Theodore Francis Wright was the son of Nora V. Pannell and Justin Ellsworth Wright. He was born in Indian Territory now known as Muscogee, Oklahoma. He had two sisters, Grace Wright and Edith Wright. He also had two half brothers from his father's second marriage: Justin Ellsworth Wright Jr., and Harold Bell Wright. At the age of 16 he struck out on his own. He left Oklahoma and moved to Joplin, Missouri to live with his grandmother, Eliza (Pannell) Morris. In August of 1925 he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He spent nearly 20 years in the Army serving in Hawaii, California and the Philippines. He had been stationed with the 75th Ordinance in Luzon, Philippines for nearly 4 years when they were attacked by Japan just 10 hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 8, 1941. After four months of courageous fighting by the Americans and their Filipino allies they were FORCED to surrender on April 9, 1942 as General MacArthur fled to Australia under the orders of President Roosevelt. For months MacArthur had promised the embattled Americans support and supplies that never came. Most of the tens of thousands of soldiers were already exhausted and starving by the time of their surrender and then had to endure the unspeakable cruelty of the Bataan Death March. Theodore Wright survived the march to P.O.W. Camp O'Donnell #4 only to die three weeks later on the 7th of May 1942 from starvation and dysentery. Theodore was 39 years old. He is buried at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines, Plot F, Row 9, Grave 39. He received the Purple Heart posthumously on June 8, 1944.
Theodore Francis Wright was the son of Nora V. Pannell and Justin Ellsworth Wright. He was born in Indian Territory now known as Muscogee, Oklahoma. He had two sisters, Grace Wright and Edith Wright. He also had two half brothers from his father's second marriage: Justin Ellsworth Wright Jr., and Harold Bell Wright. At the age of 16 he struck out on his own. He left Oklahoma and moved to Joplin, Missouri to live with his grandmother, Eliza (Pannell) Morris. In August of 1925 he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He spent nearly 20 years in the Army serving in Hawaii, California and the Philippines. He had been stationed with the 75th Ordinance in Luzon, Philippines for nearly 4 years when they were attacked by Japan just 10 hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 8, 1941. After four months of courageous fighting by the Americans and their Filipino allies they were FORCED to surrender on April 9, 1942 as General MacArthur fled to Australia under the orders of President Roosevelt. For months MacArthur had promised the embattled Americans support and supplies that never came. Most of the tens of thousands of soldiers were already exhausted and starving by the time of their surrender and then had to endure the unspeakable cruelty of the Bataan Death March. Theodore Wright survived the march to P.O.W. Camp O'Donnell #4 only to die three weeks later on the 7th of May 1942 from starvation and dysentery. Theodore was 39 years old. He is buried at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines, Plot F, Row 9, Grave 39. He received the Purple Heart posthumously on June 8, 1944.
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from California. Although it shows California, that was his residence for his final enlistment. He originally enlisted in 1925 from Missouri.
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