Ayers, Odell Winfrey – ww2 Pacific

Rank and Name, Staff Sergeant Odell Winfrey Ayers.

Unit/Placed in, Headquarters Squadron, 20th Air Base Group.

Camp Cabanatuan(Pangatian)

(former HQ 91^st Philippine army Division)

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.

Odell is born approx. on 29 Sep. 1913 in Salisbury, North Carolina.

Father, Jacob A. Ayers.

Mother, Ida L. (Segraves) Ayers.

Sister(s), Ellis M. Lilian E. and Helen E. Ayers.

Odell enlisted the service in North Carolina with service number # 13014818.

Odell died as a POW from a disease in Camp Cabanatuan on 6 July 1942, he is honored with a POW Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Army Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WW II Victory Medal.

Odell is buried/mentioned at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Manila, Metro Manila, National Capital Region, Philippines.

He is also Mentioned at Cabanatuan Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines.

Thanks to,

Jean Louis Vijgen, WW2-Pacific Website.

Air Force Info, Rolland Swank.

ABMC Website, https://abmc.gov

Seabees History Bob Smith https://seabeehf.org/

Navy Info, http://navylog.navymemorial.org

POW Info, http://www.mansell.com Dwight Rider and Wes injerd.

Navy Seal Memorial, http://www.navysealmemorials.com

Family Info, https://www.familysearch.org

Marines Info, https://missingmarines.com/ Geoffrey Roecker