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Post by JohnEakin on Jul 27, 2011 9:53:13 GMT 8
I am the Grandson of Thomas F. Sweeney and I am try to learn as much as I can. I have his Silver star which was award posthumously to his Son (my dad) 9 years later when he was a Private in the USMC Call Ron "Chuck" Williams, 703-432-9518, at the Marine Casualty Office and ask him to send you a copy of your Grandfather's Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF). No telling what you'll find in that file, but it will likely detail any efforts to identify his remains. Chances are that he is buried as an unknown in the Manila American cemetery. Chuck Williams is a really great guy and is more helpful than anyone I've talked to in any of the service casualty offices. Chances are, he'll ask if there is anyone in your family who can provide a family reference sample (DNA). There's more information about this at www.dtic.mil/dpmo/Please let us know what you learn about him. A story like his deserves to be remembered by all. John
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Post by chadhill on Nov 14, 2011 3:21:00 GMT 8
I am the Grandson of Thomas F. Sweeney and I am try to learn as much as I can. I have his Silver star which was award posthumously to his Son (my dad) 9 years later when he was a Private in the USMC Theron, I have been offline for some time and just now have read your post. We greatly appreciate you joining this forum. Can you share anything about your famous grandfather with us? Thank you. Chad Hill
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Post by chadhill on Nov 22, 2011 10:24:22 GMT 8
Rehashing a bit, here are a few comments on photos of the fresh water (short) tank. Note the overflow slot near the top in this 1926 photo. As far as I have been able to tell, it is the only such slot on the tank. The wall below it is stained. Note the wooden stand on top, supporting a pulley, and the metal ladder (photo courtesy corregidor.org) In this 1942 post-battle photo, the wooden stand has been removed and placed on the ground. What may be the crumpled remains of the metal ladder are to the lower right. I recently found another photo that I took of the tank in 1986. Nearly hidden behind thick growth, it is still possible to see the overflow slot. The red arrow points to a shell hole seen in all 3 remaining photos. Was the sootish color on the concrete possibly caused by a Japanese flamethrower? (See reply # 30). A view inside the tank from 1986. Note the overflow slot below the roof, and the shell hole at the red arrow. What may be an entrance hatch in the concrete roof is to the upper left. I wager that the metal ladder was located there. In this 2007 photo, courtesy fots2, notice the missing roof. The concrete wall is darker at a level beginning just below the overflow slot. Caused by full water levels during the pre-war years? The shell hole is once again pointed out by the red arrow.
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Post by chadhill on Nov 25, 2011 14:04:13 GMT 8
I found an uncropped version of the apparently staged flamethrower photo that led off this thread. Unlike that earlier posted photo, this one shows the wooden stand on top of the tank. I think that makes it much more likely that this picture is indeed of the fresh water tank on Corregidor (some sources had said it was taken on Bataan). In the 1926 photo, it can be seen that the wooden stand was located near the overflow slot. The 1986 photo taken from inside the tank shows that near the overflow slot there was an entrance hatch in the concrete roof. Looking back at the 1926 photo, it can be seen that the wooden stand was placed over this hatch. The metal ladder also led to this hatch. The location of the wooden stand, in this uncropped photo of the flamethrower, suggests that this photo could have been taken on the side of the tank across from the overflow slot.
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Post by fots2 on Nov 25, 2011 16:55:35 GMT 8
Hi chadhill, Your research makes sense to me. Even though this water tank is on top of a ridge, along the ridge and on one side the terrain is relatively flat. The fourth side, which is opposite the overflow slot, drops off quickly and does look to match the terrain seen where the Japs are crouching. Good work.
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Post by chadhill on Mar 26, 2014 8:42:05 GMT 8
1936 map. In the center are the two water tanks. On the left is the "tall" tank (Salt W.T., BLDG 642) and on the right is the "short" tank (Fresh W.T. #6, BLDG 601). Slightly blurred March 14, 1945 photo showing the same area. Explosions in upper right are bombs falling from B-24s of the 494th Bomb Group (NARA).
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Post by chadhill on Nov 9, 2014 6:48:23 GMT 8
This still shot is from the Japanese newsreel about their assault on Corregidor. Almost certainly staged, it shows a soldier on the right carrying a flamethrower. A few seconds later, he sprays flames on the structure at the left, which may well be the fresh water tank on Denver Hill. The remarkable photo below was posted by dmether on the thread "Recovery of remains after the war". It shows an AGRS search at the fresh water tank during the AUG 1947-FEB 1948 Corregidor recovery operation. Note the metal ladder, the overflow slot and the shell hole in the center of the tank. (photo courtesy dmether) For more information see: corregidor.proboards.com/thread/1700/recovery-remains-after-war
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Post by chadhill on Sept 30, 2015 7:02:59 GMT 8
I've been reading "Lost in Action" by the late Dick Bilyeu (1920-1993). It is a very interesting book and I highly recommend it. Bilyeu served as a young private with the 59th CA, and retired from the Army in 1965 as a CW02. He began writing the book in 1973 and finished it 10 years later. The book has been recently reprinted. Bilyeu wrote (pages 132-134) that in early 1943 he participated in a detail that searched Corregidor for US and Japanese remains. By the end of February about 300 US remains had been recovered and buried in "the small cemetery at the east end of the island". A number of Japanese remains were also found and turned over to the island's conquerors. During one search east of Malinta Hill, Bilyeu came upon a large number of previously undiscovered Japanese remains in a small area on a slope near the northern shoreline. They had all been killed by 30 caliber gunfire. Bilyeu did not notice any US pillboxes nearby and wondered where the deadly firepower had come from. He then noticed a water tower 200-300 yards inland, and made his way there. When he reached the base of the water tower, Bilyeu saw that the area of the Japanese dead was not visible from there. He was too low. Curious, he began climbing the water tower. From his description of scaling the tower, I am sure he was at the "tall" tower- the salt water tank, Building 642. As he neared the top he cleared all the trees, and could see all the way to Bataan. Climbing on the top of the water tower, Bilyeu was shocked at what he found. On the northern side of the roof was a water-cooled US 30 caliber machine gun, with countless spent cartridges scattered about. Nearby were two skeletons donning the tattered uniforms of a US Army sergeant and a Marine. They had been killed by shrapnel from an exploding shell. The army sergeant had a six inch long piece of shrapnel inside his rib cage, and the marine's right arm had been blown off. Bilyeu noted the damage the Japanese had inflicted on the water tower: "...A gaping hole had been opened into the water reservoir. Turning away from this structure I noted another torn out part of the top of the tower at the northern edge, just to the right and in front of the machine gun position. The Japanese had landed two direct hits on top of this tower. The bastards sure as hell wanted to be rid of these two soldiers".As we know, Building 642, the "tall" tower, was mindlessly bulldozed down a number of years ago. Here are photos I took of it in 1986. Note the damage at the top on the right photo: Here is a view I took looking up at the damage from the inside: Bilyeu identified the Army serviceman as Wilbur King. I have been unable to successfully cross check this, only finding a Sergeant Wilbur L. King, US Army, 24th Corps Artillery who died on 27 NOV 44. But in the foreword to his book, Bilyeu states that with two exceptions, all the names used are fictitious, for privacy reasons, so that may explain it. He states the Marine was identified too, but gives no name.
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Post by JohnEakin on Sept 30, 2015 7:15:46 GMT 8
Nice find, Chad.
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Post by fots2 on Sept 30, 2015 7:21:51 GMT 8
I love it when a story fits the evidence that can be seen onsite. That is real (and accurate) history.
Its great that you have photos before this site actually disappeared. Good work Chad.
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