Pfc. Cecil J. Sims

Parents: Fines Sims & Cora Mae Gritton-Sims

Siblings: 1 brother

Enlisted: 

    - Kentucky National Guard

Inducted: 

    - U. S. Army 

        - 25 November 1940 - Harrodsburg, Kentucky

Training: 

    - Fort Knox, Kentucky

    - Camp Polk, Louisiana

Overseas Duty: 

    - Philippine Islands

Engagements: 

    - Battle of Luzon

    - Battle of Bataan

Prisoner of War: 

    - 9 April 1942

        - Death March

            - Mariveles - POWs started 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'Donnell

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 died each day
            - Japanese opened new POW camp to lower death rate 

        - Cabanatuan

    - Japan: 

        - Fukuoka Camp #4

            - Work: stevedores loading ships & trains

Hell Ship: 

    - Nissyo Maru

        - Boarded: Las Pinas - 14 July 1944

        - Sailed - 17 July 1944

        - Arrived: Takao, Formosa - 27 July 1044

        - Sailed: Takao - 28 July 1944

        - Arrived: Moji, Japan - 3 August 1944

Liberated: 13 September 1945

Returned to United States: 28 October 1945

Discharged: 14 July 1946

College: 

    - Georgetown College

    - University of Kentucky - Masters Degree - Administration - 1956 - 1958

Employed: 

    - Eighth Grade Teacher - McAfee Grade School - Harrodsburg - 1953 - 1955

    - Jennie Rogers Elementary School, Danville - 1955 - 1958

    - Mary G. Hogsett Elementary School, Danville - 1958 - 1981 - principal

Wife: Mary "Beck" Sims

Children: 1 son,  3 daughters

Hometown: 322 North Fourth Street, Danville, Kentucky

Died: 31 August 1990 - Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Danville

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