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Family photosA ninth brother, Jack Odom (above left) served in the Korean War. Letters helped Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Odom keep up with the whereabouts and well-being of their scattered sons.Brothers...Continued from A-1reported missing following the capitulation of American forces in the Manila Bay.At the time, the family received a message, signed by Rear Admiral Randall Jacobs, chief of the bureau of navigation, which said, “He will be carried on the record of the Navy Department as missing pending further information,” Jacobs said. “No report of his death or injury has been received, and he may be a prisoner of war.”The last correspondence the family had with Harry was a letter, dated Dec. 17, 1941. The letter simply said, “Everything isnw »*bat and your steadfastness while a prisoner of war.”Harry died at age 40.Sgt. William “Dewey” Odom, a resident of Wythe County, graduated from Welch High School in 1937. He worked with Pocahontas Fuel Company, but after war was declared with Japan he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He served in the South Pacific for the duration of the war with Japan.William remained concerned about brother Harry during the war.“We never lost hope in Harry, but you did hear some pretty bad stories about prisoners in Japan,” he said. “A lot of the prisoners died in the march. They marched them for miles.”A nnnrrlin rf f n William flio tniohe (Howard) left for the South Pole.”Ralph Devoux Odom, who lives in Greenfield, Mass., also joined the U.S. Navy. Ralph served in the submarine squadron, where he was presented the Letter of Commendation for his outstanding performance of duty in action against the Japanese army, while serving in a submarine on war patrol in the Pacific Ocean.Charles Ray Odom, who lives in San Francisco, Calif., graduated as valedictorian from his high school class, and graduated from Roanoke Business School. After the war, he graduated from the University of Virginia. He served during the war in the South Pacific.tTmarQlrl OHnm \xrVi litroc in
Newspaper Details
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Bluefield, West Virginia, US
Mon, May 26, 1997
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Becky K.
NA, 05 Jul 2023
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