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| Lt. James Hart avoided capture after the Americans in the Philippines surrendered in April 1942 and fought as a guerrilla until killed in September 1943. https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=65170243 |
He was born on August 21, 1917 in Oklahoma. His parents were also both born in Oklahoma. His mother died when his younger brother was born in 1919. His father remarried in 1923 and James had three step brothers, two of whom lived to adulthood. His family was likely among those hit early by the effects of the depression and drought since his parents moved to California where in 1930 his father worked as a farm laborer. James and his brother were probably living with relatives elsewhere because they are not shown on the census with his parents and their six year old boy in California. Both of these brothers served during the war and came home safe. By 1940 James was once again living with his parents and brothers in Watsonville, California. He had completed two years of college at Salinas Junior College where he was in the National Guard and worked as a janitor.
He enlisted in the army in February 1941, six months after his younger brother joined. He was originally in the the 40th Tank Company created in California which was merged into the 194th Tank Battalion. It was sent to the Philippines in September 1941. James became a 2nd lieutenant in Company A, 194th Tank Battalion.
While fighting against the Japanese on January 6, 1942, Lt. Hart was cut off so he did not fight in the Battle of Bataan. He escaped into the jungle and became a guerrilla fighter for the next 17 months as part of the 101st Squadron, Luzon Guerrilla Force with the rank of captain.
The Japanese got a tip on the location of Captain Hart and his guerrillas in the Tapuak Hills in the Bamban area of Tarlec. They tried to surprise them on the morning of September 23, 1942 but a dog warned the guerrillas. Hart ordered the others to escape while he engaged the Japanese. He kept fighting after wounded and killed many of the enemy before he was killed.
His grave is at Harmon Cemetery in Harmon, Oklahoma.
There is a library in Bamban named in his honor.
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| Photos provided by Rhonie Cauguiran Dela Cruz via Facebook group WW II Philippines |
Thank you James for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for James.
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Rip!
ReplyDeleteThank-you for honoring my relative.
ReplyDeleteIt is an amazing surprise to find out my uncle and namesake is being honored in such a way. Thank you. Sincerely James H Hart II.
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