World War II Honoree

Louis Paul Bartholomees

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Golden, Colorado

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Captain. He served with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Philippines, assigned to the 71st Engineer Battalion, and a subordinate unit of the 21st Philippine Army Division. His Battalion was based at Tayug, Luzon Island Location: Southwest Pacific Theater of Operations. His unit participated in the Battle of the Philippines, the conquest of the Philippines by the Imperial Japanese Armed forces. While retreating to the Bataan Peninsula, he was captured Thursday, April 9, 1942 during the ensuing Bataan Battle. The enemy subjected him to participate in the Bataan Death March, with incarceration at the Prisoner of War Camp #1 Cabanatuan, Luzon Island. Wednesday, December 13, 1944 he boarded the Japanese ‘Hell Ship’ Oryoku Maru Destination: Japan via Formosa. Friday, December 15, 1944 he was reported missing in action, when the transport was attacked, and sunk by U.S. Naval Fighter Pilots, who were assigned to the USS Hornet Aircraft Carrier. In remembrance of the brave, his name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Location: Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippine Islands. In his Memory and Honor, this American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster posthumously, for his Heroism and ultimate sacrifice.