Tom Hickey's India 1945-1946: A Soldier's Diary

At the age of 94 Tom Hickey figured it was time to satisfy one of his “bucket list” projects to write about his army experience in India during World War II. “This was a critical period in India,” Hickey said. “The war had ended and the Indians themselves were in a push for total independence.” Hickey’s story also includes details about his chance meeting with Mahatma Gandhi. Robert Patrick, Director of the Veteran History Project (VHP) of the Library of Congress agrees the story has significance. “Tom’s story is important to the Veterans History Project because it relates experiences in India during the Second World War. Too often the American and Allied experiences in China, Burma, and India have been overlooked, and perhaps misunderstood by those just learning about WW II. Tom's account is particularly descriptive and is done through the viewpoint of a young soldier performing routine duties as a court reporter,” Patrick said “It is also important that Tom has told his story now,” Patrick continued. “The fact that Tom has finally gotten around to telling his story will assure that his family will have a real treasure to be passed down from generation to generation. They will be more aware of who he is/was, and because it will be in the Library of Congress, the nation will be better informed as well,” Patrick added. Hickey began writing his memoir with a goal of completing one page a day. He gathered a few dozen photos, some he had taken during the war and, with the help of his friend Joaquin Bowman, assembled the finished product.