McArthur

T/Sgt. Albert C. McArthur Jr. was born in April 28, 1919, to Albert C . McArthur Sr. & Catherine Dickinson-McArthur in Chicago. With his two sisters, he lived at 310 South Villa Avenue in Villa Park, Illinois. He was known as "Bert" by his family and friends. Albert attended grade school in Villa Park and was a graduate of York High School in Elmhurst, Illinois. He also attended the Chicago Institute of Technology studying radio at night. After high school, Albert worked as a clerk in an insurance company.

In the fall of 1940, Albert was called to federal service when his tank company was federalized as B Company, 192nd Tank Battalion. From Maywood, Illinois, with his company, he traveled to Fort Knox, Kentucky. There, Albert attended radio school. After completing his classes, he was put in charge of radio communications for the battalion.

Albert took his job very seriously. When Frank Goldstein and Charles Corr arrived at Ft. Knox after being inducted into the army and assigned to B Company, Albert was waiting for them at the train depot. It was 2:00 in the morning. Since both had trained in the Illinois National Guard's radio operator program while in high school, he told them that he needed one man to repair radio equipment and the other to train radio operators.

In the fall of 1941, at Camp Polk, Louisiana, the 192nd Tank Battalion learned that they were being sent overseas. Albert received a furlough home. On October 10, 1941, he married Helen Orkken. He returned to Camp Polk the next day.

The 192nd traveled west by train to San Francisco. They were taken by ferry to Angel Island where they were given physicals and inoculated. They were boarded onto transports and sent to the Philippine Islands.

Arriving in Manila, Albert with the rest of the battalion were rushed to Ft. Stotsenburg. For the next two weeks, the members of the battalion worked to ready their new equipment for use.

On December 8, 1941, Albert and the other members of HQ Company were informed of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The letter companies were put on duty guarding the perimeter of Clark Field against Japanese paratroopers. Around noon, the soldiers saw airplanes appear overhead. When the bombs began exploding, they knew the rumors of Pearl Harbor being attacked were true.

After the attack B Company was sent to the barrio of Bamban. About one week later, the battalion's tanks were sent north to Lingayen Gulf. Being in a non-combatant position, Albert remained behind working to ensure that communications with the tanks was maintained and giving orders to the radiomen.

On April 9, 1942, the soldiers on Bataan were ordered to surrender to the Japanese. Albert and the other men in the rear area were awakened at bayonet point. The Japanese did not allow the soldiers to take anything with them. If they had been sleeping in their underwear, that is how they left their bivouac.

From Mariveles, on the same day as the surrender, Albert began what became known as the death march. During the march, the Japanese killed anyone who fell out. Albert saw many prisoners bayoneted because they had fallen to the ground.

At one point, the POWs were given a rest to be fed. When rain began to fall, the Japanese canceled the meal and forced the prisoners to march again. With Albert on the march were Sgt. Ray Vadenbroucke, Sgt. James Bainbridge, and Cpl. Albert Cornils. Cpl. Cornils was weak and sick and had reached the point that he was going to fall out. Knowing that if he did he would be killed, Albert, Bainbridge and Vadenbroucke took turns helping Cornils so that he would continue the march.

At San Fernando, Albert and his friends were boarded onto boxcars. They were packed in so tightly that those who died remained standing. At Capas, the POWs disembarked from the cars. The bodies of the dead fell out as they did.

Albert with the other prisoners walked the last few miles to Camp O'Donnell. This former Philippine Army Base had been pressed into use as a POW Camp.

When Cabanatuan opened, Albert was sent to this new camp. It is not known if he went out on any work details at this time. T/Sgt. Albert C. McArthur Jr. became ill at Cabanatuan. On September 10, 1942, Albert died of diphtheria and malaria and was buried in the camp cemetery. After the war, he was buried in Plot B, Row 7, Grave 18, at the American Military Cemetery outside of Manila.