Deck

What is known about Pvt. Vernor Deck is that he was born in 1915 to James A. Deck & Melvina J. Pemberton-Deck. With his five brothers and one sister he grew up in Jacksboro in Jack County, Texas. He was inducted into the army on March 21, 1941 at Dallas, Texas and became a member of the 753rd Tank Battalion. Vernor volunteered to join the 192nd Tank Battalion at Camp Polk, Louisiana. He did this knowing that his new battalion was being sent overseas. After joining the battalion, he was assigned to C Company as part of the tank crew of Sgt. Emerson P. Smith.

From Angel Island in San Francisco, Vernor and the other members of the 192nd left the United States. Arriving in the Philippine Islands, he and the other members of the battalion were assigned to tents along the main road between Ft. Stotsenburg and Clark Airfield.

On December 8, 1941, Vernor and the rest of C Company heard the news of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The tankers were sent to the perimeter of the airfield to prevent the use of paratroopers by the Japanese.

While having lunch, the tankers noticed planes approaching Clark Field. At first, the thought they were American, but when the bombs began to explode around them, they knew the planes were Japanese.

Vernor was involved in numerous engagements against the Japanese. During one engagement, C Company successfully destroyed a platoon of Japanese tanks. Also assigned to his tank crew were Pvt. Sidney Rattner and Pvt. Robert Young.

It was at the Battle of Toul Pocket, the tanks of three of the letter companies of the 192nd were assigned the duty of helping the Filipino army wipe out the Japanese Marines who had landed behind the main line of defense on Bataan.

During this engagement Vernon's tank was disabled when it hit a landmine causing the tank to throw a track. Vernor and the other members of his tank crew were trapped inside their tank. A number of attempts to rescue the crew failed.

There are two stories as to what happened next. In the first story, the four crew members realized that the tank could not be moved. They attempted to evacuate the tank, but as they were climbing out of the tank the Japanese threw grenades into the tank killing them.

The second story, which appears to be the accurate story, is that after the tank was disabled the crew refused to surrender. The Japanese knowing this began filling the tank with dirt that they were digging out from under the tank to make a bunker. The three soldiers trapped in the tank suffocated.

The tank was later recovered and turned over to empty the dirt out of it. Upon doing this, the bodies of the tank crew members were recovered and buried.

Pvt. Vernor Deck died when he suffocated inside his tank on February 2, 1942, near Agaloma, Philippine Islands. Since his final resting place is unknown, Pvt. Vernor Deck's name appears on Tablets of the Missing at the American Military Cemetery outside of Manila.