Rank and Name, Private Albert Elias Smith.
Unit/Placed in, 33rd Quartermaster Truck Regiment.
Camp Cabanatuan(Pangatian) (former HQ 91st Philippine army Division)
After the Japanese occupation in 1942, the camp was converted by the Imperial Japanese Army into the Cabanatuan POW Camp. At its height, 8,000 prisoners were detained at this location. The prisoners also included some civilians including one British and one Norwegian citizen. This POW Camp detained prisoners until liberated during the night of January 30, 1945.
The rectangular camp spanned roughly 25 acres and was 800 yards deep by 600 yards wide, divided by a road in the center. The camp consisted of a barracks for Japanese guards, barracks for prisoners, a hospital and water tower enclosed by barbed wire with guard towers.
Arisan Maru
The Arisan Maru was a Hell Ships (former Cargo, used for Transport POW’s to other Camps) sunk on Nov. 24, 1944.
The Arisan Maru, sailed from Manila on October 11, 1944 for Japan. This ship was sunk by the American submarine, USS Shark with three torpedoes, on November 24, 1944. There were 1800 POWs aboard – nine men survived this sinking. Two days later, five of the survivors were rescued by a Chinese fishing junk. The Chinese helped them reach American Air Corps forces. Other survivors were recaptured by a Japanese destroyer and taken to Formosa.
This Hell Ship sank in the South China Sea making it the worst naval disaster in the history of the United States.
Albert is born on 20 February 1920 in Southwick, Nez Perce, Idaho.
Father, Jerome Elias Smith.
Mother, Bernice Florence (Lamb) Smith.
Sister(s), Florence Lucetta, Iona Lora, Lois Audrey, Beryl Candice and Anita Lee Smith.
Brother(s), Elmer Charles Smith.
Albert enlisted the service in Oregon with service number # 19014228.
Albert was KIA when the Arisan Maru was Torpedoed (friendly fire, no awareness of pow transport) by the U.S. Submarine USS Shark with three torpedoes, he tried to escape and the Japanese guards shot him on Oct 24, 1944, he is honored with a Purple Heart, Good Combat Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Army Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, WW II Victory Medal.
Albert is buried/mentioned at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Manila, Metro Manila, National Capital Region, Philippines.
Walls of the missing.
Albert is buried/mentioned at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Manila, Metro Manila, National Capital Region, Philippines.
Walls of the missing.
Albert is also buried/mentioned at Hillcrest Memorial Park
Medford, Jackson County, Oregon.
Thanks to, http://www.mansell.com/pow-index.html
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/K46Y-KRW
Jean Louis Vijgen, ww2-Pacific.com ww2-europe.com
Air Force Info, Rolland Swank.
ABMC Website, https://abmc.gov
Marines Info, https://missingmarines.com/ Geoffrey Roecker
Seabees History Bob Smith https://seabeehf.org/
Navy Info, http://navylog.navymemorial.org
POW Info, http://www.mansell.com Dwight Rider and Wes injerd.
Philippine Info, http://www.philippine-scouts.org/ Robert Capistrano
Navy Seal Memorial, http://www.navysealmemorials.com
Family Info, https://www.familysearch.org
WW2 Info, https://www.pacificwrecks.com/
Medals Info, https://www.honorstates.org
Medals Forum, https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/
Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com
Tank Destroyers, http://www.bensavelkoul.nl/
WordPress en/of Wooncommerce oplossingen, https://www.siteklusjes.nl/
Military Recovery, https://www.dpaa.mil/
Bataan Death March
(April 9, 1942)
He became a POW and walked (60 miles) the Bataan Death March (together with 70.000 pow), Many walked this march and many died (aprox.600, lack of nutrition and water) to Prison Camps in the Philippines, and became part of a work detail.
Many Survived the March and the imprisonment, but many died thereafter.
