World War II Honoree

Donald C. Davis

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Colorado

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: CORPORAL. BATAAN JAPANESE PRISONER OF WAR FOR 42 MONTHS. SERVED WITH THE U.S. ARMY, G BATTERY, 59TH COASTAL ARTILLERY ‘ANTIAIRCRAFT’ REGIMENT, THE HARBOR DEFENSES OF MANILA AND SUBIC BAY. HE WAS STATIONED ON THE ISLAND OF CORREGIDOR ‘THE ROCK’, LOCATED ACROSS THE BAY FROM MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. HE WAS CAPTURED MAY 6, 1942 WHEN GENERAL WAINWRIGHT WAS FORCED TO SURRENDER CORREGIDOR TO THE JAPANESE INVADING FORCES. HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE MAINLAND BY BARGE AND WAS HELD CAPTIVE AT AN UNKNOWN PRISONER OF WAR CAMP ON LUZON. EVENTUALLY TRANSPORTED TO JAPAN ON A JAPANESE ‘HELL SHIP’ ALONG WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHER PRISONERS AND INTERNED AT THE TOKYO PRISONER OF WAR CAMP ‘SHINJUKU’ TOKYO BAY, JAPAN. WHILE IN JAPAN, HE WORKED AS A FORCED LABORER UNTIL HIS LIBERATION AND REPATRIATED BACK TO U.S. MILITARY CONTROL OCTOBER 21, 1945.