Gene H. Cavanaugh

Corporal Gene H. Cavanaugh enter the service with the 513 Aircraft Battalion as an Aviation Cadet. His second outfit was with the 1038th Air Material Squadron Air Group. He was sent to Camp Blanding, Florida. There he was in basic training for 13 weeks. He was then sent to Camp Stoneman, California for a 30 day boat ride to Lingayen Gulf at the Philippine Island. For six months while there, he helped release allied prisoners' that had been captured and made to march 90 miles to Luzon by the Japanese soldiers. Some who were incarcerated for four years. (The Bataan Death March). The infantry was moved to the end of the island at Wall City, and had the opportunity to see the USS Missouri sitting in the ocean with General Douglas, MacArthur, and Japans Hirohito on board signing the Peace Treaty on September of 1946. Gene was sent to Fort Dix, New Jersey for discharge and was home by November 1946. Gene is one of four sons of Ray and Mary (Eutsey) Cavanaugh.

1945 Luzon Island Philippines

"Bataan Death March"

The forced transfer of 60,000 - 80,000 Filipino and American prisoners of war by the Imperial Japanese Army, following the Battle of Bataan.