Pfc. Roy Vernon Wehrkamp

Born: 12 August 1917 - Williston, North Dakota Parents: Henry & Maziy Wehrkamp Siblings: Unknown Hometown:  Portland, Oregon Inducted:     - U. S. Army         - 9 April 1941 Training:     - Fort Lewis, Washington Units:     - 194th Tank Battalion     - 2nd Philippine Corps         - transferred during the Battle of Bataan 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'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     - Formosa:         - Karenko             - Work: POWs used as slave labor on a farm         - Shirakawa             - Work: POWs grew food on farm and tended cattle Hell Ship:     - Nagara Maru         - Sailed: Manila - 12 August 1942         - Arrived: Takao, Formosa - 14 August 1942     - Suzuya Maru         - Sailed: Takao - 13 August 1942         - Arrived: Karenko, Formosa - 17 August 1942             - POWs marched to Karenko POW Camp     - Oryoku Maru         - Sailed: 24 October 1944         - Arrived: Moji, Japan - 27 October 1944         - Sailed: Unknown         - Arrived: Jinsen, Korea - 10 November 1942             - took two day train trip to Hoten Branch Camp #1, Zheng Village, Jilin Province, Manchuria             - Arrived: 12 November 1944             - Camp closed:  20 May 1945 - sent to Hoten Camp Liberated:     - 20 August 1945 Promoted: Master Sergeant Discharged: 28 April 1946 Married:     - Dolores T. Burton - 14 April 1946 Children: 1 son Resided:     - Scaramento California Died:     - 8 October 1997 Buried:     - Williamette National Cemetery         - Plot: Col-2   Row:  42   Site: E

 

 

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