1920 United States Federal Census (14 January 1920): Laurel Township, Franklin County, Indiana (sheet 6A, family 116) – Francis Bryant (4 6/12 Indiana).
1930 United States Federal Census (15 April 1930): Metamora, Franklin County, Indiana (sheet 6B, family 145) – Francis E. Bryant (15 Indiana).
Francis E. Bryant (25, 01 May 1915, Connersville, Indiana), a resident of Metamora, Franklin County, Indiana, signed up for his World War II Draft Registration Card (Serial No. 644, Order No. 524) on 16 October 1940 in Metamora, Franklin County, Indiana. He was employed by his step-father, John Wolfe. Francis listed his mother, Mrs. Carrie Wolfe, as the person who would always know his address. He was described as 5' 10" in height, 140 lbs., with a ruddy complexion, brown hair and blue eyes.
Francis E. Bryant enlisted as a Private (S/N 19021172) in the U.S. Army in Indiana. He was assigned to the Quartermaster Corps and sent to the Philippines Islands.
On 07 December 1941 (in the United States) and 08 December 1941 (in the Philippines), the Japanese launched attacks on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and concurrently in the Philippine Islands. Japanese forces (14th Army under Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma) began a full-scale invasion of Luzon on 22 December. In response, General Douglas MacArthur activated War Plan Orange. This plan called for the withdrawal of American and Philippine forces to the Bataan Peninsula, where they could await reinforcements from Hawaii and the U.S.... reinforcements that never came.
When U.S. and Filipino troops retreated to Bataan Private Francis E. Bryant was transferred to Company I, 31st Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army.
On 06 January 1942 the battle for Bataan began. Japanese artillery began shelling the Fil-American positions. "The loud, earth-shaking "carrump , of impacting shells was unnerving to even those not directly affected." Over the next couple of months the 31st Infantry was in some of the fiercest fighting with the Japanese Fourteenth Army on Bataan in places like Layac Junction, Abucay and Orion-Bagac. By the middle of March, fifty percent of the regiment was sick with malaria or dysentery. They continued to fight on in places like Mount Samat, San Vicente and the Alangan River but were repeatedly forced to withdraw against the relenting Japanese forces.
From the very beginning, Bataan men were cut to 1/2 rations, and very soon, to 1/4 rations. About four weeks later, they were living on 1/8 rations, that is, when food was available to them. Towards the end, it was changed to 1/16th of their rations...Quite often, they would go several days with no food, unless they could catch something in the jungle." Source: Federico Baldassarre letter
In the wake of starvation came diseases, such as malaria, dengue, scurvy, beriberi and amebic dysentery. The average American soldier lost 15-25 pounds and malaria was as high as 35 percent among front line units.
The Japanese started their final offensive of Bataan on Good Friday, 03 April 1942. By the evening of April 8, the situation was clearly hopeless. With ammunition, rations and supplies practically exhausted and most of his best units destroyed, Major General Edward P. King, commander of the forces on Bataan, was convinced his troops could not physically resist any more and decided to surrender to prevent further loss of life. On 09 April 1942, Maj. Gen. King surrendered the Luzon Force to the Japanese. Practically all members of the 31st Infantry entered captivity malnourished and sick.
Francis, 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.
Prisoner of war, Private Francis E. Bryant "was stricken on 10 May 1942" with dysentery in 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) Private Bryant 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.
Private Francis E. Bryant (S/N 19021172), died at 4:35 pm on 30 September 1942, while being treated for dysentery, in the prison hospital. He was one of ten men to die that day. 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.
PVT. FRANCIS E. BRYANT
Pvt. Francis E. Bryant, age 28, who was a Japanese prisoner, died in the Philippine Islands in *June of this year. Pvt. Bryant enlisted in the Army in March 1941, and was sent to the Islands soon after.
Surviving are his mother,, Mrs. Carrie Wolf of Metamora; two brothers, Kenneth and Carl Bryant of Greenfield; two sisters, Mrs. Pearl Winters of Richmond and Mrs. Ruth Smith of Rossmoyne, Ohio; one half-brother, Cecil Wolf, and two half-sisters, May and Helen Wolf of Metamora. Source: The Brookville Democrat (Brookville, Indiana), Thursday, 15 July 1943, page 8. *He died in September 1942
He was buried in a communal grave (Grave 502) in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs who died that day. 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. 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 for positive identification. Unfortunately, no clothing, personal effects nor any other means of identification were found for him and his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan. Francis was one of three men from Grave 502 who were not able to be positively identified. He is most likely buried in the Manila American Cemetery as a "Known but to God". There are 953 men like PVT Bryant who were not identified after the war, "unknowns", permanently interred in the Manila American Cemetery from Cabanatuan.
"HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY A COMRADE IN ARMS KNOWN BUT TO GOD"
Private Francis Emerald Bryant is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing - United States Army and Army Air Forces at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Awards: Bronze Star, Purple Heart
He was one of 64 men from his Company I that died in captivity. In all 1155 men from the 31st Infantry Regiment died in captivity, roughly half of the regiment's strength on the day the war began.
1930 United States Federal Census (15 April 1930): Metamora, Franklin County, Indiana (sheet 6B, family 145) – Francis E. Bryant (15 Indiana).
Francis E. Bryant (25, 01 May 1915, Connersville, Indiana), a resident of Metamora, Franklin County, Indiana, signed up for his World War II Draft Registration Card (Serial No. 644, Order No. 524) on 16 October 1940 in Metamora, Franklin County, Indiana. He was employed by his step-father, John Wolfe. Francis listed his mother, Mrs. Carrie Wolfe, as the person who would always know his address. He was described as 5' 10" in height, 140 lbs., with a ruddy complexion, brown hair and blue eyes.
Francis E. Bryant enlisted as a Private (S/N 19021172) in the U.S. Army in Indiana. He was assigned to the Quartermaster Corps and sent to the Philippines Islands.
On 07 December 1941 (in the United States) and 08 December 1941 (in the Philippines), the Japanese launched attacks on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and concurrently in the Philippine Islands. Japanese forces (14th Army under Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma) began a full-scale invasion of Luzon on 22 December. In response, General Douglas MacArthur activated War Plan Orange. This plan called for the withdrawal of American and Philippine forces to the Bataan Peninsula, where they could await reinforcements from Hawaii and the U.S.... reinforcements that never came.
When U.S. and Filipino troops retreated to Bataan Private Francis E. Bryant was transferred to Company I, 31st Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army.
On 06 January 1942 the battle for Bataan began. Japanese artillery began shelling the Fil-American positions. "The loud, earth-shaking "carrump , of impacting shells was unnerving to even those not directly affected." Over the next couple of months the 31st Infantry was in some of the fiercest fighting with the Japanese Fourteenth Army on Bataan in places like Layac Junction, Abucay and Orion-Bagac. By the middle of March, fifty percent of the regiment was sick with malaria or dysentery. They continued to fight on in places like Mount Samat, San Vicente and the Alangan River but were repeatedly forced to withdraw against the relenting Japanese forces.
From the very beginning, Bataan men were cut to 1/2 rations, and very soon, to 1/4 rations. About four weeks later, they were living on 1/8 rations, that is, when food was available to them. Towards the end, it was changed to 1/16th of their rations...Quite often, they would go several days with no food, unless they could catch something in the jungle." Source: Federico Baldassarre letter
In the wake of starvation came diseases, such as malaria, dengue, scurvy, beriberi and amebic dysentery. The average American soldier lost 15-25 pounds and malaria was as high as 35 percent among front line units.
The Japanese started their final offensive of Bataan on Good Friday, 03 April 1942. By the evening of April 8, the situation was clearly hopeless. With ammunition, rations and supplies practically exhausted and most of his best units destroyed, Major General Edward P. King, commander of the forces on Bataan, was convinced his troops could not physically resist any more and decided to surrender to prevent further loss of life. On 09 April 1942, Maj. Gen. King surrendered the Luzon Force to the Japanese. Practically all members of the 31st Infantry entered captivity malnourished and sick.
Francis, 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.
Prisoner of war, Private Francis E. Bryant "was stricken on 10 May 1942" with dysentery in 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) Private Bryant 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.
Private Francis E. Bryant (S/N 19021172), died at 4:35 pm on 30 September 1942, while being treated for dysentery, in the prison hospital. He was one of ten men to die that day. 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.
PVT. FRANCIS E. BRYANT
Pvt. Francis E. Bryant, age 28, who was a Japanese prisoner, died in the Philippine Islands in *June of this year. Pvt. Bryant enlisted in the Army in March 1941, and was sent to the Islands soon after.
Surviving are his mother,, Mrs. Carrie Wolf of Metamora; two brothers, Kenneth and Carl Bryant of Greenfield; two sisters, Mrs. Pearl Winters of Richmond and Mrs. Ruth Smith of Rossmoyne, Ohio; one half-brother, Cecil Wolf, and two half-sisters, May and Helen Wolf of Metamora. Source: The Brookville Democrat (Brookville, Indiana), Thursday, 15 July 1943, page 8. *He died in September 1942
He was buried in a communal grave (Grave 502) in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs who died that day. 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. 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 for positive identification. Unfortunately, no clothing, personal effects nor any other means of identification were found for him and his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan. Francis was one of three men from Grave 502 who were not able to be positively identified. He is most likely buried in the Manila American Cemetery as a "Known but to God". There are 953 men like PVT Bryant who were not identified after the war, "unknowns", permanently interred in the Manila American Cemetery from Cabanatuan.
"HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY A COMRADE IN ARMS KNOWN BUT TO GOD"
Private Francis Emerald Bryant is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing - United States Army and Army Air Forces at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Awards: Bronze Star, Purple Heart
He was one of 64 men from his Company I that died in captivity. In all 1155 men from the 31st Infantry Regiment died in captivity, roughly half of the regiment's strength on the day the war began.
1920 United States Federal Census (14 January 1920): Laurel Township, Franklin County, Indiana (sheet 6A, family 116) – Francis Bryant (4 6/12 Indiana).
1930 United States Federal Census (15 April 1930): Metamora, Franklin County, Indiana (sheet 6B, family 145) – Francis E. Bryant (15 Indiana).
Francis E. Bryant (25, 01 May 1915, Connersville, Indiana), a resident of Metamora, Franklin County, Indiana, signed up for his World War II Draft Registration Card (Serial No. 644, Order No. 524) on 16 October 1940 in Metamora, Franklin County, Indiana. He was employed by his step-father, John Wolfe. Francis listed his mother, Mrs. Carrie Wolfe, as the person who would always know his address. He was described as 5' 10" in height, 140 lbs., with a ruddy complexion, brown hair and blue eyes.
Francis E. Bryant enlisted as a Private (S/N 19021172) in the U.S. Army in Indiana. He was assigned to the Quartermaster Corps and sent to the Philippines Islands.
On 07 December 1941 (in the United States) and 08 December 1941 (in the Philippines), the Japanese launched attacks on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and concurrently in the Philippine Islands. Japanese forces (14th Army under Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma) began a full-scale invasion of Luzon on 22 December. In response, General Douglas MacArthur activated War Plan Orange. This plan called for the withdrawal of American and Philippine forces to the Bataan Peninsula, where they could await reinforcements from Hawaii and the U.S.... reinforcements that never came.
When U.S. and Filipino troops retreated to Bataan Private Francis E. Bryant was transferred to Company I, 31st Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army.
On 06 January 1942 the battle for Bataan began. Japanese artillery began shelling the Fil-American positions. "The loud, earth-shaking "carrump , of impacting shells was unnerving to even those not directly affected." Over the next couple of months the 31st Infantry was in some of the fiercest fighting with the Japanese Fourteenth Army on Bataan in places like Layac Junction, Abucay and Orion-Bagac. By the middle of March, fifty percent of the regiment was sick with malaria or dysentery. They continued to fight on in places like Mount Samat, San Vicente and the Alangan River but were repeatedly forced to withdraw against the relenting Japanese forces.
From the very beginning, Bataan men were cut to 1/2 rations, and very soon, to 1/4 rations. About four weeks later, they were living on 1/8 rations, that is, when food was available to them. Towards the end, it was changed to 1/16th of their rations...Quite often, they would go several days with no food, unless they could catch something in the jungle." Source: Federico Baldassarre letter
In the wake of starvation came diseases, such as malaria, dengue, scurvy, beriberi and amebic dysentery. The average American soldier lost 15-25 pounds and malaria was as high as 35 percent among front line units.
The Japanese started their final offensive of Bataan on Good Friday, 03 April 1942. By the evening of April 8, the situation was clearly hopeless. With ammunition, rations and supplies practically exhausted and most of his best units destroyed, Major General Edward P. King, commander of the forces on Bataan, was convinced his troops could not physically resist any more and decided to surrender to prevent further loss of life. On 09 April 1942, Maj. Gen. King surrendered the Luzon Force to the Japanese. Practically all members of the 31st Infantry entered captivity malnourished and sick.
Francis, 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.
Prisoner of war, Private Francis E. Bryant "was stricken on 10 May 1942" with dysentery in 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) Private Bryant 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.
Private Francis E. Bryant (S/N 19021172), died at 4:35 pm on 30 September 1942, while being treated for dysentery, in the prison hospital. He was one of ten men to die that day. 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.
PVT. FRANCIS E. BRYANT
Pvt. Francis E. Bryant, age 28, who was a Japanese prisoner, died in the Philippine Islands in *June of this year. Pvt. Bryant enlisted in the Army in March 1941, and was sent to the Islands soon after.
Surviving are his mother,, Mrs. Carrie Wolf of Metamora; two brothers, Kenneth and Carl Bryant of Greenfield; two sisters, Mrs. Pearl Winters of Richmond and Mrs. Ruth Smith of Rossmoyne, Ohio; one half-brother, Cecil Wolf, and two half-sisters, May and Helen Wolf of Metamora. Source: The Brookville Democrat (Brookville, Indiana), Thursday, 15 July 1943, page 8. *He died in September 1942
He was buried in a communal grave (Grave 502) in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs who died that day. 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. 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 for positive identification. Unfortunately, no clothing, personal effects nor any other means of identification were found for him and his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan. Francis was one of three men from Grave 502 who were not able to be positively identified. He is most likely buried in the Manila American Cemetery as a "Known but to God". There are 953 men like PVT Bryant who were not identified after the war, "unknowns", permanently interred in the Manila American Cemetery from Cabanatuan.
"HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY A COMRADE IN ARMS KNOWN BUT TO GOD"
Private Francis Emerald Bryant is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing - United States Army and Army Air Forces at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Awards: Bronze Star, Purple Heart
He was one of 64 men from his Company I that died in captivity. In all 1155 men from the 31st Infantry Regiment died in captivity, roughly half of the regiment's strength on the day the war began.
1930 United States Federal Census (15 April 1930): Metamora, Franklin County, Indiana (sheet 6B, family 145) – Francis E. Bryant (15 Indiana).
Francis E. Bryant (25, 01 May 1915, Connersville, Indiana), a resident of Metamora, Franklin County, Indiana, signed up for his World War II Draft Registration Card (Serial No. 644, Order No. 524) on 16 October 1940 in Metamora, Franklin County, Indiana. He was employed by his step-father, John Wolfe. Francis listed his mother, Mrs. Carrie Wolfe, as the person who would always know his address. He was described as 5' 10" in height, 140 lbs., with a ruddy complexion, brown hair and blue eyes.
Francis E. Bryant enlisted as a Private (S/N 19021172) in the U.S. Army in Indiana. He was assigned to the Quartermaster Corps and sent to the Philippines Islands.
On 07 December 1941 (in the United States) and 08 December 1941 (in the Philippines), the Japanese launched attacks on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and concurrently in the Philippine Islands. Japanese forces (14th Army under Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma) began a full-scale invasion of Luzon on 22 December. In response, General Douglas MacArthur activated War Plan Orange. This plan called for the withdrawal of American and Philippine forces to the Bataan Peninsula, where they could await reinforcements from Hawaii and the U.S.... reinforcements that never came.
When U.S. and Filipino troops retreated to Bataan Private Francis E. Bryant was transferred to Company I, 31st Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army.
On 06 January 1942 the battle for Bataan began. Japanese artillery began shelling the Fil-American positions. "The loud, earth-shaking "carrump , of impacting shells was unnerving to even those not directly affected." Over the next couple of months the 31st Infantry was in some of the fiercest fighting with the Japanese Fourteenth Army on Bataan in places like Layac Junction, Abucay and Orion-Bagac. By the middle of March, fifty percent of the regiment was sick with malaria or dysentery. They continued to fight on in places like Mount Samat, San Vicente and the Alangan River but were repeatedly forced to withdraw against the relenting Japanese forces.
From the very beginning, Bataan men were cut to 1/2 rations, and very soon, to 1/4 rations. About four weeks later, they were living on 1/8 rations, that is, when food was available to them. Towards the end, it was changed to 1/16th of their rations...Quite often, they would go several days with no food, unless they could catch something in the jungle." Source: Federico Baldassarre letter
In the wake of starvation came diseases, such as malaria, dengue, scurvy, beriberi and amebic dysentery. The average American soldier lost 15-25 pounds and malaria was as high as 35 percent among front line units.
The Japanese started their final offensive of Bataan on Good Friday, 03 April 1942. By the evening of April 8, the situation was clearly hopeless. With ammunition, rations and supplies practically exhausted and most of his best units destroyed, Major General Edward P. King, commander of the forces on Bataan, was convinced his troops could not physically resist any more and decided to surrender to prevent further loss of life. On 09 April 1942, Maj. Gen. King surrendered the Luzon Force to the Japanese. Practically all members of the 31st Infantry entered captivity malnourished and sick.
Francis, 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.
Prisoner of war, Private Francis E. Bryant "was stricken on 10 May 1942" with dysentery in 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) Private Bryant 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.
Private Francis E. Bryant (S/N 19021172), died at 4:35 pm on 30 September 1942, while being treated for dysentery, in the prison hospital. He was one of ten men to die that day. 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.
PVT. FRANCIS E. BRYANT
Pvt. Francis E. Bryant, age 28, who was a Japanese prisoner, died in the Philippine Islands in *June of this year. Pvt. Bryant enlisted in the Army in March 1941, and was sent to the Islands soon after.
Surviving are his mother,, Mrs. Carrie Wolf of Metamora; two brothers, Kenneth and Carl Bryant of Greenfield; two sisters, Mrs. Pearl Winters of Richmond and Mrs. Ruth Smith of Rossmoyne, Ohio; one half-brother, Cecil Wolf, and two half-sisters, May and Helen Wolf of Metamora. Source: The Brookville Democrat (Brookville, Indiana), Thursday, 15 July 1943, page 8. *He died in September 1942
He was buried in a communal grave (Grave 502) in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs who died that day. 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. 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 for positive identification. Unfortunately, no clothing, personal effects nor any other means of identification were found for him and his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan. Francis was one of three men from Grave 502 who were not able to be positively identified. He is most likely buried in the Manila American Cemetery as a "Known but to God". There are 953 men like PVT Bryant who were not identified after the war, "unknowns", permanently interred in the Manila American Cemetery from Cabanatuan.
"HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY A COMRADE IN ARMS KNOWN BUT TO GOD"
Private Francis Emerald Bryant is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing - United States Army and Army Air Forces at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Awards: Bronze Star, Purple Heart
He was one of 64 men from his Company I that died in captivity. In all 1155 men from the 31st Infantry Regiment died in captivity, roughly half of the regiment's strength on the day the war began.
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Indiana.
Family Members
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