Bruce_J

Cpl. Jack V. Bruce was the son of Marnie Bruce. He was born on October 28, 1921, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It appears that his father died and his mother married Joseph Bruce. His step-father adopted Jack and his two sisters. After his mother remarried, the family moved to Milton, Wisconsin. He would later live in Janesville and attend Janesville schools and Janesville High School.

While Jack was junior in high school, he enlisted in the 32nd Tank Company of the Wisconsin National Guard. The tank company was headquartered in an armory in Janesville. While Jack was a junior in high school, he was called to federal duty.

In November of 1940, Jack's tank company traveled to Fort Knox, Kentucky for one year of training. During this training Jack became a tank crew member.

In the late summer of 1940, Jack took part in maneuvers in Louisiana. At Camp Polk after the maneuvers, Jack and the other members of the battalion learned they were being sent overseas.

After receiving a ten day furlough, Jack returned to Camp Polk and loaded equipment onto trains bound for the west coast. Arriving in San Francisco, Jack with his company wee ferried to Angel Island. After receiving physicals, Jack and the rest of the battalion sailed for the Philippine Islands.

On the voyage to the Philippines, Jack and Phil Parish went on leave together in Hawaii. On their last day of leave as they made their way back to their ship, Jack and Phil stopped for cake at a cafe. Neither man was really hungry and could not eat the cake. While they were POWs, they would often recall this incident and ask themselves why had they left the cake at the table barely eaten.

After arriving in the Philippines, Jack spent two weeks preparing to supply the members of A Company with the things they needed. The preparations ended with the Japanese attack on Clark Field in the Philippines.

Sometime during the Battle of the Philippines, Jack appears to have been made a member of 1st Lt. William Reed's tank crew. Being a member of the crew meant that Jack was involved in various engagements against the Japanese. It was during one of these engagements that Jack's tank was hit by enemy fire and knocked out. A second round would mortally wound Lt. Reed. Jack and another member of the tank crew went for help, but before they could return, the Japanese overran the area.

On April 9, 1942, Jack became a Prisoner Of War when the Filipino and American defenders of Bataan were surrendered to the Japanese. He took part in the death march and was held as a POW at Camp O'Donnell. It is not known if Jack went out on a work detail while a POW there.

When the new camp at Cabanatuan opened, Jack was sent there. Sometime in early 1943, Jack was selected for the Bachrach Garage Detail. The POWs on this detail repaired cars, trucks and other equipment for the Japanese. It was while he was on this detail that he became extremely ill. His illness was bad enough to have him transferred to Bilibid Prison near Manila.

While Jack was a prisoner at Bilibid, his bronchitis and pneumonia got worse. On December 12, 1943, at Bilibid Prison, Cpl. Jack V. Bruce died from his illnesses. He was 22 years old. His friend Phil Parish attempted to visit the grave, but since Jack was buried in a restricted area, he was not allowed to do so.

After the war, Jack's family had his remains returned to Janesville, Wisconsin. Cpl. Jack V. Bruce was reburied at Oak Hill Cemetery in Janesville on October 21, 1949. His headstone indicates that he died on December 1, 1943, which conflicts with the date given in the final report on the 192nd Tank Battalion.