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Pvt. Albert J. Christ
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Born: 14 February 1917 - Pennsylvania Parents: Edward & Elizabeth Christ Siblings: 3 brothers, 2 sisters Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio Inducted: - U. S. Army - 28 March 1941 - Cleveland, Ohio Training: - Fort Knox, Kentucky - attended radio school - Camp Polk, Louisiana Units: - 753rd Tank Battalion - 192nd Tank Battalion Overseas Duty: - Philippine Islands Engagements: - Battle of Luzon - Battle of Bataan POW: - 9 April 1942 -Death March - Mariveles - POWs start march at southern tip of Bataan - POWs ran past Japanese artillery firing on Corregidor - American artillery on Corregidor returned fire - San Fernando -POWs put into small wooden boxcars used to haul sugarcane - each boxcar could hold eight horses or forty men - Japanese packed 100 POWs into each boxcar - POWs who died remained standing - Capas - POWs left boxcars - dead POWs fell to the floor - POWs walked the last ten miles to Camp O'Donnell Camps: - Philippines: - Camp O'Donnell - unfinished Filipino Army training base - Japanese put camp into use as POW camp - one water spigot for the entire camp - as many as fifty POWs died each day - POWs went out on work details to get out of camp - Cabanatuan - Balanga - Work: dock work - POWs carried crates of ammunition - work was a strain on Albert - came down with malaria Note: On eight occasions, Albert stole water from the Japanese - other POWs viewed him as a "brave man" Died: 2 June 1942 - celebral malaria, starvation & exhaustion Note: - During his time as a POW, Albert had a watch with his mother's name on it. After he died, a former POW returned the watch to his mother. Burial: Arlington National Cemetery - Virginia - Section: 34 Site: 2217 |
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