Untitled

Last Name: ` DEPANIAN	First Name Middle Initial: Henry		Nick Name: Red
Street: 5181 W KERRY LN	City & State: GLENDALE, AZ		E-Mail: cdwiner@worldnet.att.net
Zip: 85308	Phone:		Spouse: Mildred T. Depanian
Conflict: World War II	Service Branch: ARMY		Unit: I Battery 59th Coastal Artillery Corps
Theater:	Where Captured: Fort Hughes		Date Captured: 5/6/42
Camps Held In: Bilibid,Cabanatuan,Taicho,Yokahama, Kosaka,			How Long Interned: 1183 days
liberated / repatriated: liberated	Date Liberated: 8/45		Age at Capture: 23
Medals Received: Purple Heart Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Philippine Defense Medal-WWII, Prisoner of War Medals Medal
Military Job: artillery		Company: U.S. Postal Service
Occupation after War: Postal Employee

Military Bio:

HENRY N.(RED)DEPANIAN, 78, of Glendale, AZ.,died November 17, 1997. He leaves his wife of 49 years also from his hometown of Worcester, MA, where he retired from the Postal Service. He also leaves four sons, two daughters, twelve grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.

He enlisted in the Army in February 1941 and was sent to the Philippines. He completed basic training on the island fortress of Corregidor and was then stationed on the nearby island of Fort Hughes and assigned to "I" Battery, 59th Coastal Artillery Corps. He first engaged the Japanese on December 8, 1941 and was later wounded by bombing during the enemy's relentless 5 month siege of the islands. After capture on May 6, 1942, Pvt Depanian was imprisoned for 5 months at Cabanatuan, Philippines.

While aboard the Japanese transport "Lima Maru" bound for Takao, Formosa, in September 1942, he survived a hit by an American submarine torpedo. In November 1942 he left Taicho camp, aboard the "Dai Nitti Maru" bound for Moji, Japan. He was then interned in Yokohama and used as slave labor at the Mitsubishi shipyards.

In May 1945 he was transferred to Kosaka, where he was made to work the copper mines.

Following liberation in August 1945, he was hospitalized aboard the "U.S.S. Rescue" and arrived in San Fransisco on October 8, 1945, where he was treated at Letterman hospital. He was further hospitallized at Fitzsimmons General Hospital in Colorado and was released in February 1946.

The Purple Heart and Bronze Star are among the awards he received for this service to his country.

He was a member of the Phoenix chapter and life member of AXPOW and a member of the American Defenders of Corregidor and Bataan.

Henry was much loved by his family, and is greatly missed. He didn't get to see this site, but I'm sure he would have loved it.