World War II Honoree

James V. Pickens

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Bernalillo, New Mexico

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private 1st Class. A member of the New Mexico Army National Guard inducted into Federal Service January 6, 1941 at Albuquerque, New Mexico. Deployed to the Philippine Islands and served with Alpha Battery an element of the 200th Coastal Artillery Anti-aircraft Regiment, the Harbor Defense of Manila and Subic Bays, Philippine Islands. He participated in the Philippine Islands Campaign (Battle Dates: December 8, 1941-May 6, 1942), the conquest of the Philippine Islands by the Japan Empire. Thursday, April 9, 1942 the invaders captured him on the Island of Luzon during the Battle of Bataan, while his unit was in retreat to the Bataan Peninsula. As a prisoner of war, his captors forced him to participate in the Bataan Death March and held captive in an unknown Prisoner of War Camp in the Philippine Islands for 159 days. On Tuesday, September 15, 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. In his memory at the Bataan Memorial Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, his name is engraved on one of the twelve granite columns. He was an American Patriot, who so gallantly gave his life for his country.