World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Francis Earle Bergquist
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Hometown
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Honored By
Johanna (Jan) Bergquist Moore & Chris Bergquist Fulmer
Relationship
Daughters
INDUCTED IN THE U.S ARMY ON MARCH 14, 1941 AT SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO. ATTENDED BASIC TRAINING AND RANGE SECTION OPERATOR TRAINING AT FORT BLISS, TEXAS AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 200TH COAST ARTILLERY BATTALION, BATTERY B. IN SEPTEMBER 1941, THE UNIT MOVED BY TROOP TRAIN TO SAN FRANCISCO. BOARDED THE SHIP SS PRESIDENT PIERCE TO THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS VIA HAWAII. LANDED AT MANILA AND SET UP DEFENSIVE GUN EMPLACEMENTS AT FORT STOTSENBURG AND WAS ATTACKED ON DECEMBER 8, 1941. MOVED OUT CHRISTMAS EVE, 1941 TO THE BATAAN PENINSULA. WOUNDED BY SHRAPNEL IN EARLY APRIL 1942. LANDED AT CORREGIDOR ON APRIL 11, 1942. JOINED BATTERY I, 59TH COASTAL ARTILLERY REGIMENT AND WAS SENT TO CABALLO ISLAND FOR ANTI-AIRCRAFT DEFENSE. CORREGIDOR FELL ON MAY 6, 1942 AND HE WAS TAKEN PRISONER. HE WAS INTERNED AT CABANATUAN CAMP 3 AND FOR A SHORT TIME AT CABANATUAN CAMP 1. LATER HE WAS SENT TO CLARK FIELD FOR WORK DETAILS AND THEN WAS TRANSFERRED TO BILIBID, AN OLD PRISON CAMP HOSPITAL IN MANILA TO BE TREATED FOR DYSENTERY, DRY BERIBERI, HEPATITIS, PELLAGERA AND DENGUE FEVER. ON JULY 17, 1944 HE WAS TRANSPORTED BY THE HELLSHIP NISSYOU MARU TO JAPAN AND WAS SENT TO THE NARUMI SUB CAMP #10 NEAR NAGOYA. HERE HE LABORED AT THE MITSUI LOCOMOTIVE FACTORY UNTIL THE END OF WAR. ON SEPTEMBER 4, HE LEFT THE PRISON CAMP FLEW TO OKINAWA. LEFT OKINAWA AND ARRIVED AT MANILA, PHILIPPINES, THEN TO SAN FRANCISCO. HOSPITALIZED AT LETTERMAN GENERAL HOSPITAL IN SAN FRANCISCO AND ALSO AT SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO AND SAN ANTONIO BROOKE ARMY HOSPITAL. SEPARATED HONORABLY AT FORT SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS ON JULY 14, 1946. AWARDED THE BRONZE STAR, PURPLE HEART, PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL WITH BRONZE STAR, AMERICAN THEATER MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE STARS, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND PHILIPPINES DEFENSE RIBBON WITH BRONZE STAR. ALSO RECEIVED THE DISTINGUISHED UNIT BADGE WITH 2 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS. HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON AND 7 GOLD OVERSEAS SERVICE BARS FOR 3 1/2 YEARS. U.S. SERIAL NUMBER: 38 011 827.