RJ “Chink” Broussard; Jason Theriot: Hewitt Theriot:

-Was part of the National Guard in New Iberia, in the 156th infantry
-Went to Camp Blanding, Florida before the war (1940?) and when war did break out sent to Charleston, South Carolina
-There to guard the docks; sent to Camp Bowie, Texas and from there eventually overseas (1941)
-Landed in England in 1942

-Was a boxer already and went into boxing in the army too (talking about some fights)
-In London they were on guard duty and training; boxed in middleweight championship there
-Boot camp in Camp Blanding; no infantry training when war broke out
-The 156th infantry was mostly all men from New Iberia
-With the National Guard went to London then to North Africa and then Italy and lastly to France
-Broussard’s term in the guard was over during the war and eventually put into the army

(8:20) In North Africa fought Marcell Serdan twice a week
-Fought on the amateur card at the service club in Oran, North Africa
-Serdan and Broussard would talk French to each other; Serdan was in the Navy
-Looking at newspaper clippings of his fights; boxed till 1948
-In North Africa they fought on Saturday and Sunday nights
-Before being transferred was in G Company and was sent into the Army Special Service
-Fought 90 fights altogether during the war—won 73, drew 7 and lost 10

(16:30) From North Africa went to France then to Italy
-In France had a team of pros and amateurs and then went into Rome
-Had been to Rome before when working with the police
-Guarded some of Rommel’s troops, POWs; worked with the FBI and police looking for fascists
-Would knock on or break down doors of addresses the FBI had given them
-Had taken hand-to-hand combat at University of Oran in North Africa; never had to use it, always behind the front lines
-Was there for entertainment purposes not to really fight in the war

(23:20) Mannheim, Germany
-Was in Germany when the war ended; in with a TDY outfit in the special service
-People drank a lot and then try to drive the military vehicles so Broussard had to arrest them
-One escapee of a POW and had to chase him, Italian GI
-Was in Rome for D-Day

(28:09)
-People he met during the war
-Talking of family, life before and after the war
-Fights and people Broussard knew
-Speaking French as children
-Tour of Europe he did with his wife after the war
-What he did for the troops as entertainment (importance)

Transcription Begins:

RJ "Chink" Broussard
Born: 9-9-19
New Iberia
Company G, 156th Infantry Regiment LA National Guard
Boxer
Interview conducted by Jason P. Theriot

I joined the National Guard in 1940. I went to Camp Blanding, Florida before the war. This was in 1940. When the war broke out we went to Charleston, South Carolina. We were put on guard duty at the docks. From there we went to Camp Bowie in Texas. That was in 1941. In 1942 we left for England. (Besides boxing, what duties did you have in England?: Guard Duty. Did G Company participate in training maneuvers with the rest of the 156th? yes)

I fought in London. I won the middleweight championship there, 168-pound class. I had been boxing since I was ten years old. I started at New Iberia High. Mr. Gunner was my coach. I boxed all over: in a gym, on a headland in Loreauville. From London we went to North Africa.

In Oran, North Africa I used to fight with on Marcell Serdan’s fight card twice a week. We would fight on the amateur card at the service club. He was in the Navy. He was a nice guy. We spoke French to one another all the time. We would box on Friday nights and Sunday nights. There were clubs, nightclubs everywhere we went. And we would take them over and have boxing matches there. Of course those areas were secure from the Germans.

I fought Lou Jenkins; he was the lightweight champion of the world. And he beat me, but he didn't knock me out. During the week I was still a soldier with the 156th—G Company. We were in charge of guarding some of Rommel's troops who were POW's.

We went into Italy after the invasion forces landed. We went on a small ship from North Africa to Anzio. The smell of death was terrible there…lots of dead bodies. We (Who is we, the entire G Company?) Yes. all went to Anzio and then to Rome as MP's. We would go on raids with the FBI and Italian Police looking for Fascist. The FBI had a list with addresses and we'd go to their house looking for them. We'd knock on the door and if they didn't open the door we'd shoot off the lock. I carried a .45 pistol. I had taken hand-to-hand combat at the University of Oran in North Africa.
In Rome, the Americans were on one side of the city and the Germans were on the other side moving out. They had decided not to fight in the ancient city. The Germans were given time to pull out by the Americans.

One time in Rome I was on duty and when those boys would get to come off the front lines for R&R they'd drink a lot. I had stopped this one guy in a jeep driving drunk. He had a bunch of women with him and they were all drinking. We arrested him and through him in the brig.

Another time this Italian prisoner got loose and I had chased him into a yard where he couldn't get out. He had an iron pipe in his hand and he told me he would use it if I got any closer to him. Well I took my pistol out and shot right out in front of him. He said, "I don't care if you shoot me, you not coming close enough to get me." So I got a little closer to him, and he cocked his arm back to swing that pipe at me, and I hit him with an uppercut to the gut and he went down.

At 23-years old I was put in charge of training a group of amateurs and pros from the 156th. I would put on shows for the GI's when they got off of work or when they took liberty. Boxing was very popular during the war.

My tour with the Guard ended in 1945, so I decided to join the regular Army. I was with the 4th Armored Division after the war ended.

I was finally transferred to the Army Special Service. We entertained the troops in Europe at places like Dejean, France and Nancy, France and Menheim, Germany. But all those New Iberia boys were still close by. I would go eat dinner with them all the time. We had all gone overseas together. A few of us are still living. Two guys that I was good friends with were John Mestayer and Ed Broussard. Only one guy was killed out of our group. I think he was a [Oswald] Ransonet boy from Loreauville. I used to work with [Lee] Castille boy before the war. Howard Roy was our commander when the war started. Gerald Wattigney became our company commander overseas.

I spent some time in France, putting on boxing matches. (Was there fighting still going on in France and Germany?) Yes. I had put together some teams of amateurs and pros and we entertained the men when they would get R&R. We would travel by plane. The Army took good care of us. I was 23-years old.

I was in Mannheim Germany with a TDY (What does TDY stand for and what kind of unit was it?) outfit when the war ended. That's another branch of the Special Service. There were French and German wine cellars all over the countryside and we celebrated. But we really just wanted to come back home.

I was in the Stars and Stripes a few times. I had ninety fights while I was in the service. My record was 73 and 10 with 7 draws. My tour ended in 1945, but I reenlisted. I won the heavyweight championship of the 4th Army in 1948. My wife and kids drove our car from New Iberia to New York. They boarded a ship and came overseas to meet me. They landed in Leharve and we drove all over Europe touring.

I had a good time during the war. At the time I was doing something that was really important to the troops. I didn't realize that at the time. When the men would get off on R&R they had swimming pools and basketball courts, but it was the boxing that brought the most. They really enjoyed watching us box.

(Did you use your French in North Africa, Italy, and France to communicate with our French allies, or with the French people? Did it come in handy? Yes