Frank Bigelow was born August 5,1921, near Fero, North Dakota. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy September 24, 1940. His first duty was on the ill-fated battleship, USS Arizona. He volunteered for Asiatic duty and served aboard the USS Canopus as a communications yeoman in Sub Squadron 20, Asiatic Fleet. After Pearl Harbor he was sent to Bataan until she fell. That night we got to Corregidor, and Frank served in the J Co., Fourth Marines, upon Gary Trail until she fell. The Japanese captured him. He spent time in the 92nd Garage, Bilibid, Cabanatuan Camps, 1,2 and 3. From there he went to Bataan on detail with a bunch of tankers from the 192nd and 194th. He was brought back to Cabanatuan, and from there he got an early detail going to Japan. He wound up in Camp 17, Omuta, Fukuoka. He spent the next one and a half years mining coal for the Emperor. Between Christmas and New Year of 1944, he was injured quite badly. A large rock fell over on him and crushed his right foot and ankle. It had to be amputated below the knee. An American Army doctor, Capt. Hewlett, took it off although he had nothing to work with except a few tools he made of old mess kit knives and anything else he could find. With the help of three or four men to hold Mr. Bigelow down, Capt. Hewlett cut the leg off and did a very good job of it, according to Frank.
On August 15, 1945, after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese officer in charge of his camp turned the men in the camp loose. After about 30 days of freedom in Japan, he gained 60 pounds. They put Frank in a train and took him and his group right through the middle of Nagasaki down to the docks, where he was taken aboard the aircraft carrier USS Chenango. From there, they went to Okinawa, then to Guam aboard USS Risey, and from Guam to San Francisco. Frank went home for ninety days leave and went to the Phildelphia Naval Hospital, where they worked on his leg stump, built him a new leg and discharged him. The loss of the leg did not hinder Frank in his pursuit of a decent living. He enjoyed life to the fullest and displayed his knack of dancing the jitterbug.
He was interviewed on national television several times, testified before the Senate Judiciary committee, was featured in a story by Parade magazine and was always sought after by the media about his story of mistreatment and slave labor while a prisoner of war of the Japanese military.
written by Ed Jackfert from September 2003 issue of the Quan
On August 15, 1945, after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese officer in charge of his camp turned the men in the camp loose. After about 30 days of freedom in Japan, he gained 60 pounds. They put Frank in a train and took him and his group right through the middle of Nagasaki down to the docks, where he was taken aboard the aircraft carrier USS Chenango. From there, they went to Okinawa, then to Guam aboard USS Risey, and from Guam to San Francisco. Frank went home for ninety days leave and went to the Phildelphia Naval Hospital, where they worked on his leg stump, built him a new leg and discharged him. The loss of the leg did not hinder Frank in his pursuit of a decent living. He enjoyed life to the fullest and displayed his knack of dancing the jitterbug.
He was interviewed on national television several times, testified before the Senate Judiciary committee, was featured in a story by Parade magazine and was always sought after by the media about his story of mistreatment and slave labor while a prisoner of war of the Japanese military.
written by Ed Jackfert from September 2003 issue of the Quan
Frank Bigelow was born August 5,1921, near Fero, North Dakota. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy September 24, 1940. His first duty was on the ill-fated battleship, USS Arizona. He volunteered for Asiatic duty and served aboard the USS Canopus as a communications yeoman in Sub Squadron 20, Asiatic Fleet. After Pearl Harbor he was sent to Bataan until she fell. That night we got to Corregidor, and Frank served in the J Co., Fourth Marines, upon Gary Trail until she fell. The Japanese captured him. He spent time in the 92nd Garage, Bilibid, Cabanatuan Camps, 1,2 and 3. From there he went to Bataan on detail with a bunch of tankers from the 192nd and 194th. He was brought back to Cabanatuan, and from there he got an early detail going to Japan. He wound up in Camp 17, Omuta, Fukuoka. He spent the next one and a half years mining coal for the Emperor. Between Christmas and New Year of 1944, he was injured quite badly. A large rock fell over on him and crushed his right foot and ankle. It had to be amputated below the knee. An American Army doctor, Capt. Hewlett, took it off although he had nothing to work with except a few tools he made of old mess kit knives and anything else he could find. With the help of three or four men to hold Mr. Bigelow down, Capt. Hewlett cut the leg off and did a very good job of it, according to Frank.
On August 15, 1945, after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese officer in charge of his camp turned the men in the camp loose. After about 30 days of freedom in Japan, he gained 60 pounds. They put Frank in a train and took him and his group right through the middle of Nagasaki down to the docks, where he was taken aboard the aircraft carrier USS Chenango. From there, they went to Okinawa, then to Guam aboard USS Risey, and from Guam to San Francisco. Frank went home for ninety days leave and went to the Phildelphia Naval Hospital, where they worked on his leg stump, built him a new leg and discharged him. The loss of the leg did not hinder Frank in his pursuit of a decent living. He enjoyed life to the fullest and displayed his knack of dancing the jitterbug.
He was interviewed on national television several times, testified before the Senate Judiciary committee, was featured in a story by Parade magazine and was always sought after by the media about his story of mistreatment and slave labor while a prisoner of war of the Japanese military.
written by Ed Jackfert from September 2003 issue of the Quan
On August 15, 1945, after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese officer in charge of his camp turned the men in the camp loose. After about 30 days of freedom in Japan, he gained 60 pounds. They put Frank in a train and took him and his group right through the middle of Nagasaki down to the docks, where he was taken aboard the aircraft carrier USS Chenango. From there, they went to Okinawa, then to Guam aboard USS Risey, and from Guam to San Francisco. Frank went home for ninety days leave and went to the Phildelphia Naval Hospital, where they worked on his leg stump, built him a new leg and discharged him. The loss of the leg did not hinder Frank in his pursuit of a decent living. He enjoyed life to the fullest and displayed his knack of dancing the jitterbug.
He was interviewed on national television several times, testified before the Senate Judiciary committee, was featured in a story by Parade magazine and was always sought after by the media about his story of mistreatment and slave labor while a prisoner of war of the Japanese military.
written by Ed Jackfert from September 2003 issue of the Quan
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