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Camp O'Donnell Burial Detail
Camp O'Donnell Burial Detail
bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost, © 2025 by Robert A. Christiansen​, updated by RAC 2 Jun 2025

The 1942 loss of the Philippines was at the time the worst military defeat in US history.
​This webpage is incomplete; need to add other material including a timeline.
The loss of the Philippine Islands in April and May of 1942 resulted in an estimated 53,000 emaciated prisoners of war, of whom 20,000 were American, 12,000 Filipino Scouts (Filipino members of the United States Army), and 21,000 members of the Filipino Commonwealth Army, mostly untrained reservists. 

US ground combat forces in the Philippines were concentrated in the Philippines Division, a mixture of American troops and Filipino Scouts. For use elsewhere in my website, I am interested in the following data.
Unit (as of Jul 1941) Dead (as reported by the American Battle Monument Commission
  • HQ & HQ Co.
  • HQ, Special Troops
  • 12th MP Co., 40 dead.
  • 12th Ordnance Co., 45 dead.
  • 12th Signal Co, 77 dead.
  • 31st Inf. Regt. (US), 936 dead.
  • 45th Inf. Regt. (PS), 1039 dead.
  • 57th Inf. Regt. (PS), 983 dead.
  • 1st Bn, 43rd Inf. Regt. (PS), 31 dead.
  • 26th Cavalry Regt. (PS), 301 dead.
  • 23rd FA Regt. (PS), 159 + 1 = 160 dead.
  • 24th FA Regt. (PS), 309 dead.
  • 14th Eng. Regt., 324 + 4 = 328 dead.
  • 12th Med. Regt., 121 + 13 = 135 dead.
  • 12th QM Regt., 90 + 70 + 3 = 163 dead.
  • 4th Veterinary Co.
The Bataan Surrender
After the main force of over 30,000 Filipino and American troops surrendered  to the Japanese on Bataan Peninsula in April 1942, the captives were transferred under brutal conditions to Camp O'Donnell, with thousands dying en route.

​Later many of the American captives were sent to prison camps near Cabanatuan, where they continued to die by the hundreds.
Central Luzon
Central Luzon
The Corregidor Surrender
In October 1944, the United States Army returned to the Philippines, landing first on the island of Leyte.
Sources for Big Pigeon's WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost webpage:
  • The webpage header photo, Camp O'Donnell Burial Detail, is courtesy of the National Archives.
  • The Central Luzon map is courtesy of American Experience.
  • http://bataanlegacy.org/uploads/3/4/7/6/34760003/usaffe_military_units.pdf
🇺🇸 Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead — WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost webpage​: 03-05 -  WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost: (27 dead, updated 21 Feb 2024)
  • Most dead were prisoners of the Japanese from the 1942 Fall of the Philippines.
  • Seven died from friendly fire while being transported on Japanese vessels.
† Andersen, Harold Martin (served as Anderson Harold M), SN 37-037-894, US Army, Shelby Co.
  • 200th Coast Artillery Regt. (New Mexico National Guard); an anti-aircraft unit armed with 3" 75mm guns and 50 caliber machine guns; based at Fort Stotsenburg, 60 miles north of Manila, Luzon, Philippines to protect nearby Clark Air Base; POW, captured Apr 1942 with the surrender of the Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; DNB 7 May 1942 at Camp O'Donnell, 70 miles north of Manila, Tarlac Province, central Luzon, Philippines; dysentery.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Bach, Paul Leonard, SN 0-311-373, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • 1st Bn., 43rd Inf. Regt. (Philippine Scouts), Philippine Division; POW, captured Apr 1942 with the surrender of the Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; DNB 21 Nov 1942 at Cabanatuan POW Camp, 80 miles north of Manila, Nueva Ecija Prov., central Luzon, Philippines; amoebic dysentery.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Blizzard, Howard Leslie, SN 0-355-479, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • ​Signal Air Warning Co., Philippines; POW, captured Apr or May 1942 Luzon, Philippines with the Fall of the Philippines; KIA 9 Jan 1945, on Japanese Hell Ship Enoura Maru, Takao Harbor, southern Formosa;  Enoura Maru attacked by planes from the USS Hornet (CV-12); abt. 400 POWs died; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Bostedt, Glen Charles, SN 17-011-361, US Army Air Force, Pott. & Mills Cos.
  • 3rd Pursuit Sqdn., 24th Pursuit Gp., based at Iba Field, 120 miles NW of Manila, Luzon, Philippines; POW, captured Apr 1942 with the surrender of the Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; DNB 11 Oct 1942 at Cabanatuan POW Camp, 80 miles north of Manila, Nueva Ecija Prov., central Luzon, Philippines; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost​
† Bostedt, John Bernard, SN 17-011-358, US Army Air Force, Pott. & Mills Cos.
  • 3rd Pursuit Sqdn., 24th Pursuit Gp., based at Iba Field, 120 miles NW of Manila, Luzon, Philippines; POW, captured Apr 1942 with the surrender of the Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; DNB 7 Jul 1942 at Cabanatuan POW Camp, 80 miles north of Manila, Nueva Ecija Prov., central Luzon, Philippines; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Bostedt, Joseph William, SN 17-011-348, US Army Air Force, Pott. & Mills Cos.
  • 3rd Pursuit Sqdn., 24th Pursuit Gp., based at Iba Field, 120 miles NW of Manila, Luzon, Philippines; POW, captured Apr 1942 with the surrender of the Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; DNB 20 Sep 1942 at Cabanatuan POW Camp, 80 miles north of Manila, Nueva Ecija Prov., central Luzon, Philippines; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost​
† Briggs, Earl Eddie, SN 17-011-280, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • HQ, Coast Artillery, Manila and Subic Bay harbor defenses, Luzon, Philippines; POW, captured May 1942 with the surrender of Corregidor Is., Luzon; DNB 9 Mar 1944, Osaka Main Camp, Chikko, Osaka, Honshu Is., Japan; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Brown, Ralph Ray, SN 17-019-024, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • Hq. Sqdn. 27th Bomb Gp. (light), Luzon, Philippines; POW, captured Apr 1942 with the surrender of the Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; DNB 11 May 1942, POW Camp #4, O’Donnell, 70 miles north of Manila, Tarlac Province, central Luzon; malaria.​
  • Notes: 27th Bomb. Gp. personnel arrived in the Philippines in late November 1941. Their aircraft, Douglas A-24 Banshee dive bombers, were at sea when the War with Japan began, and the convoy was diverted to Brisbane, Australia. Around 800 men of the 27th were organized into the ad hoc 2nd Battalion, Provisional Infantry Regiment, and fought on Bataan.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Cavanaugh, James Bernard, SN 17-017-247, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • G2 (intelligence), HQ, 2nd Philippine Corps; POW, captured Apr 1942 with the surrender of the Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; Master Sergeant kept with high-level captives; DNB 10 Feb 1943 at Formosa POW Camp #4, Karenko, northern Formosa; malaria.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost​
​† Cocklin, Harold John, SN 19-000-746, US Army Air Force, Cass Co. & Alameda Co., CA
  • 34th Pursuit Sqdn., 24th Pursuit Gp., based at Del Carmen Field, south of Clark Air Base, Luzon, Philippines; POW, captured Apr 1942 with the surrender of the Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; DNB 29 Apr 1942 at Camp O'Donnell, 70 miles north of Manila, Tarlac Province, central Luzon, Philippines.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Collett, Albert Henry, SN 6-580-825, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co. & Los Angeles Co., CA
  • 93rd Bomb. Sqdn., 19th Bomb. Gp., based at Clark Air Base, 60 miles north of Manila, Luzon, Philippines; POW, captured Apr 1942 with the surrender of the Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; DNB 20 May 1942, POW camp, Luzon, Philippines.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Dammrow, Stanley Arnold, SN 17-030-323, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • Hq. Sqdn., 5th Interceptor Command, based at Nielson Field, Manila, Luzon, Philippines; POW captured Apr 1942 with the surrender of the Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; DNB Nov 1942 at Cabanatuan POW Camp, 80 miles north of Manila, Nueva Ecija Prov., central Luzon, Philippines, dysentery; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Fader, Walter D., SN 17-011-491, US Army Air Force, Mills Co.
  • ​2nd Quartermaster Co. (Aviation), 5th Air Base Gp., Clark Air Base, 60 miles north of Manila, Luzon, Philippines; POW, captured Apr 1942 with the surrender of the Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; KIA 7 Sep 1944, Sulu Sea, off Sindangen Bay, NW Mindinao Is., Philippines, torpedoing of Japanese Hell Ship Shinyo Maru by USS Paddle (SS 263), ~668 US POWs died, ~82 survived; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Hartje, Lamar Hugo, SN 316-57-45, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • ​submarine tender USS Canopus (AS-9), Asiatic Fleet, based at Cavite Naval Base, Manila Bay, Luzon, Philippines; Canopus scuttled in Mariveles Bay, Bataan, Philippines 10 Apr 1942; crew went ashore to Corregidor Is.; KIA 6 May 1942 near the water tower on Monkey Pt., Corregidor Is., Manila Bay, Philippines; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Johnson, Arthur Burdick, US Merchant Marine, Shelby Co.
  • stranded in Manila, Luzon, Philippines when the US entered WWII; interned in civilian POW camp at San Tomas University, Manila; d. 23 Nov 1944 Manila from beri-beri.​
† Juhl, William David, SN 8-863-628, US Army, Shelby Co.
  • Co. G, 31st Inf. Regt., Philippine Div.; POW, captured Apr 1942 with the surrender of the Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; DNB 8 Aug 1942 at Cabanatuan POW Camp, 80 miles north of Manila, Nueva Ecija Prov., central Luzon, Philippines; malaria; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Martin, Vernon A., SN 6-857-070, US Army, Haakon Co., SD
  • 808th Military Police Co., based in Manila, Luzon, Philippines; POW, captured Apr or May 1942 on Luzon with the Fall of the Philippines; DNB 3 Jun 1942 at Cabanatuan POW Camp, 80 miles north of Manila, Nueva Ecija Province, central Luzon, Philippines.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† McCauley, Leon Harrold, SN 0-890-103, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • Quartermaster Corps, Philippines assigned to 74th Inf. Div., Philippines Commonwealth Army; POW, captured Apr or May 1942 with the Fall of the Philippines; DOW 9 Jul 1942 at POW Camp #4 O’Donnell, 70 miles north of Manila, Tarlac Province, central Luzon, Philippines.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† McCuen, Walter Rea, SN 321-29-61, US Navy, Audubon & Woodbury Cos.
  • submarine tender USS Canopus (AS-9), Asiatic Fleet, based at Cavite Naval Base, Manila Bay, Luzon, Philippines; Canopus scuttled in Mariveles Bay, Bataan, Philippines 10 Apr 1942; crew went ashore to Corregidor Is.; POW, captured May 1942 with the surrender of Corregidor Is., Luzon; KIA 24 Oct 1944 on Hell Ship Arisan Maru in Bashi Channel, south of Formosa; Arisan Maru sunk by submarine USS Shark (SS-314); ~1773 US POWs and ~100 international civilians died; nine POWs survived; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Newman, Shelby Fearn, SN 0-351-381, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • Assigned to 11th Inf. Regt., Philippines Commonwealth Army; POW, captured Luzon, Philippines at an unknown date; KIA 15 Dec 1944, Subic Bay, Luzon, Philippines; escape attempt from grounded Japanese Hell Ship Oryoku Maru; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Nugent, Donald Thomas, SN 17-018-650, US Army, Pott. Co. & Douglas Co., NE
  • 75th Ordnance Co. (Depot), Fort Santiago, Manila, Luzon, Philippines; POW, captured Apr or May 1942 with the Fall of the Philippines; KIA 7 Sep 1944, Sulu Sea, off Sindangen Bay, NW Mindanao, Philippines, torpedoing of Japanese Hell Ship Shinyo Maru by USS Paddle (SS 263); abt. 668 US POWs died, abt. 82 survived; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Pierce, Robert Clark, SN 6-825-221, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 7th Material Sqdn., 5th Air Base Gp., Clark Air Base, 60 miles north of Manila, Luzon, Philippines; POW, captured Apr 1942 with the surrender of the Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; DNB 22 Nov 1942 at Cabanatuan POW Camp, 80 miles north of Manila, Nueva Ecija Prov., central Luzon, Philippines; beriberi; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† ​Pigg, Ronald Orville, SN 0-890-057, US Army, Douglas Co., NE & Los Angeles Co., CA
  • US Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Mills, Corregidor Is.; POW, captured 6 May 1942 with the surrender of Corregidor Is., Luzon; KIA 28 Jan 1945 on Japanese hell ship Brazil Maru en route from Okinawa to Japan; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Seitz, Charles Raymond Jr, SN 0-387-504, US Army, Mills Co.
  • 2nd Engr. Bn., 2nd Inf. Div. -> 14th Engr. Bn., Philippines Div.; POW, captured Apr 1942 with the surrender of Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; KIA 7 Sep 1944 off west coast of Mindanao Is., Philippines; Japanese Hell Ship Shinyo Maru torpedoed by USS Paddle (SS 263); of abt. 750 US POWs, 667 died, 82 swam to shore and were saved by Filipino guerrillas; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Spencer, George Raymond, SN 316-31-56, US Navy, Harrison Co.
  • Gunboat USS Oahu (PR-6), repositioned from Shanghai, China to Cavite Naval Base, Manila Bay, Luzon, Philippines Nov 1941, sunk off Corregidor Is. 5 May 1942; POW, captured May 1942 with the surrender of Corregidor Is., Luzon; KIA 24 Oct 1944 on Hell Ship Arisan Maru in Bashi Channel, south of Formosa; Arisan Maru sunk by submarine USS Shark (SS-314); abt. 1,773 US POWs and abt. 100 international civilians died; nine POWs survived; BNR.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Wilson, John Robert, SN 6-208-886, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 34th Pursuit Sqdn., 24th Pursuit Gp., based at Del Carmen Field, south of Clark Air Base, ​Luzon, Philippines; POW, captured Apr 1942 with the surrender of the Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; DNB 22 Jul 1942 at Cabanatuan POW Camp, 80 miles north of Manila, Nueva Ecija Prov., central Luzon, Philippines; malaria.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost
† Uballe, Joseph J., SN 6-935-989, US Army Air Force, Boone Co.
  • 28th Material Sqdn., 20th Air Base Gp., based at Nichols Field, south of Manila, Luzon, Philippines; POW, captured Apr 1942 with the surrender of the Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; KIA 14 Dec 1944 at Puerto Princessa, Palawan Is., Philippines; one of abt. 139 POWs burned to death in the Palawan Massacre.
  • WWII Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost