James Greene, b. 1920
James "Jim" Greene was born on 22 September 1920 in Hartford, AR, an
only child. At age five his family moved to Springfield, MO, and at age 11 to
Oklahoma City, and this is where Jim graduated from high school in 1938. Jim
attended college briefly before enlisting in the Army Air Corps in August 1940.
After basic training at March Field, CA, and armament training at Lowery Field,
CO, in September 1941 Jim was sent to Clark Field in the Philippines as a member
of the 19th Bomb Group. He was here when Japanese forces attacked
the Philippines in December 1941.
Jim was one
of thousands of Americans that surrendered to Japanese forces at Bataan in April
1942. After brief stays at Camp O’Donnell and Cabanatuan, in January 1943 Jim
was in a group of POWs transferred to the Davao Penal Colony, on Mindanao. Here
he was on various work details, including rice paddies and construction. In
January 1944 Jim was was with other POWs moved to nearby Lasang, also on Mindanao, where
the work was airfield construction for the Japanese military. In late August 1944,
along with more than 700 other POWs, Jim was placed on a transport ship, known
as Number 86; after approximately ten days the group was transferred to the ship Shinyo Maru,
and joined a convoy heading for Japan.
On 7
September 1944 the Shinyo Maru was torpedoed and sunk by the American
submarine Paddle (SS 263); only 83 POWs survived the sinking. These men
were picked up off Mindanao in late September by another American submarine, and
after brief island stops on Biak and in Brisbane, Australia, transported back the USA. Jim was de-briefed in
Washington, D.C., had some months of leave, got married (December 1944), and
ended the war stationed at Stout Field, IN. He made a career of the military,
retiring in 1964. He then worked in the food service industry until retiring
again in the mid-1980s. He was interviewed during May - June 2004.
Biographical information and all interview content © Thomas Saylor, 2004
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