Kentucky Guardsmen of the 192nd Tank Bn who perished in captivity

The 38th Tank Company from Harrodsburg, which was redesignated as Company D, 192nd Light Tank Battalion, was the first Kentucky unit ordered to active duty. These Mercer County Guardsmen reported to their armory on 25 November 1940. They arrived at Fort Knox, Kentucky on 28 November 1940.

On 31 August 1941 the 192nd Tank Battalion was transferred to Camp Polk, Louisiana to participate in maneuvers conducted from 2 September to 19 October 1941. Their superior performance prompted Major General George S. Patton, Jr. to recommend the battalion for overseas duty. The soldiers were told only that they were going on “extended maneuvers”.

On Thanksgiving Day, 20 November 1941, the 192nd Tank Battalion disembarked at Fort Avery in Manila.  The unit was initially stationed at Fort Stotsenburg on the Island of Luzon. On 1 December 1941 the Provisional Tank Group was placed on full alert and transferred to nearby Clark Air Field. On 7 December 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Only eight hours later, on 8 December 1941, across the International Date Line, Japan launched an aerial attack on the Philippines at 12:30 p.m.

The Harrodsburg Tankers, along with the allied forces, fought the Japanese valiantly without reinforcements and without being re-supplied. Disease, malnutrition, fatigue, and a lack of basic supplies took their toll. On 9 April 1942 they were ordered to surrender Bataan.  They had delayed the Japanese Army's timetable from 50 days to four months, giving the Allies vital time to protect Australia. Members of the unit either escaped to Corregidor or were in the infamous "Bataan Death March". When Corregidor fell the remaining Harrodsburg Tankers and many allies were taken prisoner of war. Only 37 of the original 66 Kentucky Guard Members from Harrodsburg who served in the Philippines survived Japanese captivity.

Things did not improve for those who survived the Death March. They were held at Prisoner of War camps in the Philippine Islands in horrible and overcrowded conditions. Many were later transferred aboard packed “Hell Ships” to work in camps in Japan, Korea and China.

Many died along the way and many were killed when the unmarked prisoner transport ships known as “Hell ships” for the deplorable and crowded conditions were sunk during transport.

Note: The information on these individuals was gathered from a variety of sources and there is some conflicting information about rank, dates of death and locations where they died. This information will be amended when more definitive information can be found.

• Information courtesy Roger Mansell, Palo Alto, CA. www.mansell.com/pow-index.html
• Information and images courtesy Proviso Township High Schools www.proviso.k12.il.us/Bataan%20Web/D%20Company.htm
• Information courtesy National Archives http://aad.archives.gov/aad/series-description.jsp?s=4277&cat=WR26&bc=sl,sd

Sergeant Elzie E. Anness, Headquarters Company, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 27 January 1943 at Camp Tanagawa, Osaka, Japan of dysentery.
 See Anness Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

Technical Sergeant Johnnie Bottoms, Headquarters Company, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died 1 June 1942 at Calauan Camp #3 - Old Bilibid Prison Rizal Manila Philippines.
 See Bottoms Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

Private Vernon H. Bussell, Headquarters Company 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 24 October 1944 aboard the “Hell Ship” Arisan Maru.
 See Bussell Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

Private First Class Robert V. Cloyd, Headquarters Company, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 24 October 1944 aboard the “Hell Ship” Arisan Maru.
 See Cloyd Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

 

Private First Class Ancel Edgar Crick, Headquarters Company, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 24 October 1944 aboard the “Hell Ship” Arisan Maru.
 See Crick Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

 

Private First Class John Lewis Cummins, Headquarters Company, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 24 October 1944 aboard the “Hell Ship” Arisan Maru.
 See Cummins Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

Sergeant Oscar Dean, Company D, 192nd Tank Battalion died on 10 October 1942 at Camp Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines of dysentery.
 See Dean Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

 

Staff Sergeant Wallace Denny, Company D, 192nd Tank Battalion died on 22 July 1942 at Camp Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines of dysentery.
 See Denny Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

 

Sergeant Ben R. Devine, Company D, 192nd Tank Battalion died on 19 May 1942 at Camp O'Donnell, Capas, Tarlac, Philippines of dysentery.
 See Devine Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

 

 

Private Willard Emmal Foster, Headquarters Company, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 2 June 1942 at Camp O'Donnell, Capas, Tarlac, Philippines of dysentery.
 See Foster Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

 

Sergeant Edward Theodore French, Company D, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 22 April 1942 in a field Hospital on Bataan while recovering from shrapnel wounds received in a Japanese bombing attack. He perished when the hospital was inadvertently hit by artillery fire from Fort Drum.
 See E. French Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

Private Roy Edward Goodpaster, Company D, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 8 May 1945 at Camp Moji Hospital Fukuoka #4 Kyushu Island Japan of wounds received aboard the “Hell Ships” Oryoku Maru & Enoura Maru.
 See Goodpaster Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

Private First Class Wesley Davis Hungate, Company D, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 12 May 1942 at Camp O'Donnell, Capas, Tarlac, Philippines of dysentery.
 See Hungate Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

 

Technical Sergeant Berchell Keeling, Company D, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 1 July 1942 at Camp Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines of dysentery.
 See Keeling Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

Second Lieutenant Harry Ricker LaFon, Jr., Company D, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 7 September 1944 when the "Hell Ship" Shinyo Maru was sunk.
 See LaFon Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

Private Fred C. Leonard, Jr., Headquarters Company, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 28 July 1942 at Camp Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines of cerebral malaria.
 See F. Leonard Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

Private Hugh J. Leonard, Company D, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 7 September 1944 when the "Hell Ship" Shinyo Maru was sunk.
 See H. Leonard Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

Staff Sergeant Joseph Baxter Million, Company D, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 14 December 1944 when he was burned to death during the Palawan Island Massacre.
 See Million Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

Second Lieutenant Everett R. Preston, assigned to Company A, 192nd Light Tank Battalion, died on April 21, 1945 at Fukuoka Camp #1-D Honshu, Japan of acute enteritis.
 See Preston Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

Second Lieutenant Archibald B. “Arch” Rue, Company D, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on January 31, 1945 at Camp Fukupka #3 Yawata, Kyushu, Japan of acute colitis.
 See A. Rue Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sergeant Hezakiah Franklin "Heze" Sallee of Company D, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 6 June 1944 Japan Camp Fukuoku-17, Nagasaki, Japan in a coal mining accident.
 See H. Sallee Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

 

Private James William Sallee Headquarters Company, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 24 October 1944 when the "Hell Ship" Arisan Maru was sunk.
 See J. Sallee Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

 

Sergeant Jennings Bryan Scanlon, Headquarters Company, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 8 July 1942 at Camp Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines of dysentery.
 See Scanlon Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

Private Herbert C. Steele of Company D, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 13 June 1942 at Camp O'Donnell, Capas, Tarlac, Philippines of dysentery.
 See Steele Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

 

First Sergeant Yandell Terhune, of Company D, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on12 July 1942 at Camp Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines of dysentery.
 See Terhune Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

 

Corporal Edward Vivion Trisler, of Company D, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 23 December 1942 at Camp Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines of dysentery.
 See Trisler Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

 

First Lieutenant George A. Vanarsdale, Headquarters Company, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 12 January 1945 when the "Hell Ship" Enoura Maru was sunk.
 See Vanarsdale Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

 

Private Edward George Willis, Headquarters Company, 192nd Light Tank Battalion died on 3 July 1942 at Camp Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines of dysentery.
 See Willis Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project

 

 

 

 

Private Willard R. Yeast died on 14 December 1944 when he was burned to death during the Palawan Island Massacre.
 See Yeast Bio Information at Provisio East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project