Little is known about 2nd Lt. Harry B. Black.  It is known that he was the son of Harry S. & Alta Black and born in October 1917.  With his brother, he was raised in Carlton and Roseburg, Oregon.  He attended school in Roseburg.  After high school, he attended and graduated from Oregon State University in 1940.

    In 1941, Harry became a member of the 194th Tank Battalion as it trained at Fort Lewis, Washington.  In September 1941, Harry left the United States with his battalion for the Philippine Islands.  

    After the Japanese attack on Clark Field, Harry was assigned to the Headquarters of the Provisional Tank Group.  His job was that of liaison officer between the tank group and the 194th. During the Battle of Bataan, B Company, 192nd Tank Battalion, had one second lieutenant taken prisoner and another Killed in Action.  Being that the 194th had lost a great number of tanks and could spare a platoon commander, Harry was  reassigned to B Company to fill one of these vacancies.

    On December 8, 1941, December 7th in the United States, he lived through the Japanese attack on Clark Field.  Being a second lieutenant, Harry most likely commanded a platoon of B Company tanks.  He spent the next four months fighting the Japanese as they conquered the Philippines.

    It is not known if Harry became a POW when Bataan was surrendered or if he escaped to Corregidor.  When he became a prisoner of war, he most likely was held at Camp O'Donnell and Cabanatuan.  What is known that Harry was sent to Japan on the Oryoku Maru on December 13, 1944.  In Subic Bay off Olongapo the ship was attacked by American planes.  The planes bombed and strafed the ship until they pilots saw large numbers of men climbing out of the holds.  Realizing that the ship was carrying POWs, the planes broke off the attack.

    Harry and the other POWs swam to shore.  As they did, the Japanese fired on them with machineguns.  Once on shore, the POWs were herded onto tennis courts and held on them for several days.  The POWs were then taken to San Fernando, La Union and put on the Brazil Maru.

   The Brazil Maru sailed from San Fernando, La Union on October 27, 1944.  It arrived at Takao, Formosa on December 31st.  While the ship was docked at Formosa the harbor was attacked by American planes.  The surviving POWs from other hell ships were put onto the ship.

    The Brazil Maru sailed for Japan from Takao on January 14, 1945.  On the ship were the survivors of the Oryoku Maru and the Enoura Maru.  After a sixteen day trip, the Brazil Maru arrived at Moji on January 30.  In Japan, Harry was held as a POW at Fukuoka POW Camp #1.  This camp was known by the name, "The Pine Tree Camp." 

   After the ship's arrival in Japan, Harry was sent to Fukuoka City Hospital.  It was there on February 11, 1945, that Harry died of dysentery.  After he died, Harry's remains were cremated.  He was buried in a mass grave with other POWs who died at the camp.

    After the war, the remains of 2nd Lt. Harry B. Black were reburied in a mass grave at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.  Three of those who share his grave are 2nd Lt. Marshall Kennedy, 2nd Lt. Everett Preston, and Capt. Donald Hanes of the 192nd.