W.H. "Chick" Mensching, 85, died Tuesday, June 12, 2007, from heart failure. - Born Dec. 18, 1921, in Des Plaines, Ill., The Oldest Son of August and Ida Mensching. He lived in Murrieta for two years. Mr. Mensching was a self-taught intellectual. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 30 years, was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War. A prisoner of war in the Pacific for 3 1/2 years, Mr. Mensching was the recipient of two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star. He was a member of Church of Christ in Vista, founding president of the Carlsbad Hi-Noon rotary, former member of the board of directors for the Vista Boys & Girls Club, Tri-City Hospital foundation, Lions Club, Exchange Club, and Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. He was Carlsbad Man of the Year in 1981.
Mr. Mensching was preceded in death by his daughter Cassandra Byzak in 2005.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years Hazel Mensching of Murrieta; son and daughter-in-law, John and Mel Mensching of Murrieta; daughter and son-in-law, Sharon and Robert Wenzler of Port Townsend, Wash.; brother and sister-in-law, Lawrence and Angie Mensching of Florida; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. And a few nephews and nieces.
Private services are planned. The family suggests memorial donations to Veterans of Foreign Wars
Although he didn't die in battle, he gave his life for his country. Here is a partial accounting of his sacrifice:
- Shot 11 times at the Battle of the Points (Bataan, Philippines, January 25, 1942)
- Develops gas gangrene in right thigh, undergoes surgery in a field hospital (Bataan, Philippines, late January 1942)
- Captured by the Imperial Japanese Army (Corregidor, Philippines, May 6, 1942)
- Beaten, tortured, worked as a slave, and starved as a POW (Philippines and Japan, 1942 - 1945)
- Develops gas gangrene in right lower leg, undergoes surgery with a razor blade, tweezers, and no anesthesia (Cabanatuan POW Camp, Philippines, 1942)
- Tortured by Mutsuhiro Watanabe, aka "The Bird", for failing to catch enough flies, loses hearing in one ear and teeth on right side of face (Omori POW Camp, Japan, 1945)
- Suffered starvation and extreme illness, including seven tropical diseases including malaria, Beriberi (wet and dry), pellagra, dysentery, etc (1942 - 1945)
- After the war, from 1945 to 1995, endured more than fifty hospitalizations, including twelve surgeries from the torture at the hands of "The Bird"
- Suffered from severe PTSD
- Served in Korean War as well
He retired from the Marine Corps, went on to become a banking executive despite possessing only a ninth grade formal education, and helped start and sustain some of North County's prominent service organizations.
Mr. Mensching was preceded in death by his daughter Cassandra Byzak in 2005.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years Hazel Mensching of Murrieta; son and daughter-in-law, John and Mel Mensching of Murrieta; daughter and son-in-law, Sharon and Robert Wenzler of Port Townsend, Wash.; brother and sister-in-law, Lawrence and Angie Mensching of Florida; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. And a few nephews and nieces.
Private services are planned. The family suggests memorial donations to Veterans of Foreign Wars
Although he didn't die in battle, he gave his life for his country. Here is a partial accounting of his sacrifice:
- Shot 11 times at the Battle of the Points (Bataan, Philippines, January 25, 1942)
- Develops gas gangrene in right thigh, undergoes surgery in a field hospital (Bataan, Philippines, late January 1942)
- Captured by the Imperial Japanese Army (Corregidor, Philippines, May 6, 1942)
- Beaten, tortured, worked as a slave, and starved as a POW (Philippines and Japan, 1942 - 1945)
- Develops gas gangrene in right lower leg, undergoes surgery with a razor blade, tweezers, and no anesthesia (Cabanatuan POW Camp, Philippines, 1942)
- Tortured by Mutsuhiro Watanabe, aka "The Bird", for failing to catch enough flies, loses hearing in one ear and teeth on right side of face (Omori POW Camp, Japan, 1945)
- Suffered starvation and extreme illness, including seven tropical diseases including malaria, Beriberi (wet and dry), pellagra, dysentery, etc (1942 - 1945)
- After the war, from 1945 to 1995, endured more than fifty hospitalizations, including twelve surgeries from the torture at the hands of "The Bird"
- Suffered from severe PTSD
- Served in Korean War as well
He retired from the Marine Corps, went on to become a banking executive despite possessing only a ninth grade formal education, and helped start and sustain some of North County's prominent service organizations.
W.H. "Chick" Mensching, 85, died Tuesday, June 12, 2007, from heart failure. - Born Dec. 18, 1921, in Des Plaines, Ill., The Oldest Son of August and Ida Mensching. He lived in Murrieta for two years. Mr. Mensching was a self-taught intellectual. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 30 years, was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War. A prisoner of war in the Pacific for 3 1/2 years, Mr. Mensching was the recipient of two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star. He was a member of Church of Christ in Vista, founding president of the Carlsbad Hi-Noon rotary, former member of the board of directors for the Vista Boys & Girls Club, Tri-City Hospital foundation, Lions Club, Exchange Club, and Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. He was Carlsbad Man of the Year in 1981.
Mr. Mensching was preceded in death by his daughter Cassandra Byzak in 2005.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years Hazel Mensching of Murrieta; son and daughter-in-law, John and Mel Mensching of Murrieta; daughter and son-in-law, Sharon and Robert Wenzler of Port Townsend, Wash.; brother and sister-in-law, Lawrence and Angie Mensching of Florida; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. And a few nephews and nieces.
Private services are planned. The family suggests memorial donations to Veterans of Foreign Wars
Although he didn't die in battle, he gave his life for his country. Here is a partial accounting of his sacrifice:
- Shot 11 times at the Battle of the Points (Bataan, Philippines, January 25, 1942)
- Develops gas gangrene in right thigh, undergoes surgery in a field hospital (Bataan, Philippines, late January 1942)
- Captured by the Imperial Japanese Army (Corregidor, Philippines, May 6, 1942)
- Beaten, tortured, worked as a slave, and starved as a POW (Philippines and Japan, 1942 - 1945)
- Develops gas gangrene in right lower leg, undergoes surgery with a razor blade, tweezers, and no anesthesia (Cabanatuan POW Camp, Philippines, 1942)
- Tortured by Mutsuhiro Watanabe, aka "The Bird", for failing to catch enough flies, loses hearing in one ear and teeth on right side of face (Omori POW Camp, Japan, 1945)
- Suffered starvation and extreme illness, including seven tropical diseases including malaria, Beriberi (wet and dry), pellagra, dysentery, etc (1942 - 1945)
- After the war, from 1945 to 1995, endured more than fifty hospitalizations, including twelve surgeries from the torture at the hands of "The Bird"
- Suffered from severe PTSD
- Served in Korean War as well
He retired from the Marine Corps, went on to become a banking executive despite possessing only a ninth grade formal education, and helped start and sustain some of North County's prominent service organizations.
Mr. Mensching was preceded in death by his daughter Cassandra Byzak in 2005.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years Hazel Mensching of Murrieta; son and daughter-in-law, John and Mel Mensching of Murrieta; daughter and son-in-law, Sharon and Robert Wenzler of Port Townsend, Wash.; brother and sister-in-law, Lawrence and Angie Mensching of Florida; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. And a few nephews and nieces.
Private services are planned. The family suggests memorial donations to Veterans of Foreign Wars
Although he didn't die in battle, he gave his life for his country. Here is a partial accounting of his sacrifice:
- Shot 11 times at the Battle of the Points (Bataan, Philippines, January 25, 1942)
- Develops gas gangrene in right thigh, undergoes surgery in a field hospital (Bataan, Philippines, late January 1942)
- Captured by the Imperial Japanese Army (Corregidor, Philippines, May 6, 1942)
- Beaten, tortured, worked as a slave, and starved as a POW (Philippines and Japan, 1942 - 1945)
- Develops gas gangrene in right lower leg, undergoes surgery with a razor blade, tweezers, and no anesthesia (Cabanatuan POW Camp, Philippines, 1942)
- Tortured by Mutsuhiro Watanabe, aka "The Bird", for failing to catch enough flies, loses hearing in one ear and teeth on right side of face (Omori POW Camp, Japan, 1945)
- Suffered starvation and extreme illness, including seven tropical diseases including malaria, Beriberi (wet and dry), pellagra, dysentery, etc (1942 - 1945)
- After the war, from 1945 to 1995, endured more than fifty hospitalizations, including twelve surgeries from the torture at the hands of "The Bird"
- Suffered from severe PTSD
- Served in Korean War as well
He retired from the Marine Corps, went on to become a banking executive despite possessing only a ninth grade formal education, and helped start and sustain some of North County's prominent service organizations.
Gravesite Details
Interred October 10, 2014
Family Members
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