WW2 Fallen - POW Ronald Boston + Unbroken's Louis Zamperini

20th Air Base soldiers as POWs
https://www.vetfriends.com/militarypics/large.cfm?picture=1060

Ronald O. Boston could have been 100 years old today.

He was born on January 26, 1917 in Kansas as was his mother. His father was born in Nebraska was an farmer in 1920 and a farm laborer 10 years later. Ronald had and older brother and sister and four younger sisters and one younger brother.

Ronald enlisted in the Army Air Corp on August 2, 1939. His unit was the 20th Air Base Group, 27th Materiel Squadron which was assigned to the Philippines. He was captured by the Japanese when America lost the battle for the Philippines. He endured the Bataan Death March and was put to work farming, building railroads and air fields.

Ronald was a 1st Sergeant in the Army Air Corp at the time of his death. He died on September 7, 1944 when the cargo steamer Shinyo Maru was sunk by the American submarine USS Paddle off the coast of Mindanao. The Shinyo Maru had no markings that it was a POW transport ship. There were 750 POWs on board. Only 82 survived by swimming to shore.

Shinyo Maru
http://www.powtaiwan.org/archives_detail.php?THE-SEPTEMBER-1944-HELLSHIPS-40

Sgt. Boston remains MIA.

BONUS

Another far better known POW in Japan was Olympian Louis Zamperini. He was also born on January 26, 1917. He wrote about his experience in his book Devil at My Heels. It became even better known when Laura Hillenbrand told his story in Unbroken, which was later made into a movie of the same name by Angelina Jolie.

Angelina Jolie and Louis Zamperini

The movie is worth the time to watch but the books are much better. Highly recommended. We are all better off because Louis made it back. What we have lost because Ronald didn't make it back, we will never know.

Thank you Ronald and Louis for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Ronald and Louis.

Please share this if you think honoring the World War 2 fallen should be brought to the attention of more people. We enjoy our freedoms due to the sacrifice of the fallen.

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