This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Surnames: Stambaugh
Classification: Query
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/4h.2ADE/526
Message Board Post:
William A. Stambaugh of Indiana was killed October 24, 1944, while serving in the South
Pacific during World War II. He had been captured by the Japanese and imprisoned in the
Philippines. Toward the end of the war it was obvious the Japanese would lose the islnds
back to the USA and General Douglas MacArthur who had promised "I will return".
In desperation the POW's were placed on many unmarked Prisoner of War Hellships bound
for mainland Asia to be used fore slave labor. The cargo ship Marisan Maru in which
William was on fired on American planes and ships and was promptly sunk killing the
prisoners.
He is officially listed as missing or buried at sea and his name appears on the “Tablets
of the Missing” at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines. We are seeking
information regarding his military and civilian life and especially locate any family
members still living so we can send them the free photographs of his grave site and the
beautiful memorial in the Philippines.
We have found the following reference at the Indiana State Library website; World War II
database. We do not have the information because we do not have access to the microfilms
here in the Philippines but we are hoping for some help from our posting. Our goal is to
find the families of Indiana servicemen and present them with free photographs of their
loved one’s grave sites or their names as they appear on the “Tablets”. This information
will increase our chances of finding the families. Please help us!
Reference:
Indianapolis News
July 3, 1943
Prisoner
Part 2, Page 12, Column 7
I am a retired Hoosier from Madison County Indiana residing in the Philippines with my
Filipino wife. We are seeking family and military information of nearly a thousand
servicemen from Indiana killed in the South Pacific during World War II. There are 17,206
Americans buried here and thousands more that are missing or buried at sea and are honored
on the “Tablets of the Missing”. Please visit our website to see the beautiful memorial
located in Manila, Philippines.
http://fizkid.tripod.com/
My wife and I visited the cemetery as visitors and left with a mission in our heart. We
have been taking photographs of the graves of the Indiana servicemen buried here and have
been uniting them (at no charge) with their family members in Indiana and across the
United States. To receive the photo of your family member, neighbor or friend all you need
is a working email address. We do not send them to regular mailing addresses due to the
costs. Please help us find the families of the men that might still be living. Our project
is only successful because of teamwork and your contributions are noted on our website. If
you wish to help us we will be pleased to add your name to our ACKNOWLEDGMENT page on the
website. The obituaries usually did not appear till to three months after the death date.
If you are not a genealogist you can help by just picking up the telephone directory and
find someone with the same last name and give them a call. It has worked many times for
us.
William Allen Stambaugh
Yeoman Chief
United States Navy
Service Number 2996548
Hillsboro – Fountain County – Indiana
Prisoner of War – Arisan Maru Hellship
DOD – October 24, 1944
He is missing or buried at sea
His name is honored on the “Tablets of the Missing” at
Manila American Cemetery - Philippines
Purple Heart
Zenas5(a)yahoo.com
Sincerely,
Dave and Apple Dwiggins
San Pablo City, Philippines