World War II Honoree

Mondell White

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Wharton, West Virginia

Honored By

Matthew White

Relationship

Great Nephew

ENLISTED ON AUGUST 13, 1940. MILITARY EDUCATION INCLUDED RECRUITING SPEC, MILITARY POLICEMAN, CBT INTELL NCO CORPS, 7A NCO ACADEMY, AR + CC. SERVED IN CO K 31ST INFANTRY DIVISION AND WAS ON BATAAN WHEN THE JAPANESE INVADED THE PHILIPPINES. WAS CAPTURED BY JAPANESE AND SURVIVED THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH WHICH BEGAN ON APRIL 9, 1942. WAS HELD PRISONER BY THE JAPANESE FOR 1,243 DAYS, SURVIVING BOMBINGS OF TWO SHIPS ON WHICH HE AND OTHER PRISONERS WERE HELD IN FILTHY ANIMAL QUARTERS, HE WATCHED BUDDIES BE SHOT OR STABBED TO DEATH, BURIED FRIENDS WHO DIED OF STARVATION OR DISEASE(ONE OF WHOM WAS HIS FIRST COUSIN, KENNETH WHITE WHO JOINED THE ARMY WITH HIM) IN JAPAN HE WORKED IN THE COAL MINES. HE WAS 50 MILES AWAY FROM NAGASAKI WAS THE ATOMIC BOMB WAS DROPPED. AFTER NEARLY THREE AND A HALF YEARS OF TORTURE, STARVATION, DEPRIVATION AND HUMILIATION HE WAS RETURNED TO AMERICAN HANDS ON SEPTEMBER 13, 1945 FROM CAMP 17. HE RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES ON OCTOBER 8, 1945. WAS AWARED THE FOLLOWING MEDALS- POW MEDAL, BRONZE STAR MEDAL FOR GROUND COMBAT AGAINST THE ENEMY, COMBAT INFANTRY BADGE, ACM, NDSM, GCM 3D AWARD, CI B, ADSM, PHIL DEF SVC MEDAL, GCM 4TH AWARD, NDSM W/OLE. RETIRED FROM ARMY JANUARY 1, 1969.