World War II Honoree

Wayne Milo Evans

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Ward, Montana

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private. On April 2, 1942, he entered the United States Army at Fort Missoula, Montana, deployed to the Philippine Islands upon the completion of his combat/artillery training. He was stationed at Fort Mills on the Island of Corregidor, assigned to Battery-G, an element of the 59th Anti-aircraft Regiment, the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays. His regiment participated in the siege of Corregidor against the Imperial Japanese Army and Naval forces (Battle Dates: May 5-6, 1942). The Imperial Forces captured him on the second day of the invasion when General Wainwright, Commander of allied forces capitulated to the enemy. His captors transferred him to the mainland after his detainment of two weeks on Corregidor, and incarcerated at the Prisoner of War Camp #1 Cabanatuan located on the Island of Luzon. On Thursday, November 19, 1942, he died of unknown causes and buried in a common grave along with thirteen other prisoners at the Cabanatuan Prisoner of War Cemetery. In June of 2014, a private organization discovered a collective burial grave and the remains were transferred to the defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action accounting agency in Hawaii where he was identified. The remains of this Soldier were interred July 16, 2016 with Military Honors at the Riverview Cemetery in Hamilton, Montana. This Soldier, an American Patriot, awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, who so gallantly gave his life for his country.