Pvt. Charles R. Smith Jr.

Born: 1922 - Kansas     - family lived in Los Angeles, California, in 1930 Parents: Charles R., Sr. & Delta Smith Siblings: 1 sister, 1 brother Hometown: Portland, Oregon Enlisted:     - Oregon National Guard Inducted:     - U.S. Army         - 16 September 1940 Training:     - Fort Lewis, Washington Unit:     - 194th Tank Battalion Overseas Duty:     - Philippine Islands Engagements:     - Battle of Luzon     - Battle of Bataan Prisoner of War:     - 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'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 Died: 16 August 1942     - one of the last POWs to die at the camp Buried:     - American Military Cemetery - Manila, Philippine Islands         - Plot: N   Row:  6   Grave:  172

 

 

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