Blake was born April 30, 1897, at Crosses, Arkansas. He was the youngest of four children born to Charles and Viola Malone Vanlandingham.
A veteran of both WWI and WWII, Blake was a prisoner of the Japanese in the Phillippine Islands during World War II. Like so many other veterans, Blake preferred not to talk about his experiences during the war. Blake was a S/SGT in Battery "I" 60th Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) when the unit surrendered on Corregidor on May 6, 1942. He may have been held at more than one prison camp, but was at the Cabanatuan POW camp when elements of the U.S. Army 6th Ranger Battalion with help from Filipino guerrillas liberated the camp on January 30, 1945, in what became known as the Great Raid at Cabanatuan. His name was listed among the prisoners that were liberated from there in the book, Ghost Soldiers.
Blake was married twice. He married his first wife, Sophia De Versoza, while stationed in the Philippines before his capture. They had one daughter, Anita Viola Vanlandingham. After he was liberated in 1945, he was unable to locate his wife and daughter. He tried for many years after returning stateside to find out what had happened to his family. It was presumed they had been killed.
Blake later married Maxine WALKER on April 4, 1952, and they lived in the historic district of Fayetteville for many years. Blake and Maxine had no children. Blake died in Fayetteville at the age of 73.
Blake's obituary in his hometown newspaper read as follows:
The Madison County Record
Huntsville, Arkansas
May 14, 1970
Blake Gerald Vanlandingham, 73, of Fayetteville died Saturday, May 9, in a Fayetteville hospital. Born April 30, 1897 at Crosses, the son of Charles and Viola Malone Vanlandingham, he was a veteran of World Wars I and II, and was a prisoner of the Japanese in the Phillippine Islands during World War II.
Survivors are the widow, Mrs. Maxine Walker VanLandingham of the home and one sister, Mrs. Goldie Hankins of Crosses.
Funeral service was at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at the Watson Mortuary with burial in the National Cemetery.
Military Information: TSGT, US ARMY
A veteran of both WWI and WWII, Blake was a prisoner of the Japanese in the Phillippine Islands during World War II. Like so many other veterans, Blake preferred not to talk about his experiences during the war. Blake was a S/SGT in Battery "I" 60th Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) when the unit surrendered on Corregidor on May 6, 1942. He may have been held at more than one prison camp, but was at the Cabanatuan POW camp when elements of the U.S. Army 6th Ranger Battalion with help from Filipino guerrillas liberated the camp on January 30, 1945, in what became known as the Great Raid at Cabanatuan. His name was listed among the prisoners that were liberated from there in the book, Ghost Soldiers.
Blake was married twice. He married his first wife, Sophia De Versoza, while stationed in the Philippines before his capture. They had one daughter, Anita Viola Vanlandingham. After he was liberated in 1945, he was unable to locate his wife and daughter. He tried for many years after returning stateside to find out what had happened to his family. It was presumed they had been killed.
Blake later married Maxine WALKER on April 4, 1952, and they lived in the historic district of Fayetteville for many years. Blake and Maxine had no children. Blake died in Fayetteville at the age of 73.
Blake's obituary in his hometown newspaper read as follows:
The Madison County Record
Huntsville, Arkansas
May 14, 1970
Blake Gerald Vanlandingham, 73, of Fayetteville died Saturday, May 9, in a Fayetteville hospital. Born April 30, 1897 at Crosses, the son of Charles and Viola Malone Vanlandingham, he was a veteran of World Wars I and II, and was a prisoner of the Japanese in the Phillippine Islands during World War II.
Survivors are the widow, Mrs. Maxine Walker VanLandingham of the home and one sister, Mrs. Goldie Hankins of Crosses.
Funeral service was at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at the Watson Mortuary with burial in the National Cemetery.
Military Information: TSGT, US ARMY
Blake was born April 30, 1897, at Crosses, Arkansas. He was the youngest of four children born to Charles and Viola Malone Vanlandingham.
A veteran of both WWI and WWII, Blake was a prisoner of the Japanese in the Phillippine Islands during World War II. Like so many other veterans, Blake preferred not to talk about his experiences during the war. Blake was a S/SGT in Battery "I" 60th Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) when the unit surrendered on Corregidor on May 6, 1942. He may have been held at more than one prison camp, but was at the Cabanatuan POW camp when elements of the U.S. Army 6th Ranger Battalion with help from Filipino guerrillas liberated the camp on January 30, 1945, in what became known as the Great Raid at Cabanatuan. His name was listed among the prisoners that were liberated from there in the book, Ghost Soldiers.
Blake was married twice. He married his first wife, Sophia De Versoza, while stationed in the Philippines before his capture. They had one daughter, Anita Viola Vanlandingham. After he was liberated in 1945, he was unable to locate his wife and daughter. He tried for many years after returning stateside to find out what had happened to his family. It was presumed they had been killed.
Blake later married Maxine WALKER on April 4, 1952, and they lived in the historic district of Fayetteville for many years. Blake and Maxine had no children. Blake died in Fayetteville at the age of 73.
Blake's obituary in his hometown newspaper read as follows:
The Madison County Record
Huntsville, Arkansas
May 14, 1970
Blake Gerald Vanlandingham, 73, of Fayetteville died Saturday, May 9, in a Fayetteville hospital. Born April 30, 1897 at Crosses, the son of Charles and Viola Malone Vanlandingham, he was a veteran of World Wars I and II, and was a prisoner of the Japanese in the Phillippine Islands during World War II.
Survivors are the widow, Mrs. Maxine Walker VanLandingham of the home and one sister, Mrs. Goldie Hankins of Crosses.
Funeral service was at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at the Watson Mortuary with burial in the National Cemetery.
Military Information: TSGT, US ARMY
A veteran of both WWI and WWII, Blake was a prisoner of the Japanese in the Phillippine Islands during World War II. Like so many other veterans, Blake preferred not to talk about his experiences during the war. Blake was a S/SGT in Battery "I" 60th Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) when the unit surrendered on Corregidor on May 6, 1942. He may have been held at more than one prison camp, but was at the Cabanatuan POW camp when elements of the U.S. Army 6th Ranger Battalion with help from Filipino guerrillas liberated the camp on January 30, 1945, in what became known as the Great Raid at Cabanatuan. His name was listed among the prisoners that were liberated from there in the book, Ghost Soldiers.
Blake was married twice. He married his first wife, Sophia De Versoza, while stationed in the Philippines before his capture. They had one daughter, Anita Viola Vanlandingham. After he was liberated in 1945, he was unable to locate his wife and daughter. He tried for many years after returning stateside to find out what had happened to his family. It was presumed they had been killed.
Blake later married Maxine WALKER on April 4, 1952, and they lived in the historic district of Fayetteville for many years. Blake and Maxine had no children. Blake died in Fayetteville at the age of 73.
Blake's obituary in his hometown newspaper read as follows:
The Madison County Record
Huntsville, Arkansas
May 14, 1970
Blake Gerald Vanlandingham, 73, of Fayetteville died Saturday, May 9, in a Fayetteville hospital. Born April 30, 1897 at Crosses, the son of Charles and Viola Malone Vanlandingham, he was a veteran of World Wars I and II, and was a prisoner of the Japanese in the Phillippine Islands during World War II.
Survivors are the widow, Mrs. Maxine Walker VanLandingham of the home and one sister, Mrs. Goldie Hankins of Crosses.
Funeral service was at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at the Watson Mortuary with burial in the National Cemetery.
Military Information: TSGT, US ARMY
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