NATIONAL POW/MIA RECOGNITION DAY, 2025

A PROCLAMATION

[ANNOTATED]

September 19, 2025

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

From the battlefields of the Revolutionary War to the trenches of World War II to the sprawling jungles of Vietnam, thousands of our patriotic service members have been horrifically captured by the enemy and forced to endure excruciating torture, agony, and distress in the service of our Nation.  On this National Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) Recognition Day, we remember our valiant American Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen who were captured while fighting on foreign soil and our missing in action who have not yet returned home.  We honor their courage, we salute their patriotism, and we vow full accountability for the more than 80,000 heroes still missing from the wars and conflicts of the past. [Aside from the atrocious grammar and writing unfit for a White House statement, the facts are incorrect. Not all American POW/MIAs were captured or killed on foreign soil. There were POW/MIAs in the Revolutionary War (note the contradiction in the first sentence), the War of 1812, and the Civil War to name a few. During WWII, Americans were made POWs in American territories such as Wake Island, Guam, and Attu as well as captured on American merchant vessels. Not all military POWs were members of the military. During WWII in the Pacific, for example, the civilian contractors on Wake Island were eventually given veterans status, although none were formally enlisted members of the U.S. Armed Services. Some historians believe that more American Revolutionary War soldiers died as POWs of the British than in battle.]

Every American POW has answered the call of duty to fight not only for our country, but for the futures of our families, fellow soldiers, and our beloved Nation.  Imprisoned by enemy forces, American POWs endured years of deprivation, brutality, and anguish, sustained only by uncommon resilience and grit.  Their families lived in their own prison of fear and perpetual heartache, hoping and praying for a safe return.  For the loved ones of the missing, the unfathomable grief endures.

During my first Administration, I signed the National POW/MIA Flag Act directing the POW/MIA flag to be [visibly] flown with the American flag [on prominent federal buildings]. The black and white banner represents the noble sacrifices made in defense of our freedom and serves as an enduring and powerful symbol of our unwavering commitment to leaving no one behind. [Inexplicably, eight months after President Trump signed S. 693, the “National POW/MIA Flag Act, in November 2019 he had the POW/MIA flag removed from atop the White House. It had flown there under the American flag since 1998, the Clinton Administration. The POW/MIA flag was illegally missing until President Joe Biden returned it atop the White House on April 9, 2021, the anniversary of the fall of the Bataan Penisular in the Philippines and the beginning of the infamous Bataan Death March. It remains there as of April 2026.]

As Commander in Chief, I remain committed to pursuing full accountability for those captured and missing in action.  During my first term, I secured the repatriation of remains from North Korea, believed to be at least 250 individuals who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the Korean War.  In March of this year, our Nation identified the 100th service member from the remains — ending decades of uncertainty for the families of the fallen.  This sacred mission will continue until every American is returned home. [North Korea returned 55 cases of possible remains in the summer of 2018. None hve been returned since. The North Koreans suspended the program in March 2019. Of the 250 possible people among the 501 bones returned, a number are South Korean. The identification process is ongoing.]

Today, the First Lady joins me in honoring America’s POW/MIAs and their families.  The debt of gratitude for their unimaginable sacrifices in defense of our sovereignty can never be repaid, and must never be forgotten. [Notably, in 2017, Trump called these men and women "suckers and losers."]

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 19, 2025, as National POW/MIA Recognition Day.  I salute all American POWs who, in the presence of great dangers and uncertainties, honored their duty to this great country.  Let this day also serve as a reminder for our Nation to strengthen our resolve to account for those who are still missing and provide their families long-sought answers.  I call upon Federal, State, tribal, and local government officials and private organizations to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.

                               DONALD J. TRUMP

Remembering April 9, 1942

April 9 is a little recognized American commemoration to recognize members of the U.S. Armed Forces who became POWs. It was created in the 1980s primarily to honor the American fighting men and women on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines who were surrendered on April 9, 1942. The infamous Bataan Death March up the peninsula to a squalid, unfinished POW Camp began by the end of the day. Thousands died en route, thousands more died in the camp. 

By law, the President issues a proclamation remembering the sacrifice of all Americans who became POWs. Look for it.

So take a moment on Thursday to remember a sweltering day in the tropics marked by an earthquake when thousands of starving, sick, and dispirited American and Filipino troops were surrendered by their commanding generals to the merciless invading Japanese forces. 

Here are some ceremonies to join:

83RD ANNIVERSARY WREATH LAYING CEREMONY MEMORIALIZING THE FALL OF BATAAN. Thursday, April 9, 2026, 10:00am (CDT), IN PERSON ONLY, Brainerd National Guard Armory, 1115 Wright Street Brainerd, MN. Sponsor: 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 194th Armor Regiment, Minnesota National Guard. To: Remember Company A of the 194th Tank Battalion that bravely fought the invading Japanese in the Philippines at the beginning of World War II in the Battle of Bataan. American and Filipino soldiers were surrendered on April 9, 1942 after running out of ammunition, food and medical supplies. The surrender was followed by the infamous Bataan Death March to Camp O’Donnell. Thousands died. It is believed that of the 64 National Guardsmen who left Brainerd and served on Bataan, three were killed in action and 29 died as POWs with only 32 surviving to return home.Those who survived endured over three years of brutal captivity and slave labor. Keynote Speaker: John Erickson, historian of POWs of Japan. https://www.brainerdvfw.org/bataan.html 

DAY OF VALOR [ARAW NG KAGITINGAN] CEREMONY. Thursday, April 9, 2026, 11:00am-Noon (EDT), Military Women's Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. Sponsor: Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP). Remembers the valor and suffering of the thousands of American and Filipino troops and civilians who were on the Bataan Peninsula when it was surrendered to invading Japanese forces on April 9, 1942. https://filvetrep.org/ 

COMMEMORATION OF THE 84TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF BATAAN. Thursday, April 9, 2026, 11:00am-Noon (MDT), Bataan Memorial Building, 407 Galisteo Street, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Reception to follow at The New Mexico Military Museum, 1050 Old Pecos Trail​, Santa Fe, NM. Sponsor: Adjutant General of the State of New Mexico. The ceremony is also followed by the opening of Last of the 200th: Valdemar DeHerrera that honors his life and legacy. https://eanmng.org/2026/03/29/nm-national-guards-84th-anniversary-fall-of-bataan-ceremony/​ 

BATAAN DEATH MARCH 84TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION. SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2026, 9:45am to 12:20pm (PDT). Sponsor: Bataan Legacy Historical Society.  SAN FRANCISCO NATIONAL CEMETERY, One Lincoln Blvd., San Francisco, California. With special honors to the WWII Nurses and the quest for their Congressional Gold Medal. AGENDA  

2026 BATAAN MEMORIAL DEATH MARCH ON THE POTOMAC. Saturday, April 12, 2026, 10:00am (EDT), Start and end at Fort Hunt Park, Virginia, Pavilion 1 along the Potomac River near Washington, DC. Sponsor: Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP). Marchers can choose to do 3, 6, or 14 miles. It is not a race, it is a commemoration honoring those who suffered the infamous 100 mile march and train trip up the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines to the death camp O’Donnell. The March began shortly after General King surrendered the American and Filipino troops on April 9, 1042 to General Homma and the invading Imperial Japanese forces. Race Registration closes April 10, 2026. 

*BOOK TALK: DAUNTLESS: THE 1ST & 2ND FILIPINO INFANTRY REGIMENTS, UNITED STATES ARMY (2023). 4/16, 6:30pm (EDT), IN PERSON ONLY. Quezon Hall, Annex Chancery Building, 1617 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. Speaker: author Marie Vallejo. https://philippineembassy-dc.org/special-book-presentation-dauntless-by-marie-vallejo/  

PURCHASE BOOK: https://amzn.to/4bSh8mz 

15th ANNUAL CHESAPEAKE BATAAN DEATH MARCH MEMORIAL WALK. 4/18, Registration begins at 6:00am (EDT), Dismal Swamp Canal Trail, Chesapeake, VA. Closing Ceremony at Noon. Sponsor: SSG Jonathan Kilian Dozier Memorial VFW Post 2894

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064849921506&ref=embed_page# 

WEBSITE: https://walkchesapeake.wixsite.com/chesapeakebataan

80th Anniversary of the End of WWII

September 2, 2025

On June 18, 1945, Marine Private Marion Rounds, Jr. of Company "L", Third Battalion, Twenty Second Marines, Sixth Marine Division was killed in action on Okinawa somewhere near Kunishi Ridge. His brother's son, Senator Mike Rounds, who was named after this hero, quietly honored him by shepherding through the U.S. Senate in 2025 the only resolution in Congress remembering the end of World War II. s.

There had not been any mention of the end of WWII in Congress since 2005. That year, Chairman of the House International Relations Committee (today's House Foreign Affairs Committee), Congressman Henry Hyde (R-IL) successfully had passed in the House of Representatives H. Con. Res. 191. As the last Pacific War veteran ln Congress, Hyde felt a deep obligation to the men and women who served with him. They should not be forgotten. Thus, he reitred from Congress frustrated that he could persuade the Senate to pass a similar resolution. The Bush White House objected to the resolutions prose and obstructed its introduction.

A concurrent resolution must be adopted by both the U.S. House and Senate to become the official sentiment of both chambers. It is not a public law nor is it approved by the President. However, if it is not passed by both chambers it is not recognized in the chamber that does pass it. That the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations would not introduce the resolution allowed the Senate to kill the resolution without taking any personal responsibility, defying the White House, or offending the Japanese government.

Twenty years later, Senator Rounds with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) fulfilled the obligation that Senator Lugar could not. They succeeded in honoring the veterans of the Pacific War as well as all who were sweep up in the last and bloodiest battle of WWII, the Battle of Okinawa. The resolution also called attention to the importance of the Pacific allies the U.S. gained after the war.

Nevertheless, the "friends" of Japan still managed to strip from the resolution a reaffirmation that the 1951 Treaty of Peace with Japan (San Francisco Peace Treaty) "is based upon the judgments of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Tokyo and of other Allied War Crimes Courts." Removal of the reference to the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal was one of demands in 2005 as well.

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. RES. 383 

Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the conclusion of World War II with the surrender of Imperial Japan and honoring veterans of both the Pacific and European theaters.

---

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 10, 2025

Mr. Blumenthal (for himself and Mr. Rounds) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

---

RESOLUTION

Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the conclusion of World War II with the surrender of Imperial Japan and honoring veterans of both the Pacific and European theaters.

Whereas, after the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on December 7, 1941, the United States declared war on Japan, and later declared war on Germany and Italy after their declarations of war on the United States, fully entering the United States into World War II and joining the Allies to fight the Axis Powers in a war in which over 16,300,000 citizens of the United States served in the military;

Whereas, during World War II, approximately 415,000 United States servicemembers were killed, another 670,000 were seriously wounded, and 130,000 were held as prisoners of war; and

Whereas September 2, 1945, marked the official end of World War II, with representatives of the Allied and Japanese governments signing the Instrument of Surrender, prepared by the Department of War and approved by President Harry S. Truman: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) honors all veterans, living and deceased, of the Pacific and European theaters of World War II on the 80th anniversary of the conclusion of World War II;

(2) expresses the deep appreciation and gratitude of the United States for the valor and selfless service of the veterans of World War II;

(3) calls on the people of the United States to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the signing of the Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri (BB–63) on September 2, 1945, as a day of appreciation for the members of the “Greatest Generation” who, through their sacrifices both in the Armed Forces and on the home front, preserved liberty for future generations;

(4) mourns the more than 200,000 people, including more than 12,000 United States servicemembers and up to 150,000 Japanese civilians, who died from April 1 to June 22, 1945, in the Battle of Okinawa, which was the only land battle on the home islands of Japan and the costliest ground combat of the Asia-Pacific War, and which led President Harry S. Truman to re-examine the costs of invading mainland Japan;

(5) reaffirms the Treaty of Peace with Japan, done at San Francisco September 8, 1951 (commonly known as the “Treaty of San Francisco”), which formally ended the “state of war”; and

(6) recognizes the alliances and partnerships formed in the Indo-Pacific region following World War II, including those with Japan, Australia, the Philippines, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand, as well as critical defense sites developed on Okinawa, Guam, Wake Island, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and elsewhere, have contributed immeasurably to the continued peace and prosperity enjoyed throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

Remembering the Last Survior of the USS Houston (CA-30)

After a few false starts, Minnesota Congressman Pete Stauber (R-MN) inserted in the July 15, 2025, Congressional Record a memorial to Bob Hanley, the last survivor of the sinking of the USS Houston (CA-30) off the coast of Java in the Sunda Strait on February 29, 1942 (a leap year). Seaman Hanley became a POW of Japan for over three years and survived the infamous Thai-Burma Death Railway.

The Congressman's staffer, unfamiliar with the history and geography, misinterpreted my suggestion that the statement be issued on April 9 in conjunction with National Former POW Recognition Day and the anniversary of the fall of Bataan. I told him that the soldiers of Company A of the 194th Provisional Tank Battalion who fought on the Bataan Peninsula and who also became POWs of Japan were from Brainerd, which is in his boss's district. 

It turned out that the staffer put aside the statement for months and did not have me review the draft. The result was an insertion for the Congressional Record on July 10 that had Seaman Hanley surviving both the sinking of the USS Houston and the Bataan Death March a month later, 2,000 miles away. As you cannot delete a insertion for the record, a new, corrected statement was issued on July 15, 2025. It is below.

This account is not to embarrass either the congressman or the staffer. It is only to illustrate how much isnow forgotten. With the U.S. military returning to the Pacific, often to many of the places the U.S. fought and built temporary bases, it is even more important to remember this history and these places on the map. To honor the American POWs and the veterans of the Pacific War is to learn the lesson of the men left behind on the Philippines, Wake, Guam, and the Sunda Strait. We need to be prepared.

[Extensions of Remarks]

[Page E672]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF ROBERT L. "BOB" HANLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PETE STAUBER

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 15, 2025

  Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary 
life of Seaman Second Class Robert L. ``Bob'' Hanley, the last living 
survivor of the sinking of the USS Houston (CA-30) in the Sunda Strait 
off the coast of Java on February 29, 1942, ending the storied U.S. 
Asiatic Fleet.

  As one of only 368 of the ship's complement of 1,060 to survive this 
sea battle, he showcased American grit, tenacity, and commitment in the 
fight against fascism and tyranny. He endured multiple POW camps, 
``hell ships'' to Singapore and Burma, and slave labor on the infamous 
Thai-Burma Death Railway.

  His nearly four years of as a POW of Japan were marked by starvation, 
torture, and beatings. As a POW medical orderly, he labored without 
medicines and supplies to save the lives of his fellow brutalized POWs. 
He, himself, survived bouts of dysentery, malaria, and pellagra. At 
liberation in August 1945, he was among just 291 remaining USS Houston 
(CA-30) survivors.

  Bob's resilience never wavered, and his service did not end with his 
Navy discharge in 1947. He continued serving his country by enlisting 
in the U.S. Army for 15 years. After his military career, he worked in 
security at 3M for another 15 years, retiring in 1978 due to medical 
issues caused by his wartime imprisonment.

  Throughout his life, Bob's deep faith as a devout member of the 
Catholic Church of Saint Peter in Forest Lake, Minnesota, guided him 
through the darkest times and brightest moments, serving as a 
cornerstone of his strength. On September 12, 2024, Seaman Second Class 
Robert L. Hanley passed away at 102 years old. May he rest in peace.

The Atomic Bombings and some events

PURCHASE BOOK

80th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombings

By Takuya Nishimura, APP Senior Fellow, Former Editorial Writer for The Hokkaido Shimbun.

The views expressed by the author are his own and are not associated with The Hokkaido Shimbun.
You can find his blog, J Update here.
August 11, 2025. Special to Asia Policy Point

This month the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki commemorated the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings in 1945. While the sufferers of the atomic bombs, or hibakusha, aspire to eternal peace without the devastation of nuclear weapons, the gap between their hopes and the reality of world politics has widened. Hibakusha face a challenging task in handing their movement over to next generation, as the sufferers in Hiroshima and Nagasaki pass away.
 
In Hiroshima, in the Declaration of Peace at the Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6, the Mayor, Kazumi Matsui, introduced a story of an unnamed man who was injured by the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. “Building a peaceful world without nuclear weapons will demand our never-give-up spirit. We have to talk and keep talking to people who hold opposing views,” Matsui said, quoting words of the hibakusha.
 
That unnamed man is thought to be Sunao Tsuboi who shook hands and had a short conversation with then U.S. President Barack Obama on his visit to Hiroshima in May 2016. “Never give up” is the phrase Tsuboi likes to use in his conversations. He once told me that he came to pursue peace and to hate war. Instead of continuing the resentment he held against America after the end of the war, he realized that retaliation would produce nothing. This principle is commonly held by the hibakusha.
 
Mayor Matsui also warned against a growing perception that “nuclear weapons are essential for national defense,” a view that he and many other believe heightens the risk of the use of these weapons.
 
In Nagasaki, Mayor, Shiro Suzu urged in his Nagasaki Peace Declaration on August 9 for the world to take the path to a peaceful future through dialogue with different people. Suzuki pressed world leaders to end disputes that are based on a principle of “force is met with force.”
 
One event at which the world community seemed to meet the hopes of the hibakusha was the award of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize to the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organization, or Nihon Hidankyo. The Norwegian Nobel Committee recognized that “Nihon Hidankyo has carried out extensive educational work on the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the use of nuclear weapons. Hence the motto ‘No more Hibakusha.’”
 
However, the reality of world politics has recently visited more disappointments on the hibakusha. Recognizing that it can use its nuclear weapons stockpile to blackmail Ukraine, Russia has continued its war. Commenters have noticed that the invasion by a country with nuclear weapons of another that abandoned nuclear weapons undermines the international non-proliferation regime. Ukraine gave up its status of the world’s third largest nuclear power with the Budapest Memorandum in 1994.
 
A growing concern among the hibakusha is the fact that the nuclear powers are increasing their involvement in international conflicts. Despite efforts to find a peace deal in the Gaza Strip, Israel – widely thought to have nuclear weapons capability – has continued to destroy cities in the region to eliminate a terrorist organization, Hamas. India and Pakistan, both of which are recognized as nuclear powers, exchanged military strikes in May over a terrorist attack in Kashmir.
 
The hibakusha were astonished that the U.S. conducted air strikes in June on three of Iran’s nuclear sites. Aggravating the situation for the hibakusha was U.S. President Donald Trump’s justification for the attacks on Iran as a means of ending the conflict between Iran and Israel. Trump likened the U.S. attack on Iran to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, characterizing the strikes on Iran as “essentially the same thing.” “Nothing has changed 80 years after the war,” said one of the hibakusha.
 
The survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are also frustrated with the diplomacy of the government of Japan on nuclear non-proliferation. In their peace declarations, Matsui and Suzuki strongly recommended that the government join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, issued by the United Nations in 2017. The Japanese government has routinely rejected that request because Japan is under nuclear umbrella of the U.S.
 
In his speeches at the ceremonies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Prime Minister Ishiba stressed Japan’s efforts toward “the world without nuclear weapons” not through the 2017 UN treaty, but the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 1970. Ishiba also quoted the Hiroshima Action Plan, a plan first proposed by his predecessor Fumio Kishida in a speech to NPT Review Conference in 2022. The plan would preclude the use of nuclear weapons and enhance the transparency of a country’s nuclear development.
 
When we look at the reality of the hibakusha, they are decreasing year after year. Hibakusha who have kept their copies of the Atomic Bomb Survivor’s Handbook, issued by Japanese government, fell below 100,000 in 2024. It means we have fewer and fewer people who can talk about the direct experience of the devastation brought by atomic bombs. How the narratives of Hiroshima and Nagasaki can be passed down to future generations is an important – and unresolved – question.
 
In his peace declaration, Matsui urged young people to think less about themselves and more about each other. “Clearly, nations, too, must look beyond narrow self-interest to consider the circumstances of other nations,” Matsui said. This tenet is grounded in the  preamble to the Constitution of Japan, which states that “no nation is responsible for itself alone.” While Hiroshima’s hope for peace is as fresh as ever, the reality of the world, including that in Japan, looks as if the great tragedy of the atomic bombings has been forgotten.

###

BOOK TALK: RAIN OF RUIN BY RICHARD OVERY. 10/7, 6:30-8:30pm (BST), IN PERSON ONLY. Sponsor: Imperial War Museums. Speaker: author Richard Overy, one of Britain’s most distinguished historians. https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-in-conversation-richard-overy-rain-of-ruin. Fee. PURCHASE BOOK: https://amzn.to/45hyoOU

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POP CULTURE, PROPAGANDA, AND POLITICS: REFLECTIONS ON THE PACIFIC WAR 80 YEARS LATER: 2025 ANNUAL CONFERENCE. 10/17-18, HYBRID. Sponsor: Admiral Nimitz Foundation at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas. Speakers: Richard B. Frank, an internationally recognized leading authority on the Asia-Pacific War; Rob Buscher, a film and media specialist; Janet M. Davis, Professor of American Studies and History at the University of Texas at Austin; Dr. Ambyre Ponivas, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies and Psychology at Young Harris College in Georgia; Steven Rawle, Professor of Film at York St John University, UK; Henry Sledge is the son of Eugene B. Sledge, author of With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa and China Marine. https://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/education/museum-programs/conference 

THE SURRENDER OF JAPAN: ORCHESTRATING THE END OF THE WAR. 9/2, 11:00am-Noon, HYBRID. Sponsor: National WWII Museum. Speaker: Colonel Mike Bell, PhD, Executive Director of the Museum’s Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/events-programs/events/137098-surrender-japan-orchestrating-end-war

2025 CONFERENCE TO HONOR 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF END OF WORLD WAR II. 8/30-9/2. IN PERSON ONLY, Hilton Garden Inn, Arlington, VA. Sponsor: American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Memorial Society. Various presentations on the American POW experience with Imperial Japan. https://www.adbcmemorialsociety.org/

FINALE IN THE PACIFIC: THE ROAD TO JAPAN'S SURRENDER. 8/23, 9:00am. IN PERSON ONLY, MacArthur Memorial Visitor Center, 150 Bank Street, Norfolk, VA. Sponsors: MacArthur Memorial, Military Aviation Museum, and Hampton Roads Naval Museum. Speakers: Military historians Richard B. Frank, author of Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire, D.M. Giangreco, author of Truman and the Bomb: The Untold Story, and Timothy J. Orr, co-author of Never Call Me a Hero: A Legendary American Dive-Bomber Pilot Remembers of the Battle of Midway. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/finale-in-the-pacific-the-road-to-japans-surrender-tickets-1371578601519?aff=oddtdtcreator

80TH ANNIVERSARY END OF WAR SYMPOSIUM. 8/8-9. Sponsor: National WWII Museum-New Orleans. Speakers: Guenter Bischof; Michael Neiberg; John McManus; Craig Symonds; James Scott; John Curatola; Jonathan House; Richard Frank; Jim Zobel; Noriko Kawamura. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/events-programs/events/135816-80th-anniversary-end-war-symposium VIDEO

THE CONTESTED HISTORY OF WORLD WAR TWO: THE HOTTEST FLASHPOINTS TODAY. 8/1. Sponsor: Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan. Speakers: M.G. Sheftall, Professor, Modern Japanese Cultural History and Communication, Faculty of Informatics, Shizuoka University; Alexis Dudden, Professor, Department of History, University of Connecticut and Visiting Professor of Japanese Studies, National University of Singapore; Koichi Nakano, Professor, Political Science, Sophia University.  https://www.fccj.or.jp/news-and-multimedia/press-conference-contested-history-world-war-two-hottest-flashpoints-today-mg VIDEO

Another way to commemorate Flag Day

 

June 14, 1943. “It Was Worth It, Abe.” … so that … “freedom … shall not perish from the earth …” A fighting Coast Guardsman, who gave his right arm in battle pays Memorial Day tribute at the Lincoln shrine in Washington, DC. He is Coast Guardsman Thomas Sortino (d.1977) of Chicago, who participated in the North African invasion. Photograph by U.S. Coast Guard.

Return to California of Pvt. Mitchell

Burial of Pvt. Mitchell in Hamilton, California

On Saturday May 3, 2025, Pvt. James Stanley Mitchell of Chico, California was finally home. Eighty-two years after he died of starvation and disease in Cabanatuan, a Japanese prison camp, he was buried alongside his parents.

A memorial service for Pvt. Mitchell was held in Hamilton City, California on May 3 at 10:00 a.m., followed by a full military graveside service at the Los Molinos Cemetery at 1 p.m. The Brusie Funeral Home in Chico, California handled the arrangements.

He was a soldier with Company B, 31st Infantry Regiment who fought in 1941 and 1942 to defend the Philippine Commonwealth against the invading Japanese. It is unclear if he was able to escape from Bataan to Corregidor Island with remnants of the 31st where he would have been surrendered on May 6, 1942. Or he may have remained on the Bataan Peninsula to be surrendered on April 9th where he may have been forced on the infamous Bataan Death March or was recovering from wounds and disease  in a field hospital.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency that officially identified his remains on Sept. 30, 2024 believes he was surrendered on Bataan and suffered the Bataan Death March. Mitchell had died Jan. 7, 1943, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 816. In 1947, the  American Graves Registration ServiceAGRS examined the remains in an attempt to identify them. One set of remains from Common Grave 816 was identified, while the remaining three were declared unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns. In 2018, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 816 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.

In 1946, the American Legion Auxiliary in Hamilton City, California was named for Pvt. Mitchell and his hometown friend and fellow member of the 31st, Pvt. Robert Clayton Zimmerman--"Zimmerman-Mitchell, Post 722." Pvt. Zimmerman also died as a POW of Japan in the Cabanatuan prison camp. He succumb to disease and starvation on June 19, 1942 (aged 25) just two months after surviving the Bataan Death March.

To honor and remember Pvts. Mitchell and Zimmeran you may want to do these three things:
1. Add a virtual memorial to Pvt. Mitchell's Find A Grave site: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56756838/james-%22stanley%22-mitchell
2. Add a virtual memorial to Pvt. Zimmerman's Find A Grave site: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43396958/robert-clayton-zimmerman

3. Send a thank you to Congressman Doug LaMalfa's (R-CA-1) Veterans staffer Mr. Sam Dorsey, c/o Office of Representative Doug LaMalfa, 408 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC  20515 for writing, as you can see below, the most accurate and sensitive memorial to a POW of Japan I have ever read in the Congressional Record. Mr. Dorsey has earned our thanks.

            

               HONORING PRIVATE JAMES ``STANLEY'' MITCHELL

                               ______
                                 
                           HON. DOUG LaMALFA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 30, 2025

  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great American 
hero, Private James ``Stanley'' Mitchell, who volunteered to serve our 
great Nation in World War II and died 82 years ago in a Japanese POW 
camp in Luzon, Philippines. Private Mitchell's remains were located and 
identified and have been returned to his family, a testament of his 
courage and sacrifice.

  Private Mitchell was born in Joplin, Missouri on October 2, 1917. The 
family would move frequently during his early life, eventually settling 
down in Hamilton City, California.

  On March 4, 1941, Private Mitchell enlisted in the United States Army 
and was deployed as part of the 31st Infantry Regiment on assignment to 
Clark Field in Luzon, Philippines. Ten months after his initial 
deployment to the Philippines, Imperial Japanese Forces would bomb 
Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States and all her territories into 
World War II. Japanese forces begin a full-scale invasion of Luzon, 
Philippines on December 22, 1941. The 31st Infantry Regiment stood 
defiant and courageous against overwhelming Japanese forces until their 
surrender on April 9, 1942.

  Private Mitchell joined approximately 72,000 American and Filipino 
prisoners of war (POW) on a 65-mile march known as the Bataan Death 
March. These brave souls endured torture, starvation, disease and 
ultimately death at the hands of the Japanese forces. By the end of the 
march, only approximately 52,000 American and Filipino POWs remained 
live.

  Private Mitchell and many surviving POWs would be held at the 
Cabanatuan POW Camp. Conditions would not improve for these courageous 
men. On January 7, 1943, Private Mitchell succumbed to starvation and 
disease, dying at a weight of only 70 pounds. Private Mitchell was 
buried in one of the many mass graves at the camp.

  The Cabanatuan POW Camp would be liberated on January 30, 1945, with 
only 489 POWs remaining alive. Unfortunately, 2,656 brave American POWs 
had lost their lives at the camp.

  Private Mitchell was the first World War II casualty from Hamilton 
City. His status as a POW brought great sadness and pain to his family. 
The news of his death brought devastation to his parents and family. 
His remains were exhumed and identified in September of 2024. Private 
Mitchell's remains were brought home to the United States on May 3, 
2025, and he will be laid to rest between his parents at the Los 
Molinos Cemetery, in Northern California.

  Private Mitchell's story and sacrifice will not be forgotten. His 
legacy and impact to our community will continue to be felt. His return 
will bring closure to his family. God bless Private Mitchell and 
welcome home.
                         ____________________

Notes

Company B, 31st Infantry Regiment

https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-171/issue-72/extensions-of-remarks-section/article/E369-2 

https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/ID-Announcements/Article/3967557/soldier-accounted-for-from-wwii-mitchell-j 

https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000MvCQWEA3 

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/496447/remains-world-war-ii-soldier-buried-los-molinos-california

https://krcrtv.com/news/local/wwii-soldiers-remains-return-home-after-84-years 

https://www.actionnewsnow.com/news/hamilton-city-honors-fallen-wwii-heros-return-home-81-years-after-death/article_8489ee3d-628b-438e-91ad-300ee480ed1c.html 

BURIAL: Los Molinos Cemetery, Los Molinos, California