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-
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-
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/
2. Add a virtual memorial to Pvt. Zimmerman's Find A Grave site: https://www.findagrave.com/
1. Add a virtual memorial to Pvt. Mitchell's Find A Grave site: https://www.findagrave.com/
2. Add a virtual memorial to Pvt. Zimmerman's Find A Grave site: https://www.findagrave.com/
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.
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