Pfc. Robert Eugene Swanson

Parents: Anton Swanson & Sarah C. Edwards-Swanson

Siblings: 1 brother

Home: 907 South 6th Street - Brainerd, Minnesota

Enlisted: Minnesota National Guard

Inducted:

    - U. S. Army

        - 10 February 1941 - Brainerd, Minnesota

Training: 

    - Fort Lewis, Washington

        - gunner/assistant tank driver

Units: 

    - 194th Tank Battalion

Overseas Duty: 

    - Philippine Islands

Engagements: 

    - Battle of Luzon

        - 8 December 1941 - 6 January 1942

    - Battle of Bataan

        - 7 January 1942 - 9 April 1942 

Prisoner of War: 

    - 9 April 1942

        - Death March

           - started march at Mariveles on southern tip of Bataan
           - POWs ran past Japanese artillery firing at Corregidor
           - San Fernando - POWs put into small wooden boxcars
               - 100 POWs packed into each boxcar
                   - those who died remain standing
           - Capas - living left cars - dead fell out of boxcars
           - POWs walked last ten miles to Camp O'Donnell 

POW Camps:

    - Philippine Islands:

        - Camp O'Donnell

            - unfinished Filipino training base
            - Japanese put camp into use as POW Camp
            - only one water spigot for the entire camp
            - as many as 50 POWs died each day
            - Japanese opened new POW camp to lower death rate 

        - Cabanatuan #1

        - Port Area Detail

            - POWs worked on Manila docks

    - Japan

        - Nagoya #1B

            - Arrived: 6 August 1944  

            - POWs worked in zinc & lead mines 

Hell Ship:

    - Nissyo Maru

        - Sailed: Manila - 14 July 1944

        - Arrived:  Takao, Formosa - 17 July 1944

        - Sailed: 28 July 1944

        - Arrived: Moji, Japan - 3 August 1944 

Liberated:

    - September 1945

Promoted: Staff Sergeant

Married: Betty R. Glandon

Children: 1 daughter, 1 son

Residence: Kelso, Washington

Died:

    - 9 February 1977 - Longview, Washington

Buried:

    - Willamette National Cemetery - Portland, Oregon

        - Section: O  Site:  1486

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