World War II Honoree

John F. Griffin

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Boston, Massachusetts

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private 1st Class. Inducted into the United States Army October 8, 1940 at Boston, Massachusetts and deployed to the Philippine Islands after the completion of his Combat Infantry Training and Communication Schooling. Served with the Seventeenth Signal Platoon an element of the U.S. Army Signal Corps stationed on the Island of Mindanao. He participated in the Philippine Campaign (Battle Dates: December 8, 1941-May 6, 1942), the conquest of the Philippine Islands by the Japanese Imperial forces. Thursday, April 9, 1942 the invaders on the Island of Luzon captured him during the Battle of Bataan, while his unit was in retreat to the Bataan Peninsula. As a Japanese Prisoner of War, his captors forced him to participate in the Bataan Death March and held captive at an unknown Prisoner of War Camp on Luzon, Philippine Islands for 191 days. On Saturday, October 17, 1942, he died of unknown causes and buried in a Japanese Prisoner of War Cemetery on Luzon. After the cessation of hostilities with Japan, the remains of this Soldier were transferred to the American Cemetery located at Fort Bonifacio in Manila, Philippine Islands. Decorations and Citations: Purple Heart, American Campaign Medal, Prisoner of War Medal and the WWII Victory Medal. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, who so gallantly gave his life for his country.