Read_J

Born: June 11, 1919 - Van Zandt County, Texas

Parents: Nick R. Read & Floy Haptostall-Read

Siblings: 4 brothers, 2 sisters

Home: Van Zandt County

Occupation: worked on family's farm

Inducted:

- U. S. Army

- 19 March 1941 - Dallas

Training:

- Fort Knox, Kentucky

- Camp Polk, Louisiana

Units:

- 753rd Tank Battalion

- unit was formed in August 1941

- 192nd Tank Battalion

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

            - Mariveles - POWs start march at southern tip of Bataan
            - POWs ran past Japanese 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'Donnell

POW Camps:

- Philippine Islands:

- Camp O'Donnell

           - unfinished Filipino training base
            - Japanese put camp into use as POW Camp
            - only one water spigot for entire camp
            - as many as 50 POWs died each day
            - Japanese opened new POW camp to lower death rate

- Cabanatuan

- Japan:

- Hirohata 12-B

- Work: Laborer - Seitetsu Steel Mills

Hell Ship:

- Taga Maru

- Sailed: Manila - 20 September 1943

- Arrived: Takao, Formosa - 23 September 1943

- Sailed: 26 September 1943

- Arrived: Moji, Japan - 5 October 1943

Liberated: September 1945

Promoted: Sergeant

Married: Sharon Lynn Read - December 13, 1947

Children: 1 daughter, 3 sons

Residence: Edgewood, Texas

Died:

- 27 January 2011 - Tyler, Texas

Buried:

- Haven of Memories - Canton, Texas

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