October 1934 New Mexico National Guard – Jack H. Austin
John "Jack" Hugh Austin graduated from Hobart High School, in Hobart, Oklahoma – Class of 1935. He was involved in a number of school plays, sang, and was on the football and wrestling teams.
John Hugh Austin (25, 18 July 1916, Newkirk, Oklahoma), a resident of Clovis, Curry County, New Mexico, signed up for his World War II Draft Registration Card (Serial No. 279, Order No. V-243) on 16 February 1942 in Clovis, Curry County, New Mexico. He was employed by J. Ernest Stroud and Company. "Jack"(he signed his name that way) listed his father, Robert Hugh Austin, as the person who would always know his address. He was described as 5' 11" in height, 190 lbs., with a light brown complexion, blonde hair and gray eyes.
John H. Austin (1916 Oklahoma), a resident of Curry County, New Mexico, enlisted as a Private First Class (S/N 20843566) in the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps on 06 January 1941 in Roswell, Curry County, New Mexico. He was single, had completed 4 years of high school and had been working as a cook. He had been serving in the New Mexico National Guard.
He was sent immediately to Ft. Bliss, El Paso, Texas. Private First Class Austin was assigned to Battery E, Second Battalion, 200th Coast Artillery Regiment (Anti-Aircraft). They were an automatic weapons outfit. Battery E was made up of men from Clovis. Before the 200th was nationalized it was the 111th of the New Mexico National Guard.
On Saturday, 08 March 1941, John Hugh Austin, Clovis and Dorothy Mae Moore, Paris, Texas, were issued a marriage license at the Dona Ana County, New Mexico, clerks office.
John Hugh Austin (24 Newkirk, Kay County, Oklahoma) a resident of Clovis, New Mexico, married Dorothy Mae Moore (19 Paris, Texas), a resident of Paris, Texas, on 26 March 1941 in Las Cruces, Dona Ana County, New Mexico. They were married by Clyde K. Campbell, Methodist Minister of the Gospel.
The 200th was stationed at Fort Bliss until August 1941 when they were transferred to San Francisco. There, approximately 1,800 men from the 200th Coast Artillery Regiment were deployed to an unannounced destination. They later found out they were heading to the Philippine Islands. They left Angel island, San Francisco, California the night of 28 August 1941 aboard the ocean liner turned troopship, SS President Coolidge. The Coolidge arrived in Honolulu the morning of 02 September and "the boys were given shore leave that day, sailing again that night." On 08 September the ships encountered a 70-mile gale which made many of the boys seasick." They arrived in Manila at 1:45 p.m.on 15 September 1941 and were taken that evening to Fort Stotsenburg, Pampanga, 75 miles north of Manila.
The 200th was equipped with 12 3-inch guns, .50-caliber machine guns, and 60-inch Sperry searchlights. Over the coming months, they would train under simulated war conditions. By December things would change drastically.
On 08 December 1941, Japanese bombers attacked Clark Field and the war was on. It was the 200th Coast Artillery (Anti-aircraft) — the original full Regiment — who is credited as being the "First to Fire" on 08 December 1941. That night, the 515th Coast Artillery (Anti-aircraft) was formed from the ranks of the 200th and 30 officers and 500 enlisted men were transferred to the new Regiment. John H. Austin was one of the men transferred to this regiment. They were tasked to man anti-aircraft guns in Manila.
The 515th and 200th could not do much damage as their powder train fuses only had a range of 20,000 feet and the Japanese bombers were flying at 23,000 feet. The main Japanese invasion forces landed 22 December 1941 and the decision was made to withdraw the forces into Bataan. The 515th CA (AA) moved from Manila 25 December 1941 to establish anti-aircraft defenses for the bridges on the withdrawal route to Bataan. The 200th covered the retreat of the Northern Luzon Force into Bataan and the 515th for the South Luzon Force. They were able to hold the Japanese air and ground attacks back, thus saving the bridges – and the North and South Luzon Forces found a clear, safe passage to the Bataan peninsula. On Bataan, it established the AA defenses for the Cabcaban airfield and other airfields on Bataan.
For months, the American and Filipino troops fought bravely as the war situation worsened. After holding off the Japanese from December to April – four long months – the battle for Bataan ended on 09 April 1942.
He, along with 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war captured by the Japanese, were subjected to the infamous Bataan Death March. When the Fil-American soldiers began the Death March they were in terrible physical condition. For 6 to 9 days (depending on their starting point) they were forced to walk the roughly sixty-five miles to San Fernando, enduring abuse by Japanese guards and seeing the deaths of thousands of fellow soldiers. At San Fernando, the Japanese stuffed about 100 men into steel-sided boxcars for the twenty-five-mile trip to Capas. The scorching hot boxcars were packed so tight that the men could not even sit down. When the train arrived at Capas the POW's were offloaded and marched the final nine miles to Camp O'Donnell.
Surviving the brutal treatment by the Japanese at Camp O'Donnell (about 1500 American and 22,000 Filipino prisoners of war died in just three months) Corporal Austin was transferred to the Cabanatuan POW Camp No. 1, approximately 8 kilometers west of the town by the same name.
In early June of 1942, prisoners from Camp O'Donnell began to stream into Camp No. 1, joining the men from Corregidor and increasing the number of prisoners to over 7,300 men. Because of the poor health of the men from O'Donnell, the death rate at Camp #1 soared.
Corporal John Austin, age 24, (S/N 20843566), died at 8:00 am, 23 July 1942, of dysentery and malaria, in Barracks #5, Hospital Area. His death was recorded on a condensed milk can label. He was one of 21 men to die that day, the 1120th prisoner to die in the camp since in opened in June. In all 786 men died in the prison during the month of July. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, 2,764 Americans had died at Cabanatuan in 2½ years. 90% of the POW deaths in Cabanatuan were men who were captured on Bataan.
He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs who died during that 24 hour period. After the war, all the remains in the Cabanatuan Prison cemetery that could be found were disinterred (between December 1945 - February 1946) and brought to 7747 USAF Cemetery, Manila #2, Philippine Islands. He was reburied in Block 3, Row 1, Grave 58 (D-D 3168). The deceased in Manila #2 (over 11,000 American soldiers) rested there until their removal to the American Graves Registration Service Manila Mausoleum in the summer of 1948. From there, according to the wishes of his next of kin (father, Mr. R. H. Austin), Corporal John Hugh Austin was buried in his final resting place in the 7701 Ft. McKinley Cemetery (now known as the Manila American Cemetery) – Plot L, Row 10, Grave 80.
John also has a cenotaph in Hobart Rose Cemetery, Hobart, Kiowa County, Oklahoma.
Our Boys In Service
R. H. Austin, Hobart recently received a letter from J.A. Ulio, major general, the adjutant general's office, war department, stating that his son, John H. (Jack) Austin was still carried on the war department's roll call as "missing."
The letter was the first word Mr. and Mrs. Austin had received in about a year. They were notified late in May last year that Jack was reported "missing." Following is the text of the letter:
The records of the war department show your son, Corporal John H. Austin, 20,843,566, Coast Artillery Corps, missing in action in the Philippine Islands since May 7, 1942.
All available information concerning your son has been carefully considered and under the provisions of Public Law 490, 77th congress as amended, an official determination had been made continuing him on the records of the war department in a missing status. The law provides that pay allowances are to be credited to the missing person's account and payment of allotments to authorized allottees are to be continued during the absence of such persons in a missing status.
I fully appreciate your concern and deep interest. You will, with out further request on your part, receive immediate notification of any change of your son's status. I regret that the far-flung war, the ebb and flow of combat over great distances in isolated areas, and the characteristics of our enemies impose upon some of us this heavy burden of uncertainty with respect of the safety of our loved ones. Source: The Hobart Democrat-Chief (Hobart, Oklahoma), Friday, 14 May 1943, page 1.
Sadly by the time Jack's parents got that letter he was already dead.∼CPL Jack H. Austin, son of Mrs. & Mrs. R. H. Austin, graduated from Hobart High School. He entered the US Army in January 1941, trained in Ft. Bliss TX and went overseas in September 1941. He served in Luzon where he died in a Japanese Prison Camp in July 1942. He was awarded the American Defense, American Theatre, Asiatic Pacific and Philippine Defense Ribbons and the Good Conduct Medal.
John "Jack" Hugh Austin graduated from Hobart High School, in Hobart, Oklahoma – Class of 1935. He was involved in a number of school plays, sang, and was on the football and wrestling teams.
John Hugh Austin (25, 18 July 1916, Newkirk, Oklahoma), a resident of Clovis, Curry County, New Mexico, signed up for his World War II Draft Registration Card (Serial No. 279, Order No. V-243) on 16 February 1942 in Clovis, Curry County, New Mexico. He was employed by J. Ernest Stroud and Company. "Jack"(he signed his name that way) listed his father, Robert Hugh Austin, as the person who would always know his address. He was described as 5' 11" in height, 190 lbs., with a light brown complexion, blonde hair and gray eyes.
John H. Austin (1916 Oklahoma), a resident of Curry County, New Mexico, enlisted as a Private First Class (S/N 20843566) in the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps on 06 January 1941 in Roswell, Curry County, New Mexico. He was single, had completed 4 years of high school and had been working as a cook. He had been serving in the New Mexico National Guard.
He was sent immediately to Ft. Bliss, El Paso, Texas. Private First Class Austin was assigned to Battery E, Second Battalion, 200th Coast Artillery Regiment (Anti-Aircraft). They were an automatic weapons outfit. Battery E was made up of men from Clovis. Before the 200th was nationalized it was the 111th of the New Mexico National Guard.
On Saturday, 08 March 1941, John Hugh Austin, Clovis and Dorothy Mae Moore, Paris, Texas, were issued a marriage license at the Dona Ana County, New Mexico, clerks office.
John Hugh Austin (24 Newkirk, Kay County, Oklahoma) a resident of Clovis, New Mexico, married Dorothy Mae Moore (19 Paris, Texas), a resident of Paris, Texas, on 26 March 1941 in Las Cruces, Dona Ana County, New Mexico. They were married by Clyde K. Campbell, Methodist Minister of the Gospel.
The 200th was stationed at Fort Bliss until August 1941 when they were transferred to San Francisco. There, approximately 1,800 men from the 200th Coast Artillery Regiment were deployed to an unannounced destination. They later found out they were heading to the Philippine Islands. They left Angel island, San Francisco, California the night of 28 August 1941 aboard the ocean liner turned troopship, SS President Coolidge. The Coolidge arrived in Honolulu the morning of 02 September and "the boys were given shore leave that day, sailing again that night." On 08 September the ships encountered a 70-mile gale which made many of the boys seasick." They arrived in Manila at 1:45 p.m.on 15 September 1941 and were taken that evening to Fort Stotsenburg, Pampanga, 75 miles north of Manila.
The 200th was equipped with 12 3-inch guns, .50-caliber machine guns, and 60-inch Sperry searchlights. Over the coming months, they would train under simulated war conditions. By December things would change drastically.
On 08 December 1941, Japanese bombers attacked Clark Field and the war was on. It was the 200th Coast Artillery (Anti-aircraft) — the original full Regiment — who is credited as being the "First to Fire" on 08 December 1941. That night, the 515th Coast Artillery (Anti-aircraft) was formed from the ranks of the 200th and 30 officers and 500 enlisted men were transferred to the new Regiment. John H. Austin was one of the men transferred to this regiment. They were tasked to man anti-aircraft guns in Manila.
The 515th and 200th could not do much damage as their powder train fuses only had a range of 20,000 feet and the Japanese bombers were flying at 23,000 feet. The main Japanese invasion forces landed 22 December 1941 and the decision was made to withdraw the forces into Bataan. The 515th CA (AA) moved from Manila 25 December 1941 to establish anti-aircraft defenses for the bridges on the withdrawal route to Bataan. The 200th covered the retreat of the Northern Luzon Force into Bataan and the 515th for the South Luzon Force. They were able to hold the Japanese air and ground attacks back, thus saving the bridges – and the North and South Luzon Forces found a clear, safe passage to the Bataan peninsula. On Bataan, it established the AA defenses for the Cabcaban airfield and other airfields on Bataan.
For months, the American and Filipino troops fought bravely as the war situation worsened. After holding off the Japanese from December to April – four long months – the battle for Bataan ended on 09 April 1942.
He, along with 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war captured by the Japanese, were subjected to the infamous Bataan Death March. When the Fil-American soldiers began the Death March they were in terrible physical condition. For 6 to 9 days (depending on their starting point) they were forced to walk the roughly sixty-five miles to San Fernando, enduring abuse by Japanese guards and seeing the deaths of thousands of fellow soldiers. At San Fernando, the Japanese stuffed about 100 men into steel-sided boxcars for the twenty-five-mile trip to Capas. The scorching hot boxcars were packed so tight that the men could not even sit down. When the train arrived at Capas the POW's were offloaded and marched the final nine miles to Camp O'Donnell.
Surviving the brutal treatment by the Japanese at Camp O'Donnell (about 1500 American and 22,000 Filipino prisoners of war died in just three months) Corporal Austin was transferred to the Cabanatuan POW Camp No. 1, approximately 8 kilometers west of the town by the same name.
In early June of 1942, prisoners from Camp O'Donnell began to stream into Camp No. 1, joining the men from Corregidor and increasing the number of prisoners to over 7,300 men. Because of the poor health of the men from O'Donnell, the death rate at Camp #1 soared.
Corporal John Austin, age 24, (S/N 20843566), died at 8:00 am, 23 July 1942, of dysentery and malaria, in Barracks #5, Hospital Area. His death was recorded on a condensed milk can label. He was one of 21 men to die that day, the 1120th prisoner to die in the camp since in opened in June. In all 786 men died in the prison during the month of July. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, 2,764 Americans had died at Cabanatuan in 2½ years. 90% of the POW deaths in Cabanatuan were men who were captured on Bataan.
He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs who died during that 24 hour period. After the war, all the remains in the Cabanatuan Prison cemetery that could be found were disinterred (between December 1945 - February 1946) and brought to 7747 USAF Cemetery, Manila #2, Philippine Islands. He was reburied in Block 3, Row 1, Grave 58 (D-D 3168). The deceased in Manila #2 (over 11,000 American soldiers) rested there until their removal to the American Graves Registration Service Manila Mausoleum in the summer of 1948. From there, according to the wishes of his next of kin (father, Mr. R. H. Austin), Corporal John Hugh Austin was buried in his final resting place in the 7701 Ft. McKinley Cemetery (now known as the Manila American Cemetery) – Plot L, Row 10, Grave 80.
John also has a cenotaph in Hobart Rose Cemetery, Hobart, Kiowa County, Oklahoma.
Our Boys In Service
R. H. Austin, Hobart recently received a letter from J.A. Ulio, major general, the adjutant general's office, war department, stating that his son, John H. (Jack) Austin was still carried on the war department's roll call as "missing."
The letter was the first word Mr. and Mrs. Austin had received in about a year. They were notified late in May last year that Jack was reported "missing." Following is the text of the letter:
The records of the war department show your son, Corporal John H. Austin, 20,843,566, Coast Artillery Corps, missing in action in the Philippine Islands since May 7, 1942.
All available information concerning your son has been carefully considered and under the provisions of Public Law 490, 77th congress as amended, an official determination had been made continuing him on the records of the war department in a missing status. The law provides that pay allowances are to be credited to the missing person's account and payment of allotments to authorized allottees are to be continued during the absence of such persons in a missing status.
I fully appreciate your concern and deep interest. You will, with out further request on your part, receive immediate notification of any change of your son's status. I regret that the far-flung war, the ebb and flow of combat over great distances in isolated areas, and the characteristics of our enemies impose upon some of us this heavy burden of uncertainty with respect of the safety of our loved ones. Source: The Hobart Democrat-Chief (Hobart, Oklahoma), Friday, 14 May 1943, page 1.
Sadly by the time Jack's parents got that letter he was already dead.∼CPL Jack H. Austin, son of Mrs. & Mrs. R. H. Austin, graduated from Hobart High School. He entered the US Army in January 1941, trained in Ft. Bliss TX and went overseas in September 1941. He served in Luzon where he died in a Japanese Prison Camp in July 1942. He was awarded the American Defense, American Theatre, Asiatic Pacific and Philippine Defense Ribbons and the Good Conduct Medal.
October 1934 New Mexico National Guard – Jack H. Austin
John "Jack" Hugh Austin graduated from Hobart High School, in Hobart, Oklahoma – Class of 1935. He was involved in a number of school plays, sang, and was on the football and wrestling teams.
John Hugh Austin (25, 18 July 1916, Newkirk, Oklahoma), a resident of Clovis, Curry County, New Mexico, signed up for his World War II Draft Registration Card (Serial No. 279, Order No. V-243) on 16 February 1942 in Clovis, Curry County, New Mexico. He was employed by J. Ernest Stroud and Company. "Jack"(he signed his name that way) listed his father, Robert Hugh Austin, as the person who would always know his address. He was described as 5' 11" in height, 190 lbs., with a light brown complexion, blonde hair and gray eyes.
John H. Austin (1916 Oklahoma), a resident of Curry County, New Mexico, enlisted as a Private First Class (S/N 20843566) in the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps on 06 January 1941 in Roswell, Curry County, New Mexico. He was single, had completed 4 years of high school and had been working as a cook. He had been serving in the New Mexico National Guard.
He was sent immediately to Ft. Bliss, El Paso, Texas. Private First Class Austin was assigned to Battery E, Second Battalion, 200th Coast Artillery Regiment (Anti-Aircraft). They were an automatic weapons outfit. Battery E was made up of men from Clovis. Before the 200th was nationalized it was the 111th of the New Mexico National Guard.
On Saturday, 08 March 1941, John Hugh Austin, Clovis and Dorothy Mae Moore, Paris, Texas, were issued a marriage license at the Dona Ana County, New Mexico, clerks office.
John Hugh Austin (24 Newkirk, Kay County, Oklahoma) a resident of Clovis, New Mexico, married Dorothy Mae Moore (19 Paris, Texas), a resident of Paris, Texas, on 26 March 1941 in Las Cruces, Dona Ana County, New Mexico. They were married by Clyde K. Campbell, Methodist Minister of the Gospel.
The 200th was stationed at Fort Bliss until August 1941 when they were transferred to San Francisco. There, approximately 1,800 men from the 200th Coast Artillery Regiment were deployed to an unannounced destination. They later found out they were heading to the Philippine Islands. They left Angel island, San Francisco, California the night of 28 August 1941 aboard the ocean liner turned troopship, SS President Coolidge. The Coolidge arrived in Honolulu the morning of 02 September and "the boys were given shore leave that day, sailing again that night." On 08 September the ships encountered a 70-mile gale which made many of the boys seasick." They arrived in Manila at 1:45 p.m.on 15 September 1941 and were taken that evening to Fort Stotsenburg, Pampanga, 75 miles north of Manila.
The 200th was equipped with 12 3-inch guns, .50-caliber machine guns, and 60-inch Sperry searchlights. Over the coming months, they would train under simulated war conditions. By December things would change drastically.
On 08 December 1941, Japanese bombers attacked Clark Field and the war was on. It was the 200th Coast Artillery (Anti-aircraft) — the original full Regiment — who is credited as being the "First to Fire" on 08 December 1941. That night, the 515th Coast Artillery (Anti-aircraft) was formed from the ranks of the 200th and 30 officers and 500 enlisted men were transferred to the new Regiment. John H. Austin was one of the men transferred to this regiment. They were tasked to man anti-aircraft guns in Manila.
The 515th and 200th could not do much damage as their powder train fuses only had a range of 20,000 feet and the Japanese bombers were flying at 23,000 feet. The main Japanese invasion forces landed 22 December 1941 and the decision was made to withdraw the forces into Bataan. The 515th CA (AA) moved from Manila 25 December 1941 to establish anti-aircraft defenses for the bridges on the withdrawal route to Bataan. The 200th covered the retreat of the Northern Luzon Force into Bataan and the 515th for the South Luzon Force. They were able to hold the Japanese air and ground attacks back, thus saving the bridges – and the North and South Luzon Forces found a clear, safe passage to the Bataan peninsula. On Bataan, it established the AA defenses for the Cabcaban airfield and other airfields on Bataan.
For months, the American and Filipino troops fought bravely as the war situation worsened. After holding off the Japanese from December to April – four long months – the battle for Bataan ended on 09 April 1942.
He, along with 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war captured by the Japanese, were subjected to the infamous Bataan Death March. When the Fil-American soldiers began the Death March they were in terrible physical condition. For 6 to 9 days (depending on their starting point) they were forced to walk the roughly sixty-five miles to San Fernando, enduring abuse by Japanese guards and seeing the deaths of thousands of fellow soldiers. At San Fernando, the Japanese stuffed about 100 men into steel-sided boxcars for the twenty-five-mile trip to Capas. The scorching hot boxcars were packed so tight that the men could not even sit down. When the train arrived at Capas the POW's were offloaded and marched the final nine miles to Camp O'Donnell.
Surviving the brutal treatment by the Japanese at Camp O'Donnell (about 1500 American and 22,000 Filipino prisoners of war died in just three months) Corporal Austin was transferred to the Cabanatuan POW Camp No. 1, approximately 8 kilometers west of the town by the same name.
In early June of 1942, prisoners from Camp O'Donnell began to stream into Camp No. 1, joining the men from Corregidor and increasing the number of prisoners to over 7,300 men. Because of the poor health of the men from O'Donnell, the death rate at Camp #1 soared.
Corporal John Austin, age 24, (S/N 20843566), died at 8:00 am, 23 July 1942, of dysentery and malaria, in Barracks #5, Hospital Area. His death was recorded on a condensed milk can label. He was one of 21 men to die that day, the 1120th prisoner to die in the camp since in opened in June. In all 786 men died in the prison during the month of July. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, 2,764 Americans had died at Cabanatuan in 2½ years. 90% of the POW deaths in Cabanatuan were men who were captured on Bataan.
He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs who died during that 24 hour period. After the war, all the remains in the Cabanatuan Prison cemetery that could be found were disinterred (between December 1945 - February 1946) and brought to 7747 USAF Cemetery, Manila #2, Philippine Islands. He was reburied in Block 3, Row 1, Grave 58 (D-D 3168). The deceased in Manila #2 (over 11,000 American soldiers) rested there until their removal to the American Graves Registration Service Manila Mausoleum in the summer of 1948. From there, according to the wishes of his next of kin (father, Mr. R. H. Austin), Corporal John Hugh Austin was buried in his final resting place in the 7701 Ft. McKinley Cemetery (now known as the Manila American Cemetery) – Plot L, Row 10, Grave 80.
John also has a cenotaph in Hobart Rose Cemetery, Hobart, Kiowa County, Oklahoma.
Our Boys In Service
R. H. Austin, Hobart recently received a letter from J.A. Ulio, major general, the adjutant general's office, war department, stating that his son, John H. (Jack) Austin was still carried on the war department's roll call as "missing."
The letter was the first word Mr. and Mrs. Austin had received in about a year. They were notified late in May last year that Jack was reported "missing." Following is the text of the letter:
The records of the war department show your son, Corporal John H. Austin, 20,843,566, Coast Artillery Corps, missing in action in the Philippine Islands since May 7, 1942.
All available information concerning your son has been carefully considered and under the provisions of Public Law 490, 77th congress as amended, an official determination had been made continuing him on the records of the war department in a missing status. The law provides that pay allowances are to be credited to the missing person's account and payment of allotments to authorized allottees are to be continued during the absence of such persons in a missing status.
I fully appreciate your concern and deep interest. You will, with out further request on your part, receive immediate notification of any change of your son's status. I regret that the far-flung war, the ebb and flow of combat over great distances in isolated areas, and the characteristics of our enemies impose upon some of us this heavy burden of uncertainty with respect of the safety of our loved ones. Source: The Hobart Democrat-Chief (Hobart, Oklahoma), Friday, 14 May 1943, page 1.
Sadly by the time Jack's parents got that letter he was already dead.∼CPL Jack H. Austin, son of Mrs. & Mrs. R. H. Austin, graduated from Hobart High School. He entered the US Army in January 1941, trained in Ft. Bliss TX and went overseas in September 1941. He served in Luzon where he died in a Japanese Prison Camp in July 1942. He was awarded the American Defense, American Theatre, Asiatic Pacific and Philippine Defense Ribbons and the Good Conduct Medal.
John "Jack" Hugh Austin graduated from Hobart High School, in Hobart, Oklahoma – Class of 1935. He was involved in a number of school plays, sang, and was on the football and wrestling teams.
John Hugh Austin (25, 18 July 1916, Newkirk, Oklahoma), a resident of Clovis, Curry County, New Mexico, signed up for his World War II Draft Registration Card (Serial No. 279, Order No. V-243) on 16 February 1942 in Clovis, Curry County, New Mexico. He was employed by J. Ernest Stroud and Company. "Jack"(he signed his name that way) listed his father, Robert Hugh Austin, as the person who would always know his address. He was described as 5' 11" in height, 190 lbs., with a light brown complexion, blonde hair and gray eyes.
John H. Austin (1916 Oklahoma), a resident of Curry County, New Mexico, enlisted as a Private First Class (S/N 20843566) in the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps on 06 January 1941 in Roswell, Curry County, New Mexico. He was single, had completed 4 years of high school and had been working as a cook. He had been serving in the New Mexico National Guard.
He was sent immediately to Ft. Bliss, El Paso, Texas. Private First Class Austin was assigned to Battery E, Second Battalion, 200th Coast Artillery Regiment (Anti-Aircraft). They were an automatic weapons outfit. Battery E was made up of men from Clovis. Before the 200th was nationalized it was the 111th of the New Mexico National Guard.
On Saturday, 08 March 1941, John Hugh Austin, Clovis and Dorothy Mae Moore, Paris, Texas, were issued a marriage license at the Dona Ana County, New Mexico, clerks office.
John Hugh Austin (24 Newkirk, Kay County, Oklahoma) a resident of Clovis, New Mexico, married Dorothy Mae Moore (19 Paris, Texas), a resident of Paris, Texas, on 26 March 1941 in Las Cruces, Dona Ana County, New Mexico. They were married by Clyde K. Campbell, Methodist Minister of the Gospel.
The 200th was stationed at Fort Bliss until August 1941 when they were transferred to San Francisco. There, approximately 1,800 men from the 200th Coast Artillery Regiment were deployed to an unannounced destination. They later found out they were heading to the Philippine Islands. They left Angel island, San Francisco, California the night of 28 August 1941 aboard the ocean liner turned troopship, SS President Coolidge. The Coolidge arrived in Honolulu the morning of 02 September and "the boys were given shore leave that day, sailing again that night." On 08 September the ships encountered a 70-mile gale which made many of the boys seasick." They arrived in Manila at 1:45 p.m.on 15 September 1941 and were taken that evening to Fort Stotsenburg, Pampanga, 75 miles north of Manila.
The 200th was equipped with 12 3-inch guns, .50-caliber machine guns, and 60-inch Sperry searchlights. Over the coming months, they would train under simulated war conditions. By December things would change drastically.
On 08 December 1941, Japanese bombers attacked Clark Field and the war was on. It was the 200th Coast Artillery (Anti-aircraft) — the original full Regiment — who is credited as being the "First to Fire" on 08 December 1941. That night, the 515th Coast Artillery (Anti-aircraft) was formed from the ranks of the 200th and 30 officers and 500 enlisted men were transferred to the new Regiment. John H. Austin was one of the men transferred to this regiment. They were tasked to man anti-aircraft guns in Manila.
The 515th and 200th could not do much damage as their powder train fuses only had a range of 20,000 feet and the Japanese bombers were flying at 23,000 feet. The main Japanese invasion forces landed 22 December 1941 and the decision was made to withdraw the forces into Bataan. The 515th CA (AA) moved from Manila 25 December 1941 to establish anti-aircraft defenses for the bridges on the withdrawal route to Bataan. The 200th covered the retreat of the Northern Luzon Force into Bataan and the 515th for the South Luzon Force. They were able to hold the Japanese air and ground attacks back, thus saving the bridges – and the North and South Luzon Forces found a clear, safe passage to the Bataan peninsula. On Bataan, it established the AA defenses for the Cabcaban airfield and other airfields on Bataan.
For months, the American and Filipino troops fought bravely as the war situation worsened. After holding off the Japanese from December to April – four long months – the battle for Bataan ended on 09 April 1942.
He, along with 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war captured by the Japanese, were subjected to the infamous Bataan Death March. When the Fil-American soldiers began the Death March they were in terrible physical condition. For 6 to 9 days (depending on their starting point) they were forced to walk the roughly sixty-five miles to San Fernando, enduring abuse by Japanese guards and seeing the deaths of thousands of fellow soldiers. At San Fernando, the Japanese stuffed about 100 men into steel-sided boxcars for the twenty-five-mile trip to Capas. The scorching hot boxcars were packed so tight that the men could not even sit down. When the train arrived at Capas the POW's were offloaded and marched the final nine miles to Camp O'Donnell.
Surviving the brutal treatment by the Japanese at Camp O'Donnell (about 1500 American and 22,000 Filipino prisoners of war died in just three months) Corporal Austin was transferred to the Cabanatuan POW Camp No. 1, approximately 8 kilometers west of the town by the same name.
In early June of 1942, prisoners from Camp O'Donnell began to stream into Camp No. 1, joining the men from Corregidor and increasing the number of prisoners to over 7,300 men. Because of the poor health of the men from O'Donnell, the death rate at Camp #1 soared.
Corporal John Austin, age 24, (S/N 20843566), died at 8:00 am, 23 July 1942, of dysentery and malaria, in Barracks #5, Hospital Area. His death was recorded on a condensed milk can label. He was one of 21 men to die that day, the 1120th prisoner to die in the camp since in opened in June. In all 786 men died in the prison during the month of July. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, 2,764 Americans had died at Cabanatuan in 2½ years. 90% of the POW deaths in Cabanatuan were men who were captured on Bataan.
He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs who died during that 24 hour period. After the war, all the remains in the Cabanatuan Prison cemetery that could be found were disinterred (between December 1945 - February 1946) and brought to 7747 USAF Cemetery, Manila #2, Philippine Islands. He was reburied in Block 3, Row 1, Grave 58 (D-D 3168). The deceased in Manila #2 (over 11,000 American soldiers) rested there until their removal to the American Graves Registration Service Manila Mausoleum in the summer of 1948. From there, according to the wishes of his next of kin (father, Mr. R. H. Austin), Corporal John Hugh Austin was buried in his final resting place in the 7701 Ft. McKinley Cemetery (now known as the Manila American Cemetery) – Plot L, Row 10, Grave 80.
John also has a cenotaph in Hobart Rose Cemetery, Hobart, Kiowa County, Oklahoma.
Our Boys In Service
R. H. Austin, Hobart recently received a letter from J.A. Ulio, major general, the adjutant general's office, war department, stating that his son, John H. (Jack) Austin was still carried on the war department's roll call as "missing."
The letter was the first word Mr. and Mrs. Austin had received in about a year. They were notified late in May last year that Jack was reported "missing." Following is the text of the letter:
The records of the war department show your son, Corporal John H. Austin, 20,843,566, Coast Artillery Corps, missing in action in the Philippine Islands since May 7, 1942.
All available information concerning your son has been carefully considered and under the provisions of Public Law 490, 77th congress as amended, an official determination had been made continuing him on the records of the war department in a missing status. The law provides that pay allowances are to be credited to the missing person's account and payment of allotments to authorized allottees are to be continued during the absence of such persons in a missing status.
I fully appreciate your concern and deep interest. You will, with out further request on your part, receive immediate notification of any change of your son's status. I regret that the far-flung war, the ebb and flow of combat over great distances in isolated areas, and the characteristics of our enemies impose upon some of us this heavy burden of uncertainty with respect of the safety of our loved ones. Source: The Hobart Democrat-Chief (Hobart, Oklahoma), Friday, 14 May 1943, page 1.
Sadly by the time Jack's parents got that letter he was already dead.∼CPL Jack H. Austin, son of Mrs. & Mrs. R. H. Austin, graduated from Hobart High School. He entered the US Army in January 1941, trained in Ft. Bliss TX and went overseas in September 1941. He served in Luzon where he died in a Japanese Prison Camp in July 1942. He was awarded the American Defense, American Theatre, Asiatic Pacific and Philippine Defense Ribbons and the Good Conduct Medal.
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from New Mexico.
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