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Alger Sergeant Tells Storyt 0 i'fOf Long Years In Jap Prison ijjjjALGER, Nov. 9—Thinking of. bers of Ada’s Company H, as he home was the nnlv thine' was a member of the ibca! guardhome was the only thin* j was that kept me alive through those in. the 1930 s before en-; yy g|f 3hellish days in Jap prison campsftlisting in the regular army. His old comrades here had the satisSgt. Iacey Prater of Alger told faction of accounting for someof the Japs who had a hand inreporters Friday as his five-year* an-'ohi son Raymond slept peace* uet fully in Ids arms. The face ofScthe Death March when as a unit of the famed 37th divisionWASthe liberated veteran was light*!they helped liberate the Philip*;—The j,,,ed with a smile as he spoke. It vill.waa the first time he had seenunin. the child since he was five months old.Prater had been a prisoner ‘er ; since the fall of Bataan. He had survived the infamous “peath nfc-j March” fiom Bataan, torpedo-irt*i ing of prison ship, bombing of on. i his prison camp, and many ker; months of starvation as a slave an-1 laborer.cal! The liberated Alger veteran of the 192nd Tank Battalion is at home -on a 3(klay emergency furlough from Byrnes General hospital. Santa Fe, N. M.„ because of the illness of his father.31 on TOSAIL Fill MANILAIIhisonthetaleeryjupresnis-Famous Ohio Unit Expected to Embark Nov. 1S After Long ServiceWASHINGTON. Nov. »- {IP) Prater showed no signs of the —Ohio’s famed 37th divisionprivations endured in his long- nrohahlv will salt from Manila internment under fanatical cap- p v wm 88,1 1 m “aamuators. His hair remains cole black and he has regained his normalweight of 165 pounds. He said. . v„... onnVaDW,.w aoI,, , his weight had dropped to 100 A Y. spokesman said theUHpounds before his release. war «im«» famedfor home Nov. 15. the war department advised the Veterans of Foreign Wars Friday.A Buries His Gnu2* .Armed with a Tommy gun at vrithe time of his capture, Sergeant iw- j Prater buried the fast shooting weapon under a tree, hoping for a time when he could use it once more against the “Sons of Heaven. He was taken with 97 of his outfit in a pincer movement ises by the Invading forces, pro- Describing the death march,J.andorf.Prater revealed little more than is known with the exception that 500 pesos which he carried orv Iln his »h°eg remained with him ich.' through the march, the Jap* failing somehow to take his footwear during the entire time, “Keep going or be shot was the Jap order on the long march. He saw many of his comrades die.HI* Captain Dieswar department was questioned on the matter after his organization received a cable signed by First Sgt. Frederick P. Renner and 519 others of the division’s 140th Field Artillery Battalion.The battalion, claiming they sailed overseas May 28, 1942, contended some of them had more than five years’ service and bad sufficient discharge points.rfar-pan-ln-Her,®5%ivy,ard,3x1ite—Aoupline•unttionrue-Girls Society Hasatoaday f Ohio lt;Worksas a tlents, Frazle Reat fere no assista of the istratii to vaci or a be Thi arrangthe fthospitReamtTheclosed about after c works being and C a Tiff Realt; in an install story tion h and t be uslt; state towar 460 ai for fa An /are lt;a sur ion 7 Rea withGILBOA, Nov. 9 — The Girls Society of Christian Service of j quire Gilboa Methodist circuit held ItsiClevetiiorikeddaytionure.icialoftenant died from exhaustion. He and Charles Everetts of Logan,Ohio, carried their captain seven miles, only to have him lose htR-Hfe later when their prison ship was sunk. He lost 90 pounds on the march, going for five days without food and having only water from artesian wells.Pitifully weak and emaciated, h? was first put in O’Donak) prison camp for two weeks then sent on a work detail to San Fernando. He hauled scrap iron r_ry,rtw. to Manila for eight months until i ben-beri set in and he was sentNovember meeting at the home of Laura Burkholder with the presidents Naom i Sheidier^—in charge. Fourteen girls were present. Janice Nemire was inj charge of the program, recreation period and contests. Fatty Sheldler favored with an instrumental solo. The society decided to purchase gUpi for the Children’s home at Christmas time.A lunch was served by Mrs. Ralph U. HaH and Laura Burkholder. Counsellors present.were Mrs, HaU and Mrs. Charles Staht. Mary Gtenna Fisher isnearmaneMSt.Wardschocsen'ltp. m.to BUibid prison for treat ment.Males for MeatRecovering, he was sent bytruck to Cabanutuan, Luzon, where he worked on a farm. Receiving no meat, the meni butchered mules, dogs, horses andeven monkey meat, which Pra. fy adml taste too bad. Here, the Amer-ter smilinglyitted didn’tAt the next meeting the Peanut Pals will be revealed and an exchange of presents will be held.Prcpa s topreaeGrange Circle Set*Meeting at Gilboaleans had a pet name for their brutal guard—“Air-Raid.The Japs grudgingly permitted the prisoners to observe Christmas day, 1943. At one time in Manila Prater received 45 letters from home, along witha box. Of five cards sent boneby him only one got through. It was received by his parents early in M5—thetr flrst ray of hop* in nearly three yean for bls_ survival.ChiPenilt;9:30 im.; phrlyfatesat-con-theWhile' mlng* fromthe Philippines to Jti Prater’s ship was torpan Americansub when two da out. He estimated jfcat I men were lost. He waswhen the Japs threwboo rafts. Land!he was sept to camp tered, 400 thework 19 to 15. home, aGILBOA, Nov. 9—The Pub nam County Circle of Demeter (seventh regree grange members) wilt meet Thursday evening, Nov. 15 at the Gilboa mange hail. A pot-luck luncheon will be served at 630 o’clock.Charles Reese, of Pandora, is t, and Edgar Begg ofOrovw Is ascretaiy;and treasurer.A chairman has been appointed from each grange to securea number terBharon grange; ^ ;Mr*'Beimore; Mrs. Frank0Wl7Leip«Ur, Miss Lena Rie«rPandora; Mrs. EdgarO* lumbUa Grove, a^Hte.L- G. Phillips, Gilboa. Hundp and of the members are into attend.MeRoss,MeSundPoischoc ShJ a. m.AParkyspcatrtd theOne•i %.rit:V . -1• ■ X.•j1y had snow « r.at times, with only#if any of (he^ j a
Newspaper Details
Findlay Republican Courier
Findlay, Ohio, US
Sat, Nov 10, 1945
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
James O.
USA 07 Oct 2019
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