World War II Honoree

Leroy H. Gilbert

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Canon City, Colorado

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Private. Inducted into the United States Army Air Corps on June 28, 1941 at Fort Logan, Colorado. Following the completion of his basic military training and aviation training, he was deployed to the Philippines, and based at Clark Airfield, Luzon Island. He was assigned, to the 440th Ordnance Company, 19th Bomber Group, V-Bomber Command and an element of the U.S. Far-East Fifth Air Force. When the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces invaded the Philippine Islands on January 2, 1942, his unit became involved in the Battle of the Philippines. While in retreat to the Bataan Peninsula, he was captured on Thursday, April 9, 1942 during the ensuing Bataan Battle. His captors subjected him to participate in the Bataan Death March, and detained at an unstated Prisoner of War Camp. On Sunday, August 20, 1944 he boarded the Japanese ‘Hell Ship’ Shinyo Maru destination: Japan via Formosa. He was reported Missing in Action or buried at sea on Thursday, September 7, 1944, when the transport was torpedoed and sunk by the USS Submarine Paddle (SS-263), off the northwest coast of Mindanao Island. In remembrance of the Brave, his name is permanently inscribed in the Tablets of the Missing, memorialized at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippines. In his Memory and Honor, this American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his Heroism and ultimate sacrifice.