World War II Honoree

Paul D. Morehouse

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Seattle, Washington

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: 1ST LIEUTENANT. JAPANESE PRISONER OF WAR FOR 33 MONTHS. SERVED WITH THE UNITED STATES ARMY 59TH COASTAL ARTILLERY ANTIAIRCRAFT REGIMENT, THE HARBOR DEFENSES OF MANILA AND SUBIC BAYS. HE WAS STATIONED ON THE ISLAND OF CORREGIDOR ‘THE ROCK’, LOCATED ACROSS THE BAY FROM MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND WAS CAPTURED MAY 6, 1942 WHEN GENERAL WAINWRIGHT WAS FORCED TO SURRENDER CORREGIDOR TO THE JAPANESE INVADING FORCES. TRANSFERRED TO THE MAINLAND BY BARGE AND WAS HELD CAPTIVE AT AN UNKNOWN PRISONER OF WAR CAMP ON LUZON, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. ON DECEMBER 13, 1944 HE BOARDED THE JAPANESE ‘HELL SHIP’ ORYOKU MARU ALONG WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHER PRISONERS DESTINED FOR JAPAN VIA FORMOSA. WHILE ANCHORED IN THE SUBIC BAY HARBOR, IT WAS ATTACKED AND SUNK DECEMBER 15, 1944 BY U.S. NAVAL AIRCRAFT FIGHTERS FROM THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER, USS HORNET. HE SURVIVED THE ORYOKU ASSAULT AND WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE ‘HELL SHIP’ BRAZIL MARU AND DIED WHILE EN-ROUTE TO JAPAN AND REPORTED AS MISSING IN ACTION, LOST AT SEA SUNDAY, JANUARY 28, 1945. HE IS MEMORIALIZED IN THE TABLETS OF THE MISSING AT THE MANILA AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL, LOCATED AT FORT BONIFACIO, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. DECORATION AND CITATION: PURPLE HEART. THIS AMERICAN PATRIOT WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART, WHO SO GALLANTLY GAVE HIS LIFE IN DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY. HIS REGIMENT WAS AWARDED A PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION WITH 2 BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS AND THE PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION FOR EXCEPTIONAL VALOR AND HEROISM IN ACTION AGAINST THE JAPANESE ARMED FORCES.