World War II Honoree

Cyrus W. Abbott, Jr.

Hometown

Oakland, California

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

HE WAS A CIVILIAN CONSTRUCTION WORKER ASSIGNED TO WAKE ISLAND IN THE PACIFIC TO BUILD AN AIRFIELD, SEAPLANE BASE, SUBMARINE BASE AND TO DREDGE A CHANNEL INTO THE LAGOON TO ALLOW ACCESS FOR SUBMARINES. HE WAS CAPTURED BY THE JAPANESE ON DECEMBER 23, 1941 AND HELD AS A PRISONER OF WAR. ON OCTOBER 7, 1943 HE ALONG WITH 97 OTHER CIVILIAN CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WERE LINED UP, BLINDFOLDED WITH THEIR HANDS AND FEET BOUND AND SEATED ALONG A DITCH FACING THE SEA, THE JAPANESE KILLED THEM WITH MACHINE GUN AND RIFLE FIRE AND DUMPED THEIR BODIES INTO THE DITCH AND COVERED THEM WITH CORAL SAND. THIS ATROCITY IS KNOWN AS THE WAKE ISLAND MASSACRE.