World War II Honoree

Delbert R. Fear

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Knox, Indiana

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private. Inducted into the United States Army February 25, 1941 at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. Upon his graduation from recruit training, he was designate to attend the Flight Aviation Training Program. Later deployed to the Philippine Islands Location: Southwest Pacific Theater of Operations, and based at Nichols Airfield, Luzon Island. He served with the Air Warning Service Company, V-Interceptor Command, a subordinate unit of the U.S. Fifth Far East Air Force. His unit participated in the Battle of the Philippines, the conquest of the Philippine Islands by the Imperial Japanese Army and Naval Forces (Battle Dates: December 8, 1941-May 6, 1942). While retreating to the Bataan Peninsula, he was captured on 9 April during the ensuing Bataan Battle. As a prisoner, his captors subjected him to participate in the Bataan Death March, detained at the Prisoner of War Camp #1 Cabanatuan, Luzon Island. Saturday, June 27, 1942 he died of unknown causes, with burial in the Prisoner Cemetery. In the post-war era personnel from a Graves Registration Company disinterred his remains from the camp cemetery, and were laid to rest in the United States Armed Forces Cemetery Location: Manila #2 Manila, Philippine Islands. This Airman’s family requested that he be buried with Military Honors at Manila American Cemetery. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his Heroism and ultimate sacrifice.