Maricopa County Arizona

Alaniz, Robert Gonzalez
Army Corporal

Robert Gonzalez Alaniz, age 23, from Maricopa County Tucson, Arizona .

Spouse: Rita Alaniz

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, November 29, 1950
Death details: By mid-November 1950, U.S. and Allied forces had advanced to within approximately sixty miles of the Yalu River, the border between North Korea and China. On November 25, approximately 300,000 Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) “volunteers” suddenly and fiercely counterattacked after crossing the Yalu. The 2nd Infantry Division, located the farthest north of units at the Chongchon River, could not halt the CCF advance and was ordered to withdraw to defensive positions at Sunchon in the South Pyongan province of North Korea. As the division pulled back from Kunu-ri toward Sunchon, it conducted an intense rearguard action while fighting to break through well-defended roadblocks set up by CCF infiltrators. The withdrawal was not complete until December 1, and the 2nd Infantry Division suffered extremely heavy casualties in the process. Sergeant Robert Gonzalez Alaniz, who joined the U.S. Army from Arizona, was a member of the Headquarters Company of the 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. On November 29, the 38th Infantry Regiment was ordered to defend the area east of Kunu-ri, to cover the start of the 2nd Division’s retreat. The CCF attacked as the 38th Infantry consolidated their defenses, forcing the defenders to fight their way back to Kunu-ri before joining the withdrawal to Sunchon. Large moving battles ensued, and SGT Alaniz went missing at some point during the series of retreats from the Kunu-ri area. He was never reported as a prisoner of war, and is thought to have been killed during one of the battles that took place during the withdrawals. Sergeant Alaniz’s remains have not been recovered, and he has not been associated with any remains returned to U.S. custody after the war. Today, Sergeant Alaniz is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, which was updated in 2022 to include the names of the fallen.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Tucson Daily Citizen (1951)

Wood, William Emil
Army Private 1st class

William Emil Wood, age 21, from Arizona, Maricopa county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, November 2, 1950
Death details: On September 7, 2006, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC, now DPAA) identified the remains of Corporal William Emil Wood, missing from the Korean War. Corporal Wood entered the U.S. Army from Minnesota and served with Company C, 8th Engineer Combat Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 1, 1950, Company C was defending its position along the Yalu River when it came under attack by Chinese Communist Forces near Unsan, North Korea. CPL Wood did not survive the ensuing combat, though specific details about his loss are unknown and his body was not recovered at the time. In 2000, a joint U.S./North Korean team interviewed a farmer living in the vicinity of Unsan who told the team that while doing land reclamation work, he uncovered human remains he believed were those of U.S. soldiers. The team excavated the burial site and uncovered human remains, other items, and military identification tags, and U.S. analysts identified CPL Wood from these remains.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Ryan, Kenneth John
Marines Reserves Private 1st class

Kenneth John Ryan, age 21, from Phoenix, Arizona, Maricopa county.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Tuesday, November 21, 1944
Death details: From November 20 through 23, 1943, the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy conducted a large-scale amphibious assault on the Japanese-held atoll of Tarawa as part of Operation Galvanic, the Allied capture of the Gilbert Islands. Located 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii, Tarawa was a crucial stepping stone in the planned U.S. offensive across the central Pacific toward Japan. The Japanese garrison on Tarawa’s main island of Betio was well-entrenched with hundreds of bunkers and gun positions behind formidable beach obstacles. The first wave of Marines approaching the shore encountered lower-than-expected tides, forcing them to leave their landing craft on the reef and wade the hundreds of yards to the beach under intense enemy fire. The heaviest number of U.S. casualties were suffered during this phase of the landing. Eventually, rising tides allowed U.S. warships to maneuver closer to shore and support the troops with effective naval gunfire. More Marines landed on the second day, launching attacks inland from the beaches and seizing the Japanese airfield on the island. However, the enemy launched vicious counterattacks and two more days of intense fighting were needed to secure Betio. The last enemy strongpoints were taken on the morning of November 23. The fighting on Betio cost the Marines nearly 3,000 casualties but enabled U.S. forces to press further across the Pacific and yielded valuable tactical lessons that reduced U.S. losses in future amphibious landings. Private First Class Kenneth John Ryan, who joined the U.S. Marine Corps in Arizona, served with Company M, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. He was wounded by enemy fire on November 20, 1943, as his unit approached Tarawa. Another Marine pulled PFC Ryan to a nearby sandbar, where he soon died. Following the battle, PFC Ryan’s remains could not be recovered, and he coult not be identified among remains recovered from Tarawa after the war. Today, Private First Class Ryan is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Herman, Bob Doil
Marines Private 1st class

Bob Doil Herman, age 20, from Chandler, Arizona, Maricopa county.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Saturday, November 20, 1943
Death details: From November 20 through 23, 1943, the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy conducted a large-scale amphibious assault on the Japanese-held atoll of Tarawa as part of Operation Galvanic, the Allied capture of the Gilbert Islands. Located 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii, Tarawa was a crucial stepping stone in the planned U.S. offensive across the central Pacific toward Japan. The Japanese garrison on Tarawa’s main island of Betio was well-entrenched with hundreds of bunkers and gun positions behind formidable beach obstacles. The first wave of Marines approaching the shore encountered lower-than-expected tides, forcing them to leave their landing craft on the reef and wade the hundreds of yards to the beach under intense enemy fire. The heaviest number of U.S. casualties were suffered during this phase of the landing. Eventually, rising tides allowed U.S. warships to maneuver closer to shore and support the troops with effective naval gunfire. More Marines landed on the second day, launching attacks inland from the beaches and seizing the Japanese airfield on the island. However, the enemy launched vicious counterattacks and two more days of intense fighting were needed to secure Betio. The last enemy strongpoints were taken on the morning of November 23. The fighting on Betio cost the Marines nearly 3,000 casualties but enabled U.S. forces to press further across the Pacific and yielded valuable tactical lessons that reduced U.S. losses in future amphibious landings. Private First Class Bob Doil Herman, who joined the U.S. Marine Corps from Alabama, was a member of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. On November 20, 1943, he was killed in action on Tarawa. He was buried in Cemetery #11 on Betio, but after the war his remains were not located. Today, Private First Class Herman is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Shuey, Cread E.
Army Sergeant

Cread E. Shuey, age 23, from Arizona, Maricopa county.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Sunday, September 27, 1942
Death details: On February 26, 2019, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced the identification of Sergeant Cread E. Shuey, missing from World War II. Sergeant Shuey, who entered the U.S. Army from Arizona, served with G Battery, 60th Coast Artillery Regiment. He was captured on Corregidor Island following the American surrender on May 6, 1942, and died of illness, likely dysentery, malaria, and malnutrition, on September 27, 1942, at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp in Nueva Ecija Province. He was buried in communal grave 439 in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs. Following the war, the remains were recovered from Cabanatuan; however, his remains were not associated at the time and were then buried as “unknowns” at U.S. Armed Forces Cemetery 2 in Manila. In 2016, these remains were accessioned into a DPAA laboratory where U.S. analysts used modern forensic techniques and identified SGT Shuey from among these collective remains.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Pierce, Ray H.
Army Private

Ray H. Pierce from Arizona, Maricopa county.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Wednesday, July 22, 1942
Death details: Following the Allied surrender on the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942, the Japanese began the forcible transfer of American and Filipino prisoners of war to various prison camps in central Luzon, at the northern end of the Philippines. The largest of these camps was the notorious Cabanatuan Prison Camp. At its peak, Cabanatuan held approximately 8,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war that were captured during and after the Fall of Bataan. Camp overcrowding worsened with the arrival of Allied prisoners who had surrendered from Corregidor on May 6, 1942. Conditions at the camp were poor, with food and water extremely limited, leading to widespread malnutrition and outbreaks of malaria and dysentery. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, approximately 2,800 Americans had died at Cabanatuan. Prisoners were forced to bury the dead in makeshift communal graves, often completed without records or markers. As a result, identifying and recovering remains interred at Cabanatuan was difficult in the years after the war. Private Ray H. Pierce entered the U.S. Army from Arizona and served with Company I of the 31st Infantry Regiment in the Philippines during World War II. He was captured in Bataan following the American surrender on April 9, 1942, and died of cerebral malaria on July 22, 1942, at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp in Nueva Ecija Province. He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs; however, his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan after the war. Today, Private Pierce is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Hammond, Robert H.
Army Private

Robert H. Hammond from Arizona, Maricopa county.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Tuesday, July 21, 1942
Death details: Following the Allied surrender on the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942, the Japanese began the forcible transfer of American and Filipino prisoners of war to various prison camps in central Luzon, at the northern end of the Philippines. The largest of these camps was the notorious Cabanatuan Prison Camp. At its peak, Cabanatuan held approximately 8,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war that were captured during and after the Fall of Bataan. Camp overcrowding worsened with the arrival of Allied prisoners who had surrendered from Corregidor on May 6, 1942. Conditions at the camp were poor, with food and water extremely limited, leading to widespread malnutrition and outbreaks of malaria and dysentery. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, approximately 2,800 Americans had died at Cabanatuan. Prisoners were forced to bury the dead in makeshift communal graves, often completed without records or markers. As a result, identifying and recovering remains interred at Cabanatuan was difficult in the years after the war. Private Robert H. Hammond joined the U.S. Army Air Forces from Arizona and was a member of the 9th Air Base Squadron, 20th Air Base Group, in the Philippines during World War II. He was captured in Bataan following the American surrender on April 9, 1942 and died of dysentery on July 21, 1942 at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp in Nueva Ecija Province. He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs; however, his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan after the war. Today, Private Hammond is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

James, John A.
Army Corporal

John A. James from Arizona, Maricopa county.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Monday, July 20, 1942
Death details: Following the Allied surrender on the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942, the Japanese began the forcible transfer of American and Filipino prisoners of war to various prison camps in central Luzon, at the northern end of the Philippines. The largest of these camps was the notorious Cabanatuan Prison Camp. At its peak, Cabanatuan held approximately 8,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war that were captured during and after the Fall of Bataan. Camp overcrowding worsened with the arrival of Allied prisoners who had surrendered from Corregidor on May 6, 1942. Conditions at the camp were poor, with food and water extremely limited, leading to widespread malnutrition and outbreaks of malaria and dysentery. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, approximately 2,800 Americans had died at Cabanatuan. Prisoners were forced to bury the dead in makeshift communal graves, often completed without records or markers. As a result, identifying and recovering remains interred at Cabanatuan was difficult in the years after the war. Corporal John A. James joined the U.S. Army from California and was a member of Company G, 200th Coast Artillery Regiment, in the Philippines during World War II. The 200th Coast Artillery Regiment arrived in the Philippines in September 1941, and was stationed at Fort Stotsenburg on Clark Air Base. After Japanese forces invaded the Philippines in December, the 200th was ordered to the Bataan Peninsula where they participated in the defense of Bataan. Corporal James was with his unit when Allied troops in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese on 9 April, 1942. He was then interned at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp, where he died of dysentery and inanition on July 20, 1942. He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs; however, his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan after the war. Today, Corporal James is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Johnson, Norman J.
Army Private

Norman J. Johnson from Arizona, Maricopa county.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Friday, July 17, 1942
Death details: Following the Allied surrender on the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942, the Japanese began the forcible transfer of American and Filipino prisoners of war to various prison camps in central Luzon, at the northern end of the Philippines. The largest of these camps was the notorious Cabanatuan Prison Camp. At its peak, Cabanatuan held approximately 8,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war that were captured during and after the Fall of Bataan. Camp overcrowding worsened with the arrival of Allied prisoners who had surrendered from Corregidor on May 6, 1942. Conditions at the camp were poor, with food and water extremely limited, leading to widespread malnutrition and outbreaks of malaria and dysentery. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, approximately 2,800 Americans had died at Cabanatuan. Prisoners were forced to bury the dead in makeshift communal graves, often completed without records or markers. As a result, identifying and recovering remains interred at Cabanatuan was difficult in the years after the war. Private Norman J. Johnson joined the U.S. Army Air Forces from Arizona and was a member of the 91st Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group, in the Philippines during World War II. He was captured in Bataan following the American surrender on April 9, 1942 and died of cerebral malaria on July 17, 1942 at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp in Nueva Ecija Province. He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs; however, his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan after the war. Today, Private Johnson is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Johnson, Carl Spencer
Navy Seaman 1st class

Carl Spencer Johnson, age 20, from Phoenix, Arizona, Maricopa county.

Service era: World War II
Schools: North Phoenix High

Date of death: Sunday, December 7, 1941
Death details: Killed aboard the USS West Virginia. Accounted for August, 19, 2019.

Source: National Archives, Department of Defense, Scripps Media

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