World War II Honoree

Hoyt R. Haynie

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Prescott, Arkansas

Honored By

Sandra Haynie Baldwin & Deborah Haynie Zimmerman

Relationship

Daughters

ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON SEPTEMBER 25, 1939 AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 27TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP. SAILED TO THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND LANDED ON NOVEMBER 29, 1941. FOLLOWING THE JAPANESE ATTACK, FOUGHT IN THE DEFENSE OF NICHOLS AND BATAAN FIELDS. CAPTURED AT BATAAN FIELD ON ARIL 8, 1942. HE ENDURED AND SURVIVED THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH FOR 8 DAYS AND A LATER FORCED MARCH OF 60 MILES TO SAN FERNANDO. HE WAS HELD IN CAMPS O'DONNELL AND CABANATUAN AND LATER TRANSFERRED TO DAVAO PENAL COLONY 500 MILES FROM MANILA ON MINDANAO ISLAND. AFTER 2 YEARS, HE WAS SENT TO BILIBID PRISON IN MANILA AND ON TO CABANATUAN AGAIN FOR 3 MONTHS. HE SPENT 30 DAYS IN THE HOLD OF A JAPANESE FREIGHTER DURING A SEA JOURNEY TO MOJI, JAPAN. LATER HE WAS SENT TO HANAWA PRISON CAMP NEAR SENDAI, JAPAN. WHILE THERE, HE WAS FORCED TO WALK 4 MILES EACH DAY TO WORK IN A COPPER MINE. ON AUGUST 20, 1945, THE JAPANESE GUARDS WITHDREW AND HIS IMPRISONMENT WAS OVER AFTER 40 MONTHS. HE SAILED UNDER THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE ON NOVEMBER 1, 1945, 4 YEARS TO THE DAY AFTER HE HAD DEPARTED FOR THE PHILIPPINES. DECORATED WITH THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL.