World War II Honoree

Amos Cawley

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Richmond County, Georgia

SERVED AS A PROFESSIONAL SOLDIER BEFORE WWII. FIRST ENLISTED AT FORT MCDOWELL, CALIFORNIA ON NOVEMBER 5, 1919. SERVED WITH COMPANY M, 31ST INFANTRY, AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN SIBERIA FROM DECEMBER 12, 1919 TO APRIL 1, 1920. BY THE BEGINNING OF WWII, HE WAS A STAFF SERGEANT, ASSIGNED TO COMPANY H, 22ND INFANTRY, FORT MCPHERSON, GEORGIA, SERVING AS MESS SERGEANT AND SUBSEQUENTLY AS ACTING FIRST SERGEANT. ASSIGNED MAY 5, 1942 TO HEADQUARTERS COMPANY, 3RD STUDENT TRAINING REGIMENT, INFANTRY SCHOOL, FORT BENNING, GEORGIA, AS FIRST SERGEANT. COMMISSIONED SECOND LIEUTENANT, CORPS OF MILITARY POLICE AND ASSIGNED TO PROVOST MARSHAL GENERAL’S TRAINING CENTER AT FORT CUSTER, MICHIGAN NOVEMBER 12, 1942. ATTENDED AN EIGHT WEEK TRAINING COURSE FOR OFFICERS WHO WOULD COMMAND MILITARY POLICE UNITS. ASSUMED COMMAND OF COMPANY C, 790TH MILITARY POLICE BATTALION, FORT CUSTER, JANUARY 24, 1943. ASSUMED COMMAND OF 659TH MILITARY POLICE ESCORT GUARD COMPANY, FORT CUSTER, SEPTEMBER 9, 1943. BETWEEN APRIL 16TH AND OCTOBER 29, 1944, SERVED ON STAFF AT PROVOST MARSHAL GENERAL’S TRAINING CENTER (SUBSEQUENTLY RENAMED ARMY SERVICE FORCES TRAINING CENTER), FORT CUSTER, MICHIGAN. TRANSFERRED TO PRISONER OF WAR CAMPS AT HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS ON OCTOBER 30, 1944, AND AT CAMP POLK, LOUISIANA ON AUGUST 14, 1945. SERVED IN VARIOUS COMMAND AND STAFF POSTINGS AT THESE CAMPS UNTIL OCTOBER 24, 1945. INTERNED IN THESE CAMPS WERE GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR ACQUIRED BY THE ALLIES UPON THE SURRENDER OF FIELD MARSHAL ERWIN ROMMEL'S FORMER AFRIKA KORPS IN APRIL 1943. AMERICAN MILITARY POLICE GUARDED AND ADMINISTERED THESE PRISONER OF WAR CAMPS WHILE DAY-TO-DAY MILITARY DISCIPLINE OF THE PRISONERS WAS ENFORCED BY THEIR OWN OFFICERS AND SERGEANTS. DAILY LIFE OF PRISONERS WAS USUALLY UNVARYING ROUTINE: REVEILLE AT 5:45AM AND LIGHTS-OFF AT 10:00PM. BETWEEN THOSE TIMES, PRISONERS WORKED AS FIELD HANDS AT LOCAL FARMS, CARED FOR THEIR OWN HOUSEKEEPING, AND ENTERTAINED THEMSELVES WITH A VARIETY OF RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. THERE WERE PRISONER ORCHESTRAS, THEATER GROUPS, CAMP NEWSPAPERS AND SOCCER TEAMS. THE CAMPS HAD PRISONER-TAUGHT CLASSES, WITH SUBJECTS RANGING FROM ACCOUNTING TO ZOOLOGY. SOME PRISONERS EVEN TOOK CORRESPONDENCE COURSES FROM LOCAL COLLEGES AND LATER USED THESE ACADEMIC CREDITS AT GERMAN UNIVERSITIES UPON THEIR REPATRIATION. MOST GERMAN SOLDIERS WHO SPENT TIME AS PRISONERS OF WAR IN THESE CAMPS IN TEXAS AND LOUISIANA AND ELSEWHERE IN THE U.S., CONSIDERED THEMSELVES FORTUNATE TO HAVE SURVIVED THE WAR AND COUNTED THEIR EXPERIENCE IN AMERICA AS A GREAT ADVENTURE. IN OCTOBER 1945, HE REPORTED TO CAMP STONEMAN, CALIFORNIA FOR OVERSEAS SHIPMENT. ASSIGNED TO STAFF DUTIES AT HEADQUARTERS, U.S. ARMED FORCES, WESTERN PACIFIC IN MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS FROM DECEMBER 1945 TO FEBRUARY 1946. COMMANDED 1123RD MILITARY POLICE COMPANY IN MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS FROM MARCH 1 TO JUNE 30, 1946. SERVED AS PRISON OFFICER AND COMMANDED PRISONER OF WAR CAMP, MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS FROM JULY 1 TO NOVEMBER 10, 1946. TRANSFERRED TO GUAM, MARIANA ISLANDS NOVEMBER 19, 1946, AND ASSUMED COMMAND OF 1386TH MILITARY POLICE COMPANY UNTIL FEBRUARY 15, 1947. CONTINUED TO SERVE OVERSEAS AFTER THE WAR AS A MILITARY POLICE OFFICER AND AT HIS PERMANENT RANK OF MASTER SERGEANT. RETIRED AT CAMP GORDON, GEORGIA ON MARCH 31, 1950, AND ADVANCED ON THE RETIRED LIST TO THE RANK OF CAPTAIN. AWARDED ARMY GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH JAPAN SERVICE CLASP, PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE MEDAL, EXPERT MARKSMAN BADGE WITH QUALIFICATION BARS FOR PISTOL, CARBINE AND MACHINE GUN, SHARPSHOOTER BADGE WITH QUALIFICATION BAR FOR RIFLE.