World War 2 News Items These news articles concerning Sgt. Dean E. Taylor appeared in the Fort Dodge, Ia Messenger (both about March 1945) 1st Prisoner of Japanese since the fall of the Philippines, Sgt Dean E. Taylor, 26-year-old son of Mr and Mrs (Maude Echelberger) John E. Taylor, is one of "large number who did not survive or who or who were recaptured by the Japanese" in the destruction at sea of a Japanese freighter that was transporting American prisoners of war from the Philippines, his parents have been advised by the war department. Since "no positive information is available" about the present status of these men, "no change in his prisoner of war classification is being made at this time." the war department letter continued. The Letter in full follows: "The war department was recently notified of the destruction at sea of a Japanese freighter that was transporting American prisoners of war from the Philippines Islands. " A number of survivors were later returned to the military control of our forces . There were also a large number who were recaptured by the Japanese and whose present status no positive information is available. It is with deep regret that I must inform you that your son Sgt. Dean E. Taylor, was in this later group. Because of t he war departments lack of definite information concerning Sgt. Taylor, no change in his prisoner of war classification is being made at this time. Please be assured that as soon as additional information becomes available, you will be immediately notified." Sgt Taylor's younger brother Corporal Virgil O. (Bob) Taylor is serving with the marines on Guam. Although only 19 he is a veteran of many major engagements in the southwest Pacific. Sgt Taylor is believed to have been held by the Japanese on Mindanao, southern island in the Philippines. In Honolulu Nov 11,1941, enroute to the islands with an army air forces unit, he sent a Christmas cable to his parents that year from Cagayan, Mindanao. Card in March: The most recent word which Mr and Mrs Taylor have had from Dean was an undated card which they received March 22 ?(1942) Mr and Mrs Taylor have been living in Redding,Ca the pass few years but recently returned to Fort Dodge, and are making their home at 1424 North Tenth street. 2nd Message: After almost three years of Japanese, 26-year-old son of Mr And Mrs J. E. Taylor of Fort Dodge, lost his life when the when the freighter on which he was being moved from a prison camp on Mindanao was torpedoed and sunk by an American submarine Sept 7, 1944. Official notification that he had died in action on that date reached his parent from the war department today. The message crushed the Taylors' hope, strengthened by the liberation of American prisoners following recent successes in the Philippines that their son might survive the rigors of prison camp existence since the fall of the islands in the spring of 1942 Two Messages With the military intelligence section of section of the army air forces, Sgt Taylor left for overseas Oct 11, 1941. Between the time of his arrival in the Philippines and the battles which led finally to his capture there was time for only two messages. The first, a cable Christmas greeting in 1941, came, from Cagayan, Mindanao. In a letter written Jan 2, he wrote that he was in action and that "if we don't get help, we may be in a bad way. But we are tougher than they are." According to the war department message received today, Sgt Taylor was one of the 750 prisoners who left Davao, Mindanao, Aug 20, 1944. When the freighter was sunk Sept 7, off the western shores of the island, few of the prisoners were able to leave the ship and of those who did, many were killed by enemy fire, the war department stated. A few survivors managed to reach shore the report continued. Subsequent information, based on the Japanese government's list of prisoners or war, indicate that the young Fort Dodger did not survive and must now be considered to have died in action. (The ship prisoners that did survive the Torpedo attack were machined gunned as they swan ashore) From the War Dept: The complete message from the war department follows: "The war department has now received the official list of prisoners of war aboard the Japanese freighter which you were previously informed was sunk Sept 7, 1944. "Its with deep regret that the war department must report your son is among those list ed as lost when the ship was sunk. " The war department regrets its inability to entertain the probability of his survival and must now consider him to have died in action Sept. 7,1944. The Date of Receipt of the final report was Feb. 14, 1945. "Information available to the war department is that the vessel sailed from Davao, Mindanao, Aug. 20, 1944, with 750 prisoners of war aboard. "The vessel was sunk by torpedoes Sept. 7, off the western shores of Mindanao. Relatively few had an opportunity to leave the ship and of those who did, many were killed by enemy fire." A small number managed to reach shore and a close watch was kept for others for several days." The Japanese government's list of all of the prisoners of war indicates that no survivors are in the hands of that government. No information as to what happened to the individuals has been received but known circumstances lead to the regrettable conclusion that all of those unaccounted for lost their lives at the time of the sinking. Regret The war department expressed its regret at the "unhappy culmination" of Mr and Mrs Taylor's long period of "anxiety and suffering." In addition to the official message Mr and Mrs Taylor received a card of sympathy from Gen. George C. Marshall chief of staff of the United States Army as follows: "Gen Marshall extends his deep sympathy in your bereavement. Your son fought valiantly in the supreme hour of his country's need. His memory will live in the grateful hearts of our nation." Sgt Taylor was a student at Fort Dodge high school where he was a member of the high school band, when he enlisted in the army in 1937. After two years with the cavalry, he transferred to the army air forces and was on duty at Hamilton Field,(Ca) until the next year when he was assigned to Military Intelligence [Submitted by Melvin B. Echelberger. melbech@charter.net] "Another of Webster county's casualties in Germany is PFC Weldon Echelberger 33, of Fort Dodge, who was wounded in action Dec 6 (1944). As previously reported to the Messenger, the soldier was with an infantry unit of the American 1st Army. PFC Echelberger was a mechanic with the Pfaff Baking Co. in civilian life. His wife and two children live at 529 Third Ave North. He entered the service in March of this year, received his basic training at Camp Blanding, Fl. and went over seas in July. He is the farther of two children Jimmie 4 yrs old and a infant daughter born Nov 30, (1944). A brother Don is serving as a navy diver and welder somewhere in the south Pacific aboard an Aircraft Carrier." [Fort Dodge Messenger, Dec 1944 - Submitted by Melvin B. Echelberger. melbech@charter.net] The following Article appeared in the Fort Dodge Messenger @1944 Three Campaigns in as many Months for Dows And Fort Dodge Marines Lt. James C. Dickerson of Fort Dodge and Vern O. Echelberger of Dows, marine veterans of three Pacific campaigns in as many months. Are here (pictured in article) after assault on Morotai in the Halmahera islands. Echelberger killed the first Jap in the Morotai landing. Date Line By Sgt Harold A. Beard Marine corps combat correspondent Somewhere in the Pacific (Delayed) Two Iowa Marines, veterans of three Pacific campaigns in 91 days, Philippines, recently returned to this American base for a breather before taking their next crack at the Japs. They are Lt. James C. Dickerson 23, of Fort Dodge, and Corporal Vern O. Echelberger, 20 of Dows. Both Iowans are members of a third marine division assault signal unit which assisted the army in establishing the Leyte beachhead. They directed carrier borne navy fliers in close bombing and strafing support of our ground forces. Dickerson was impressed on Leyte by huge stores of American tires, motor vehicles and canned goods abandoned by fleeing Japanese. "It was like a used car dealer's dream come true." he said, " The vehicles looked like 1940, and 1941 models; Fords, Plymouths and Mack Trucks filled a dispersal area. One warehouse was full of American made tires and another contained an abundance of American canned goods of all kinds." American troops attained their invasion-day objective with almost no resistance," Dickerson related. We found several places where the Japs had started to dig-in, but they had pulled out ahead of us. Our superiority of manpower and equipment must have frightened them." Bags Jap Echelberger bagged a Jap as he hit the beach at Morotai, in the Halmahera islands, prior to the Leyte assault. "We heard some firing to our right," he said, "I spotted a Jap in a tree about 30 yards away, I fired three times with my carbine. He tumbled to the ground." Resistance on Morotai was slight. The Japs fell back there as soon as our troops moved in. "My most exciting moment at Leyte," said Echelberger, " occurred during the landing. The Japs raked the ramp of our landing boat with machine fire just before it was let down for us to go ashore." Echelberger had another close call during the Guam Campaign. He dug a foxhole behind his radio jeep. During the night a Jap mortar shell exploded nearby and punctured three tires. The Iowa marine was uninjured. Stepping Stone Their marine unit was withdrawn on the seventh day of the Leyte battle when they turned over their work to army personnel they had trained. It was their third campaign in 91 days. Previously they had participated in the taking of Guam, And assisted the army in seizing Morotai, final aerial stepping stone to the Philippines. Lieutenant Dickerson' parents are Mr. And Mrs J.C. Dickerson 1116 4th Ave North, Fort Dodge. His wife Kathleen, and their five-month-old son James III, live at the Archer apartments in Fort Dodge. Corporal Echelberger is the son of Mr. and Mrs. A.O. Echelberger of Dows. [Fort Dodge Messenger, 1944 - Submitted by Melvin B. Echelberger. melbech@charter.net] BACK TO MILITARY INDEX ©2007 Genealogy Trails