Pfc. Delbert J. Kohler


Born: 1916 - Auduron Township, Becker County, Minnesota

Parents: Thomas & Clara Kohler

Siblings: 5 sisters, 2 brothers

Home: Becker County, Minnesota

Inducted:

    - 1941 - Fort Snelling, Minnesota

Training: 

    - Fort Lewis, Washington

Units: 

    - 194th Tank Battalion

Overseas Duty: 

    - Philippine Islands

Engagements: 

    - Battle of Luzon

    - Battle of Bataan

Prisoner of War: 

    - 9 April 1942

        - Death March

            - Mariveles - POWs start march at southern tip of Bataan
            - POWs ran past Japanesee artillery firing at Corregidor
                - Americans on Corregidor returned fire
            - San Fernando - POWs put into small wooden
boxcars
                - each boxcar could hold eight horses or forty men
                - 100 POWs packed into each car
                - POWs who died remained standing
            - Capas - dead fell to floor as living left boxcars
            - POWs walked last ten miles to Camp O'Donn
ell

POW Camps:

    - Philippine Islands:

        - Camp O'Donnell

            - unfinished Filipino training base
            - Japanese put camp into use as POW Camp
            - only one water spiget for entire camp
            - as many as 50 POWs die each day
 

        - Temporary Detail - Port Area Manila

Died:

    - 2 June 1942 - dysentery

Buried:

    - American Military Cemetery - Manila, Philippine Islands

        - Plot:  L   Row:  11   Grave:  58


 

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