Gardy J. Havlichek
Service # 19017306
Rank: Private, U. S. Army
Unit: 2nd General Hospital, Medical Department
Entered Service From: Wisconsin
Date of Death: 05 July 1942, of dysentery in the Japanese POW Camp 1, Cabanatuan, Nueva Province, Luzon, Philippines 15-121.
Status: Missing In Action. Most likely buried as a 'Unknown" in the Manila American Cemetery.
Memorialized: Tablets of the Missing – United States Army and Army Air Forces at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gardy attended the St. Ann Parochial School at Francis Creek, Wisconsin. He worked on his father's farm for a short while before joining the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Gardy Joe Havlichek (21, 28 November 1919, Manitawoc, Wisconsin), a resident of Oregon Hotel, 2305½ 1st Ave., Seattle, King County, Washington, signed up for his World War II Draft Registration Card (Serial No. V-6314, Order No. -) on 02 January 1941 in Seattle, King County, Washington. He was unemployed. Gardy listed a friend, William Simmons, as the person who would always know his address. He was described as 5' 8" in height, 155 lbs., with a ruddy complexion, blonde hair and blue eyes.
Gardy J. Havlichek (1919 Wisconsin), a resident of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, enlisted as a Private (S/N 19017306) in the U.S. Army Medical Department on 29 January 1941 in Tacoma, Washington. He was single and had completed Grammar School.
He was assigned to the 306th Medical Detachment while he was at Fort McDowell, California. They were sent to the Philippine Islands where he was placed at the Sternberg General Hospital (a United States Military Hospital) in Manila. It was located on Calle Arroceros and Calle Conception Streets near Intamuros and not far from the Pasig River.
When war with Japan broke out on 08 December 1941, Sternberg, the largest and best-equipped medical facility in the Philippines, became the center for military and civilian casualties. A deluge of wounded soldiers and airmen arrived by ambulance and train from Forts Stotsenberg and McKinley.
Following the Japanese air attacks and the subsequent landing of Japanese ground forces on Luzon, General Douglas MacArthur activated War Plan Orange. This plan called for the gradual withdrawal of American and Philippine forces to the Bataan Peninsula, where they could await reinforcements from Hawaii and the U.S....reinforcements that never came. By late December, the medical staff received orders to evacuate to Manila and it was declared an open city on 26 December 1941.
From Manila, Private Gardy J. Havlichek was sent to the General Hospital No. 2, situated 1 kilometer north of Cabcaban in Bataan Province.
On Good Friday, 03 April 1942, General Homma, with the addition of fresh troops, began an all-out offensive on Bataan.
The Surgeon's morning report on 07 April showed 5,129 patients in General Hospital Number 2. Private Gardy J. Havlichek is found on the 07 April 1942 roster for Detachment Medical Department, General Hospital No. 2, Bataan, P. I. Source: General Hospital No. 2 – Unit History & Personnel Rosters; Philippine Archives Collection File 500-8-1
By the evening of April 8, the situation was clearly hopeless. With ammunition, rations and supplies practically exhausted and most of his best units destroyed, Major General Edward P. King, commander of the forces on Bataan, was convinced his troops could not physically resist any more and decided to surrender to prevent further loss of life. On 09 April 1942, Maj. Gen. King surrendered the Luzon Force to the Japanese. About 5:00 PM a small group of Japanese infantry came into the central hospital area. Private Havlichek and more than 75,000 American and Filipino soldiers became prisoners of the Japanese. On 09 April it was estimated that there were 7000 patients in the hospital.
On the day of the surrender of the Luzon forces, some Japanese officers entered the hospital area at Bataan General Hospital #2 and gave instructions as to the future conduct on the prisoners in that area. They were prohibited from using the water supply of the camp, except for necessary drinking purposes, upon penalty of death.
"The following day (10 April) a Major Segeguchi, who was the senior Japanese surgeon on Luzon, made his appearance in the hospital and advised that all Filipino patients who were able to do so should leave the hospital immediately. Somehow, word got through the hospital area that these Filipinos were being transported back to Manila and released there. Within the next 24 hours, 5500 of our 7000 patients left the hospital. Most of these were recent post-operative cases, many of them having unfinished amputations. There were innumerable fracture cases and gaping superficial wounds. Practically all of these individuals succumbed on the Death March out of Bataan. "
The Japanese forces then set up artillery positions completely encircling our hospital area, and from these positions, fired on Corregidor. After a few days, Corregidor returned the fire, and for the next three weeks we were under constant fire from Corregidor. Most of the shells were "overs" or "shorts," but there were several casualties from the shell fragments that sprayed the hospital area.
Hospital Shelled from Corregidor
On 29 April 1942, a salvo of 6-inch shells from Corregidor landed in Ward 14 of the hospital, killing 5 patients and wounding about 12 others. The Japanese made quite an issue of this for propaganda purposes, bringing newsreel photographers into the hospital area to photograph the damage done. On 12 May 1942, Hospital #2 was closed and all patients and personnel, except those American prisoners who had recovered from their illnesses, were marched to the area of Bataan General Hospital #1, which was at Little Baguio. Those Americans who had recovered numbered about 700 and were left behind enclosed in a barbed wire; this area was designated as a prison camp by the Japanese.
March to hospital #1 then trucked to Bilibid then to Cabanatuan #2.
On the march from #2 to #1 hospital, we witnessed the devastation along the highway which had not yet been cleared. There were many dead still lying in the ditches alongside the road. We remained unmolested at Bataan General Hospital #1 until about 26 May 1942, and then were transported by truck convoy to Bilibid Prison in Manila, which at that time contained about 6000 American prisoners. For the next 3 days we were confined in what had at one time been the prison hospital, and slept on concrete flooring. On 30 May, we were moved to the town of Cabanatuan, in Nueva Ecija Province, in metal boxcars with about 75 to 100 men crowded into each boxcar. The heat was extreme, and many were near collapse when we reached Cabanatuan. We were herded onto the highway and marched about 2 kilometers to a provincial school yard, where we spent the night lying on the ground. Sanitary facilities at this camp site were horrible; other details had been there before us and since practically everyone was at that time suffering from dysentery, the ground was covered with feces and the flies were terrible. The next morning we were herded out on the highway again, told that we were to march 29 kilometers, and that anyone dropping out of the column would he shot. We did march 14 kilometers that day [31 May], to a camp site which had previously been used by the Philippine Army, and was known by us thereafter as Camp #2. Several, because of the extreme heat and because of their weakened condition, did collapse on this march, but they were not shot. Instead, they were beaten with canes by the Japanese guards until they got back on their feet and marched again. Upon arrival at Camp #2 we were all extremely dehydrated, having had no water since early that morning, but there was no water supply at that camp. Many dug holes in the ground for moist earth and sucked this earth for its moisture content. Later that evening there was a shower which was life saving.
Move to Cabanatuan #1 on June 1st
The following morning we were again herded out on the road and retraced our steps 5 kilometers to another Philippine Army camp site, which was then known as Philippine Prison Camp #1. It was on 1 June that we arrived at this camp, and this is the date of organization of the camp. The water supply here was also inadequate and we were forced to line up to fill canteens, sometimes remaining in line as long as two to three hours to get a canteen of water. We were issued small quantities of rice in bulk and this was cooked by the individual organizations which were set up. Our unit, what remained of the original Bataan General Hospital #2 group, remained together.
Source: Testimony of Lieutenant Colonel Jack William Schwartz; S/N 0-17823; Chief of Surgical Service, Bataan General Hospital #2.
Private Gardy J. Havlichek (S/N 19017306 ) died of dysentery on 05 July, 1942, in the prison hospital. He was one of 26 men to die that day. In all 786 men died in the prison during the month of July. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, 2,764 Americans had died at Cabanatuan in 2½ years.
He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs who died that day. After the war, all the remains in the Cabanatuan Prison cemetery that could be found were disinterred (between December 1945 - February 1946) and brought to 7747 USAF Cemetery, Manila #2, Philippine Islands. The deceased in Manila #2 (over 11,000 American soldiers) rested there until their removal to the American Graves Registration Service Manila Mausoleum in the summer of 1948 for positive identification. Unfortunately, no clothing, personal effects nor any other means of identification were found for him and his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan. He is most likely buried in the Manila American Cemetery as a "Known but to God". There are 953 men like Private Havlichek who were not identified after the war, "unknowns", permanently interred in the Manila American Cemetery from Cabanatuan.
Private Gardy Joe Havlichek is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing - United States Army and Army Air Forces at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Gardie Havlichek also has a cenotaph in Saint Anne Cemetery, Francis Creek, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin.
3 Manitowoc County Soldiers Reported Dead
Two Manitowoc county soldiers, reported missing in action in the Philippines
three years ago have now been officially listed as dead. They are:
Pvt. Gardy J. Havlichek, 25, of Branch.
Pvt. John Francis Murphy, 19, of Grimms.
Another county man was also reported killed on Okinawa, in a message to the
parents from the war department. He is Cpl. Sylvester R. Koerner, 23, of
route 1, Cato.
The three additional deaths reported today brings the number of Manitowoc
soldiers killed in World War II to 156.
Missing Since 1942
Pvt. Havlichek, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Havlichek of Branch, had
previously been reported as missing in action since May 7, 1942. The War
department message received Wednesday confirmed the fact that he died in
action on July 5, 1942 in the Philippine islands.
Born Nov. 27, 1919 at Branch, young Havlichek had attended the St. Ann
parochial school at Francis Creek. He worked on his father's farm for a
short while and then joined the Civilian Conservation corps. On Jan. 29,
1941, he enlisted in the U.S. army, being assigned to the medical department
of the Philippine detachment at Fort McDowell, Calif.
He leaves his parents, one brother, Melvin, and three sisters, Bernice,
LaVerne and Germaine, all at home.
A high mass for the repose of his soul will be offered up at 8 a.m. on Friday,
July 6, at St. Ann's church at Francis Creek. Source: Manitowoc Herald Times (Manitowoc, Wisconsin), Thursday, 28 June 1945, page 2.
Service # 19017306
Rank: Private, U. S. Army
Unit: 2nd General Hospital, Medical Department
Entered Service From: Wisconsin
Date of Death: 05 July 1942, of dysentery in the Japanese POW Camp 1, Cabanatuan, Nueva Province, Luzon, Philippines 15-121.
Status: Missing In Action. Most likely buried as a 'Unknown" in the Manila American Cemetery.
Memorialized: Tablets of the Missing – United States Army and Army Air Forces at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gardy attended the St. Ann Parochial School at Francis Creek, Wisconsin. He worked on his father's farm for a short while before joining the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Gardy Joe Havlichek (21, 28 November 1919, Manitawoc, Wisconsin), a resident of Oregon Hotel, 2305½ 1st Ave., Seattle, King County, Washington, signed up for his World War II Draft Registration Card (Serial No. V-6314, Order No. -) on 02 January 1941 in Seattle, King County, Washington. He was unemployed. Gardy listed a friend, William Simmons, as the person who would always know his address. He was described as 5' 8" in height, 155 lbs., with a ruddy complexion, blonde hair and blue eyes.
Gardy J. Havlichek (1919 Wisconsin), a resident of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, enlisted as a Private (S/N 19017306) in the U.S. Army Medical Department on 29 January 1941 in Tacoma, Washington. He was single and had completed Grammar School.
He was assigned to the 306th Medical Detachment while he was at Fort McDowell, California. They were sent to the Philippine Islands where he was placed at the Sternberg General Hospital (a United States Military Hospital) in Manila. It was located on Calle Arroceros and Calle Conception Streets near Intamuros and not far from the Pasig River.
When war with Japan broke out on 08 December 1941, Sternberg, the largest and best-equipped medical facility in the Philippines, became the center for military and civilian casualties. A deluge of wounded soldiers and airmen arrived by ambulance and train from Forts Stotsenberg and McKinley.
Following the Japanese air attacks and the subsequent landing of Japanese ground forces on Luzon, General Douglas MacArthur activated War Plan Orange. This plan called for the gradual withdrawal of American and Philippine forces to the Bataan Peninsula, where they could await reinforcements from Hawaii and the U.S....reinforcements that never came. By late December, the medical staff received orders to evacuate to Manila and it was declared an open city on 26 December 1941.
From Manila, Private Gardy J. Havlichek was sent to the General Hospital No. 2, situated 1 kilometer north of Cabcaban in Bataan Province.
On Good Friday, 03 April 1942, General Homma, with the addition of fresh troops, began an all-out offensive on Bataan.
The Surgeon's morning report on 07 April showed 5,129 patients in General Hospital Number 2. Private Gardy J. Havlichek is found on the 07 April 1942 roster for Detachment Medical Department, General Hospital No. 2, Bataan, P. I. Source: General Hospital No. 2 – Unit History & Personnel Rosters; Philippine Archives Collection File 500-8-1
By the evening of April 8, the situation was clearly hopeless. With ammunition, rations and supplies practically exhausted and most of his best units destroyed, Major General Edward P. King, commander of the forces on Bataan, was convinced his troops could not physically resist any more and decided to surrender to prevent further loss of life. On 09 April 1942, Maj. Gen. King surrendered the Luzon Force to the Japanese. About 5:00 PM a small group of Japanese infantry came into the central hospital area. Private Havlichek and more than 75,000 American and Filipino soldiers became prisoners of the Japanese. On 09 April it was estimated that there were 7000 patients in the hospital.
On the day of the surrender of the Luzon forces, some Japanese officers entered the hospital area at Bataan General Hospital #2 and gave instructions as to the future conduct on the prisoners in that area. They were prohibited from using the water supply of the camp, except for necessary drinking purposes, upon penalty of death.
"The following day (10 April) a Major Segeguchi, who was the senior Japanese surgeon on Luzon, made his appearance in the hospital and advised that all Filipino patients who were able to do so should leave the hospital immediately. Somehow, word got through the hospital area that these Filipinos were being transported back to Manila and released there. Within the next 24 hours, 5500 of our 7000 patients left the hospital. Most of these were recent post-operative cases, many of them having unfinished amputations. There were innumerable fracture cases and gaping superficial wounds. Practically all of these individuals succumbed on the Death March out of Bataan. "
The Japanese forces then set up artillery positions completely encircling our hospital area, and from these positions, fired on Corregidor. After a few days, Corregidor returned the fire, and for the next three weeks we were under constant fire from Corregidor. Most of the shells were "overs" or "shorts," but there were several casualties from the shell fragments that sprayed the hospital area.
Hospital Shelled from Corregidor
On 29 April 1942, a salvo of 6-inch shells from Corregidor landed in Ward 14 of the hospital, killing 5 patients and wounding about 12 others. The Japanese made quite an issue of this for propaganda purposes, bringing newsreel photographers into the hospital area to photograph the damage done. On 12 May 1942, Hospital #2 was closed and all patients and personnel, except those American prisoners who had recovered from their illnesses, were marched to the area of Bataan General Hospital #1, which was at Little Baguio. Those Americans who had recovered numbered about 700 and were left behind enclosed in a barbed wire; this area was designated as a prison camp by the Japanese.
March to hospital #1 then trucked to Bilibid then to Cabanatuan #2.
On the march from #2 to #1 hospital, we witnessed the devastation along the highway which had not yet been cleared. There were many dead still lying in the ditches alongside the road. We remained unmolested at Bataan General Hospital #1 until about 26 May 1942, and then were transported by truck convoy to Bilibid Prison in Manila, which at that time contained about 6000 American prisoners. For the next 3 days we were confined in what had at one time been the prison hospital, and slept on concrete flooring. On 30 May, we were moved to the town of Cabanatuan, in Nueva Ecija Province, in metal boxcars with about 75 to 100 men crowded into each boxcar. The heat was extreme, and many were near collapse when we reached Cabanatuan. We were herded onto the highway and marched about 2 kilometers to a provincial school yard, where we spent the night lying on the ground. Sanitary facilities at this camp site were horrible; other details had been there before us and since practically everyone was at that time suffering from dysentery, the ground was covered with feces and the flies were terrible. The next morning we were herded out on the highway again, told that we were to march 29 kilometers, and that anyone dropping out of the column would he shot. We did march 14 kilometers that day [31 May], to a camp site which had previously been used by the Philippine Army, and was known by us thereafter as Camp #2. Several, because of the extreme heat and because of their weakened condition, did collapse on this march, but they were not shot. Instead, they were beaten with canes by the Japanese guards until they got back on their feet and marched again. Upon arrival at Camp #2 we were all extremely dehydrated, having had no water since early that morning, but there was no water supply at that camp. Many dug holes in the ground for moist earth and sucked this earth for its moisture content. Later that evening there was a shower which was life saving.
Move to Cabanatuan #1 on June 1st
The following morning we were again herded out on the road and retraced our steps 5 kilometers to another Philippine Army camp site, which was then known as Philippine Prison Camp #1. It was on 1 June that we arrived at this camp, and this is the date of organization of the camp. The water supply here was also inadequate and we were forced to line up to fill canteens, sometimes remaining in line as long as two to three hours to get a canteen of water. We were issued small quantities of rice in bulk and this was cooked by the individual organizations which were set up. Our unit, what remained of the original Bataan General Hospital #2 group, remained together.
Source: Testimony of Lieutenant Colonel Jack William Schwartz; S/N 0-17823; Chief of Surgical Service, Bataan General Hospital #2.
Private Gardy J. Havlichek (S/N 19017306 ) died of dysentery on 05 July, 1942, in the prison hospital. He was one of 26 men to die that day. In all 786 men died in the prison during the month of July. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, 2,764 Americans had died at Cabanatuan in 2½ years.
He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs who died that day. After the war, all the remains in the Cabanatuan Prison cemetery that could be found were disinterred (between December 1945 - February 1946) and brought to 7747 USAF Cemetery, Manila #2, Philippine Islands. The deceased in Manila #2 (over 11,000 American soldiers) rested there until their removal to the American Graves Registration Service Manila Mausoleum in the summer of 1948 for positive identification. Unfortunately, no clothing, personal effects nor any other means of identification were found for him and his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan. He is most likely buried in the Manila American Cemetery as a "Known but to God". There are 953 men like Private Havlichek who were not identified after the war, "unknowns", permanently interred in the Manila American Cemetery from Cabanatuan.
Private Gardy Joe Havlichek is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing - United States Army and Army Air Forces at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Gardie Havlichek also has a cenotaph in Saint Anne Cemetery, Francis Creek, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin.
3 Manitowoc County Soldiers Reported Dead
Two Manitowoc county soldiers, reported missing in action in the Philippines
three years ago have now been officially listed as dead. They are:
Pvt. Gardy J. Havlichek, 25, of Branch.
Pvt. John Francis Murphy, 19, of Grimms.
Another county man was also reported killed on Okinawa, in a message to the
parents from the war department. He is Cpl. Sylvester R. Koerner, 23, of
route 1, Cato.
The three additional deaths reported today brings the number of Manitowoc
soldiers killed in World War II to 156.
Missing Since 1942
Pvt. Havlichek, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Havlichek of Branch, had
previously been reported as missing in action since May 7, 1942. The War
department message received Wednesday confirmed the fact that he died in
action on July 5, 1942 in the Philippine islands.
Born Nov. 27, 1919 at Branch, young Havlichek had attended the St. Ann
parochial school at Francis Creek. He worked on his father's farm for a
short while and then joined the Civilian Conservation corps. On Jan. 29,
1941, he enlisted in the U.S. army, being assigned to the medical department
of the Philippine detachment at Fort McDowell, Calif.
He leaves his parents, one brother, Melvin, and three sisters, Bernice,
LaVerne and Germaine, all at home.
A high mass for the repose of his soul will be offered up at 8 a.m. on Friday,
July 6, at St. Ann's church at Francis Creek. Source: Manitowoc Herald Times (Manitowoc, Wisconsin), Thursday, 28 June 1945, page 2.
Gardy J. Havlichek
Service # 19017306
Rank: Private, U. S. Army
Unit: 2nd General Hospital, Medical Department
Entered Service From: Wisconsin
Date of Death: 05 July 1942, of dysentery in the Japanese POW Camp 1, Cabanatuan, Nueva Province, Luzon, Philippines 15-121.
Status: Missing In Action. Most likely buried as a 'Unknown" in the Manila American Cemetery.
Memorialized: Tablets of the Missing – United States Army and Army Air Forces at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gardy attended the St. Ann Parochial School at Francis Creek, Wisconsin. He worked on his father's farm for a short while before joining the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Gardy Joe Havlichek (21, 28 November 1919, Manitawoc, Wisconsin), a resident of Oregon Hotel, 2305½ 1st Ave., Seattle, King County, Washington, signed up for his World War II Draft Registration Card (Serial No. V-6314, Order No. -) on 02 January 1941 in Seattle, King County, Washington. He was unemployed. Gardy listed a friend, William Simmons, as the person who would always know his address. He was described as 5' 8" in height, 155 lbs., with a ruddy complexion, blonde hair and blue eyes.
Gardy J. Havlichek (1919 Wisconsin), a resident of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, enlisted as a Private (S/N 19017306) in the U.S. Army Medical Department on 29 January 1941 in Tacoma, Washington. He was single and had completed Grammar School.
He was assigned to the 306th Medical Detachment while he was at Fort McDowell, California. They were sent to the Philippine Islands where he was placed at the Sternberg General Hospital (a United States Military Hospital) in Manila. It was located on Calle Arroceros and Calle Conception Streets near Intamuros and not far from the Pasig River.
When war with Japan broke out on 08 December 1941, Sternberg, the largest and best-equipped medical facility in the Philippines, became the center for military and civilian casualties. A deluge of wounded soldiers and airmen arrived by ambulance and train from Forts Stotsenberg and McKinley.
Following the Japanese air attacks and the subsequent landing of Japanese ground forces on Luzon, General Douglas MacArthur activated War Plan Orange. This plan called for the gradual withdrawal of American and Philippine forces to the Bataan Peninsula, where they could await reinforcements from Hawaii and the U.S....reinforcements that never came. By late December, the medical staff received orders to evacuate to Manila and it was declared an open city on 26 December 1941.
From Manila, Private Gardy J. Havlichek was sent to the General Hospital No. 2, situated 1 kilometer north of Cabcaban in Bataan Province.
On Good Friday, 03 April 1942, General Homma, with the addition of fresh troops, began an all-out offensive on Bataan.
The Surgeon's morning report on 07 April showed 5,129 patients in General Hospital Number 2. Private Gardy J. Havlichek is found on the 07 April 1942 roster for Detachment Medical Department, General Hospital No. 2, Bataan, P. I. Source: General Hospital No. 2 – Unit History & Personnel Rosters; Philippine Archives Collection File 500-8-1
By the evening of April 8, the situation was clearly hopeless. With ammunition, rations and supplies practically exhausted and most of his best units destroyed, Major General Edward P. King, commander of the forces on Bataan, was convinced his troops could not physically resist any more and decided to surrender to prevent further loss of life. On 09 April 1942, Maj. Gen. King surrendered the Luzon Force to the Japanese. About 5:00 PM a small group of Japanese infantry came into the central hospital area. Private Havlichek and more than 75,000 American and Filipino soldiers became prisoners of the Japanese. On 09 April it was estimated that there were 7000 patients in the hospital.
On the day of the surrender of the Luzon forces, some Japanese officers entered the hospital area at Bataan General Hospital #2 and gave instructions as to the future conduct on the prisoners in that area. They were prohibited from using the water supply of the camp, except for necessary drinking purposes, upon penalty of death.
"The following day (10 April) a Major Segeguchi, who was the senior Japanese surgeon on Luzon, made his appearance in the hospital and advised that all Filipino patients who were able to do so should leave the hospital immediately. Somehow, word got through the hospital area that these Filipinos were being transported back to Manila and released there. Within the next 24 hours, 5500 of our 7000 patients left the hospital. Most of these were recent post-operative cases, many of them having unfinished amputations. There were innumerable fracture cases and gaping superficial wounds. Practically all of these individuals succumbed on the Death March out of Bataan. "
The Japanese forces then set up artillery positions completely encircling our hospital area, and from these positions, fired on Corregidor. After a few days, Corregidor returned the fire, and for the next three weeks we were under constant fire from Corregidor. Most of the shells were "overs" or "shorts," but there were several casualties from the shell fragments that sprayed the hospital area.
Hospital Shelled from Corregidor
On 29 April 1942, a salvo of 6-inch shells from Corregidor landed in Ward 14 of the hospital, killing 5 patients and wounding about 12 others. The Japanese made quite an issue of this for propaganda purposes, bringing newsreel photographers into the hospital area to photograph the damage done. On 12 May 1942, Hospital #2 was closed and all patients and personnel, except those American prisoners who had recovered from their illnesses, were marched to the area of Bataan General Hospital #1, which was at Little Baguio. Those Americans who had recovered numbered about 700 and were left behind enclosed in a barbed wire; this area was designated as a prison camp by the Japanese.
March to hospital #1 then trucked to Bilibid then to Cabanatuan #2.
On the march from #2 to #1 hospital, we witnessed the devastation along the highway which had not yet been cleared. There were many dead still lying in the ditches alongside the road. We remained unmolested at Bataan General Hospital #1 until about 26 May 1942, and then were transported by truck convoy to Bilibid Prison in Manila, which at that time contained about 6000 American prisoners. For the next 3 days we were confined in what had at one time been the prison hospital, and slept on concrete flooring. On 30 May, we were moved to the town of Cabanatuan, in Nueva Ecija Province, in metal boxcars with about 75 to 100 men crowded into each boxcar. The heat was extreme, and many were near collapse when we reached Cabanatuan. We were herded onto the highway and marched about 2 kilometers to a provincial school yard, where we spent the night lying on the ground. Sanitary facilities at this camp site were horrible; other details had been there before us and since practically everyone was at that time suffering from dysentery, the ground was covered with feces and the flies were terrible. The next morning we were herded out on the highway again, told that we were to march 29 kilometers, and that anyone dropping out of the column would he shot. We did march 14 kilometers that day [31 May], to a camp site which had previously been used by the Philippine Army, and was known by us thereafter as Camp #2. Several, because of the extreme heat and because of their weakened condition, did collapse on this march, but they were not shot. Instead, they were beaten with canes by the Japanese guards until they got back on their feet and marched again. Upon arrival at Camp #2 we were all extremely dehydrated, having had no water since early that morning, but there was no water supply at that camp. Many dug holes in the ground for moist earth and sucked this earth for its moisture content. Later that evening there was a shower which was life saving.
Move to Cabanatuan #1 on June 1st
The following morning we were again herded out on the road and retraced our steps 5 kilometers to another Philippine Army camp site, which was then known as Philippine Prison Camp #1. It was on 1 June that we arrived at this camp, and this is the date of organization of the camp. The water supply here was also inadequate and we were forced to line up to fill canteens, sometimes remaining in line as long as two to three hours to get a canteen of water. We were issued small quantities of rice in bulk and this was cooked by the individual organizations which were set up. Our unit, what remained of the original Bataan General Hospital #2 group, remained together.
Source: Testimony of Lieutenant Colonel Jack William Schwartz; S/N 0-17823; Chief of Surgical Service, Bataan General Hospital #2.
Private Gardy J. Havlichek (S/N 19017306 ) died of dysentery on 05 July, 1942, in the prison hospital. He was one of 26 men to die that day. In all 786 men died in the prison during the month of July. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, 2,764 Americans had died at Cabanatuan in 2½ years.
He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs who died that day. After the war, all the remains in the Cabanatuan Prison cemetery that could be found were disinterred (between December 1945 - February 1946) and brought to 7747 USAF Cemetery, Manila #2, Philippine Islands. The deceased in Manila #2 (over 11,000 American soldiers) rested there until their removal to the American Graves Registration Service Manila Mausoleum in the summer of 1948 for positive identification. Unfortunately, no clothing, personal effects nor any other means of identification were found for him and his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan. He is most likely buried in the Manila American Cemetery as a "Known but to God". There are 953 men like Private Havlichek who were not identified after the war, "unknowns", permanently interred in the Manila American Cemetery from Cabanatuan.
Private Gardy Joe Havlichek is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing - United States Army and Army Air Forces at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Gardie Havlichek also has a cenotaph in Saint Anne Cemetery, Francis Creek, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin.
3 Manitowoc County Soldiers Reported Dead
Two Manitowoc county soldiers, reported missing in action in the Philippines
three years ago have now been officially listed as dead. They are:
Pvt. Gardy J. Havlichek, 25, of Branch.
Pvt. John Francis Murphy, 19, of Grimms.
Another county man was also reported killed on Okinawa, in a message to the
parents from the war department. He is Cpl. Sylvester R. Koerner, 23, of
route 1, Cato.
The three additional deaths reported today brings the number of Manitowoc
soldiers killed in World War II to 156.
Missing Since 1942
Pvt. Havlichek, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Havlichek of Branch, had
previously been reported as missing in action since May 7, 1942. The War
department message received Wednesday confirmed the fact that he died in
action on July 5, 1942 in the Philippine islands.
Born Nov. 27, 1919 at Branch, young Havlichek had attended the St. Ann
parochial school at Francis Creek. He worked on his father's farm for a
short while and then joined the Civilian Conservation corps. On Jan. 29,
1941, he enlisted in the U.S. army, being assigned to the medical department
of the Philippine detachment at Fort McDowell, Calif.
He leaves his parents, one brother, Melvin, and three sisters, Bernice,
LaVerne and Germaine, all at home.
A high mass for the repose of his soul will be offered up at 8 a.m. on Friday,
July 6, at St. Ann's church at Francis Creek. Source: Manitowoc Herald Times (Manitowoc, Wisconsin), Thursday, 28 June 1945, page 2.
Service # 19017306
Rank: Private, U. S. Army
Unit: 2nd General Hospital, Medical Department
Entered Service From: Wisconsin
Date of Death: 05 July 1942, of dysentery in the Japanese POW Camp 1, Cabanatuan, Nueva Province, Luzon, Philippines 15-121.
Status: Missing In Action. Most likely buried as a 'Unknown" in the Manila American Cemetery.
Memorialized: Tablets of the Missing – United States Army and Army Air Forces at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gardy attended the St. Ann Parochial School at Francis Creek, Wisconsin. He worked on his father's farm for a short while before joining the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Gardy Joe Havlichek (21, 28 November 1919, Manitawoc, Wisconsin), a resident of Oregon Hotel, 2305½ 1st Ave., Seattle, King County, Washington, signed up for his World War II Draft Registration Card (Serial No. V-6314, Order No. -) on 02 January 1941 in Seattle, King County, Washington. He was unemployed. Gardy listed a friend, William Simmons, as the person who would always know his address. He was described as 5' 8" in height, 155 lbs., with a ruddy complexion, blonde hair and blue eyes.
Gardy J. Havlichek (1919 Wisconsin), a resident of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, enlisted as a Private (S/N 19017306) in the U.S. Army Medical Department on 29 January 1941 in Tacoma, Washington. He was single and had completed Grammar School.
He was assigned to the 306th Medical Detachment while he was at Fort McDowell, California. They were sent to the Philippine Islands where he was placed at the Sternberg General Hospital (a United States Military Hospital) in Manila. It was located on Calle Arroceros and Calle Conception Streets near Intamuros and not far from the Pasig River.
When war with Japan broke out on 08 December 1941, Sternberg, the largest and best-equipped medical facility in the Philippines, became the center for military and civilian casualties. A deluge of wounded soldiers and airmen arrived by ambulance and train from Forts Stotsenberg and McKinley.
Following the Japanese air attacks and the subsequent landing of Japanese ground forces on Luzon, General Douglas MacArthur activated War Plan Orange. This plan called for the gradual withdrawal of American and Philippine forces to the Bataan Peninsula, where they could await reinforcements from Hawaii and the U.S....reinforcements that never came. By late December, the medical staff received orders to evacuate to Manila and it was declared an open city on 26 December 1941.
From Manila, Private Gardy J. Havlichek was sent to the General Hospital No. 2, situated 1 kilometer north of Cabcaban in Bataan Province.
On Good Friday, 03 April 1942, General Homma, with the addition of fresh troops, began an all-out offensive on Bataan.
The Surgeon's morning report on 07 April showed 5,129 patients in General Hospital Number 2. Private Gardy J. Havlichek is found on the 07 April 1942 roster for Detachment Medical Department, General Hospital No. 2, Bataan, P. I. Source: General Hospital No. 2 – Unit History & Personnel Rosters; Philippine Archives Collection File 500-8-1
By the evening of April 8, the situation was clearly hopeless. With ammunition, rations and supplies practically exhausted and most of his best units destroyed, Major General Edward P. King, commander of the forces on Bataan, was convinced his troops could not physically resist any more and decided to surrender to prevent further loss of life. On 09 April 1942, Maj. Gen. King surrendered the Luzon Force to the Japanese. About 5:00 PM a small group of Japanese infantry came into the central hospital area. Private Havlichek and more than 75,000 American and Filipino soldiers became prisoners of the Japanese. On 09 April it was estimated that there were 7000 patients in the hospital.
On the day of the surrender of the Luzon forces, some Japanese officers entered the hospital area at Bataan General Hospital #2 and gave instructions as to the future conduct on the prisoners in that area. They were prohibited from using the water supply of the camp, except for necessary drinking purposes, upon penalty of death.
"The following day (10 April) a Major Segeguchi, who was the senior Japanese surgeon on Luzon, made his appearance in the hospital and advised that all Filipino patients who were able to do so should leave the hospital immediately. Somehow, word got through the hospital area that these Filipinos were being transported back to Manila and released there. Within the next 24 hours, 5500 of our 7000 patients left the hospital. Most of these were recent post-operative cases, many of them having unfinished amputations. There were innumerable fracture cases and gaping superficial wounds. Practically all of these individuals succumbed on the Death March out of Bataan. "
The Japanese forces then set up artillery positions completely encircling our hospital area, and from these positions, fired on Corregidor. After a few days, Corregidor returned the fire, and for the next three weeks we were under constant fire from Corregidor. Most of the shells were "overs" or "shorts," but there were several casualties from the shell fragments that sprayed the hospital area.
Hospital Shelled from Corregidor
On 29 April 1942, a salvo of 6-inch shells from Corregidor landed in Ward 14 of the hospital, killing 5 patients and wounding about 12 others. The Japanese made quite an issue of this for propaganda purposes, bringing newsreel photographers into the hospital area to photograph the damage done. On 12 May 1942, Hospital #2 was closed and all patients and personnel, except those American prisoners who had recovered from their illnesses, were marched to the area of Bataan General Hospital #1, which was at Little Baguio. Those Americans who had recovered numbered about 700 and were left behind enclosed in a barbed wire; this area was designated as a prison camp by the Japanese.
March to hospital #1 then trucked to Bilibid then to Cabanatuan #2.
On the march from #2 to #1 hospital, we witnessed the devastation along the highway which had not yet been cleared. There were many dead still lying in the ditches alongside the road. We remained unmolested at Bataan General Hospital #1 until about 26 May 1942, and then were transported by truck convoy to Bilibid Prison in Manila, which at that time contained about 6000 American prisoners. For the next 3 days we were confined in what had at one time been the prison hospital, and slept on concrete flooring. On 30 May, we were moved to the town of Cabanatuan, in Nueva Ecija Province, in metal boxcars with about 75 to 100 men crowded into each boxcar. The heat was extreme, and many were near collapse when we reached Cabanatuan. We were herded onto the highway and marched about 2 kilometers to a provincial school yard, where we spent the night lying on the ground. Sanitary facilities at this camp site were horrible; other details had been there before us and since practically everyone was at that time suffering from dysentery, the ground was covered with feces and the flies were terrible. The next morning we were herded out on the highway again, told that we were to march 29 kilometers, and that anyone dropping out of the column would he shot. We did march 14 kilometers that day [31 May], to a camp site which had previously been used by the Philippine Army, and was known by us thereafter as Camp #2. Several, because of the extreme heat and because of their weakened condition, did collapse on this march, but they were not shot. Instead, they were beaten with canes by the Japanese guards until they got back on their feet and marched again. Upon arrival at Camp #2 we were all extremely dehydrated, having had no water since early that morning, but there was no water supply at that camp. Many dug holes in the ground for moist earth and sucked this earth for its moisture content. Later that evening there was a shower which was life saving.
Move to Cabanatuan #1 on June 1st
The following morning we were again herded out on the road and retraced our steps 5 kilometers to another Philippine Army camp site, which was then known as Philippine Prison Camp #1. It was on 1 June that we arrived at this camp, and this is the date of organization of the camp. The water supply here was also inadequate and we were forced to line up to fill canteens, sometimes remaining in line as long as two to three hours to get a canteen of water. We were issued small quantities of rice in bulk and this was cooked by the individual organizations which were set up. Our unit, what remained of the original Bataan General Hospital #2 group, remained together.
Source: Testimony of Lieutenant Colonel Jack William Schwartz; S/N 0-17823; Chief of Surgical Service, Bataan General Hospital #2.
Private Gardy J. Havlichek (S/N 19017306 ) died of dysentery on 05 July, 1942, in the prison hospital. He was one of 26 men to die that day. In all 786 men died in the prison during the month of July. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, 2,764 Americans had died at Cabanatuan in 2½ years.
He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs who died that day. After the war, all the remains in the Cabanatuan Prison cemetery that could be found were disinterred (between December 1945 - February 1946) and brought to 7747 USAF Cemetery, Manila #2, Philippine Islands. The deceased in Manila #2 (over 11,000 American soldiers) rested there until their removal to the American Graves Registration Service Manila Mausoleum in the summer of 1948 for positive identification. Unfortunately, no clothing, personal effects nor any other means of identification were found for him and his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan. He is most likely buried in the Manila American Cemetery as a "Known but to God". There are 953 men like Private Havlichek who were not identified after the war, "unknowns", permanently interred in the Manila American Cemetery from Cabanatuan.
Private Gardy Joe Havlichek is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing - United States Army and Army Air Forces at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Gardie Havlichek also has a cenotaph in Saint Anne Cemetery, Francis Creek, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin.
3 Manitowoc County Soldiers Reported Dead
Two Manitowoc county soldiers, reported missing in action in the Philippines
three years ago have now been officially listed as dead. They are:
Pvt. Gardy J. Havlichek, 25, of Branch.
Pvt. John Francis Murphy, 19, of Grimms.
Another county man was also reported killed on Okinawa, in a message to the
parents from the war department. He is Cpl. Sylvester R. Koerner, 23, of
route 1, Cato.
The three additional deaths reported today brings the number of Manitowoc
soldiers killed in World War II to 156.
Missing Since 1942
Pvt. Havlichek, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Havlichek of Branch, had
previously been reported as missing in action since May 7, 1942. The War
department message received Wednesday confirmed the fact that he died in
action on July 5, 1942 in the Philippine islands.
Born Nov. 27, 1919 at Branch, young Havlichek had attended the St. Ann
parochial school at Francis Creek. He worked on his father's farm for a
short while and then joined the Civilian Conservation corps. On Jan. 29,
1941, he enlisted in the U.S. army, being assigned to the medical department
of the Philippine detachment at Fort McDowell, Calif.
He leaves his parents, one brother, Melvin, and three sisters, Bernice,
LaVerne and Germaine, all at home.
A high mass for the repose of his soul will be offered up at 8 a.m. on Friday,
July 6, at St. Ann's church at Francis Creek. Source: Manitowoc Herald Times (Manitowoc, Wisconsin), Thursday, 28 June 1945, page 2.
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Wisconsin.
Family Members
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