father John Himes (00:52): Intense.

Katie (00:54): Very intense.

Father John Himes (00:55): Very intense.

Katie (00:56): What year did you go home from the Army?

Father John Himes (00:59): I retired in 1999.

Katie (01:05): 1999. So you were a cop in Washington.

Father John Himes (01:07): Mm-hmm.

Katie (01:08): Why'd you decide to be a cop?

Father John Himes (01:11): Well, that's how I got out of the Army early, because at that time the president, who was Richard Nixon, was offering draftees early outs if they would go into law enforcement. And at that time I wasn't real happy after coming back from Vietnam. So the opportunity to get out of the Army 90 days early to be a police officer appealed to me and I thought I might like the work. So I applied and was accepted in Washington, DC as a police officer. Left 90 days early and went to the police academy.

Katie (01:46): What year were you sworn in into the police academy?

Father John Himes (01:48): 1970.

Katie (01:52): 1970. How long were you a cop?

Father John Himes (01:53): About six and a half years.

Katie (01:56): Six and a half years?

Father John Himes (01:56): Yea.

Katie (01:57): What was one of the biggest cases you worked on as a cop?

Father John Himes (02:02): Worked a sting operation involving the FBI, New York City police, New York City state troopers, Maryland state police, Alabama, Georgia state police involving expensive cars being stolen in places like New York, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Washington, DC. Then being sent down to Georgia and Alabama to be cut up, put back together again, and then sent to South America to be sold as new cars.

Asset ID: 2022.32.09

Find a complete transcript at www.museumonmainstreet.org