World War II Honoree

William A. Hamilton, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Dallas, Texas

Honored By

William A. Hamilton III

Relationship

son

HE WAS COMMISSIONED A 2ND LIEUTENANT IN THE U.S. ARMY AS PART OF THE TEXAS A&M CLASS OF 1940 AND STATIONED IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS IN JULY 1941. WHEN WORLD WAR II BEGAN HE WAS IN COMMAND OF AN ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN UNIT AT THE CORREGIDOR ISLAND FORTRESS AT THE ENTRANCE TO MANILA BAY. HE BECAME A PRISONER OF WAR OF THE JAPANESE WITH THE MAY 1942 ORDERED SURRENDERED OF CORREGIDOR AND ALL OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. HE WAS A PRISONER OF WAR FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS IN JAPANESE POW CAMPS INCLUDING CAMP CABANATUAN IN THE PHILIPPINES AND CAMP FUKUOKA (PINE TREE CAMP) ON KYUSHU ISLAND IN JAPAN. HE SURVIVED THREE JAPANESE PRISONER OF WAR SO-CALLED “HELL” SHIPS INCLUDING THE INFAMOUS ORYOKU MARU, THE ENOURA MARU AND THE BRAZIL MARU, ALL BOMBED BY THE AMERICAN AIR FORCE DURING TRANSPORT. HE WAS FINALLY LIBERATED IN AUGUST 1945 FROM CAMP HOTEN, MUKDEN, MANCHURIA. FOR HIS SERVICE HE WAS AWARDED THE BRONZE STAR, PURPLE HEART, DISTINGUISHED UNIT BADGE WITH THREE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, AND PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL AMONG OTHERS. HE RETIRED AS A LIEUTENANT COLONEL.