Cpl. Edward Vivion Trisler

    Edward joined the Kentucky National Guard in Harrodsburg and was called to federal duty on November 25, 1940 as a member of D Company, 192nd Tank Battalion.  He trained at Fort Knox, Kentucky and took part in maneuvers in Louisiana.

    After the maneuvers, Edward learned that his battalion was being sent overseas.  He received a leave home to say goodbye and then returned to Camp Polk, Louisiana.  Form there, his company took a train to San Francisco.

    Edward received a physical and shots on Angel Island.  He then sailed to the Philippine Islands arriving in Manila on Thanksgiving Day, 1941.  The morning of December 8, 1941, just ten hours after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Edward and the rest of his company were ordered to the perimeter of Clark Airfield.  Being that their tanks could not fight planes, they watched as the Japanese destroyed the American Army Air Corps.

    Edward became a Prisoner of War when Bataan was surrendered to the Japanese on April 9, 1942.  He took part in the death march from Mariveles to San Fernando.  There, he and the other POWs were packed into boxcars and road to Capas.  From Capas, he walked the last few miles to Camp O'Donnell.  It is not known if Edward went out on a work detail to escape the terrible conditions in the camp.

    It is known that Edward was sent to Cabanatuan #1.  This camp had been opened to relieve the conditions at Camp O'Donnell.  According to U. S. Army records, Cpl. Edward V. Trisler died on dysentery at Cabanatuan POW Camp on December 23, 1942 at approximately 8:00 PM.  He was 22 years old.

   After the war, the remains of Cpl. Edward V. Trisler were buried at the American Military Cemetery at Manila.  Notice that his cross indicates that he was a member of the 194th Tank Battalion.  Although D Company fought with the 194th, the company never officially was transferred to the battalion. This resulted in some of the members of the company erroneously being members of the battalion.

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