2nd Lt. Ralph E. Crandall

Parents: Albert & Phebe Crandall

Siblings: 2 sisters

Hometown: Saint Joseph, Missouri

Inducted:

    - U.S. Army

        - 10 February 1941 - St. Joseph, Missouri

        - inducted as an enlisted man

        - Rank: First Sergeant 

Training: 

    - Fort Lewis, Washington

        - Officer Candidates School 

Units: 

    - 194th Tank Battalion

Overseas Duty: 

    - Philippine Islands

Engagements: 

    - Battle of Luzon

    - Battle of Bataan

Prisoner of War: 

    - 9 April 1942

        - Death March

           - started march at Mariveles on southern tip of Bataan
           - POWs ran past Japanese artillery firing at Corregidor
           - San Fernando - POWs put into small wooden boxcars
               - 100 POWs packed into each boxcar
                   - those who died remain standing
           - Capas - living left cars - dead fell out of boxcars
           - POWs walked last ten miles to Camp O'Donnell 

POW 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 #1

        - Bilibid Prison

Hell Ship:

    - Oryoku Maru

      - Boarded: 13 December 1944

          - approximately 700 POWs put in aft hold

          - approximately 600 POWs put in forward hold

          - approximately 300 POWs put in amidships hold 

          - by midnight floors of holds cover in human waste

    - Sailed: Manila - 14 December 1944 - 3:00 A.M.

          - 8:00 A.M. - ship strafed by American planes - U.S.S. Hornet

          - ricochets wound POWs in hold

          - 8 to 10 POWs suffocate in forward hold from heat

          - 30 POWs suffocate in aft hold from heat 

          - POWs going crazy from thirst - drink urine 

          - that night Americans plane return and continue attack

          - Japanese beach ship off Olangapo Naval Reservation - Lingayen Gulf 

    - Sunk: 15 December 1944

          - Japanese abandon ship

          - POWs left in holds

          -  9:30 A.M. - POWS told to abandon ship and swim to shore

          - Japanese use machine guns on POWs as they swim to shore

Died:

    - 15 December 1944

        - sinking Oryoku Maru - Lingayen Gulf, Philippine Islands

Memorial:

    - Tablets of the Missing - American Military Cemetery - Manila, Philippine Islands

    - Memorial Marker -