Roy Maghan was a member A Company, 194th Tank Battalion. He was stationed in the Philippine Islands when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Ten hours later, he lived through the bombing of Clark Airfield. For four months, he fought, with the other soldiers on Bataan, to slow Japan's conquest of the Philippines. Without food, without adequate supplies, and no hope of being relieved, he became a Prisoner of War on April 9, 1942, when Bataan was surrendered to the Japanese.
He took part in the death march from Mariveles to Capas. There, 100 POWs were packed into small wooden boxcars that could hold 40 men or 8 horses. At San Fernando, the living left the boxcars and those who had died fell to the floor. The POWs walked the final miles to Camp O'Donnell.
As a POW, he was held at Camp O'Donnell and Cabanatuan in the Philippines. He was later transported to Mindanao and worked building an airfield and working on a farm.
In September 1944, the Japanese began shipping POWs to Manila as American forces approached the Philippines. The POWs were put on the Shinyo Maru. The ship was hit by torpedoes from an American submarine off Mindanao on Thursday, September 7, 1944. The Japanese had stated they would kill the POWs if the ship was attacked. To be true to their word, the Japanese shot the surviving POWs as they climbed from the ship's holds. Those POWs who made it into the water were hunted down, by Japanese soldiers in life boats, and shot. One group of POWs was recaptured after being promised better treatment. The Japanese tied their hands to the rail of a ship and then a Japanese soldier shot each man in the back of his head. Only 82 POWs made it to shore and were rescued by Filipino guerrillas.
He took part in the death march from Mariveles to Capas. There, 100 POWs were packed into small wooden boxcars that could hold 40 men or 8 horses. At San Fernando, the living left the boxcars and those who had died fell to the floor. The POWs walked the final miles to Camp O'Donnell.
As a POW, he was held at Camp O'Donnell and Cabanatuan in the Philippines. He was later transported to Mindanao and worked building an airfield and working on a farm.
In September 1944, the Japanese began shipping POWs to Manila as American forces approached the Philippines. The POWs were put on the Shinyo Maru. The ship was hit by torpedoes from an American submarine off Mindanao on Thursday, September 7, 1944. The Japanese had stated they would kill the POWs if the ship was attacked. To be true to their word, the Japanese shot the surviving POWs as they climbed from the ship's holds. Those POWs who made it into the water were hunted down, by Japanese soldiers in life boats, and shot. One group of POWs was recaptured after being promised better treatment. The Japanese tied their hands to the rail of a ship and then a Japanese soldier shot each man in the back of his head. Only 82 POWs made it to shore and were rescued by Filipino guerrillas.
Roy Maghan was a member A Company, 194th Tank Battalion. He was stationed in the Philippine Islands when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Ten hours later, he lived through the bombing of Clark Airfield. For four months, he fought, with the other soldiers on Bataan, to slow Japan's conquest of the Philippines. Without food, without adequate supplies, and no hope of being relieved, he became a Prisoner of War on April 9, 1942, when Bataan was surrendered to the Japanese.
He took part in the death march from Mariveles to Capas. There, 100 POWs were packed into small wooden boxcars that could hold 40 men or 8 horses. At San Fernando, the living left the boxcars and those who had died fell to the floor. The POWs walked the final miles to Camp O'Donnell.
As a POW, he was held at Camp O'Donnell and Cabanatuan in the Philippines. He was later transported to Mindanao and worked building an airfield and working on a farm.
In September 1944, the Japanese began shipping POWs to Manila as American forces approached the Philippines. The POWs were put on the Shinyo Maru. The ship was hit by torpedoes from an American submarine off Mindanao on Thursday, September 7, 1944. The Japanese had stated they would kill the POWs if the ship was attacked. To be true to their word, the Japanese shot the surviving POWs as they climbed from the ship's holds. Those POWs who made it into the water were hunted down, by Japanese soldiers in life boats, and shot. One group of POWs was recaptured after being promised better treatment. The Japanese tied their hands to the rail of a ship and then a Japanese soldier shot each man in the back of his head. Only 82 POWs made it to shore and were rescued by Filipino guerrillas.
He took part in the death march from Mariveles to Capas. There, 100 POWs were packed into small wooden boxcars that could hold 40 men or 8 horses. At San Fernando, the living left the boxcars and those who had died fell to the floor. The POWs walked the final miles to Camp O'Donnell.
As a POW, he was held at Camp O'Donnell and Cabanatuan in the Philippines. He was later transported to Mindanao and worked building an airfield and working on a farm.
In September 1944, the Japanese began shipping POWs to Manila as American forces approached the Philippines. The POWs were put on the Shinyo Maru. The ship was hit by torpedoes from an American submarine off Mindanao on Thursday, September 7, 1944. The Japanese had stated they would kill the POWs if the ship was attacked. To be true to their word, the Japanese shot the surviving POWs as they climbed from the ship's holds. Those POWs who made it into the water were hunted down, by Japanese soldiers in life boats, and shot. One group of POWs was recaptured after being promised better treatment. The Japanese tied their hands to the rail of a ship and then a Japanese soldier shot each man in the back of his head. Only 82 POWs made it to shore and were rescued by Filipino guerrillas.
Gravesite Details
From Brainerd, MN. Also has a memorial marker at Rock Island National Cemetery in IL.
Other Records
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