World War II Honoree

Emanuel M. Garcia

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Arizona

Honored By

David Rodriguez

HE ENLISTED ON SEPTEMBER 14, 1940 AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE MEDICAL DETACHMENT OF HEADQUARTERS SQUADRON, 19TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (HEAVY) BASED AT DEL MONTE AIR BASE ON MINDANAO IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. ON DECEMBER 19, 1941 THE JAPANESE BOMBED DEL MONTE AIR BASE WHICH CONTINUED TO OPERATE UNTIL MAY 1, 1942 WHEN IT WAS ABANDONED TO THE JAPANESE INVADERS. HE BECAME A PRISONER OF WAR ON MAY 7, 1942 INITIALLY IMPRISONED AT CAMP CASISANG NEAR MALAYBALAY, MINDANAO THEN MOVED TO PRISONER OF WAR CAMP #2 AT DAVAO, MINDANAO IN OCTOBER 1942. BY AUGUST 1944, THE TIDE OF WAR HAD TURNED AGAINST THE JAPANESE AND THEY BEGAN MOVING PRISONERS TO OTHER CAMPS IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, KOREA, CHINA AND JAPAN. ON SEPTEMBER 7, 1944, HE WAS LOADED ONBOARD THE FREIGHTER, SHINYO MARU, AS PART OF A SEVEN VESSEL CONVOY SAILING FOR CEBU ISLAND THEN TO THE HOME ISLANDS OF JAPAN. THE SHINYO MARU HAD NO MARKINGS IDENTIFYING IT AS A PRISONER OF WAR TRANSPORT SHIP AND AT 4:37 PM IT WAS ATTACKED AND SUNK BY THE AMERICAN SUBMARINE USS PADDLE. HE DID NOT SURVIVE.