Rank and Name, Captain Rex Aton.
Unit/Placed in, 12th Medical Regiment, Philippine Scouts.
Camp Cabanatuan
After the Japanese occupation in 1942, the camp was converted by the Imperial Japanese Army into the Cabanatuan POW Camp. At its height, 8,000 prisoners were detained at this location. The prisoners also included some civilians including one British and one Norwegian citizen. This POW Camp detained prisoners until liberated during the night of January 30, 1945.
The rectangular camp spanned roughly 25 acres and was 800 yards deep by 600 yards wide, divided by a road in the center. The camp consisted of a barracks for Japanese guards, barracks for prisoners, a hospital and water tower enclosed by barbed wire with guard towers.
Enoura Maru
The Eunoura Maru was a Hell Ship for POW Transport.
After the “Hellship Oryoku Maru” was bombed at Fernando, Philippines (15 dec. 1944) The POWs were embarked to the “Hellships Enoura and Brazil Maru.
The “Hellship Enuora Maru arrived at Takao Harbor at 9 Jan. 1945 and was
attacked by Fighters from the USS Hornet (CV12), the one Bomb killed about 330 POW’s, (about 900 survived it).
Rex is born approx. on in North Dakota.
His genealogy is still under search.
Rex enlisted the service in North Dakota with service number # 0-277883.
Rex was KIA onboard the “Hellship Enoura Maru” when it was attacked by fighters from the USS Hornet at Takao Harbor, Taiwan on 9 May 1945, he is honored with a Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, POW Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Expeditionary Medal, American Campaign Medal, Navy & Marine Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WW II Victory Medal.
Rex is buried/mentioned at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Manila, Metro Manila, National Capital Region, Philippines.
Walls of the missing.
Thanks to, http://www.powtaiwan.org/archives_detail.php?THE-STORY-OF-THE-BOMBING-OF-THE-ENOURA-MARU-17
Jean Louis Vijgen, WW2-Pacific Website.
Air Force Info, Rolland Swank.
ABMC Website, https://abmc.gov
Navy Info, http://navylog.navymemorial.org
POW Info, http://www.mansell.com Dwight Rider and Wes injerd.
Family Info, https://www.familysearch.org
Marines Info, https://missingmarines.com/ Geoffrey Roecker
Info, https://www.pacificwrecks.com/
Medals Info, https://www.honorstates.org
Philippine Info, http://www.philippine-scouts.org/
Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com
In 1941 he became a POW and after the Death March was imprisonment in POW Camp Cabanatuan, in 14 Sep. 1944 he went on transport to a POW Camp in Japan with the “Hellship Oryoku Maru” when it was attacked (Fernando, Philippines) Surviours later (27 Dec.) embarked to the “Hellship Enoura Maru” (Tot. 1040 POW) towards Takao Harbor, Taiwan, but he died on 9 Jan. 1945.
Bataan Death March
(April 9, 1942)
Everybody who became a POW they gotto walked (60 miles) the Bataan Death March (together with 70.000 pow), Many walked this march and many died (aprox.600, lack of nutrition and water) to Prison Camps in the Philippines and was send to various camps, became part of a work detail.
Many Survived the March and the imprisonment, some died thereafter.
