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Pvt. Thomas Peter Motosko |
| Born:
8 March 1919 - Youngstown, Ohio Parents: George & Barbara Motosko Siblings: 2
sisters, 4 brothers Graduated: - Woodrow Wilson High School - Class of 1940 Occupation: - operated a pool hall and custard stand Inducted: - U. S. Army - 25 March 1941 - Cleveland, Ohio Training: - Fort Knox, Kentucky - Camp Polk, Louisiana Overseas Duty: - Philippine Islands Engagements: - Battle of Luzon - 8 December 1941 - 6 January 1942 - Battle of Bataan - 7 January 1942 - 9 April 1942 Prisoner of War: - 9 April 1942 - Death March - POWs started march at the southern tip of Bataan - POWs ran past Japanese artillery firing on Corregidor - American artillery on Corregidor returned fire - shells landed among POWs -San Fernando - POWs put into small wooden boxcars used to haul sugarcane - During train ride between San Fernando and Capas, Motosko recalled that those POWs who died couldn't fall because the POWs were packed in the small wooden boxcars, "They couldn't fall. They'd just be standing there, next to you, dead." - Capas - POWs left boxcars - the dead POWs fell to the floor - POWs walked the last ten miles to Camp O'Donnell POW Camps: Philippine Islands: - Camp O'Donnell - unfinished Filipino Army training base - Japanese put camp into use as POW camp - one water spigot for the entire camp - as many as fifty POWs died each day - POWs went out on work details to get out of camp - Cabanatuan Japan: Work: Laborer Seitetsu Steel Mills Hell Ship: Coral Maru Departed: Manila - 20 September 1943 Note: Ship stopped Takao, Formosa Arrived: Moji - 5 October 1943 Liberated: September 1945 Married: Sophie Medvec - she died nine months later Married: Mary D'Amato - 1949 Children: 3 sons, 2 daughters Residence: Youngstown, Ohio Occupation: sold home improvement products Died: - 23 February 2013 - Fort Lauderdale, Florida Buried: Youngstown, Ohio Note: Thomas Motosko was the last surviving member of Headquarters Company |
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