|
Post by Shane Boyd on Jul 21, 2008 21:07:25 GMT 8
Do we know anything about the first group of POWs to arrive at O'Donnell? According to the notes made by my uncle, Capt. Ted Kern, he was in the second group to arrive, having been trucked to O'Donnell on 11 April, when they set up the hospital in advance of the men arriving on foot. I haven't read accounts of those first days and would be interested in learning more. I'd also like to find a way to confirm who was the senior medical officer present during this initial period, if anyone has any suggestions. Thoughts?
Thanks Shane
|
|
|
Post by Karl Welteke on Jul 22, 2008 9:54:22 GMT 8
Friends, As I know very little about these early days., I have passed along Shane’s request to the Board. On a personal note, recently during activities at the new Hellships Memorial in Subic Bay, a Death March Survivor surprised me when he told me that he was a medic in #2 Hospital and that they were marched off right away, all the way to Camp O'Donnell, not using the train. That, I hadn't heard of before. Karl
|
|
|
Post by Karl Welteke on Jul 22, 2008 10:05:01 GMT 8
A very good friend of mine, Tom McGeeney and a very active researcher wrote me this just now:
Karl My books are still packed but an early arrival was the 1st Sgt in the 200 Coast Artilllery. A Notre Dame graduate I think. He was trucked to O'Donnell and has a book written about his time. I can't remember too much. His name was Adrian Martin and a relative has gone to many reunions to keep his memory alive.
Regards,
Tom
|
|
|
Post by Shane Boyd on Jul 22, 2008 12:13:17 GMT 8
A bit more info for those I haven't met (and hello again to those I have met):
Ted was his nickname -- his given name was Clyde Vincent Kern.
Ted was a doctor at General Hospital #2. On 10 April, Ted loaded a truck with men and drove as far north as he could before being stopped by Japanese soldiers. They were placed in a stockade then trucked to O'Donnell the next day.
Thanks Shane
|
|
|
Post by JohnEakin on Sept 20, 2010 4:54:48 GMT 8
Ted was a doctor at General Hospital #2. On 10 April, Ted loaded a truck with men and drove as far north as he could before being stopped by Japanese soldiers. They were placed in a stockade then trucked to O'Donnell the next day. I'd appreciate hearing more about what must have been some of the first to arrive at O'Donnell. My cousin, Pvt Arthur Kelder, was assigned to the 2nd General Hospital. According to the unit history, most of them stayed in Bataan through at least the end of May '42, then were shipped to Manila then by RR to Cabanatuan. However, according to the accompanying unit rosters, he and 10 others were commandeered as drivers by the Japanese about April 10 or 11. He died on 19 Nov 42 in Cabanatuan, but according to his medical record he went through O'Donnell. John
|
|
|
Post by chadhill on Sept 20, 2010 13:45:49 GMT 8
John Olson writes in "O'Donnell, Andersonville of the Pacific", that an advanced party led by General Arnold Funk, numbering 133 men, left Luzon Force HQ about 1630 on 10 APR 42, and arrived at O'Donnell about 0530 on the 11th. The second party of fourteen trucks, believed to have been led by General Weaver, left Cabcaben Field and arrived a short while later. In this second party were "at least two medical officers, Captain John Rizzolo (surgeon, 21st Pursuit Squadron) and Captain Basil Dulin (45th Infantry, Philippine Scouts)".
According to Dr. John Bumgarner of Hospital # 2, in his book "Parade of the Dead", on 11 APR 42, two days after Bataan fell, the Japanese "freed" all wounded and sick Filipino troops, about 5500 total, and instructed them to leave Hospital # 2. They were forced to join the March northwards. Colonel Jack Schwartz, M.D., a senior medical officer, protested but was ignored. Bumgarner learned that within days 800 of the Filipino patients had died. About 1500 US troops remained as patients at Hospital # 2. It's my guess that a number of the medical personnel left Hospital # 2 shortly after the departure of the Filipino patients, and probably went straight to O'Donnell.
|
|
|
Post by okla on Sept 20, 2010 22:57:05 GMT 8
Hey Chad...You may have picked up this information in some of my previous posts of a couple of years back if you have prowled this site extensively. Anyhow, my nephew's wife's grandfather was a member of the 31st Infantry Regt (US) and was captured after the surrender of Bataan. For years they had presumed he had been captured on Corregidor, but never had really looked into his military service or quizzed him to any degree after his return to the states in 1945. After becoming acquainted with this girl, of course, I jumped right on the story and started checking out some things as best I could. Turns out he wasn't captured on Corregidor as they had assumed for years. I had told them initially that if he was captured on "the Rock" he must have been in that hundred or so survivors of the 31st that avoided surrender and made it to the fortress. To make a long story short, I discover from old newspaper clippings,etc from their little home town that he was captured in hospital (possibly Hosp #2 of which you speak) and taken either to O-Donnell or Bilibid a month or so after the surrender of Genl King. This girl's uncle said their grandfather had spoken of being at Cabanatuan and being in work details at Clark Field. All this meant nothing to grandpappy's children, but it did to me. He eventually was liberated at Bilibid in 1945 and was returned to the states. He was promoted from PFC to Corporal, never knowing it, during his captivity. I have heard/read that Genl Wainwright promoted all enlisted personnel one grade to enable their dependents, stateside, to draw more allotment funds while their loved ones were behind Japanese wire. Have you ever heard of this great deed by "Skinny" Always thinking of his men and their welfare. I like to think that I have cleared up some lingering questions of this former 31st Infantry soldier's family, but I don't think his daughter and son were that "hung up" on it, but grand daughter is restoring his uniform (shoulder patches, chevrons,etc) and I have instructed her on which shoulder to place the Philippine Division Patch and where to place the Philippine Dept insignia,etc. At least niece-in-law (is that an appropriate title???) seemed to appreciate my efforts. Hell, I would have done it anyhow, since I am so "into" that campaign. I just wish I had picked more brains of the 5 or 6 men that I served with in the USAF back in the early 1950s who had been caught up in that mess and survived. I have rambled too long as is my habit when talking with someone who seems to also be afflicted with this PI campaign disease. Fots claims there is no known cure. Cheers.
|
|
|
Post by JohnEakin on Sept 20, 2010 23:28:41 GMT 8
John Olson writes in "O'Donnell, Andersonville of the Pacific", that an advanced party led by General Arnold Funk, numbering 133 men, left Luzon Force HQ about 1630 on 10 APR 42, and arrived at O'Donnell about 0530 on the 11th. The second party of fourteen trucks, believed to have been led by General Weaver, left Cabcaben Field and arrived a short while later. In this second party were "at least two medical officers, Captain John Rizzolo (surgeon, 21st Pursuit Squadron) and Captain Basil Dulin (45th Infantry, Philippine Scouts)". According to Dr. John Bumgarner of Hospital # 2, in his book "Parade of the Dead", on 11 APR 42, two days after Bataan fell, the Japanese "freed" all wounded and sick Filipino troops, about 5500 total, and instructed them to leave Hospital # 2. They were forced to join the March northwards. Colonel Jack Schwartz, M.D., a senior medical officer, protested but was ignored. Bumgarner learned that within days 800 of the Filipino patients had died. About 1500 US troops remained as patients at Hospital # 2. It's my guess that a number of the medical personnel left Hospital # 2 shortly after the departure of the Filipino patients, and probably went straight to O'Donnell. Thanks, that's interesting and very helpful. The unit history is very through in some respects and has obvious omissions in other areas. The confusion was very obvious toward the end. I found Captain John R. Bumgarner and LTC Jack Schwartz in the unit roster, but Rizzolo and Dulin don't appear. Sounds like they may have been attached to other units. There's also an affidavit by Schwartz posted at www.mansell.com/pow_resources/camplists/philippines/Cabanatuan/schwarz_jack_l_affidavit.htmlthat makes some references to this time. The unit rosters - which continue up through 1944 - show that 11 EM were commandeered as drivers on April 11, 42. (I'm always amazed at how much paperwork the Army generated even in a POW camp.) The 2nd General Hospital unit history doesn't make any direct reference to sending these detachments ahead to O'Donnell. It mentions that on April 9 they were visited by 10 or 12 Japanese soldiers and a medical officer. A few paragraphs later it discusses preparations for moving the patients and says that on April 9 they lost several pieces of transportation and all their gas. Perhaps these were the trucks to O'Donnell. Apparently, too, there was at least some coordination between hospitals number 1 and 2 - more so toward the end when it appears that some personnel were shifted to hospital 1. It would be interesting to find the official history for hospital 1. I doubt that anyone has explored this area as the stuff I have was only declassified in Feb 2010. John
|
|
|
Post by chadhill on Sept 21, 2010 9:24:27 GMT 8
John, that's very interesting. And...not declassified until February 2010?? Do you suppose that was just plain oversight on some agency's part? But on the other hand, it's difficult for me to believe that all these years historians and researchers didn't submit FOIA requests for that information, bringing the classification question to their attention long ago. I thought Clinton had a lot of these kinds of things marked for declassification in the 90s. So I wonder again, why February 2010?
But then I could tell y'all about my learning that 11 million pages of Korean War documents are still classified. Some about POWs until 2030.
|
|
|
Post by chadhill on Sept 21, 2010 9:56:16 GMT 8
Okla, yes, I've discovered that I have become re-afflicted, after a 20+ year pause! Thanks for going into more detail about that 31st Infantry man. Nope, I hadn't heard about that classy move by Skinny to promote all enlisted personnel. Says something about the man.
|
|