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| Pvt. Raymond Alstott was a POW at Camp Cabanatuan. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7365980/raymond-avery-alstott https://www.pinterest.com/pin/535365474427503687/?lp=true |
Raymond Avery Alstott never had a chance to reach 100 years old. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
I began this project on January 1, 2017. It will conclude on September 2, 2020, the 75th anniversary of the end of World War 2. During the intervening time, a different fallen serviceman was profiled every day on his 100th birthday. I have decided to round out the project by profiling one of the fallen born between December 7, 1916 and December 31, 1916. This will result in one of the fallen being profiled for every day America was engaged in World War 2. The total will be 1,366 men and women. That's enough for only 13 stars out of the 4,048 on the Freedom Wall of the World War II Memorial.
Raymond was born on December 21, 1916 in Arkansas. His parents Wilbur and Katherine were both born in Nebraska. His father worked as a farmer. Raymond had two older sisters and grew up helping on the farm.
By 1940 the census records show Raymond was in the Private Coast Artillery at the Fort Barry Military Reservation in Springdale, Arkansas. He volunteered for the Army Air Forces in July 1941 and his unit, the 20th Air Base Group, was sent to the Philippines. He was in the Headquarters Squadron. The 20th ABG provided repair and admin supports for the planes at Nichols Field in the Philippines.
By December 10, 1941, pretty much all the planes based at Nichols Field had been destroyed by Japanese air attacks. A few B-17s got away by flying to Australia. The ground support troops were sent to the Bataan Peninsula to act as infantry. They held out until ammunition and food supplies were just too low and surrendered on April 9, 1942. Shortly thereafter Pvt. Alstott endured the Bataan Death March. He ended up in the notorious Cabanatuan Prison Camp.
Private Alstott died of dysentery on November 15, 1942. The next year his name appeared in a June 1943 US newspaper list of prisoners held by the Japanese, giving false hope to his family that he was alive. The family did learn of his demise a few moths later. The local VFW post was named in his honor.
His grave is at Wilson Cemetery in Lowell, Arkansas.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
I really love this project you have undertaken Don. Lots of terrific information on those that sacrificed their lives to save democracy. Thank you for doing this.
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