Pvt. Hayden Reed Lawrence


Born: 7 March 1919 - Rapides Parish, Louisiana
Parents: John S. & Addie Lawrence
Siblings: 2 sisters
Nickname: Reed

Home: Rapides Parish, Louisiana

    - lived on family's farm 

Resided: Liberty, Texas -1940

Occupation: roughneck - oil well drilling

Inducted:

    - U.S. Army 

        - 21 February 1941 - Jacksonville Army Air Force Base, Florida

Basic Training:

    - Fort Knox, Kentucky

Units: 

    - 19th Ordnance 

    - 17th Ordnance

       - 17th Ordnance was formed from A Company, 19th Ordnance Battalion

           - 19 August 1941

Duties: 

    - truck driver - drove gasoline and ammunition to tanks

Overseas Duty:

   - Philippine Islands

Engagements:

    - Battle of Luzon

        - 8 December 1942 - 6 January 1942

    - Battle of Bataan

        - 7 January - 9 April 1942 - Bataan surrendered to Japanese

Death March:

        - Hayden started the march at Marivales at the southern tip of Bataan 

            - escaped into the hills with Pfc. Robert Schletterer, Pfc. James Boyd, Capt. Richard Kadel,

              Pvt. Frank Gyovai, and Pvt. George Mogyorosi

              of 17th Ordnance

Guerilla Information:

    - HQ XI Corp. - Zambales, Luzon, Philippine Islands

        - fought under command of Col. Gyles Merrill

Prisoner of War:

    - captured by Japanese - date unknown

    - captured guerillas tortured:

        - methods:

             - Japanese made the prisoner fill his stomach with water then jumped on his stomach

             - pulled teeth and fingernails out with pliers

             - tied prisoners to anthills

POW Camps:

    Held: 

        - Zambales Provincial Jail

        - San Fernando

        - Cabanatuan POW Camp #1

        - Bilibid Prison - Manila

        - Santo Tomas University - Manila

Trial:

    - Japanese tried Hayden for breaking the capitulation

    - Hayden was found guilty of crime

Executed:

    - 23 September 1943 - bayoneted at Angeles City Catholic Cemetery, Angeles City, 

      Central Luzon, Philippine Islands

Buried:

    - Angeles City Catholic Cemetery

        - after war, his family requested that his remains be returned to the United States

    - Bethel Cemetery - Bethel, Rapides Parish, Louisiana

Promoted: Posthumously Promoted: Technician Fourth Class

Hayden R. Lawrence Upper Elementary School in Deville, Louisiana named after him


 

 

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