7.1 US POW DEATHS

7.1.1 early TXNG deaths

It is generally agreed that 131 US POWs died during the construction of the Thai-Burma Railway. An additional 2 died of TBR-related conditions in different locations (Saigon & Singapore) soon after the TBR was completed.

Actually, the first 3 soldiers to die were KIA before the 131 FA Rgt was taken as prisoner. When they arrived on Java in early Jan 1942, they affiliated with a squadron of B-17s at an airport near Malang where they began to assist the AAC crews. These men had evacuated from the Philippines but had had to do so without their ground crews. So the 131^st members assumed those duties. The B-17s had access to some bombs and ammunition so they continued to fly recon and interdiction raids of Japanese shipping. The first 2 deaths occurred when one of the B-17s was shot down during the first of many air raids on that airfield. Five additional AAF died of wounds received in such raids.

As the Japanese invasion force landed on Java, the Army Air Force (AAF) members flew off to Australia taking 23 members of the FA men and 3 others from the US Forces (Java) contingent. It is an interesting side-story that two of these men were KIA and another became a POW in the European Theater.

It is worthy of note that during the rather brief combat operations of the main body in western Java and E Battery in the east, no TXNG members were either WIA or KIA [2].

7.1.2 USS HOUSTON deaths

The USS Houston (CA-30) was sunk in the early morning hours of 1 Mar 1942 with an assigned crew 932 Sailors and 74 Marines. 638 crewmen died as a result of the sinking. All of the crew members[1] who made it to shore were soon captured by the Japanese who were just beginning their attack on the island of Java (335 Sailors & 33 Marines). The first sailor to die as a POW was Lt(jg) Francis Weiler who succumbed to wounds he received in the sinking of the ship but he was officially a POW at the time of his death. A second crewman succumbed to Dysentery on Java in May ‘42. As a side note, 56 crewmen had been KIA (39) / WIA (17) in the 4 FEB attack that destroyed the aft turret. Only 4 of the 17 wounded survived the war. [see SECTION 28.8 for rosters and status of those crewmen]

7.1.3 their POW fate

The Dutch government officially surrendered to the invading Japanese on 8 Mar. The US ARMY contingent evaded capture for a few days to weeks but with no way off the island they too all became POWs. The Army and Navy personnel first met each other when they were moved to the Bicycle Camp near the city of Batavia (modern day Jakarta). Once they were consolidated there, their branch of service became somewhat irrelevant and they were simply treated as ‘the Americans’ by the IJA.

A few months later (OCT 42), a small group (about 60 US personnel) were selected by the guards at the Bicycle Camp as having technical skills. Under the command of Army CPT Lundy Zeigler, they boarded a ship bound for Japan via Singapore. They were scattered to a number of different camps in southern Japan. Of those, only two died there; both on the same day (12 DEC 43) but in different places. GM3c Gene Fanghor died of diphtheria in Ohasi and EM3c Alfred Seidel died of bronchitis at the Hokadate camp. The third, fourth and fifth sailors (in sequence) died of diseases in Japan in Nov-Dec 1942. [see Section 28 for rosters of these various groups and the fate of their members]

Also in October of 1942, the first group of Americans (about 200) under the command of ARMY CPT Fitzsimmons (aka Group 3) departed from Java for an unstated destination. After short stay at the Changi POW camp in Singapore, they were sent into the jungle in southern Burma to work the railway. In stark contrast to the experience of the Tharp Group, almost all of the deaths in this group occurred after the completion of the TBR as they were moved first into the Burmese highlands then on to the ‘rest camp’ at Kanchanaburi.

It wasn’t until Jan 1943 that the majority of the US POWs (a mix of soldiers, sailors and marines) along with the command staff of the 131^st FA Rgt under LTC Tharp were sent to Burma as Group 5. A small number of the US POWs were left behind on Java, most of whom were too ill to travel. Two sailors died there in Apr 43. The first six deaths while working the TBR were among sailors (3) and marines (3) who died of malaria or dysentery. The first soldier to die in Burma (Jun 43) was killed by an errant bomb as the Allies began attacking the railway bridges.

US Military deaths on the TBR during the height of the construction and the Speedo period. These were almost exclusively in the Tharp Group working in the Burmese highlands.

Over the course of the next six months (Jun 43 to Jan 44) 121 US POWs died at one of two camps called 80 Kilo and 100 Kilo where the Tharp Grp 5 spent the bulk of their time in the middle of uncharted jungle in the Burmese highlands. Complications from Tropical ulcers accounted for the majority of these deaths (50) followed by Dysentery (38), Beri-beri (21) and Malaria (4). Interestingly, no US POW was killed by a direct assault by the Japanese and none died of cholera which ravaged some of the other camps along the TBR. The Americans were never alone. That is, they were always a small part of the total number of prisoners (British, Australian and Dutch) at the southern Burmese camps. Overall, 689 US POWs worked the railway making them roughly 1% of the TBR prisoners.

The TBR was built from both ends at Nong Pladuk Thailand and Thanbyuzayat Burma and the two sections were joined in OCT 1943 marking the completion of the construction phase which had begun about JUN 42 by about 3000 Australian POWs who were moved overland from Changi to Ban Pong.

Following the construction phase, the POWs began to be consolidated, many – including most of the Americans – were moved down the railway to various camps in and around Kanchanaburi where the now famous Bridge over the River Kwai is located. Interestingly, of the total of 13 deaths that occurred in the Fitzsimmon’s Party, only two took place during the construction phase [SM2c Musto (Jul 43) & PVT Pfeil (Aug 43)] at the 30 Kilo camp. The other 11 died post-TBR: 7 at the Songkurai camp between NOV 43 and Jan 44 and 4 at Kanchanaburi / Nakorn Pathom after the consolidation.

Life at these ‘rest camps’ became much better than what they had experienced in the jungle camps. Between NOV and MAY 44, only 6 more US POWs (2 ARMY & 4 NAVY) died of either Dysentery or Beri-beri.

For the few dozen POWs left behind on Java, life was nowhere near the ordeal experienced by those in Burma. Only 1 soldier died of Dysentery (in Oct 43). But that was all to change in JUN 44. Fourteen soldiers and two sailors aboard the Hellship Tamahoko Maru[3] died when it was torpedoed while en route to Japan. Then in SEP 44, the Hellship Junyo met a similar fate, killing 2 soldiers. These 18 deaths accounted for the highest death toll of US POWs from these two main groups.

Following the completion of the railway, the POWs continued to be employed to do maintenance or to repair bomb damage along the course of the railway, but no US POWs died there after MAY 44. Many of those who had worked the railway were reassigned to other places. A fairly large contingent were sent to Saigon where they worked unloading ships and building a railway tunnel. Only one sailor died there of Dysentery. Some of the TBR POWs were sent back to Changi prison camp in Singapore where one TBR veteran died of cancer in MAY 45. A third large group of POWs were sent via Hellships to Japan where they were finally liberated after the war. Here, too, only one soldier who had come from the TBR died of Beri-beri. His death in AUG 45 was the final POW death of this group.

Of the 952 US POWs (including 29 Merchant Marines and 9 USN reserve sailors who were on the SS Sawolka and 1 civilian volunteer to the Flying Tigers Sqn), 782 (83%) were liberated. But the insidious effects of their time as POWs continued to take their toll. Over the ensuing years, as many as 39 former POWs have died of causes that could be attributed to their POW status.

Within three years after the war, TB and the effects of malnutrition caused the deaths of 4 former POWs. In 1958 (14 years after liberation), one of these men died of what his doctor termed Beri-Beri heart disease. Over the years, alcoholism and suicide claimed the lives of 11 of these men. Two former POWs have died of cancer. Oddly the first was in OCT 45 – just weeks after liberation – in a 31yo sailor. The other died at age 90 (65 years after his liberation), but his daughter (in a private communication) is convinced that that cancer was a result of the years he spent working the coal mines in Japan as a POW (post-TBR). It is possible, then, in addition to the 3 who were KIA before becoming POWs that 202 US military men died as a direct or indirect result of their POW status. In JAN 2024, the final US TBR POW died.

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[3

[3] Tamahoko Maru sailed on 20 June 1944 with 772 POWs (197 British, 42 American, 258 Australian and 281 Dutch) from Takao for Moji in convoy HO-02. There were also some 500 Japanese soldiers on board. On 24 June 1944 at 11:50 pm, in the Koshiki Straits 40 miles SW of Nagasaki, the Tamahoko Maru was torpedoed by USS Tang and sank in less than 2 minutes. 560 POWs, 35 crewmen and an unknown number of Japanese soldiers were lost. Among the lost were 13 Merchant Marines from the SS AMERICAN LEADER.

Here are the names, dates and causes of death plus what I call “the ordinals” = the order of events as they pertain to their deaths:

Barnes Don Henry	PVT	KIA-AAF (Java)	3-Feb-42	KIA	1 131 KIA Jv	PRIOR
Bingham John Edward            “Red”	PFC	KIA-AAF (Java)	3-Feb-42	KIA	2 131 KIA Jv	PRIOR
STANDISH, Walter	GSgt	KIA-Java [1]	1-Mar-42	KIA	01 casualty	PRIOR
RHODES Bruce Edward         “Dusty”	PVT	KIA-Java [2]	5-Mar-42	GSW	02 casualty	PRIOR
WEILER FRANCIS Brooks	LT(jg)	OTH-V	26-Mar-42	KIA	1 USN DOW Jv	Java
HILL DONALD Wayne	PVT	OTH-V-BC	31-Mar-42	DYS	1 MC dis Jv	Java
ROSS RUSSELL ROOSEVELT	LT	OTH-V-BC	4-May-42	DYS	1 USN dis Jv	BC
West Bryson	PVT	KIA-AAF	1-Jul-42	KIA	1 131 KIA-oth	OTH
GRIFFIN GORDON ROBERT	PFC	OTH-V-BC	23-Oct-42	DYS	1 131 DIS Jv	BC
ALDERMAN HARMON PRICE	ChRM	Zeigler-Sg	26-Nov-42	GI	1 USN at sea Zg	AT SEA
Fraser William Gerard Jr	PFC	KIA-AAF (Rabal)	5-Jan-43	KIA	2 KIA-oth 131	OTH
YOUNG KENNETH ASA	S1C	Tharp	22-Jan-43	BB	1 USN dis Th	100
HERNANDEZ Abileno (Abelonoa)	PVT	E Batt-Jv	2-Feb-43	TB	1 Ebat dis Jv	JAVA
KONDZELA LAWRENCE Francis	S1C	Tharp	13-Apr-43	MAL	1 131 dis Th	80
WHITE JAMES HENRY	SFIC	Tharp	13-Apr-43	MAL	2 USN dis Th	80
FELIX IRVING ARTHUR	YM1C	OTH-V-BC	18-Apr-43	TB		BC
LUSK JOE Martin True  “Egghead”	SGT	Tharp	22-Apr-43	MAL	1 MC dis Th	80
DUPLER HARLEY HAROLD	1SGT	Tharp	14-May-43	DYS	2 MC on TBR 1SG Th	THAN hosp
LINDSLEY ALBERT JOHN	S1C	Tharp	1-Jun-43	DYS	1 SPD Th	100
WILLIAMS DAVID MARVIN	S1C	Tharp	1-Jun-43	DYS	2 SPD Th	KAN
WILLIS DONNIS WAYNE	S1C	Tharp	10-Jun-43	DYS		80
WILSON Edwin Paris	CPL	Tharp	12-Jun-43	KIA	1 131 Th KIA	THAN hosp bombing
BENNER CALVIN WILLIAM	EM3C	Tharp	26-Jun-43	DYS		100
DRAKE James P	PVT	Tharp	1-Jul-43	TU		80
HUTCHINSON BILL MARTIN	S2C	Tharp	5-Jul-43	DYS		80
ANDERSEN Julius A	PVT	Tharp	17-Jul-43	BB		100
ARMOUR FLOYD	SM1C	Tharp	17-Jul-43	DYS		100
MUSTO JAMES WILLIAM	S2C	Fitzsimmons	17-Jul-43	DYS	1 131 dis Fz	30
JAMES EDWARD Richard	EM2C	Tharp	21-Jul-43	DYS		80
CARNEY Wendell D	PVT	Tharp	22-Jul-43	DYS	(med)	100
GRAHAM RICHARD GRESHAM	Y3C	Tharp	23-Jul-43	TU		80
TREMONTE Ted Joe	PVT	Tharp	29-Jul-43	TU		80
HAMPTON Robert W	1LT	Tharp	31-Jul-43	DYS		100
LUMPKIN SAMUEL H	CPT	Tharp	1-Aug-43	DYS	(med)	100
HALL Howard L	SGT	Tharp	2-Aug-43	DYS		100
SILVA Eugene John	PVT	Tharp	3-Aug-43	TU		100
ROTH JOHN THOMAS	MM2C	Tharp	5-Aug-43	DYS		100
TUCKER WILLIAM EDWARD	MUS2C	Tharp	9-Aug-43	TU		80
PYE GUY EDGAR	GM3C	Tharp	13-Aug-43	TU	1 USN Th ampu	100
PARISH BARTOW HARRISON	AMM2C	Tharp	16-Aug-43	BB		100
BRANHAM LAWRENCE RANDOLPH	S2C	Tharp	17-Aug-43	TU		100
HITTLE ROBERT GLENN	SK3C	Tharp	17-Aug-43	TU		80
DEMPSEY Austin Elmo	PVT	Tharp	20-Aug-43	BB		100
KELM ALBERT M	CPL	Tharp	21-Aug-43	DYS		100
HANSEN RALPH ROBERT	S1c	Tharp	22-Aug-43	DYS		80
PETERSON LENNART OLEY	GM2C	Tharp	22-Aug-43	DYS		100
PFEIL STANLEY Arthur	PVT	Fitzsimmons	22-Aug-43	DYS	2 131 dis Fz	39
KUNKE CZESLAUS John	GM2C	Tharp	23-Aug-43	TU		100
MANION TOMMY JR	S1C	Tharp	23-Aug-43	TU		100
REED CLARENCE OSCAR	RM2C	Tharp	23-Aug-43	DYS		80
YATES DONALD RALPH	MM3C	Tharp	24-Aug-43	BB		80
HOCH JOYCE W	PVT	Tharp	25-Aug-43	TU		80
SHAW Edwin Earl  “Jack”	M SG	Tharp	25-Aug-43	TU		100
WHATLEY Hiram Jefferson Jr	PVT	Tharp	26-Aug-43	TU		100
DOIRON Llyod W	PVT	Tharp	27-Aug-43	MAL		100
ROSZELL LYLE THOMAS	S1C	Tharp-Sg	29-Aug-43	DYS	1 USN at Hintok of dis	HIN
BUSHNELL EDGAR WAYNE	CSK	Tharp	30-Aug-43	TU		100
PULLEN ROBERT HAROLD	S1C	Tharp	31-Aug-43	TU		100
WATERS Nelson H	CPL	Tharp	3-Sep-43	TU		80
KETMAN ROBERT Earl JR	S1c	Tharp	5-Sep-43	DYS		100
BUHLMAN CLARENCE NELSON	S1C	Tharp	6-Sep-43	DYS		80
SHAVER HARVEY D	PVT	Tharp	6-Sep-43	DYS		100
RUSSELL CHARLES E JR	PVT	Tharp	7-Sep-43	TU		100
BRAY Charles Bruce	SGT	Tharp	8-Sep-43	TU		100
FAULKNER Harold L	CPL	Tharp	8-Sep-43	TU		80
GARWOOD EDWARD DERING	RM2C	Tharp	9-Sep-43	TU		80
SOULE IRVIN George T	GM3C	Tharp	9-Sep-43	DYS		80
GUTHRIE William L	PVT	Tharp	10-Sep-43	BB		100
WIDMEYER HARRY CLARK	S1C	Tharp	10-Sep-43	DYS		80
JONES SAMUEL A	PVT	Tharp	11-Sep-43	TU	amputation	80
KOELLING VERNON LOUIS	MUS2C	Tharp	11-Sep-43	TU		80
GUY JAMES ANDREW	S2C	Tharp	12-Sep-43	BB		100
BAXTER Billy Ray	PFC	Tharp	13-Sep-43	TU		80
DEATS Louis Frank Jr	CPL	Tharp	13-Sep-43	TU		80
CARTER FREDRICK LESTER JR	QM3C	Tharp	14-Sep-43	TU		80
DEMOEN ACHIEL RENE	CEM	Tharp	14-Sep-43	TU		80
SCHANDUA EDGAR J	PVT	Tharp	14-Sep-43	TU		100
KALOUS EDWARD B	PFC	Tharp	16-Sep-43	TU	1 USF	100
OMOTH ROBERT ENGMAN	S1C	Tharp	16-Sep-43	CVD		100
GRAY Harry	PFC	Tharp	17-Sep-43	DYS	1 1314 (med)	80
HOLSINGER FRANK OSCAR	CPL	Tharp	18-Sep-43	TU	3 MC on TBR Th	80
JOHNSON EDWARD IRVIN	SK3C	Tharp	18-Sep-43	TU		80
YELL Archie B	CPL	Tharp	18-Sep-43	DYS		80
EBAUGH FOREST VERGIL	S2C	Tharp	19-Sep-43	NEU		100
WYNN MARVIN ANGLOUS	S1C	Tharp	19-Sep-43	DYS		100
LEE EARL HENRY	S1c	Tharp	21-Sep-43	BB		100
WARD FRANK Calvin	EM3C	Tharp	21-Sep-43	TU		100
LUNA ELTON	PVT	Tharp	22-Sep-43	BB		100
GILLIAM Robert E	PVT	Tharp	23-Sep-43	TU		100
CANTRELL JAMES ALBERT	S2C	Tharp	26-Sep-43	TU		80
IVEY DAN R	PVT	Tharp	26-Sep-43	TU		80
BAERMAN DONALD GEORGE	S2C	Tharp	27-Sep-43	DYS		80
COOPER DALE ROGERS	PHM3C	Tharp	27-Sep-43	TU	(med)	100
FORGEY Jed Dillmas	CPL	Tharp	27-Sep-43	TU		100
ALEXANDER James Garland	SGT	Tharp	29-Sep-43	TU		80
SEWELL Dan Homer	CPL	Tharp	29-Sep-43	TU		80
HENDRICKS ROBERT Harry	S1C	Tharp	30-Sep-43	DYS		KAN
BATCHELOR WILLIAM CHARLES JR	S1C	Tharp	1-Oct-43	TU		80
HALL ERVIN LEROY	S1C	Tharp	2-Oct-43	TU		100
COX Charles A	CPL	Tharp	4-Oct-43	TU		100
GODFREY DONALD FRANCIS	S1C	Tharp	6-Oct-43	DYS		100
WOLTZ Donald Glenn	PFC	Tharp	6-Oct-43	NUT		80
UPPERMAN Max	SGT	Tharp	9-Oct-43	DYS		100
MOORE GLEN Everett  “Cy”	PFC	Tharp-Sg	10-Oct-43	DYS	1 131 at Hintok dis	HIN
KITCHINGS HARRY A	CPL	Tharp	14-Oct-43	TU		80
JOWELL JOHNNY D	PVT	Tharp	17-Oct-43	TU	last 131 on TBR	80
THOMAS Billy	PVT	E Batt-Sg	28-Oct-43	BB	3 E Bat at Hin dis	HIN
STOUT George Washington	PVT	Tharp	31-Oct-43	TU		80
Rich Robert L	PFC	Tharp	1-Nov-43	BB		80
BROTHERS FRANK WHEELER	S1C	Fitzsimmons	8-Nov-43	MAL	Fz3 pTBR	114
ABRAMS RUSSELL EUGENE	Y3C	Tharp	9-Nov-43	BB		100
SPENCER MASON DALE	S2C	Tharp	9-Nov-43	DYS		80
Boren Lemuel Maxey	1LT	Tharp	13-Nov-43	MAL		80
BOYLE Algers Carling	CPL	Tharp	16-Nov-43	TU		80
MATTFELDT WILLIAM Fuller	PVT	Fitzsimmons	16-Nov-43	CVD	Fz4 pTBR	114
PARKER ALLARD THOMAS	PVT	Tharp	17-Nov-43	TU	(med)	80
WILSON JAMES Raydell  “Goon”	PVT	Fitzsimmons	17-Nov-43	MAL	4 MC at pTBR Fz5	114
MORRISON CLINTON Douglas	PFC	Tharp	18-Nov-43	TU		80
OFFERLE IRVIN OSCAR	SGT	Tharp	18-Nov-43	TU		80
BROWN Joseph Roy Jr    “Georgia”	CPL	Tharp	24-Nov-43	BB		100
HIRSCHBERG LOUIS	FC1C	Tharp	26-Nov-43	TU		100
FEELY JAMES JOHN	S2C	Tharp	28-Nov-43	BB		80
BALDWIN Ray G	PVT	KIA-ETO	29-Nov-43	KIA	1 131 ETO	ETO
KALICH Nolan Oscar Frederick	CPL	E Batt	3-Dec-43	NEU	1 E bat dis Japan	JAPAN
BOWEN Glenn Marion	SGT	Tharp	11-Dec-43	TU		105
TRIM DONALD PAUL	COX	Tharp	11-Dec-43	TU		115
FANGHOR GENE	GM3C	Zeigler-Sg	12-Dec-43	INF	1 USN Japan Zg	JAPAN
SEIDEL ALFRED GLENN “Bus”	EM2C	Zeigler-Sg	12-Dec-43	INF	2 USN Japan Zg	JAPAN
TIEMANN Elton William	PVT	Tharp	14-Dec-43	BB		100
HATLEN EDWIN Arthur	SM1C	Tharp	21-Dec-43	BB		100
DALESIO Frank  (D’Alessio)	PVT	Fitzsimmons	25-Dec-43	DYS	Fz6 pTBR	133
PISTOLE FRANK LYLE HOWARD	AMM3C	Tharp	26-Dec-43	BB		100
DICKENS William H	PVT	Fitzsimmons	1-Jan-44	BB	Fz7 pTBR	114
EKLUND Rudolph Leroy    “Swede”	PVT	Fitzsimmons	3-Jan-44	BB	Fz8 pTBR	114
CALLAHAN MELVIN CARL	S1C	Tharp	4-Jan-44	TU		133
BUSSEY Sam M	PVT	Tharp	9-Jan-44	DYS		KAN
PITTS Gaston E	PVT	Fitzsimmons	14-Jan-44	BB	Fz9 pTBR	114
ROGERS JOHN William	PVT	Fitzsimmons	21-Jan-44	DYS	Fz10 pTBR	KAN
BOWLEY Raymond J	PVT	Fitzsimmons	26-Jan-44	TU	Fz11 pTBR	KAN
EASTWOOD Howard W	CPL	Tharp	28-Jan-44	NUT		KAN
WILLIAMSON Babe Ruth	CPL	Tharp	28-Jan-44	DYS		KAN
SIMPSON Ward Helvey	PVT	Fitzsimmons	30-Jan-44	TB	Fz12 pTBR	KAN
ELLIS FRANK DOPSON	CWT	Tharp	24-Feb-44	DYS		105
COLLINS Columbus M	PFC	Tharp	29-Feb-44	DYS		KAN
Bartee J. W.	PVT	KIA-ETO	6-Mar-44	KIA	2 131 ETO	ETO
BLAIR KENNETH SUTHERLAND	CBM	Tharp	23-Mar-44	BB		KAN
SCHUELKE JOHN HENRY	SC2C	Tharp	12-Apr-44	DYS		KAN
HERRERA LIVORIO Montana “Lolo”	PVT	Tharp	7-May-44	DYS	9 at TBR 131	KAN
BENDER GEORGE FREDERICK	S2C	Fitzsimmons	22-May-44	DYS	Fz13 pTBR	KAN
ALLEVA JOSEPH GEORGE	S1C	OTH-V20-BC	24-Jun-44	SEA		AT SEA
GLATZERT PAUL A	PVT	OTH-V20-BC	24-Jun-44	SEA		AT SEA
HAMNER HARRY Burner	PVT	OTH-V20-BC	24-Jun-44	SEA		AT SEA
HARRISON JAMES Walter	PFC	OTH-V20-BC	24-Jun-44	SEA		AT SEA
JASTER ADOLPH Herman	PVT	OTH-V20-BC	24-Jun-44	SEA		AT SEA
LAWSON THOMAS Lafayette	PVT	E Batt-Jv	24-Jun-44	SEA		AT SEA
LOONEY FRANK Audie	PFC	OTH-V20-BC	24-Jun-44	SEA		AT SEA
McMAHON ROBERT Woodrow	PVT	E Batt-Jv	24-Jun-44	SEA		AT SEA
REDWINE Ardell L	PFC	OTH-V20-BC	24-Jun-44	SEA		AT SEA
SALZMAN MELVIN Francis	PVT	OTH-V20-BC	24-Jun-44	SEA		AT SEA
SEWELL HAROLD Thomas	PVT	OTH-V20-BC	24-Jun-44	SEA		AT SEA
SHULTS LUCIAN D	PFC	OTH-V20-BC	24-Jun-44	SEA		AT SEA
SPARKMAN LEON Stephen	SGT	OTH-V20-BC	24-Jun-44	SEA		AT SEA
WILLERTON ROBERT PAUL	Y2C	OTH-V20-BC	24-Jun-44	SEA		AT SEA
WILSON THOMAS Alton	PFC	OTH-V20-BC	24-Jun-44	SEA		AT SEA
WISMANN EDWARD Jr	PVT	E Batt-Jv	24-Jun-44	SEA		AT SEA
MILLER Gordon Rowe           “Brodie”	SGT	OTH-V-BC	18-Sep-44	SEA		AT SEA
SOKOLOWSKI JOSEPH F	PFC	OTH-V-BC	18-Sep-44	SEA		AT SEA
JOHNSON HAROLD MARTIN	S1C	OTH-V-BC	10-Oct-44	TB		BOR
TANBERG ALBERT Neal	BKR3C	Tharp	2-Nov-44	DYS	last TBR  USN	VIETNAM
STAVER Lavern Peter	PVT	E Batt-Sg	28-May-45	NEU	last HIN E bat	SINGA
HELEMAN Donald	SGT	E Batt	12-Aug-45	BB	last POW E Bat	JAPAN

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Of these 172 total deaths, there are quite few that are unique. There are many firsts and lasts as well. Among the unique events is Gunny Sgt Standish who within minutes of arriving on the beach at Bantam Bay Java struck off on his own to evade capture and kill Japs. He was never seen again. One man (Lt(jg) Weiler) died of wounds; one POW was KIA in an Allied bombing of the Thanbyuzayat hospital camp. Only one is recorded of having died following amputation for Tropical Ulcer disease — although there was possibly a second. Only one died on board a Hellship ( Navy ChRN Alderman). A few succumbed to ‘natural’ causes of death (cancer and heart attacks) altho undoubtedly exacerbated by their ordeal.

Also a tribute to those fallen and entombed in the wreck:

https://www.facebook.com/jerry.ranger.9/videos/10220497802627841/

7.1.4 an “outlier” death date clarified:

One of the outlier facts (of which there are quite a few) with regard to these POWs was the official date of death of PFC Wm Fraser. It was listed in many places as 12 DEC 1945 – after the end of the war. But the story line was that he had been shot down (or crashed) in a B-17 over Papua-New Guinea. He had transferred to the AAF in Feb 1942.

Just recently I found serial number of the B-17 that he was assigned to and that led me to his REAL story as listed here:

https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-17/41-24458.html

I could never understand why his death would have been three months after the end of the war and yet he was listed as KIA. It seems that he was indeed KIA on 5 Jan 1943, but the crew were officially listed as MIA until Dec 45 when they were declared deceased. Neither their remains nor the aircraft were even located. PFC Fraser is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at Fort William McKinley in Manila.

7.1.5 Official Dates of Death

15 DEC 1945 is a pivotal date in this saga and for thousands of other US military members who died in WW2. On that date, the Navy ‘officially’ declared that those listed as Missing in Action were in fact deceased. Indeed, there must have been more than a few who had been classified (and their families notified) as MIA who were taken as POWs and whose fate (living or dead) was not known until after the end of the war. The simple fact that it only took 4 months from the end of hostilities for the War Dept (precusor to the Dept of Defense) to adjudicate the final status of tens of thousands of MIAs is a miracle in itself.

Yet, the widespread use of that date easily results in historical confusion. Like PFC Fraser’s story above, when taken alone and out of context, it is hard to explain a post-war death of a soldier.

In a similar vein, historical inaccuracies abound in the place of death of thousands of these MIAs. The sheer fact that they are memorialized in the Tablets of the Missing or, in some cases, actually buried at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines, has led to the assumption that they were KIA/MIA in the PI campaigns. Thousands of these men died on ships throughout the Pacific Theater and had no direct association with the PI. Yet multiple ‘official’ documents link this post-war declaration of death and their place of remembrance as their actual date and place of death.