John Francis Bruce Jr. was born September 19, 1911 in Oneonta, NY to John F. Bruce (1885-1963) and Minnie E.Thompson (1889-1962). His parents were married on February 27, 1911 in Oneonta, NY. He had three brothers, Gerald, Joseph and Robert and three sisters, Genevieve, Elizabeth and Mary. They all lived at 47 Clinton St. in Oneonta, NY. His father was originally from Pennsylvania and was a Forman in a Machine Shop. His mother was from New York, her family was from Scotland.

He graduated from Oneonta High School in 1930 and was on the Boy’s Leader Club and Debate Team while there. The 1933 and 1935 Oneonta, NY City Directory reported John Jr. living at 47 Clinton St. Oneonta, NY and he was a clerk for the Otsego Typewriter Co. at the time.

John married Gertrude M. Nordberg on October 23, 1938 in Oneonta, NY. and they had a daughter, Arlene. John enlisted in the Army on October 19, 1942 in Syracuse, New York.  Draft records show he was working for L.C. Smith Co. in Syracuse, NY and resided on Ashworth Place in Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York prior to the war. It was noted at the time of his enlistment that John was "Separated, with dependents." He received his training at Camp Roberts and from there was sent overseas with the 148th Infantry Regiment, 37th Infantry Division.

Pfc Bruce spent more than 20 months in the Phillipines with the 37th Infantry Division. Joining them early in 1944 and then landing with the Sixth Army on the beaches of Lingayen Gulf on January 9, 1945. From there the 37th raced inland against slight resistance to Clark Field and Fort Stotsenburg where fierce resistance delayed capture of those objectives until January 31. The Division continued to drive to Manila against small delaying forces, and entered the city's outskirts in early February. Upon crossing the Pasig River, it ran into bitter Japanese opposition, and it took heavy street fighting to clear the city by early March 1945. After garrison duty in Manila, 5-26 March, the Division shifted to the hills of Northwest Luzon, where heavy fighting culminated in the capture of Baguio on April 26.

It was in this February fighting that John was initially injured by an artillery shell in the abdomen. He was discharged from the hospital in March and killed only weeks later on April 17, 1945 during the fighting in the hills of Northwest Luzon. He was buried in the Manila American Cemetery (Ft. McKinley), Manila, Philippines. Plot N, Row 11, Grave 92. He was awarded a Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster posthumously.

If you notice anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact Jim Greenberg at nez13820@gmail.com

Sources:

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56751211/john-f-bruce: accessed 02 March 2023), memorial page for PFC John F Bruce (1911–17 Oct 1945), Find a Grave Memorial ID 56751211, citing Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines; Maintained by blazen36 (contributor 49893165). 

U.S. WWII Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954, Accessed via Ancestry.com, July 20,2022.

1929 Oneonta High School Yearbook, accessed via Ancestry.com, July 20, 2022.

1920 U.S. Census accessed via Ancestry.com, July 22, 2022.

1930 U.S. Census accessed via Ancestry.com, July 22, 2022.

Oneonta City Directory for 1933 and 1935, accessed via Ancestry.com, July 23, 2022.

The Echo, Oneonta High School’s student newspaper, in the collection at the Oneonta History Center, Main St., Oneonta, NY.

Pfc John Bruce of Oneonta Killed in Luzon Battle, Press and Sun Bulletin, Binghamton, NY, May 2, 1945

Oneonta Gold Star Registry, City of Oneonta, in the Oneonta History Center, Main St. Oneonta, NY.

U.S. Army Center for Military History, 37th Infantry Division, accessed at https://history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cc/037id.htm, November 20, 2022.

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