Finding Hershel...: Richard Gordon

Friday, July 26, 2002

Richard Gordon

Correspondence with Richard Gordon, Major, US Army Retired - Battling Bastards of Bataan. Re: telephone call in '02...

Richard Gordon was on burial detail at both camps O'Donnell & Cabanatuan, where my grandfather was.

"Men were buried without identification in mass graves. In the month of June 1942, 503 men died there. July saw the greatest number of deaths occured (since capture) - 786. All were Bataan men. He states that out of the 3,000 Americans who died in that camp, more than 95 percent were men of Bataan. When remains were exhumed in 1945, they were placed in the American cemetary and those without dog tags (numerous) were listed as MIA. (States that he is afriad that this is what happened to Hershel)."

"As to the Purple Heart: In 1963, President Kennedy ordered the Purple Heart to be awarded to all former prisoners of war, but not retroactive to include the WWII POW's. In the Mideast War of 1991, several Americans were captured and beaten, for which they received the Purple Heart. Those captured by the Japanese were beaten on a daily basis yet were never awarded the Purple Heart. The pain and torture that such prisoners endured far exceeded the beatings given to two soldiers in 1991.

The biggest obstacle to any attempt to gain the Purple Heart for such men captured by the Japanese us the "Order of the Purple Heart". They don't think that the POW's were "wounded" as called for in award of such a medal. This has been a source of irritation to many a prisoner of the Japanese. One day when all are dead, such an award will be made posthumously, but that will come too late.

Sgt Covey's name is listed on the wall at the Cabanatuan Memorial Site, which we survivors of both Bataan and Corregidor erected and dedicated (by themselves with no help from the govt) in 1986. In April of 2000, without any outside help, we erected a memorial found on our website to our comrades who perished in O'Donnell..."

Note: Richard later agreed to help me help .. senators office in rewriting a bill to offer compensation to survivors - at the time, the bill that was presented held incorrect information and noone showed any interest in supporting it. The bill was to be rewritten and "re presented". My son was born in May and we moved to Germany the following July.

No comments:

About Hershel

Subject: Hershel Lee Covey (Prisoner of War/Missing in Action - Philippine Islands) Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Corps/Forces 06656424 File number: XC 03758467

Headquarters Squadron, 24th Pursuit Group (Hq & Hq Squadron 4th Comp Gp, Nichols Fld, Rizal, P.I.)

Entered the Service from: (?) Greencastle, Indiana

Born: 09 Jan 1915

MIA: 07 My 1942 in the SW Pacific Area, Philippine Islands (POW camp Cabanatuan)

Died: 17 July 1942

Camp 501 Prisoner of War Camp #1 - Cabanatuan 1-2-3, Nueve Province, Luzon, Philippines 15-121. (*source NARA, electronic records)

TIMELINE

INDIANA

03/18/1913 - Dorothy Irene Stone (SSN 308-24-6003) was born in Bedford Indiana.

09/01/1915 - Hershel Lee Covey (ASN 6656424) was born in Bedford Indiana.

1918 - Hershels father, Milton Evert Covey, dies

1920 - Lawrence County, Shawswick Township 14th Census of the United States 1920 Population (1514-15-15) indicates that Dorothy lived with Hershel and her mother who was widowed at the time. Nellie's age was 27, Dorothy was 6 and Hershel was 5.

MILITARY

01/18/1933-04/17/1934 – Hershel entered service.

04/18/1934 - 11/11/1936 – CG * Records show no teeth missing, no teeth filled, no record of fractures or breaks. (*check prior charts dated 01/18/1933)

1936 - Hershel's mother, Nellie, dies (cancer)

10/15/1937-10/14/1940 – ETS

11/17/1937 - Dorothy married Austin Aubrey McGill of Indianapolis, at Tipton County Indiana.

06/02/1939 - Hershel married Ellen Galliher (age 24) in Pasay City.

07/30/1940 - William Lee Covey was born.

10/12/1940 - (age 27) Physical showed that he was 5 feet 6 1/2 (66 1/2) inches; weight 145/136(8)* lbs; eyes - blue(grey); hair - blonde/light brown; shoe size - 6 1/2 E / 8 D*. (*Records differ.)

10/15/1940 - ETS - dental charts show no fractures or breaks, tattoos or birthmarks. No dental records available.

12/11/1940 – Medical exam record in file. Height - 5ft 7 ½”, 143 lbs, chest girth = 35 ½”, expired = 34” inspired = 37 ½”, girth of abdomen = 31”. Perfect health. Exam done in office, Nichols Field.

Either on 12/11/1940 or…01/01/1941 (submitted?) – Hershel filled out life insurance form designating Dorothy as beneficiary. Her address was 205 East Berry Street, Greencastle, Indiana.

02/01/1941 - Effective date National Service Life Insurance $5,000 authorized (to Dorothy) to commence 7/17/1942, in monthly payments of $27.55 until 06/17/1962.

05/10/1941 – Certificate covering insurance mailed to Hershels service address at HQ, Nichols Field.

08/08/1941 - 24th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) constituted.

*4th Composite Group broke apart with a B 18 Squad - transferred to newly arriving 19th Bombardment Group and the others became part of the 35th Pursuit Group. Two others became the 24th Pursuit Group. (*source - conversations with one of the men who were in the group but did not know my grandfather).

10/01/1941 - 24th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) activated in the Philippine Islands. Commander is Col Orrin L Grover until 04/1942 (*source - http://www.armyairforces.com/dbgroups.asp?Group=46)

11/10/1941 – Hershel writes Dorothy according to Dorothy letter dated 11/21/1944.

WAR IN THE PACIFIC

11/7/1941 - Japan attacks Pearl Harbor. The American Pacific Naval Fleet suffered heavy losses in both lives and ships. The Fleet was incapacitated and could not in that state, defend American interest in the Pacific Rim and in Asia.

12/08/1941 - Just eight hours later (due to the difference in time zones), Japan launched an aerial attack on Philippines.

See Battle of Battan Link

When enemy aircraft were reported to be approaching Luzon on the morning of 8 Dec (7 Dec in the US), the 24th Pursuit Group attempted to intercept but failed because radar and visual sighting facilities were inadequate.

Hershel "in beleagured status", according to later documents from War Dept.

Later that day, after the groups planes either had landed for refueling or had run so low on fuel that they could not fight, the Japanese attacked and inflicted heavy losses on the organization. Augmented by two attached squadrons (21st and 34th) and equipped with P-35 and P-40 aircraft, the 24th Pursuit Group comprised the entire pursuit force in the Philippines in Dec of 1941. Most of the American Air Force was destroyed while the planes were still on the ground.

In the days that followed, the group's strength declined rapidly, but the 24th flew some patrol and reconnaissance missions, engaged the enemy in the air, and attacked enemy airfields and shipping.

(Note II: Although not remanned, the group was carried on the list of active organizations until after the war. Inactivated on 2 Apr 1946. P-40 Warhawk Curtiss &P-35 Seversky - source: http://www.armyairforces.com/dbgroups.asp?Group=46)

A few days later, Japanese forces, led by Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma, landed on the Philippines. The Japanese landings were in Northern Luzon and in the Southern Mindanao Islands.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Commander of the Filipino-American forces decided to meet the Japanese at their points of landing. This course of action deviated from the original War Plan, devised prior to WW II, which called for the American forces to withdraw into the Bataan Peninsula in case of attack.

At the beginning of the war, the Covey family was split. William's younger brother, Michael, was sent to live with friends. William stayed with his mother. The family was afraid that the Japanese would kill the children of American soldiers.

By late Dec, the ground personnel of the 24th Pursuit Group were absorbed by infantry units and some pilots were evacuated to Australia. The remaining pilots continued operations in the Philippines with the few planes that were left. Eventually all of the men (except the few who had gone to Australia), were either killed or captured by the enemy.

Inexperienced troops failed to stop the Japanese at these points of landing. MacArthur had to revert back to the original plan, withdrawing the Filipino-American forces into the Bataan Peninsula.

01/02/1942 - The Northern Luzon forces were in place for the defense of Bataan. Their mission, in the baseball vernacular, was to "lay down a bunt". They were to stall the Japanese advancement by forcing them to use much of their troops and resources in the capturing of the Philippines for as long as possible. This would buy the necessary time needed to rebuild the American Pacific Fleet which at the time had been crippled by the Pearl Harbor attack and the bombing of the American Air Bases in the Philippines.

The Filipino-American Defense of Bataan was hampered by many factors:
a) A shortage of food, ammunition, medicine, and attendant materials.
b) Most of the ammunition was old and corroded. The AA shells lacked proper fuses, as did many of the 155mm artillery shells.
c) Tanks, Trucks, and other vehicles were in short supply, as was the gasoline needed to power these items of warfare.
d) Poorly trained Filipino troops, most of who never fired a weapon, were thrown into frontline combat against highly trained Japanese veterans.
Americans from non-combatant outfits such as air corpsmen (Hershel?), and in some instances civilians, were formed into provisional infantry units.

****more info to be placed here.

The Defenders of Bataan continued to hold their ground without reinforcements and without being re-supplied. Disease, malnutrition, fatigue, and a lack of basic supplies took their toll.

02/01/1942 - National Service Life Insurance $5,000 authorized to Dorothy to commence 7/17/1942 in monthly payments of $27.55 until 06/17/1962. Form was lost, but was signed (?)

03/11/1942 - Gen. MacArthur was ordered to Australia. Gen. Wainwright took his place in Corregidor as Commander of the Philippine forces and Gen. King took Wainwright's place as Commander of the Fil-American forces in Bataan.

Around the latter part of March, Gen. King and his staff assessed the fighting capabilities of his forces in view of an impending major assault planned by Gen. Homma. Gen. King and his staff determined the Fil-American forces in Bataan could only fight at 30% of their efficiency due to malnutrition, disease, a lack of ammunition/basic supplies and fatigue.

"...2,500-3,000 caraboa (water buffalo) slaughtered on Bataan, between 6 January and 8 April. Toward the latter part of this period and after forage for animals was exhausted, the horses of the 26th Cavalry (PS) (about 250) and about 48 pack mules were slaughtered for food on a priority basis..." "By 2 March 1942, individuals had used up their reserve and they were deteriorating rapidly in the physical sense and by 1 April, the combat efficiency was rapidly approaching the zero point."

"Transportation: a) The Motor Transport Service, as such, was organized about 21 March 1942, at the time of designation and organization of the Luzon Force. Prior to this time, Regular Army units, in general, were well equipped with transportation, while Philippine Army units had only improvised and inadequate means of transportation composed of commandeered commercial vehicles. After about 21 March, a limited number of vehicles were assigned to all units which were entitled to them by basic allowances and the remaining vehicles were organized into four regiment Motor Transport Service. Companies A and B, 12th QM Regiment (PS), formed the nucleus of the 1st Regiment, MTS. The 2ns Regiment was formed from the Air Corps QM units as a nucleus. One QM Company of Air Corps was used in the 4th Regiment. All other motor transports units were made up of commercial vehicles operated by civilian drivers. These civilian drivers gave satisfactory service. The Motor Transport Service had a total of about 1,200 vehicles of which about 200 were military vehicles and the remainder commercial. b. Spare parts for motor vehicles were adequate for the number of vehicles, which were able to operate on the reduced gasoline allowances."

* According to my conversations with a Mr. Antonio Casanova (approx. four years ago), he worked under Hershel. According to Mr. Casanova, Hershel was considered an 'old-timer' because of his time in service and was well respected. He said that he remembered him and vaguely remembers seeing his children at one point. When the 31st Squadron was cut off by the Japanese, Hershel was the one delegating the motor pool and sent Antonio Casanova out on numerous missions to deliver supplies to soldiers stranded behind enemy lines in a command car. He said that twice a day for 35 days, he drove behind these lines whilst evading Japanese snipers who were hidden in the trees. He added that he drove through these trees while getting shot at through both the engine and the windshield. He told me that he did not harbour any resentment toward Hershel though - that he understood that that was what they had to do. (Note I: 17,31,20 comprised the group - 24th was in charge? - source: Antonio Casanova; Note II - not sure if this was before or after retreat?)

04/03/1942 - The Japanese launched their all out final offensive to take Bataan.

THE DEATH MARCH

04/09/1942 - Gen. King surrendered his forces on Bataan, after the Japanese had broken through the Fil-American last main line of resistance. The Japanese assembled their captive Fil-American soldiers in the various sectors in Bataan, but mainly at Mariveles, the southern most tip of the Peninsula.

Although American trucks were available to transport the prisoners, the Japanese decided to march the Defenders of Bataan to their destinations. This march came to be known as the "Death March".

The "Death March" was really a series of marches, which lasted from five to nine days. The distance a captive had to march was determined by where on the trail the captive began the march.

The basic trail of the "Death March" was as follows: a 55-mile march from Mariveles, Bataan to San Fernando, Pangpanga. At San Fernando, the prisoners were placed into train-cars made for cargo and railed to Capas, Tarlac, a distance of around 24 miles. Dozens died standing up in the railroad cars as the cars were so cramped that there was no room for the dead to fall. They were then marched another six miles to their final destination, Camp O'Donnell.

Several thousand men died on the "Death March". Many died because they were not in any physical condition to undertake such a march. Once on the march, they were not given any food or water. Japanese soldiers killed many of them through various means. Also,POWs were repeatedly beaten and treated inhumanely as they marched.

CAMP O'DONNELL

About 9,300 Americans reached Camp O'Donnell after completing the Death March. About 600-650 Americans died on the March. During the first forty days of the camp's existence, more than 1,500 more Americans were to die. At least 25,000 Filipinos died by July 1942 in the same camp. All of the deaths were the direct result of malnutrition on Bataan, disease, and the atrocities committed by the Japanese on the March.

05/06/1942 - Corregidor falls. These troops were taken across Manila Bay to Manila and then by train to Prison Camp Cabanatuan, Cabanatuan, P.I.

05/07/1942 - Hershel is listed as "Missing In Action".

Approximately, 1,600 Americans died in the first forty days in Camp O'Donnell. Almost 20,000 Filipinos died in their first four months of captivity in the same camp. The healthier prisoners took turns burying their comrades into mass graves just as they themselves would be buried days or weeks later. ***more info to be placed here.

Camp O'Donnell did not have the sanitation sub-structure or water supply necessary to hold such a large amount of men. Many died from diseases they had since Bataan. Many caught new diseases while at the Camp. There was little medicine available to the prisoners. Their inadequate diets also contributed to the high death rate. Diseases such as dysentery (from a lack of safe drinking water) and Beri-Beri (from malnutrition) were common to the POWs. The Japanese soldiers continued to murder and mistreat their captives.

"Sad to say 84 percent of the American deaths (at Camp O'Donnell) were under 30 years of age and most of that group, were 21 to 23 years of age...", "over 1,600 Americans died in less than two months..."

CAMP CABANATUAN

06/06/1942 - Due to the high death rate in Camp O'Donnell, the Japanese transferred all Americans to Cabanatuan, north of Camp O'Donnell, leaving behind five hundred as caretakers and for funeral details. Hershel was amongst those who were transferred.

07/05/1942 - The rest were then sent to Cabanatuan. The Filipino prisoners were paroled, beginning in July, 1942. The prisoners from O'Donnell were in very bad shape - stark, in comparison to the prisoners from Corregidor.*

07/16/1942 – Letter from Dorothy to Adjutant General’s Office at the War Dept. requesting info on her brother's status. She indicated that he wrote to her and letter was received 09/10 (Manila) regarding issuance of a life insurance policy to her. She also indicated that she should have received receipt of the policy taken out with her as beneficiary. -Bell Tourist Ct. Franklin, Indiana.

07/23/1942 - War Dept to Administ. of Veteran's Affairs - Radio App files (?)

[Cabanatuan was the camp in which the men from Corregidor were first united with the men from Bataan. No Americans* from Corregidor ever made the "Death March" or were imprisoned in Camp O'Donnell. Not having suffered the extreme depravations and conditions endured by the men from Bataan, the prisoners from Corregidor were overall much healthier. Cabanatuan, for most prisoners, ended up being a temporary camp. The Japanese had a policy (yet another direct violation of the Geneva Convention) that prisoners were to be used as a source of labor. Eventually, most of the prisoners from there were sent to various other camps in the Philippines, China, Japan and Korea where they were used for slave labor. Some worked in mines, others in farms, others in factories and even others unloaded ships in Port Areas for the remainder of the war. Each subsequent prison camp after Cabanatuan has a story of its own. Left behind in Cabanatuan were approximately 511 officers and prisoners too sick to move. Most of those too sick to move never recovered and died in Cabanatuan.]

"The Americans taken to Cabanatuan from O'Donnell in June 1942, arrived desperately ill and starving. Of the almost 3,000 Americans who died there, 95% of them were men of Bataan, who died within the first five months of the camps existence."

07/17/1942 – It was reported that Hershel died in the line of duty. NOTICE OF DEATH: handwritten note. Report of Death 964. Died 12:30pm – number 964.

Camp 501 Prisoner of War Camp #1 - Cabanatuan 1-2-3, Nueve Province, Luzon, Philippines 15-121. (*source NARA, electronic records)

(Note - The following were taken from the roster as a possible means to find out if they have been id’d – they died around the same time.)

Number 963 – died 4:30am, 07/17/42 - PVT Tony Columbero, 6571780, 20 AB. Birth 10/12/19 (age 22). M. Mrs. A Columbero Box 184…

Number 965 – died 4:00 am, 07/17/1942 - Corp. Wayne O’Brian, 36203177, 200 CAC. Birth 07/19/18 (age 23). Dipth. Mrs. Clara O’Brien, Black River Falls….

Number 955 – died 11:45pm(?), 07/17/1942 - SGT. Wm. Nestor 6814001, 803 CE. Birth – 04/01/09 (age 33) M. DU(?). Mrs. W. Nestor Alexandria, Va.

Number 952 – died 3:00pm, 07/16/1942. SSGT Willis W. Lee, 6395983, 24th Pursuit Group. Birth – 08/08/1917 M.DU. (?) Mrs. E. A. Lee , Temple, Georgia.

Towards the end of the war, most prisoners who left Cabanatuan in 1942 were sent to the other countries mentioned in ships appropriately called "Hell Ships". These "Hell Ships" sailed from Manila to their various destinations in Japan, Korea, or China. The Japanese did not mark these ships as being prison ships, so they were targets for American planes and submarines. Thousands of Americans who were passengers on these ships met their deaths by drowning at sea.
The conditions on these ships are indescribable and were said to be far worse than the conditions endured in "Death March" and Camp O'Donnell. For the remaining three years of their captivity, the Defenders of Bataan were spread throughout the various slave labor camps in Japan, Korea, China, and the Philippines until each camp was individually liberated in 1945. These prisoners endured the whims of their brutal captors, with similar conditions and mistreatment as those experienced in the "Death March" and Camp O'Donnell - and the uncertainty of when, if ever, their captivity would end. Coming from the warm tropical climate of the Philippines, the men sent to Japan, Korea and China had to adjust to the sub-freezing temperatures of Northern Asia without the proper personal equipment and indoor heating to survive such cold temperatures. In Manchuria, China, the POWs who died in the winter were placed in an unheated shack for their bodies to freeze because the ground was so frozen and hard that they could not be buried until the spring. (*conversations with veterans)
After they were released, these men were sent to various military hospitals for physical examinations. Many of their ailments, due to malnutrition, went undiagnosed. Many of the systemic fevers they had contracted went undiagnosed. More importantly, the psychological scars they suffered were never recognized. It was not until years after the Vietnam War that the US government recognized "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" or PTSD as a legitimate disorder. It is safe to say that each of these men has carried these scars for the rest of their lives, and indirectly, so did their families.] (*conversations with families)

03/13/1943 – Letter from Director of Insurance to Dorothy McGill – Bell Tourist Court Rural Route 5, Franklin, Indiana. Certificate dated 02/01/1941 and mailed 05/10/1941 was issued in lieu of a policy. Due to conditions existing at the time, arrangements were made for the transmittal by radio of information regarding applications submitted by persons serving on foreign soil. Prior to the fall of Corregidor, info was received by radio to the effect that Hershel submitted an application for life insurance in the amt of $5,000.

06/30/1943 (age 30), Dorothy applied for SSN as Dorothy McGill - address was 820 N. New Jersey Indianapolis, Indiana.

11/08/1944 - Dorothy wrote the War Department indicating that her brother wrote her about a life insurance policy dated 11/10/1941, in case of his death. She had already contacted the Red Cross & was expecting payment. The Red Cross told her that "under no circumstance would it be payable to her even if there was such a policy & also informed her "that he hadn't been compelled to take one out so therefore it would not be paid at all, since she was the only living relative" (?). - Dorothy McGill, Kappas St. Indianapolis, Indiana.

11/21/1944 – Dorothy wrote Veterans Administration/Nat’l Service Life Insurance – asking about the insurance policy and receipt thereof. She spoke to the Red Cross who told her that she would not receive it "even though she was the only surviving relative of insured". - Kappas Rd. Indiana.

01/05/1945 – Director of Insurance to Dorothy – "no insurance can be paid out until official report of death is issued".

01/30/1945 - Rescue at Cabanatuan (?)

04/15/1945 - Document indicating death in IDPF file. Case # 1591. No indication of place of burial or grave number. Source of info: Individual Report of Death, Cabanatuan Camp, signed by W.R. Craig, Lt. Col. MC. Also reported on three Cabanatuan hospital registers. Listed as Covey, Hershell L. (In flying status listed as unknown - in line of duty - yes.) Emergency addressees unknown..

Ref. file - 551-1 Vol IV p. 463, 1000-1-1 p.142, 550-2-2 p.2, 558-2 p. 17.964 Rated Confidential and crossed out and marked "Restricted".

05/11/1945 – Dorothy says she was notified of Hershels death according to letter dated 07/07/1945.

05/24/1945 - The Adjutant General's Office in Washington DC issued a notice of death to Dorothy - evidence showed that Hershel died on 17 July 1942 as a POW. He listed his address as Greencastle, Indiana. Case of death listed as cerebral malaria in Southwest Pacific. Beneficiaries listed: Mrs. Austin McGill (sister) 1108 Kappas St. Indianapolis, Indiana. Miss Norma Lee (neice) c/o Mrs. Autin McGill. Was also listed as a 'SPECIAL P.I. CASE' for some reason.

05/24/1945 – Casualty Branch Adjutant General’s Office DC – letter from Dorothy re: change of emergency contact address. McGill to Covey.

07/07/1945 – Dorothy writes to VA regarding her brothers death and that she hasn’t seen the application to file for insurance. She adds that she had been granted a divorce from Austin McGill. (?)

08/24/1945 - Director, Dependants Claim Service writes to American Red Cross, DC re: receipt of application for death pension executed on behalf of children. Requested marriage certificate or public/church record of marriage (which exists). Requested it be furnished within one year.

08/25/1945 (01/10/1945) - Request for Army Information Dependants Claim Service re: claimants William and Michael - minor children of veteran. Unresolved at time. No Class E or F Allotment authorized in favor of children. Entitlements to pay ceased 11/05/1945. Records do not disclose whether claimants received or are entitled to receive arrears of pay.

10/10/1945 - Caroline Topacio (aunt) offically appointed as guardian. (Oklahoma)

11/14/1945 - Director of Insurance writes to Dorothy re: claim and statement of divorce from Austin McGill - decree of divorce was requested.

03/21/1946 - Director of Dependants Claims Service writes to Caroline Topacio - that it has been determined that William and Michael, children of veteran are entitled to award of death pension.

06/27/1946 - R.J. Hinton of the Dependants Claims Service writes to Caroline Topacio notifying her that as the guardian of William and Michael, children of the veteran Hershel Covey, she is awarded a pension. And to Red Cross that the award has been approved.

06/28/1946 (?) - Dorothy wrote Veteran's Admin. to notify them of address change from Kappas St. to 1211 Shepard Street Indianapolis, Indiana. Her name had been changed to Dorothy Covey. (Divorce?). She requested (PS) that she be notified "as to whom is second beneficiaries on these policies".

12/06/1946 - Veterans Admin Regional Office, Oklahoma - to Director of Finance VA. Stop payment requested - guardianship of children to be transferred to Philippines. 97 Cinco de Junio St. Pasay, Rizal, PI.

01/22/1947 - Philippine Trust Company was then appointed as Guardian of the property of the children. All checks given to Caroline Topacio, guardian.

04/04/1947 - WAR DEPARTMENT, Office of the Quartermaster General (Memorial Div) to Commanding General Phil Command, San Francisco, requesting info on Hershel (via radio?)

05/01/1947 - HQ, USAF Cemetary Manila #2 - review of records do not reveal Hershel as being interred as a known or possible unknown in any cemetary under this hq. Toothchart and circumstances of death of subject deceased do not compare favorably with any of the unknowns recovered from Cabanatuan POW Camp Luzon, PI.

05/12/1947 - Ref. Letter from Sector Graves Service to Quartermaster General, DC - remains unrecovered. Even when records show cause of death, the Japanese Army during its three years of occupation made efforts to blot out completely all American handiwork. They obliterated markers, burned crosses, and plot maps, death registers etc. Natural disintegration under tropical conditions completed the ruin of reliable means of identification - when recovery has been made, it is in unknown classification.

12/29/1948 - ID of Unknown Deceased from Memorial Division to Commanding General Calif. Re: AGRS Mausoleum Manila. Hangar 802, Bay C, Crypt 1--3, previously interred in USAF Cemetary, Manila #2, Plot 3, Row 21, Grave 2603 as Unknown X-3013 - recommended that it be redesignated as remains of Hershel Covey. Dental Charts show dental records of H. Covey compares equally favorable with dental charts accomplished for other unknowns recovered from the common grave from which the remains of X-2539 were recovered.

12/28/1949 - HQ American Graves Registration Service - Philcom Zone - restricted memo re: basis for declaring remains of three unknowns unrecoverable. Unknowns died 16 and 17 July, 1942 - according to two rosters. Unknowns were previously recommended for indivual identification as remains of (named). Was disapproved per OQMC letter date 02 November, 1949. Was not possible to defininitely associate any other remains recovered from Cabanatuan cemetary with the subject decedents. On basis of available identification data all other unidentified remains from this cemetary have been checked for possible association with the subject decedents but the results were negative - findings were based on info presently available (no response from Dorothy in file). It was recommended that the remains of the subject casualties be considered non-recoverable and that all records pertaining to search for and recovery of their remains be closed.

02/11/1949 - Identification of WWII Deceased to Commanding General Phillipine Air Command - San Francisco, Cali. Reference made to proceedings of Board of Review dated 03/22/1949, recommending identification of three unknowns at AGRS Mausoleum Manila. Hangar 802, Bay C, Crypt 1--3, previously interred in USAF Cemetary, Manila #2, Plot 3, Row 21, Grave 2603 as Unknown X-3013. It was recommended that it be redesignated as remains of Hershel Covey.

Remains may be: § Hershel Covey - 7/17/42 § Pfc Paul T. Clark 19017801 409th Sig - 07/16/42 (from Greenfield, Indiana) § 1/Sgt Harry E. Ringler 6 631692 B 31 Inf - 07/17/42

All were found at Camp 1. Evidence was insufficient for individual identification. Remains taken from communal grave at Cabanatuan POW Death Cemetary based on info (rosters) contained in Cabanatuan POW Death Report. Need dental/physical confirmation. Records were incomplete, representing a marked similarity which would probably compare equally well with any cross-section of remains recovered from Cabanatuan. Board Proceedings were disapproved and were returned. (Case closed? Where are the remains now?)

03/20/1950 - Identification Section Memorial Division - Case number 12,827, philcom (additonal information in file 293? Paul Clark)

08/17/1951 - IDPF, Memorial Division (Thomas Cox) writes to Dorothy Covey at 1108 Kappas St. saying that the office and that of the American Graves Registration Service Overseas exhausts all venues for identifying remains. Requested all physical and dental records which may at some futre date lead to a favorable association with unknown remains. Also requested that she provide any memory or record of treatment by a civilian dentist not reflected in Hershel's army records as it would be of vast assistance in efforts to complete Hershel's file. Requested any info which she may have recalled concerning dental characteristics or treatment such as bone fractures or breaks. Requests reply asap. Expressed sympathies on her loss.

01/18/1951 - Request for Info on next of kin requested by Miss Binkerd. Information furnished was Philippine Trust Company, Manila PI - APO 900c/o Postmaster, San Francisco California. Guardian of estate. Mother of children noted as deceased.

1951 - WWII indification process stopped. (*)

04/30/1952 - Report of Contact to War Claims Commission - information relating to service in the PI and evidence of claimants relationship to veteran was furnished with the War Claims Commission, DC for purpose of payment of POW claims.

04/26/1956 - Minors are on their way back to US. Pacific National Bank of San Francisco takes over trust fund allotments.

After the War, Japan and the US formed an alliance to ensure their mutual economic prosperity and to ensure their mutual security.
It became an unwritten policy to play down Japanese War Crimes, satisfied with the meager results produced by the Tokyo and Manila War Crimes trials.
Unknown to most: POWs held by the Germans died at a rate of 1.1%. POWs held by the Japanese died at a rate of 37%. The death rate amongst the Defenders of Bataan was much higher, because of their weakened condition prior to their capture.
Germany has acknowledged their war crimes and has made restitution to the victims. Japan has denied everything. In their history books and in their school books, they have re-written history in an effort to falsely show they were the victims of the War, citing the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as proof of their victimization. (Every junior and senior high school student in Japan must visit Hiroshima during their school years. It is a mandatory part of each Japanese student's curriculum.) Yet at that time (1941), Japan itself was working on developing the Atomic bomb.
After the war and faced with the threat of the Soviet Union, the United States and its allies permitted Japan to escape the close scrutiny given to the Germans.
Known Japanese war criminals went free to not only walk the streets of Japan, but the streets of the United States, as well." "The Government has awarded reparations to Japanese American Citizens who were interned in US camps during WWII & has worked to resolve claims by victims of German atrocities during the Holocaust, however POW & slave labor cases in the Pacific have been studiously ignored. Despite efforts to the contrary, none have been rewarded and the number of remaining survivors are dwindling..."

In either 1971 or on 3/23/83, Dorothy sold her place (162 N. Circle Drive, Franklin, Indiana) to a John Gilbert Whitham (of Whitham Industries) with a David L. Back listed on the documents - (Records office #327-4698/4618).

12/09/1980 - Dorothy Irene Stone died at age 67 at Stone Manor Convalescent Center (now Harbour Side Health Care - they have no records of her). She is buried at Floral Park Cemetary (#3659 Cossell Road Indianapolis Indiana 46222, mausoleum section HC). According to obits in both the Indianapolis Star & the Bedford Times-Mail (obtained from the Tipton County Library in Indiana), she was the grandmother of David Black, Charles and Dennis Edwards and Mrs. Bonita Scott (December 10, 1980 p. 62/death notice on pg. 63 and December 10th, 1980 p.2, respectively). The funeral was held on Thursday December 11th, 1980 at 1pm at Farley West Morris Street Chapel (now Flanner and Buchanan).

Gen.

Father was William Evert Covey, b- 10/22/1880 (he had a brother named Howard b - 6/1876). Registered for service 10/22/1880 at age of 38, according to docs. 1st marriage to Dessie Fowler 07/09/1900 - died 1904. 2nd marriage to mother of children, Nellie Watson 05/06/1911 – who died 1936 at age 42 of cancer of unknown?. He died 1918 at age 42/72 (?) of tuberculosis (as taken from Hershel’s 1940 Medical Exam).Mother was Nellie Watson, b- 1892, d-1936 of cancer. 1337 9th Bedford Lawrence County, Ind. listed as address.(*I have proven the tree back to Milton E. Covey, b- 1850 Lawrence County, lived Bartletts County, d - ... married to a Matilda Meadows according to State of Indiana marriage license dated 06/18/1870) line goes back to 1583, England.