World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
Bobbie B. Compton
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Hometown
Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Honored By
Orville L. Kline
RANK: PRIVATE 1ST CLASS. JAPANESE PRISONER OF WAR FOR 26 MONTHS. INDUCTED INTO THE ARMY SEPTEMBER 7, 1940 AT FORT BLISS, EL PASO, TEXAS. SERVED WITH ECHO BATTERY, 59TH COASTAL ARTILLERY REGIMENT 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 ARMED FORCES. TRANSFERRED TO THE MAINLAND BY BARGE, INCARCERATED AT THE PRISONER OF WAR CAMP #1 CABANATUAN. ON OCTOBER 8, 1942 HE BOARDED THE JAPANESE ‘HELL SHIP’ TOTTORI MARU ALONG WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHER PRISONERS AND TRANSPORTED TO THE HOTEN PRISONER OF WAR CAMP, MUKDEN, MANCHURIA. HE ARRIVED AT CAMP HOTEN ON NOVEMBER 11, 1942 WHERE HE WAS HELD CAPTIVE AS A PRISONER OF WAR UNTIL HIS DEATH, FRIDAY, JULY 14, 1944. AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES WITH THE JAPANESE ARMED FORCES, HIS REMAINS WERE RETURNED TO HAWAII, WITH INTERMENT IN THE HAWAII NATIONAL CEMETERY ‘PUNCHBOWL’, HONOLULU, HAWAII.