World War II Honoree

Carl J. Wittfeld, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Merritt Island, Florida

Honored By

Carl J. Wittfeld, Jr.

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE JUNE 1, 1941 AT ARMY AIR FORCES BASE IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 454TH ORDNANCE COMPANY, 27TH BOMB GROUP AS MECHANIC. WENT TO SAN FRANCISCO IN OCTOBER 1941 AND BOARDED THE STEAMSHIP USS PRESIDENT COOLIDGE FOR OVERSEAS ASSIGNMENT. ARRIVED AT MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS NOVEMBER 20, 1941 AND WAS STATIONED AT FORT WILLIAM MCKINLEY AND CLARK ARMY AIR BASE NEAR FORT STOTSENBERG. LATER IN DECEMBER, LEFT CLARK FIELD FOR VARIOUS PLACES ON BATAAN PENINSULA, ENDING UP AT MARIVELES AT TIP OF BATAAN PENINSULA. CAPTURED BY JAPANESE ARMY APRIL 9, 1942 AND FORCED TO MAKE THE 'DEATH MARCH' WHILE SICK WITH MALARIA AND WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER, FOR 7 DAYS, ENDING UP AT CAMP O'DONNELL. WAS SENT OUT ON JAPANESE WORK DETAILS AND DUE TO MALARIA, STARVATION AND HARSH WORKING CONDITIONS WAS RETURNED TO THE HOSPITAL AT CABANATUAN CAMP 3. WHILE THERE SUFFERED FROM NUMEROUS SERIOUS DISEASES AND ALMOST DIED FROM DIPHTHERIA. IN JULY 1944 WAS PUT ON JAPANESE 'HELL SHIP' NISSYO MARU AND SENT TO MOJI, JAPAN AND THEN TO FUKUOKA CAMP 3 NEAR TOWN OF KOKURA. WORKED IN THE SEITETSU STEEL MILLS UNTIL THE A-BOMB WAS DROPPED ON NAGASAKI. WAS PICKED UP BY U.S. MILITARY FORCES IN NAGASAKI AND PUT ABOARD A BRITISH AIRCRAFT CARRIER FOR OKINAWA. WENT FROM OKINAWA BY U.S. AIR FORCE PLANE TO MANILA, WHERE UNDERWENT EMERGENCY SURGERY. MEDICALLY EVACUATED BY AIRCRAFT TO SAN FRANCISCO, TO LETTERMAN GENERAL HOSPITAL AND THEN TO BIRMINGHAM GENERAL HOSPITAL, CALIFORNIA. WENT HOME TO FLORIDA FOR CHRISTMAS 1945. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN MAY 1946 AND AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART MEDAL, PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, PRESIDENTIAL DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATION MEDAL WITH 2 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, PHILIPPINE DEFENSE RIBBON WITH BRONZE STAR, ASIATIC-PACIFIC SERVICE MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE STARS, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL WITH BRONZE STAR, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL.