World War II Honoree

Roy Max Offerle

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Laredo, Texas

Honored By

Douglas M. Alford, USN

HE WAS 16 YEARS OLD WHEN HE JOINED THE TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD AND RECEIVED BASIC TRAINING AT FORT POLK, LOUISIANA. HE WAS 18 YEARS OLD WHEN IT WAS ACTIVATED IN WWII. HE RECEIVED ADDITIONAL TRAINING AT BROWNWOOD, TEXAS. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 2ND BATTALION, 131ST FIELD ARTILLERY, 36TH DIVISION AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE THREE INCH GUNNERY CREW WHERE HE BECAME FAMILIAR WITH ALL POSITIONS ON THE CREW. HE WENT TO THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS ON THE USS REPUBLIC ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE JAPANESE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR. HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS BUT HAD TO PULL INTO BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA AFTER THE ATTACK. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO A GUNNERY CREW ON THE ISLAND OF JAVA. HE WAS IN SKIRMISHES WITH THE JAPANESE ON THE ISLAND AND AFTER HIS SUPPLIES AND AMMUNITION RAN OUT HIS CREW HAD TO SURRENDER OR BE KILLED. HE AND OTHER MEMBERS TRIED TO ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAINS BUT HE WAS RETURNED TO HIS UNIT BY THE JAPANESE. HE WAS A PRISONER OF WAR AND WAS PLACED IN SEVERAL CAMPS WHERE HE WAS BEATEN AND MISTREATED. HIS FINAL DESTINATION WAS THE RAILROAD OF DEATH WHERE THEY WERE TO LAY A 250 MILE RAILROAD ACROSS THE ISLAND. THEY WERE REQUIRED TO WORK FOURTEEN TO SIXTEEN HOURS A DAY WITH LITTLE FOOD OR REST. THEY WERE SUBJECT TO THE TROPICAL DISEASES WITH LITTLE OR NO MEDICAL TREATMENT. HE SPENT FORTY-TWO MONTHS AT THIS CAMP BEFORE THE END OF THE WAR. HE WAS REDUCED TO LESS THAN 100 POUNDS. AT HIS RELEASE HE WAS TAKEN TO CALCUTTA AND WHEN HE WAS WELL ENOUGH TO TRAVEL HE WAS FLOWN TO NEW YORK CITY WHERE HE REMAINED FOR ONE YEAR. WHEN HE RECOVERED ENOUGH HE WAS PLACED ON A TRAIN TO FORT SAM HOUSTON AND RELEASED TO RETURN TO HIS HOME IN LAREDO. DURING HIS TOUR HE RECEIVED THE PURPLE HEART, PHILIPPINE DEFENSE RIBBON WITH TWO BATTLE STARS, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE RIBBON WITH ONE BATTLE STAR, PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION WITH TWO OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, BATAAN MEDAL; ISSUED BY THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO AND GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL.