Dolk_M

Pfc. Myron E. Dollk was born in North Dakota in May 1918 to Seth A. & Mable M. Dolk. He was known as "Mickey" to his family. His parents, who were from Iowa, returned there and resided in Pilot Mound. During his time in Iowa, his younger brother was born. His family would later move to Riverside, California, where he graduated from Riverside Polytechnical High School in 1936. He would later reside in Bakersfield and work as a mechanic on farm equipment. He moved to Salinas and resided at 230 Eucalyptus Drive.

At some point, Myron joined the California National Guard in Salinas. He was inducted into federal service on February 10, 1941, and sent to Fort Lewis, Washington for training. It was during this training that Myron became a tank commander. After their training the members of C Company, 194th Tank Battalion received word that they were being sent overseas.

Arriving in the Philippines, C Company spent the next two months preparing their tanks for maneuvers. On December 8th, December 7th in the United States, Myron lived through the Japanese attack on Clark Airfield. During the attack, his company was ordered to the perimeter of the airfield to guard against Japanese paratroopers.

For the next four months, Myron fought to slow the Japanese conquest of the Philippine Islands. On April 9, 1942, he became a Prisoner of War when Bataan was surrendered to the Japanese. He took part in the death march from Mariveles to San Fernando. At San Fernando, 100 POWs were packed into small wooden boxcars that could hold 40 men. Those who died remained standing until the living left the cars at Capas.

As a POW Myron was held at Camp O'Donnell. He would later be held at Cabanatuan. It is not known if he went out on a work detail during this time.

The Japanese began to send large number of POWs to Japan or other parts of their empire as American forces approached the Philippines. In December 1944, Myron was boarded onto the Oryoku Maru. 1619 POWs were packed into the ship's holds. The ship sailed from Manila on December 13th. The morning of the 14th, the ship came under attack by American fighters from the U.S.S. Hornet. The pilots had no idea that the ship was carrying POWs.

The ship reached Subic Bay and dropped anchor, the ship was repeated attacked on the 14th and 15th. During this time, the Japanese abandoned ship but left the POWs in the ship's holds.

When the POWs were given permission to abandon ship, they did so as the ship was being bombed and strafed by American fighters. At some point, the attack was called off when the pilots of the planes realized the men jumping into the water were POWs. the ship was later sunk.

Myron and the other survivors were held at O;ongo Naval Reservation. The POWs were packed into the tennis courts. The POWs were held there for several days until they were taken by train to San Fernando, Pampanga on December 20th and 21st. They were then taken to San Fernando, La Union on December 24th. There they were boarded onto a second ship the Enoura Maru. This ship sailed for Formosa on December 27th.

On December 31st, the Enoura Maru arrived at Takao, Formosa. The POWs were kept in the ship's holds while the ship remained there. On January 9, 1945, American fighter planes attacked the ships anchored at Takao. The Enoura Maru took several hits. One exploded in one of the ship's holds filled with POWs. It is believed that Myron was killed at this time.

Pfc. Myron E. Dolk died in the sinking of the Enoura Maru. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of corporal. Since he was lost at sea, his name appears on the Tablets of the Missing at the American Military Museum at Manila.