Veteran of World War II
Abilene veteran of Bataan battle, Horace Carpenter, dies at age 81
Horace CARPENTER of 1609 River Oaks, retired Abilene businessman and former prisoner of war who survived several death marches during 3 1/2 years of Japanese captivity, died Monday night at a local nursing home. He was 81.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at North Funeral Home Chapel, 242 Orange, with Dr. Elwin SKILES and Dr. Bill BRUSTER officiating. Burial will be in Merriman Cemetery near Ranger.
Born in Coryell County, CARPENTER attended Abilene High School and graduated from Cisco High School in 1928. He married Anna Mae HUNT of Eastland in 1929.
After he recovered from his POW mistreatment - he was hospitalized for nine months following his liberation at the end of the war - he and his wife founded the Carpenter Bearing Company at 630 Walnut. They operated the company for 20 years before retiring in 1967.
In retirement, the couple became world travelers.
For more than 25 years after he returned home from the War, CARPENTER refused to talk about his experiences. But in 1973 CARPENTER agreed to detail his captivity in a five part series written by Reporter-News Assistant Editor Katharyn DUFF.
DUFF said CARPENTER spoke with "quiet dispassion of the horrors of war, but spoke no words of hate."
"I used to hold grudges but I learned that the only person I was hurting was myself," CARPENTER said in the 1973 interview.
CARPENTER was in the wholesale grocery business in Sweetwater when he volunteered for the Army in September 1941. He was serving in the Army Air Corps at Clark Field in the Philippines when the Japanese destroyed the field the day after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.
As the Japanese closed in from all direction and cut off all supplies, he was among the "Battling Bastards of Bataan" who lived on the meat of dogs, iguanas, monkeys, and mules for nearly six months.
The Bataan forces surrendered on April 9, 1942 - but not CARPENTER.
During the confusion, before the Japanese had the Americans organized for the infamous Bataan Death March, he and a few men managed to flee to the beach. There they found a boat and rowed the two miles over to Corregidor.
He was fighting with the Marines there when Corregidor fell on May 6, 1942.
In the first days of captivity, CARPENTER experienced what would become an inhumane way of life for 3 1/2 long years. The captives slept on the ground and got one small serving of a rice a day.
CARPENTER later was taken by ship to Osaka, Japan. Malaria and pneumonia were the big killers there. CARPENTER had both several times.
In 1945, he had been transferred to another POW camp at Kyoto when he heard "a big land mine" had ended the way. They learned a few days later the "mine" was actually was the second atomic bomb, dropped on Nagasaki on Aug. 9.
CARPENTER and other survivors were placed on two planes and started for home. Tragically, one of the planes crashed into the mountain at Okinawa, killing all aboard. President TRUMAN promptly ordered the rest of the freed POWs brought home by ship.
CARPENTER said he "had nightmares for a long time but I eventually got over them." He said he also got over the hatred he initially felt for the Japanese.
More than four decades after his captivity, he received the newly-authorized POW medal in ceremonies at Dyess Air Force Base in 1989. He was a member of the Ex-POW Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Rotary Club, and the Petroleum Club. He was a member of First Baptist Church.
Survivors are his wife at the home; three sisters, Mrs. W.M. (Tola) MAXWELL of Fort Worth, Mrs. Royce (Fran) COLEMAN of Monahans and Mrs. Jean RAY of Gatesville; and several nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to the West Texas Rehabilitation Center, 4601 Hartford, Abilene, 79605.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home at 11 a.m. today.
Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, TX) - Wednesday, July 25, 1990
Abilene veteran of Bataan battle, Horace Carpenter, dies at age 81
Horace CARPENTER of 1609 River Oaks, retired Abilene businessman and former prisoner of war who survived several death marches during 3 1/2 years of Japanese captivity, died Monday night at a local nursing home. He was 81.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at North Funeral Home Chapel, 242 Orange, with Dr. Elwin SKILES and Dr. Bill BRUSTER officiating. Burial will be in Merriman Cemetery near Ranger.
Born in Coryell County, CARPENTER attended Abilene High School and graduated from Cisco High School in 1928. He married Anna Mae HUNT of Eastland in 1929.
After he recovered from his POW mistreatment - he was hospitalized for nine months following his liberation at the end of the war - he and his wife founded the Carpenter Bearing Company at 630 Walnut. They operated the company for 20 years before retiring in 1967.
In retirement, the couple became world travelers.
For more than 25 years after he returned home from the War, CARPENTER refused to talk about his experiences. But in 1973 CARPENTER agreed to detail his captivity in a five part series written by Reporter-News Assistant Editor Katharyn DUFF.
DUFF said CARPENTER spoke with "quiet dispassion of the horrors of war, but spoke no words of hate."
"I used to hold grudges but I learned that the only person I was hurting was myself," CARPENTER said in the 1973 interview.
CARPENTER was in the wholesale grocery business in Sweetwater when he volunteered for the Army in September 1941. He was serving in the Army Air Corps at Clark Field in the Philippines when the Japanese destroyed the field the day after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.
As the Japanese closed in from all direction and cut off all supplies, he was among the "Battling Bastards of Bataan" who lived on the meat of dogs, iguanas, monkeys, and mules for nearly six months.
The Bataan forces surrendered on April 9, 1942 - but not CARPENTER.
During the confusion, before the Japanese had the Americans organized for the infamous Bataan Death March, he and a few men managed to flee to the beach. There they found a boat and rowed the two miles over to Corregidor.
He was fighting with the Marines there when Corregidor fell on May 6, 1942.
In the first days of captivity, CARPENTER experienced what would become an inhumane way of life for 3 1/2 long years. The captives slept on the ground and got one small serving of a rice a day.
CARPENTER later was taken by ship to Osaka, Japan. Malaria and pneumonia were the big killers there. CARPENTER had both several times.
In 1945, he had been transferred to another POW camp at Kyoto when he heard "a big land mine" had ended the way. They learned a few days later the "mine" was actually was the second atomic bomb, dropped on Nagasaki on Aug. 9.
CARPENTER and other survivors were placed on two planes and started for home. Tragically, one of the planes crashed into the mountain at Okinawa, killing all aboard. President TRUMAN promptly ordered the rest of the freed POWs brought home by ship.
CARPENTER said he "had nightmares for a long time but I eventually got over them." He said he also got over the hatred he initially felt for the Japanese.
More than four decades after his captivity, he received the newly-authorized POW medal in ceremonies at Dyess Air Force Base in 1989. He was a member of the Ex-POW Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Rotary Club, and the Petroleum Club. He was a member of First Baptist Church.
Survivors are his wife at the home; three sisters, Mrs. W.M. (Tola) MAXWELL of Fort Worth, Mrs. Royce (Fran) COLEMAN of Monahans and Mrs. Jean RAY of Gatesville; and several nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to the West Texas Rehabilitation Center, 4601 Hartford, Abilene, 79605.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home at 11 a.m. today.
Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, TX) - Wednesday, July 25, 1990
Veteran of World War II
Abilene veteran of Bataan battle, Horace Carpenter, dies at age 81
Horace CARPENTER of 1609 River Oaks, retired Abilene businessman and former prisoner of war who survived several death marches during 3 1/2 years of Japanese captivity, died Monday night at a local nursing home. He was 81.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at North Funeral Home Chapel, 242 Orange, with Dr. Elwin SKILES and Dr. Bill BRUSTER officiating. Burial will be in Merriman Cemetery near Ranger.
Born in Coryell County, CARPENTER attended Abilene High School and graduated from Cisco High School in 1928. He married Anna Mae HUNT of Eastland in 1929.
After he recovered from his POW mistreatment - he was hospitalized for nine months following his liberation at the end of the war - he and his wife founded the Carpenter Bearing Company at 630 Walnut. They operated the company for 20 years before retiring in 1967.
In retirement, the couple became world travelers.
For more than 25 years after he returned home from the War, CARPENTER refused to talk about his experiences. But in 1973 CARPENTER agreed to detail his captivity in a five part series written by Reporter-News Assistant Editor Katharyn DUFF.
DUFF said CARPENTER spoke with "quiet dispassion of the horrors of war, but spoke no words of hate."
"I used to hold grudges but I learned that the only person I was hurting was myself," CARPENTER said in the 1973 interview.
CARPENTER was in the wholesale grocery business in Sweetwater when he volunteered for the Army in September 1941. He was serving in the Army Air Corps at Clark Field in the Philippines when the Japanese destroyed the field the day after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.
As the Japanese closed in from all direction and cut off all supplies, he was among the "Battling Bastards of Bataan" who lived on the meat of dogs, iguanas, monkeys, and mules for nearly six months.
The Bataan forces surrendered on April 9, 1942 - but not CARPENTER.
During the confusion, before the Japanese had the Americans organized for the infamous Bataan Death March, he and a few men managed to flee to the beach. There they found a boat and rowed the two miles over to Corregidor.
He was fighting with the Marines there when Corregidor fell on May 6, 1942.
In the first days of captivity, CARPENTER experienced what would become an inhumane way of life for 3 1/2 long years. The captives slept on the ground and got one small serving of a rice a day.
CARPENTER later was taken by ship to Osaka, Japan. Malaria and pneumonia were the big killers there. CARPENTER had both several times.
In 1945, he had been transferred to another POW camp at Kyoto when he heard "a big land mine" had ended the way. They learned a few days later the "mine" was actually was the second atomic bomb, dropped on Nagasaki on Aug. 9.
CARPENTER and other survivors were placed on two planes and started for home. Tragically, one of the planes crashed into the mountain at Okinawa, killing all aboard. President TRUMAN promptly ordered the rest of the freed POWs brought home by ship.
CARPENTER said he "had nightmares for a long time but I eventually got over them." He said he also got over the hatred he initially felt for the Japanese.
More than four decades after his captivity, he received the newly-authorized POW medal in ceremonies at Dyess Air Force Base in 1989. He was a member of the Ex-POW Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Rotary Club, and the Petroleum Club. He was a member of First Baptist Church.
Survivors are his wife at the home; three sisters, Mrs. W.M. (Tola) MAXWELL of Fort Worth, Mrs. Royce (Fran) COLEMAN of Monahans and Mrs. Jean RAY of Gatesville; and several nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to the West Texas Rehabilitation Center, 4601 Hartford, Abilene, 79605.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home at 11 a.m. today.
Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, TX) - Wednesday, July 25, 1990
Abilene veteran of Bataan battle, Horace Carpenter, dies at age 81
Horace CARPENTER of 1609 River Oaks, retired Abilene businessman and former prisoner of war who survived several death marches during 3 1/2 years of Japanese captivity, died Monday night at a local nursing home. He was 81.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at North Funeral Home Chapel, 242 Orange, with Dr. Elwin SKILES and Dr. Bill BRUSTER officiating. Burial will be in Merriman Cemetery near Ranger.
Born in Coryell County, CARPENTER attended Abilene High School and graduated from Cisco High School in 1928. He married Anna Mae HUNT of Eastland in 1929.
After he recovered from his POW mistreatment - he was hospitalized for nine months following his liberation at the end of the war - he and his wife founded the Carpenter Bearing Company at 630 Walnut. They operated the company for 20 years before retiring in 1967.
In retirement, the couple became world travelers.
For more than 25 years after he returned home from the War, CARPENTER refused to talk about his experiences. But in 1973 CARPENTER agreed to detail his captivity in a five part series written by Reporter-News Assistant Editor Katharyn DUFF.
DUFF said CARPENTER spoke with "quiet dispassion of the horrors of war, but spoke no words of hate."
"I used to hold grudges but I learned that the only person I was hurting was myself," CARPENTER said in the 1973 interview.
CARPENTER was in the wholesale grocery business in Sweetwater when he volunteered for the Army in September 1941. He was serving in the Army Air Corps at Clark Field in the Philippines when the Japanese destroyed the field the day after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.
As the Japanese closed in from all direction and cut off all supplies, he was among the "Battling Bastards of Bataan" who lived on the meat of dogs, iguanas, monkeys, and mules for nearly six months.
The Bataan forces surrendered on April 9, 1942 - but not CARPENTER.
During the confusion, before the Japanese had the Americans organized for the infamous Bataan Death March, he and a few men managed to flee to the beach. There they found a boat and rowed the two miles over to Corregidor.
He was fighting with the Marines there when Corregidor fell on May 6, 1942.
In the first days of captivity, CARPENTER experienced what would become an inhumane way of life for 3 1/2 long years. The captives slept on the ground and got one small serving of a rice a day.
CARPENTER later was taken by ship to Osaka, Japan. Malaria and pneumonia were the big killers there. CARPENTER had both several times.
In 1945, he had been transferred to another POW camp at Kyoto when he heard "a big land mine" had ended the way. They learned a few days later the "mine" was actually was the second atomic bomb, dropped on Nagasaki on Aug. 9.
CARPENTER and other survivors were placed on two planes and started for home. Tragically, one of the planes crashed into the mountain at Okinawa, killing all aboard. President TRUMAN promptly ordered the rest of the freed POWs brought home by ship.
CARPENTER said he "had nightmares for a long time but I eventually got over them." He said he also got over the hatred he initially felt for the Japanese.
More than four decades after his captivity, he received the newly-authorized POW medal in ceremonies at Dyess Air Force Base in 1989. He was a member of the Ex-POW Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Rotary Club, and the Petroleum Club. He was a member of First Baptist Church.
Survivors are his wife at the home; three sisters, Mrs. W.M. (Tola) MAXWELL of Fort Worth, Mrs. Royce (Fran) COLEMAN of Monahans and Mrs. Jean RAY of Gatesville; and several nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to the West Texas Rehabilitation Center, 4601 Hartford, Abilene, 79605.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home at 11 a.m. today.
Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, TX) - Wednesday, July 25, 1990
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CPL HORACE A CARPENTER
21 OCT 1908 TO 23 July 1990
US ARMY AIR CORPS
WWII EX POW
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