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Post by friscohare on Nov 14, 2011 12:42:06 GMT -5
It was a very emotional moment for Beverly Hart, the assistant principal at Flanagan-Cornell High School, as she handed Merle Ferguson, a U.S. Navy veteran, two binders with copies of 27 letters written by Flanagan students about his brother, John Ferguson, who was captured by the Japanese and walked the entire 70-mile Bataan Death March only to die later in a P.O.W. camp. Sacrifices of vets honored[/u][/url] (Pontiac Daily Leader, 11/13/11) [...] Merle Ferguson, a U.S. Navy veteran and John Ferguson’s younger brother, was in attendance at the Flanagan assembly and he received two binders full of letters written by Flanagan students to the Ferguson family. John Ferguson, a Gridley resident who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps, was captured by the Japanese and walked the entire 70-mile Bataan Death March only to die later on in a P.O.W. camp. “This was a day of closure for me. We didn’t have any for so many years and the Purple Heart (awarded just last year) was also able to bring closure,” said Ferguson. “These little small towns give a lot to the people who live there and it’s been a long journey to get to this point, but I am sure I will enjoy these letters from young students who know something about what has made it possible for them to have the schooling and life that they have today.” Ferguson said he was very surprised to receive the letters from students at today’s assembly. “I think it would have meant a lot to my mother to be presented with this,” said Ferguson. “It’s been 69 years. There have been a lot of generations since then. My bother, who wasn’t able to be here, will get one of these books as well and I will pass this on to the rest of our family.” Hart said a lot of the letters the children wrote were very touching and powerful to her. “I think some of the letters are so powerful and I think the kids were able to relate to what they saw,” said Hart. “That is powerful stuff and it made for wonderful teaching moments.” (Mr. John L. Ferguson served with the 28th Materiel Squadron, 20th Air Base Group) Read more...
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Post by friscohare on Nov 14, 2011 12:58:10 GMT -5
PHOTO: Honoring a hero[/u][/url] Sylvia Michaud-Kessell, left, of South Paris on Saturday receives from U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud a photograph of the cemetery in the Philippines where her brother, Renaud Michaud, is buried. The ceremony was held at Governor's restaurant in Lewiston. Renaud Michaud of Frenchville was killed in the South Pacific during World War II. Rep. Michaud provided six surviving siblings of Renaud Michaud with service medals, a flag flown over the nation's capital and a letter signed by President Barack Obama. "This has been long overdue," said Richard Michaud, the brother of Renaud. "It's hard to put your feelings into words, but now we can find closure." Siblings, from left, are Richard Michaud, Germaine Corriveau and Juliette Michaud. Hidden from view are Theresa Couture and Aurela Legere. Among the medals presented were the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
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Post by friscohare on Nov 16, 2011 0:52:06 GMT -5
Tom Harrison, a WWII veteran, received a package in the mail last week that contained quite a surprise: the Army Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit Medal. He also received a Victory Medal and a Presidential Unit Citation. WWII veteran receives recognition he deserves 6 decades later [/u][/url] (Desert News, 11/10/11) SALT LAKE CITY — For this year's Veterans Day, one World War II vet in Salt Lake City has something extra this year to commemorate his service in the Philippines. Tom Harrison, who is 93, received a package in the mail last week that contained quite a surprise... [/quote] Medal mystery solved: Utah WWII veteran requested them, forgot in long delay before delivery[/u][/url] (Washington Post/AP, 11/14/11) SALT LAKE CITY — When a World War II veteran in Salt Lake City received a package of seven medals earlier this month, he and his family couldn’t figure out why they had been delivered 66 years after his discharge. It turns out that Tom Harrison actually submitted the request himself more than seven months ago as part of a larger application for military records. The 93-year-old veteran doesn’t remember making the request — so he was surprised when the medals showed up Nov. 4 without any note of explanation. But it is understandable that Harrison may not recall his request for the medals, Zussblatt said, when “months later they just show up in a box.” The center, which is based in St. Louis, handles military records requests for the National Archives and Records Administration. There are no records of Harrison receiving the medals previously, Zussblatt said, which is also not unusual for World War II veterans. Read more...
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Post by friscohare on Nov 16, 2011 7:55:43 GMT -5
Les Brown of Tulsa is pictured in 2005 with his Oklahoma Cross of Valor, a medal that recognizes the state's former prisoners of war. Brown died Oct. 20.Even in POW camp, he found ways to honor U.S.[/u][/url] He and other prisons hoisted a contraband U.S. flag — albeit briefly — on national holidays. The stripes were all there, but the stars added up to only 46. (Tulsa World, 11/16/11) Although it was out of date by about 30 years, the old U.S. flag still proved to be a timely token of hope for Les Brown and his fellow World War II prisoners of war. Discovering it after their capture in the Philippines, they were able - by passing it between them under their clothing - to smuggle the flag into their Japanese prison camp. There it remained hidden, except on special occasions. For the next three years, on every U.S. holiday, they would take the flag out, raise it briefly and then lower it - before their captors could seize it. Although aloft for only a few seconds, it helped keep their spirits raised during their long imprisonment. (Mr. Brown served with the 60th Coast Artillery Regiment on Corregidor) Read more...
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Post by friscohare on Nov 16, 2011 23:49:43 GMT -5
Retired Lt. Col. Don Koonce told area youngsters on Nov. 11 of extreme sacrifices Americans have made for their countryOregon County Schools Honor Veterans[/u][/url] (Area Wide News, 11/16/11) [...] Lt. Col. Koonce's talks included the stories of Jose Canterro, a Mexican immigrant who came to the United States at age 13, was schooled only to eighth grade and saved 600 American soldiers in World War II. Canterro was part of the Bataan Death March, ultimately imprisoned at Luzon in the Philippines by the Japanese. Risking his own death, Canterro, then 23, made a U.S. flag from a stolen red wool blanket, Navy dungarees and other salvaged materials. He waved the flag to alert incoming American bomber planes that U.S. troops were on the island. Koonce said Canterro weighed 85 pounds when he was rescued and brought to a U.S. military hospital. There, he met and fell in love with a nurse. They married, had four children and lived happily ever after. "Did you get the order of that?" Koonce asked the audience. Read more...
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Post by friscohare on Nov 22, 2011 15:39:39 GMT -5
RIP Mr. Kathman Local WWII vet passes away[/u][/url] (Brenham Banner-Press, 11/21/11) A real American hero has claimed his last award. Clemens “Clem” A. Kathman, 94, one of the greatest of the “Greatest Generation,” died at his home in Washington County Saturday. His funeral service and burial will be in Dallas this Saturday. Kathman worked his way through Texas Tech University and became one of the early draftees of WWII. In responding to his draft notice on March 18, 1941, he thought he would be in the Army for one year. That early call to duty, however, put him at the wrong place at the wrong time as a member of the 200th Coastal Artillery. Just over a year later, on April 9, 1942, his unit surrendered to the Japanese Army on Bataan. He did not make the daily news of WWII happenings or appear in the news reels at local movie theaters. As he said in his autobiography, however, he was there for more than 1,260 days. After those endless days of misery and mistreatment on the Bataan Death March and as a slave laborer in Japanese POW camps there were 14 months of hospitalization for recovery. His autobiography, I Was There, Charley, which he dedicated in part to the memory of Capt. Sidney Seid, M.D., who kept him alive under very primitive conditions, was written from a diary he illegally kept on his allotted roll of toilet paper while a POW. After his discharge as a staff sergeant in July 1946, he resumed his work in the newspaper field. Few in Washington County knew there was such a hero living among them... (Mr. Kathman served with H Company, 200th Coast Artillery) Read more...
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Post by friscohare on Dec 2, 2011 22:05:01 GMT -5
‘Jeepers’ to reenact Battle of Bataan[/u][/url] (Sun Star Pampanga, 12/02/11)CLARK FREEPORT -- Vintage military jeep owners are set to reenact Saturday the Battle of Bataan at the historic Fort Stotsenberg parade grounds here. The reenactment is the highlight of events during the first ever “Season’s Jeeping” sponsored by the MD Juan Enterprises, the Military Vehicle Collectors Club of the Philippines (MVCCP) and Mabalacat Tourism Office. The whole-day event is expected to bring together some 150 jeep lovers from all over the country with some 50 of their vintage military vehicles that they have painstakingly restored through the years. MVCCP is composed of jeep and military vehicle collectors, restorers, enthusiasts, retired military men, assemblers, traders and just plain hobbyists. It has chapters in Ilocos, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Metro Manila. A grand motorcade will start the event at 8 a.m., starting from the Bayanihan Park going to Clark Freeport with the vintage military vehicles driven and manned by MVCCP members in full, authentic military uniforms. The vehicles will then be exhibited at the venue for the public to enjoy, said Lieutenant Guy Hilbero, executive officer of the 26th US Cavalry Philippine Scouts Memorial Regiment, Fort Stotsenburg. Awards will be given to individuals and groups with the most authentic military uniforms and the best jeep or military vehicle entered in the exhibit competition. There will also be a traditional swap meet where MVCCP members from different chapters can swap military vehicle and jeep parts and accessories. The role players in the reenactment will use authentic military uniforms, firearms, military hardware and vehicles. This will be jointly staged by the Buhay na Kasaysayan and the Philippine Scouts Heritage Society Living History Company, Fort Stotsenburg & Fort Mc-Kinley Chapters. A brief action at the Battle of the Pockets will be re-enacted, showing Japanese infiltration into the Allied lines and a “Banzai” charge into the USAFFE positions. Actual World War 2 jeeps will be used to ferry the wounded soldiers off the battlefield and to carry fresh Allied troops into the assault positions, Hilbero added. Simulated explosions and pyrotechnics will add to the atmosphere of the re-enactment. A voiceover will describe both the Battle of Bataan and its historical significance, as well as the action unfolding on the field before the audience. The Allied forces composed of both the Philippine Scouts and the Philippine Army will be dressed in period-authentic World War 2 khaki uniforms with actual M 1928 and M 1936 field gear, as well as vintage M 1917 and replica “guinit” helmets. Replica weapons such as M1 Garands and Springfield rifles will also be used. On the other hand, the Japanese forces will be similarly outfitted with authentic reproduction uniforms, field equipment and gear. With this reenactment, Hilbero said the public can appreciate and understand the sacrifices made by the defenders of Bataan and their role in bringing about the eventual victory of the Allied forces in the Pacific.
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Post by frank on Dec 4, 2011 0:07:38 GMT -5
lifestyle.inquirer.net/25613/we-world-war-ii-kids-can-still-remember"We’re the World War II kids. A unique breed. The war years (1941-1945) brought us face-to-face with terror, violence, death and hunger as a way of life. On Dec. 8, 1941, Japanese fighter planes treacherously bombed Pearl Harbor and Clark Field. I was 5 years old. December is war nostalgia month. I’ve been leafing through the diary of my late uncle Felix Gozo, and I was transported back to life during the Japanese rule in my hometown, Majayjay, Laguna."
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Post by friscohare on Dec 4, 2011 23:38:24 GMT -5
lifestyle.inquirer.net/25613/we-world-war-ii-kids-can-still-remember"We’re the World War II kids. A unique breed. The war years (1941-1945) brought us face-to-face with terror, violence, death and hunger as a way of life. On Dec. 8, 1941, Japanese fighter planes treacherously bombed Pearl Harbor and Clark Field. I was 5 years old. December is war nostalgia month. I’ve been leafing through the diary of my late uncle Felix Gozo, and I was transported back to life during the Japanese rule in my hometown, Majayjay, Laguna." Whoa!! Thanks, Frank for posting this. We're related to the Gozo Family on my mom's side. It's interesting to read more about my ancestral home town as well! Thank you. Thank you!
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Post by friscohare on Dec 4, 2011 23:45:36 GMT -5
Four-star general laid to rest at Ft. Sam Houston[/u][/url] (Ken 5 San Antonio, 12/03/11) Gen. Ralph E. Haines Jr. was the Army's oldest four-star general. He was laid to rest this weekend after dying from natural causes at San Antonio Military Medical Center on Nov. 23. He was 98. The ceremony was extraordinary, as was Haines. Graduating from the Us Military Academy in 1935, Haines went on to command the US Army, Pacific from August 1968 to October 1970. Prior to World War II he served in the Philippine Scouts and then served in Italy during the war. Read more...
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Post by friscohare on Dec 4, 2011 23:53:11 GMT -5
Calvin William Elton, Jr. [/u][/url] (Daily Herald, 11/23/11) Calvin William Elton, Jr., 1922 ~ 2011 Calvin William Elton, Jr. (Bill), age 89, of Provo, Utah, passed away peacefully on November 20, 2011, in Provo, Utah. He was born on November 2, 1922, in Dividend, Utah, to Calvin William Elton and Melpha Nelson Elton, the 5th of 10 children. Bill was raised in the Dividend, Mammoth and Eureka area, graduating from Payson High School. Bill chose to enlist in the Army Air Corp at the age of 17 and after being trained as a mechanic for a year in California, was transferred to Nichols Field in the Philippine Islands. Five months later he was captured by the Japanese and spent 42 months as a World War II prisoner of war. He was one of nearly 10,000 prisoners that was forced to trudge in the Bataan Death March, sent to Japan and used as slave labor in the coal mines. (Mr. Elton was a M/Sgt. with the 21st Pursuit Squadron, 24th Pursuit Group) Read more...
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Post by insurrectomad on Dec 8, 2011 7:18:01 GMT -5
Today was the anniversary of the bombing of Clark airbase at the start of the war with Japan for the Philippines. The TV History Channel had a long program on the Perl Harbor attack, and the 24 hours that followed. It mentioned that despite warnings being given to Gen. MacArthur, within hours of Perl Harbor, he did not nothing to alert his forces and take action to prepare for an impending attack. He should have been sacked like the 2 commanders of Perl Harbor were! The Prog. only showed MacArthur on film with American soldiers wearing the "new" 1943 issue and not one shot of them in the Khaki uniform and British pattern helmets appeared in the documentary! WHY?
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Post by friscohare on Dec 19, 2011 23:05:46 GMT -5
Henry R. Vara, who survived the Bataan Death March and spent 3 1/2 years in prison camps, died Monday at 96. The San Antonio-born carpenter and handyman was a graduate of Main Avenue High School and an accomplished artist, his family said. He was a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient. Vara, 96, survived Bataan Death March[/u][/url] (San Antonio Express-News, 12/10/11) Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient Henry R. Vara, who survived the Bataan Death March and spent 3½ years as a prisoner of war in the Philippines and Japan, died Monday of a heart attack. He was 96. As a boy during the Great Depression, Vara recalled helping his father, a bricklayer, build manholes in the Randolph AFB area, his son John Vara said. “He worked as a little kid,” his son said. “They didn't have any money.” The family, which included six children, struggled even more after his parents split and an older brother died. “My dad felt he had to help,” his son said. Vara consequently learned a lot of skills: watch and jewelry repair, printing, carpentry and general home repairs. He worked for the Postal Service for 33 years. His son said Vara, a graduate of Main Avenue High School in the mid-1930s, turned down an art scholarship because he needed to work to help his family. “He always talked about that,” he said. But what Vara had to be coaxed into discussing was the war, a painful phase of his life that colored the rest of it. Drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1941, Vara was captured by the Japanese in 1942. Vara was 26, his son said. (Mr. Vara served with the 91st Bomb Squadron, 27th Bomb Group) Read More... ____________________________________ 1st Lt. Willibald C. Bianchi, Medal of Honor, US Army, WW IIA Compassionate Hero - 1st Lt. Willibald C. Bianchi, U.S. Army and Philippine Scouts, WW II, Medal of Honor (1915-1945)[/u][/url] (Hawaii Reporter, 12/10/11) Born on March 12, 1915, in the small farming town of New Ulm, Minnesota, Bianchi was raised on a small poultry farm. He was a sophomore in Ulm High School when his father died and he left school to take responsibility of running the farm. He later completed his high school studies at the University of Minnesota. When he was 21, he enrolled at South Dakota State University and majored in animal science. He became a member of ROTC and was on the football team. When he graduated, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. He requested foreign duty so that he could become involved in the action as soon as possible. His first duty assignment was the Philippines where he was tasked with the duty of turning the locals into jungle fighters. Bianchi distinguished himself and turned the locals into fierce jungle fighters. By December of 1941, there were two threats to the Japanese plans for expansion into Indonesia and South East Asia. The United States Navy had their Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor and the combined American and Philippine Army in the Philippine Islands ( 130,000 troops) under the command of General Douglas MacArthur. Read More...
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Post by friscohare on Dec 19, 2011 23:12:53 GMT -5
Op-Ed: Pearl Harbor ― A day of celebration amidst hope and suffering[/u][/url] (Digital Journal, 12/07/11) The "day of infamy" was the day my mother celebrated her birthday, an event made more significant by the yearly recollection of how the family managed to survive. TORONTO - Pearl Harbor is a reminder of two things: one, the sneak attack by the Japanese, and two, my mother's birthday. Today marks the 70th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks. If only for the second, Pearl Harbor will not be forgotten. Its significance to us lies in the many experiential stories told repeatedly through the years. There were stories of hope, as in the wish to see the war ceased, and with its end, the return of an uncle, my mother's older brother. She yearned for normalcy as everyone did. There were stories of suffering, hers and her family being uprooted from hometown to a military fortress; and of dread, the gnawing fear of being maimed, killed or separated from each other. There were abundant stories of horrifying cruelty like what her brother had endured in the so-called "death march". The war was not of our own; the Philippines - a US colony from 1898 to 1946 - was dragged into it by the huge presence of American forces, notably in Corregidor where my parents had sought shelter. Read More...____________________________________ Udall: It's Time To Honor Bataan Heroes[/u][/url] (NM State KRWG News, 12/15/11) LAS CRUCES (krwg) - Seventy years after their courageous actions in World War II, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) today re-introduced legislation to honor the veterans who defended Bataan and suffered through the Death March with the Congressional Gold Medal. Sens. Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) are cosponsors of the bill. The 200th Coast Artillery Regiment were the first to fire to defend the Philippines on Dec. 8, 1941, just hours after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Over the next several months the troops of the U.S. Army Forces in the Far East made a courageous defense of Bataan that delayed the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. After their supplies and ammunition had been exhausted, the American and Philippine troops in Bataan were ordered to surrender, taken prisoner and forced on the infamous Bataan Death March. "New Mexico sent 1,800 soldiers to the Philippines and only about 900 made it home," said Udall. "Their courage and tenacity during the first four months of World War II, and their perseverance during three years of imprisonment truly deserves the recognition of a Congressional Gold Medal. We are indebted to them for their service and sacrifice." "During the war, Remember Bataan' was a rallying cry for the troops. Everyone of us who put on the uniform during World War II knows what those brave soldiers endured. The defenders of Bataan and those who suffered and died during the Bataan Death March should never be forgotten. The Congressional Gold Medal is the least we can do for them," said Inouye, a World War II veteran and Medal of Honor recipient. "Our country is forever grateful to the brave Americans who endured the infamous Bataan Death March during World War II. Their sacrifice and courage is not forgotten and presenting them with the Congressional Gold Medal is but a small token of our nation's gratitude," Bingaman said. "We must never forget the heroism and selflessness displayed by our brave veterans who defended Bataan," said Landrieu. "In my home state of Louisiana, the National World War II Museum remembers how our 'Greatest Generation' fought and sacrificed to protect our freedom and keep our nation safe from tyranny. This Congressional Gold Medal would honor the extraordinary efforts of our soldiers, including those from Louisiana, to protect the Philippines. I am proud to cosponsor this legislation commemorating our soldiers' honorable service."
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Post by friscohare on Dec 30, 2011 23:55:49 GMT -5
E.L. man's memories of WWII fill book[/u][/url] (Lansing State Journal, 12/26/11) Eugene Bleil spent 10 tough years writing his memories of World War II: his capture by the Japanese, near-starvation in a prison camp, surviving the infamous Bataan Death March, serving as slave labor in Japan. "You'd sit down and start to write. It brings back memories you thought you'd buried. You have tears and sorrow, and you have to leave it alone for a while," he said. But Bleil, 91, of East Lansing, a retired anesthesiologist who still is a licensed physician, kept writing, urged on by his wife, Opal, and daughters Claudia Bleil and Cynthia Camp. In November 2010, he shared some of his memories with State Journal readers on Veterans Day. And now, he has realized his dream. (Mr. Bleil served with the 17th Pursuit Squadron, 24th Pursuit Group) Read more...
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Post by friscohare on Jan 4, 2012 22:50:50 GMT -5
Sarasota philanthropist John Wood dies at 91(Sarasota Herald Tribune, 01/04/12) SARASOTA COUNTY - He grew up an orphan. He spent more than three years as a World War II prisoner of war where he survived disease, malnourishment and the brutal Bataan Death March. He experienced hardships few others have ever known... ..."He and his siblings were passed back and forth between relatives and distant family," Faessler said. At 19, he decided to join the U.S. Army Air Corps so he would have "a permanent home, three meals a day and a place to sleep at night," his daughter said. Sent to the Philippines as a bombardier, Wood was soon captured by the Japanese. He survived the grueling, two-week Bataan Death March through the Philippine jungles, constantly threatened by armed guards. "If you slowed down or didn't obey them, they'd hit you with their rifle," Wood remembered in a 2007 interview. "They had bamboo sticks they'd whack you with."... (Mr. Wood served with the 16th Bomb Squadron, 27th Bomb Group) Read more..._______________________________________ Missing a plane was a lifesaver(Sarasota Herald Tribune, 01/02/12) After graduating from North Tonawanda High School in 1941, Anthony J. Gelose went to work at a local war plant. “I was in the ordnance department at the Bell Aircraft plant on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. We were making gun parts for the Cobra aircraft,” Gelose said. “I knew that I was going to get drafted.”... ... After arriving in New Guinea, which had already been secured, U.S. forces began heading north, making their way to the Philippines. “We fought at Luzon, and then they needed replacements to retake Corregidor, and they picked six of us. When we arrived at Subic Bay, the plane to take us over to Corregidor for the invasion had already left. “We listened on the radio to the invasion, which was just across the bay, and we could hear men getting killed. We were very fortunate. The good Lord was looking after me that day. One of the tanks we were supposed be on was destroyed, and I could have gone up with it.” After the Philippines, Gelose transferred to the 603rd Tank Company, which had been the first U.S. tank company to arrive in the Pacific, starting out in Australia. “They were good a bunch of guys, the 603rd. They had been through the mill and I was proud to be with them,” he recalled. A short while later, Japan surrendered, and the 603rd was shipped to a base just outside Tokyo as part of the army of occupation... Read more...
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Post by friscohare on Jan 6, 2012 23:46:55 GMT -5
World War II veteran who served time as Japanese POW described as 'proud American'
(Orlando Sentinel, 01/06/12) MINNEOLA — After spending a horrific 42 months as a Japanese prisoner of war during World War II, wasting away to nearly 90 pounds and being beaten within an inch of his life, you'd think Lee Wilson would have jumped at the chance to get his honorable discharge from the Navy and move on with his life. But that simply wasn't Wilson's style. Instead, he returned his hometown in Kentucky, married his sweetheart and returned to duty. Today, Wilson and his wife Glenda, married for 65 years, have been enjoying their retirement in Minneola. With the most recent Veteran's Day fresh in mind, Wilson recalled his years of service, the horrors of being a prisoner of war and the joy of being reunited with his love. Despite his years in a prison camp, Wilson remains fervently patriotic. "I'd do it all again for my country," said Wilson, 90. Wilson was just 18 when he enlisted in the Navy. Even today, as aging and illness encroaches, Wilson can recall those years like they were yesterday. So poignant, his daughter-in-law Patricia Berg Wilson recorded them as a cherished family record. "To know Lee Wilson is to know a true patriot," Patricia Berg Wilson wrote in her father-in-law's memoirs. "He is a proud American, yet a humble servant of God. For he knows that without his faith, he could have never been able to endure and survive the horrors of being a prisoner of war in a Japanese camp in WWII." (Mr. Wilson served on the USS Quail) Read more..._______________________________________ Berlin man remembered for World War II legacy
(The Northwestern, 01/02/12) Berlin resident Joseph Stemler endured torture and forced labor during World War II that many didn’t survive. He walked on the infamous Bataan Death March in 1942 and spent more than a year in a hospital when the war ended after 3½ years as a Japanese prisoner of war. Stemler, 94, died December 30 at his home. “I consider him a hero. Even though he survived all of that he never considered himself a hero,” said Therese Lewallen, one of his daughters. Nationally, World War II veterans are dying at a rate of more than 1,000 a day, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Lewallen said her father never talked much about the Bataan Death March and his days as a prisoner of war. “He never wanted to dwell on that part of his life because of the painful memories that he had. It was tough for him to relive it,” Lewallen said. Read more...
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Post by friscohare on Jan 10, 2012 23:37:13 GMT -5
The Womelsdorf VFW will put the memorial brick pathway around this flag area after removing the bushes. Tom Siani, left, is post commander. Joining him are trustees, from left, Ryan Ellenberger, Dennis Kiebach and Jim Lindsey. Brick by brick, VFW post building path to honor[/u][/url] (Reading Eagle, 01/10/12) As Womelsdorf celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, the township's Veterans of Foreign Wars post will remember veterans with a commemorative brick pathway. "We were trying to find a way of honoring not just Womelsdorf veterans but Berks County veterans who contributed to our freedom," said Tom Siani, commander of VFW Post 6558. Post officials said they hope to sell about 1,000 bricks for an area in front of the building in Womelsdorf. The VFW post dates to the 1940s and has a rich history. The post was named after Lt. Colonel Max Schaeffer, who was a prisoner of war in World War II. He survived the Bataan Death March and made it through the prison camp, but on his way home his boat was hit by a torpedo, Siani said. The post's first commander, Frank Hilton, went on to become state and national commander of the VFW. Today the post has nearly 300 member veterans, about 650 social members and a ladies auxiliary. It's a place where veterans can get together and comfort one another, Siani said. (Mr. Schaeffer served with the 4th Marine Regiment) Read more..._____________________________________ R.I.P. Mr. Waldrum. Goodbye to a Marine[/u][/url] (KETK, 01/10/12) Everett Waldrum was buried a few days ago. He was one of those quiet heroes of WWII. A teacher and family man, his calm demeanor was at odds with the horror he saw as a marine in the Pacific. This modest house near Lake Palestine was the home of a hero. A few belongings laid out on a bed…a shadowbox full of medals don’t tell the whole story. Everett Waldrum was 18 when he joined the Marines, He was on duty with the 4th Marine Regiment in the Phillippines when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Meanwhile, the war in the Pacific got worse for US forces before it got better. The island of Corregidor fell to the Japanese. While there, he guarded officers including General Douglas MacArthur. Later, after the island fell, Waldrum became a prisoner of war, was sent to Manchuria and witnessed the brutalities of war first hand…including the execution of a US officer. But he held no bitterness … Read more...[/u][/url]
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Post by friscohare on Jan 21, 2012 23:51:56 GMT -5
Pastor Candie Blankman, pictured above at the 00 kilometer marker at the beginning of the Bataan Death March, Mariveles, Philippine Islands, will read from her book this Saturday at Mambo Grill, starting at 5 p.m.Pastor’s book retraces steps of POW father[/u][/url] (The Downey Patriot, 01/19/12) If you ask Pastor Candie Blankman to describe her father she’ll be quick to tell you he was the opposite of everything he experienced in World War II. "He was a very simple and kind man, always helping people," said Blankman. "He could be a little cut and dry and militaristic at times, but he was a fun guy with a child-like faith and love of life." The traits seem remarkable considering Blankman’s father, Kenneth Davis, served as a prisoner of war for three and a half years during WWII, surviving the Bataan Death March, two POW camps in the Philippine Islands, the Hellship Noto Maru, and a year of forced labor inside a copper mine in Honshu Island, Japan. "My dad walked up and down a mountain at just 85 pounds," said Blankman. "He was sent to the camp's medical ward twice because he was so weak. He almost died." Read more..._____________________________________ Men of the 4th Marines over ammunition and weapons to Longoshawayan Point during the defense of the Philippines1st Battalion, 4th Marines Does "Whatever it Takes" [/u][/url] (Huffington Post Impact, 01/19/12) [...] The history of the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines is a storied one. This unit distinguished itself in the Dominican Republic, and by March 1927 was on duty in Shanghai, China, where a state of emergency had been declared. Their initial mission was to prevent rioting and mob violence in the American Sector of the International Settlement. It was the beginning of a 14 year-long involvement in China, which became increasingly difficult as Japanese aggression grew. On November 14th 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced, "The Government of the United States has decided to withdraw the America Marine detachments now remaining ashore in China at Peiping, at Tientsin, and Shanghai..." The clouds of war were gathering, as the United States and Japan moved inexorably toward open hostilities. Fourteen days later, the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines departed China, enroute to the Philippines. At 0257, December 8th, 1941, Asiatic Fleet Headquarters was informed of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. By 0350, the 4th Marines communication center received word of the attack in a message which stated "Japan started hostilities, govern yourselves accordingly." The 4th Marines fought valiantly in the defense of the Philippines. Some were taken prisoner with the fall of the Bataan Peninsula and subjected to the infamous Bataan Death March. Those who had moved to the island fortress of Corregidor fared no better. American forces on Corregidor were surrendered on May 6th 1942. The Marines who had survived the battle of the Philippines spent the remainder of the war in Japanese captivity. The 4th Marines ceased to exist. Read more...
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Post by frank on Jan 23, 2012 1:20:20 GMT -5
Great post on the 4th Marines. Keep posting.
Buy you a beer when you are in town.
Frank
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