World War II Honoree

Billy Ray Ball

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Matthews, Missouri

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private First Class. On September 29, 1941, he was inducted into the United States Army at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. Deployed to the Philippine Islands, Southwest Pacific Theater of Operations, and based at Fort Santiago, Luzon Island. Served with the U.S. Army Headquarters Detachment, and an element of the Philippine Department. Assigned to a Provisional Infantry Company, he participated in the Battle of the Philippines (Battle Dates: December 8, 1941-May 6, 1942), the conquest of the Philippine Islands by the Imperial Japanese Army and Naval forces. While his unit was retreating to the Bataan Peninsula in the ‘Battle of Bataan’ on Luzon, he was captured by the Japanese Forces April 9, 1942. His captors subjected him to participate in the Bataan Death March, incarnated at the Cabanatuan Prisoner of War Camp, Nueva Province Luzon. On Monday, September 28, 1942 he died of unknown causes, and buried in the Cabanatuan Prisoner of War cemetery. After the cessation of hostilities with Japan, the American Graves Registration Service personnel, transferred the remains from Cabanatuan cemetery to the American cemetery in Manila, Philippine Islands, and were buried as unknowns. In May of 2017, a team from the Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency disinterred the remains of six unknowns. The remains were transferred to the Agencies laboratory in Hawaii were he was identified. The remains of this Soldier were interred with Military Honors, May 4, 2018 at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in Saint Louis, Missouri. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.