Stories

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Lost_in_Action/o7jfjNMSZJ8C?hl=en&gbpv=0

I've been reading "Lost in Action" by the late Dick Bilyeu (1920-1993). It is a very interesting book and I highly recommend it. Bilyeu served as a young private with the 59th CA, and retired from the Army in 1965 as a CW02. He began writing the book in 1973 and finished it 10 years later. The book has been recently reprinted.

Bilyeu wrote (pages 132-134) that in early 1943 he participated in a detail that searched Corregidor for US and Japanese remains. By the end of February about 300 US remains had been recovered and buried in "the small cemetery at the east end of the island". A number of Japanese remains were also found and turned over to the island's conquerors.

During one search east of Malinta Hill, Bilyeu came upon a large number of previously undiscovered Japanese remains in a small area on a slope near the northern shoreline. They had all been killed by 30 caliber gunfire. Bilyeu did not notice any US pillboxes nearby and wondered where the deadly firepower had come from. He then noticed a water tower 200-300 yards inland, and made his way there.

When he reached the base of the water tower, Bilyeu saw that the area of the Japanese dead was not visible from there. He was too low. Curious, he began climbing the water tower. From his description of scaling the tower, I am sure he was at the "tall" tower- the salt water tank, Building 642. As he neared the top he cleared all the trees, and could see all the way to Bataan.

Climbing on the top of the water tower, Bilyeu was shocked at what he found. On the northern side of the roof was a water-cooled US 30 caliber machine gun, with countless spent cartridges scattered about. Nearby were two skeletons donning the tattered uniforms of a US Army sergeant and a Marine. They had been killed by shrapnel from an exploding shell. The army sergeant had a six inch long piece of shrapnel inside his rib cage, and the marine's right arm had been blown off.

Bilyeu noted the damage the Japanese had inflicted on the water tower: "...A gaping hole had been opened into the water reservoir. Turning away from this structure I noted another torn out part of the top of the tower at the northern edge, just to the right and in front of the machine gun position. The Japanese had landed two direct hits on top of this tower. The bastards sure as hell wanted to be rid of these two soldiers".

As we know, Building 642, the "tall" tower, was mindlessly bulldozed down a number of years ago. Here are photos I took of it in 1986. Note the damage at the top on the right photo:

Here is a view I took looking up at the damage from the inside:

Bilyeu identified the Army serviceman as Wilbur King. I have been unable to successfully cross check this, only finding a Sergeant Wilbur L. King, US Army, 24th Corps Artillery who died on 27 NOV 44. But in the foreword to his book, Bilyeu states that with two exceptions, all the names used are fictitious, for privacy reasons, so that may explain it. He states the Marine was identified too, but gives no name.

John Forsberg Aunt Pat's WWII friend