World War II Honoree

Walter R. Guthrie

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Washington, District Of Columbia

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

HE WAS A CAPTAIN AND SERVED ABOARD THE LIBERTY SHIP SS JEAN NICOLLET AVS-6 WHICH WAS STEAMING ALONE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN LOADED WITH A CARGO OF WAR MATERIALS FOR THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATRE OF WAR. SHE HAD A 41 MAN CREW, PLUS 28 ARMED GUARD, 30 PASSENGERS AND 1 ARMY MEDIC. A JAPANESE SUBMARINE TORPEDOED THE SHIP ON JULY 2, 1944 OFF CEYLON, SRI LANKA AND ALL ABOARD THE SHIP SURVIVED THE EXPLOSION. SOON AFTER THE SHIP WAS ABANDONED, THE JAPANESE SUBMARINE I-8 SURFACED AND LOCATED THE BOATS AND RAFTS. THE SURVIVORS WERE THREATENED WITH MACHINE GUNS AND ORDERED TO COME ALONGSIDE ,EXCEPT 5 MEN WHO WERE NOT DISCOVERED. ONCE ONBOARD THE SUB, 95 AMERICAN MEN WERE FORCED TO SIT ON DECK. THE JAPANESE SAILORS MASSACRED 65 MEN WITH BAYONETS AND RIFLE BUTTS AND 35 SURVIVORS WERE STILL ON DECK WHEN A BRITISH PLANE APPEARED. THE SUB CRASH-DIVED, WASHING THE SURVIVORS INTO THE SEA. HE WAS 1 OF 77 MEN WHO WERE MASSACRED. HE WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART MEDAL.