World War II Honoree

Thomas W. Patrick, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Chester County, South Carolina

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: 2ND LIEUTENANT. BATAAN JAPANESE PRISONER OF WAR FOR 33 MONTHS. SERVED WITH THE U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES FAR EAST COMMAND, 5TH AIR FORCE, V-INTERCEPTOR COMMAND, 24TH PURSUIT GROUP, 20TH PURSUIT SQUADRON STATIONED AT MINDANAO, LUZON, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. WHILE ASSIGNED TO THE PROVISIONAL INFANTRY COMPANY AND ENGAGED IN COMBAT DURING THE DEFENSE OF LUZON AND RETREATING TO THE BATAAN PENINSULA, THE JAPANESE ARMED FORCES CAPTURED HIM APRIL 9, 1942 DURING THE INVASION OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. FORCED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH, BECOMING A PRISONER OF WAR AND INTERNED AT THE PRISONER OF WAR CAMP #2 DAVAO MINDANAO, LUZON. ON DECEMBER 27, 1944 HE WAS LOADED ONTO THE ENOURA MARU, A JAPANESE ‘HELL SHIP’ ALONG WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHER PRISONERS AND TRANSPORTED TO FORMOSA, ‘TAIWAN’. WHILE THE SHIP WAS ANCHORED IN THE FORMOSA TAKAO ‘KAOHSIUNG’ HARBOR, HE WAS KILLED JANUARY 9, 1945 WHEN THE SHIP WAS BOMBED AND STRAFED BY U.S. NAVAL AIRCRAFT FROM THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER, USS HORNET. LATER HE WAS DECLARED MISSING IN ACTION AND MEMORIALIZED AT THE MANILA AMERICAN CEMETERY, FORT BONIFACIO, MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART MEDAL. HIS UNIT WAS AWARDED A PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION AND THE PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION AGAINST THE JAPANESE ARMED FORCES.