Pvt. Abner Leigh Humphrey Jr.

Parents: Abner L. Humphrey Sr. & Repty Humphrey

Nickname: "A. L."

    - As a Prisoner of War, J.C. Garrett nicknamed him "Blue."  This was because of

      of how blue his eyes were

Siblings: 3 sisters

Inducted:

    - U. S. Army 

        - 13 March 1941

Training: 

    - Fort Knox, Kentucky

    - Camp Polk, Louisiana

Units: 

    - 753rd Tank Battalion

    - 192nd Tank Battalion

        - volunteered to replace a National Guardsman released from federal service

        - assigned to D Company 

Engagements: 

    - Battle of Luzon

        - 8 December 1941 - 6 January 1942 

    - Battle of Bataan

        - 7 January 1942 - 9 April 1942 

POW:

    - 9 April 1942 

        - Death March

            - Mariveles - POWs started march at southern tip of Bataan
            - POWs ran past Japanese artillery firing at Corregidor
                - Americans on Corregidor returned fire
            - San Fernando - POWs put into small wooden boxcars
                - each boxcar could hold eight horses or forty men
                - 100 POWs packed into each car
                - POWs who died remained standing
            - Capas - dead fell to floor as living left boxcars
            - POWs walked last ten miles to Camp O'Donnell

Note: Abner had been wounded just before the surrender.  He could not make the

          march. J.C. Garrett, B Company, carried Abner on the march saving his life.

          The two men remained friends the rest of their lives. 

Camps:

    - Philippine Islands: 

        - Camp O'Donnell

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

        - Cabanatuan

Note: J.C. Garrett worked in the Japanese Officers Mess.  He stole raw rice

            for Abner to eat. If he was caught, Garrett would have been executed.

        - Bilibid Prison

    Japan:

        - Sakurajima Camp

            - POWs transferred: 17 May 1945

        - Akenobe Camp

            - Work: coaled ships; stevedore

Hell Ship:

    - Coral Maru  

        - Sailed: Manila - 20 September 1943

        - Arrived: Takao, Formosa - 5 October 1943

        - Sailed: Takao to Moji, Japan

        - Arrived: Moji

Liberated: 25 August 1945

Discharged: 15 August 1946

Wife: Kay Humphrey

Children: 3 Sons, 1 Daughter

Died:

    - 2 May 2001 - Comanche, Texas

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