Hubbard

Pfc. Robert R. Hubbard was born on February 20, 1919, and grew up in Evansville, Wisconsin. He was the son of Mr. & Mrs. George Lindsey. When he was a child, his mother put him and his brother and sisters up for adoption. He was the adopted by Mr. & Mrs. Ray Hubbard. The family resided at 608 South Madison Street.

Robert attended grade school and high school in Evansville. After graduating from Evansville High School in 1937, he worked for the Baker Manufacturing Company a local manufacturer.

In 1939, Robert joined the Wisconsin National Guard's 32nd Divisional Tank Company in Janesville, Wisconsin. He was called to federal service when the tank company was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky as a member of A Company, 192nd Tank Battalion on November 25, 1940.

After nearly a year of training, Robert took part in maneuvers in Louisiana. After the maneuvers, the battalion was gathered on the side of a hill at Camp Polk, Louisiana. Expecting to hear that their time in federal service was over, they were shocked to learn that they were being sent overseas.

From Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, the 192nd left the United States for Angel Island on October 27, 1941. Arriving in Manila on Thanksgiving Day, 1941, the battalion was sent to Fort Stotsenburg, where they lived in tents since their barracks were unfinished.

On December 8, 1941, just ten hours after the surprise attack on Clark Field, the Japanese bombed Clark Airfield. The tankers had been placed around the perimeter of the airfield to prevent paratroopers from being used.

Robert's parents received two letters from him before and after he became a prisoner. The first was written before the surrender of Bataan in January, 1942. It was received in March, 1942. The second was written March, 1942 and received in August of that year.

Because of the poor diet, Robert broke out with sores on his hands and arms. It is believed that this was caused by the poor diet.

After four months of fighting, Robert became a Prisoner of War when Bataan was surrendered to the Japanese. Robert took part in the death march and was first held at Camp O'Donnell. When Cabanatuan opened, he was sent there.

Sometime in the latter part of 1942, Robert was sent to Manila. There, he was held at Bilibid Prison. Later, he was taken to the Port Area of Manila and put on a Japanese transport. These ships became known as "Hell Ships" because of the conditions the POWs lived in in the holds of the ships. The ship carried Robert and other POWs to Korea. From there, they road a train to Hoten Camp, Mukden, Manchuria. The sub-camp he was assigned to was known as Shenyang. The POWs in this camp worked in either a sawmill or tool shop. He was POW #353.

It was while he was a POW there that Robert had an acute attack of dysentery. Since the medics had no medicine and the POWs were inadequately fed, there was very little that could be done for him.

Pfc. Robert Hubbard died on January 3, 1943 of dysentery and pellagra at Hoten Camp, Mukden, Manchuria. He was 23 years old. Since he died during the winter and the ground was frozen solid, his body was stored in a building until the ground thawed in the spring. His parents received word of his death in May.

After the war, Robert's parents requested that his remains be returned to Evansville. The photo below was taken at his grave in Evansville, Wisconsin.