World War II Honoree

Elmer Parks

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Elgin, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SERVED IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER STATIONED AS A MILITARY POLICE CORPORAL IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. ON APRIL 9, 1942, HE AND SOME 12,000 AMERICAN AND 64,000 FILIPINO TROOPS WERE SURRENDERED TO JAPANESE FORCES. HIS ORDEAL BEGAN ON APRIL 10, 1942 IN WHAT WOULD BECOME KNOWN AS THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH. THAT MORNING, THOUSANDS OF PRISONERS OF WAR WERE ASSEMBLED, SEARCHED AND STRIPPED OF PERSONAL BELONGINGS. ATROCITIES BEGAN THAT DAY AND WERE TO CONTINUE THROUGHOUT HIS IMPRISONMENT. THE PRISONERS WERE MARCHED FOR SOME 60 MILES THROUGH SCORCHING HEAT ON JUNGLE TRAILS WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER OR REST TO A CAMP BEING BUILT AT SAN FERNANDO IN PAMPANGA PROVINCE. THOSE WHO FELL BEHIND WERE BEATEN OR KILLED AND THE STRONGER WERE NOT PERMITTED TO HELP THEIR FELLOW PRISONERS; AND DID SO AT GREAT PERSONAL RISK. ON APRIL 12, 1942, DURING THE MARCH, THEY WERE FORCED TO SIT IN THE BLAZING SUN FOR HOURS WITHOUT WATER. MANY BECAME DELIRIOUS AND SOME DIED FROM THE CONDITIONS AND SOME AT THE HANDS OF THEIR CAPTORS. HE WAS FORTUNATE TO SURVIVE THE DEATH MARCH AND REACH THE PRISON CAMP. SOME 5,200 FELLOW AMERICANS AND 20,000 OTHER PRISONERS DIED ON THE MARCH. THAT BEGAN A NEW PHASE OF HIS 3 1/2 YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT. THE BARBARIC TREATMENT OF PRISONERS CONTINUED AT THE CAMP AND HE WAS ROUTINELY BEATEN, TORTURED AND DEPRIVED OF FOOD AND WATER AND MEDICAL TREATMENT. THE DEATH RATE AT THE CAMP WAS AS HIGH AS 550 MEN PER DAY WITH SOME 22,000 DYING IN THE FIRST 2 MONTHS. HE SURVIVED IN PART BY LIVING OFF RODENTS HE CAUGHT IN THE CAMP. ALTHOUGH STRICTLY FORBIDDEN TO HAVE PERSONAL ITEMS, HE MANAGED TO CONCEAL HIS MILITARY POLICE SHIELD THROUGHOUT HIS CONFINEMENT. HE REMAINED IN THE PHILIPPINE CAMP FOR PART OF HIS IMPRISONMENT AND IN THE LATER STAGES WAS MOVED TO JAPAN. WHEN HE WAS REPATRIATED, HE WEIGHED 109 POUNDS.