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About Wesley
BRANCH OF SERVICE
Navy
YEARS SERVED
1939 to 1970
FAMILY
Wife, Daisy; one son and one daughter
HOMETOWN
Independence
JOINING UP
In 1939, at age 17, Wesley left his family and twin, Lesley, to join the Navy. After training in Norfolk and then San Diego, he found himself aboard the USS Canopus, a submarine tender stationed in the Philippine Islands. His ship served the submarines around the islands with bombings, and soon under the command of Gen. Wainwright was sent to defend Corregidor. Wesley fought with the 4th Marines on the beach defense until the surrender of Corregidor on May 6, 1942. Under intense fire, they were told to surrender to the Japanese, and his nightmare as a prisoner of war began.
LIFE AS A POW
Nearly 80,000 men, including Filippino soldiers and scouts fighting in defense of the islands, were captured and marched to a holding camp set up on Corregidor. Wesley remembers that from 30 to 40 men died each day from lack of medical and food supplies. They primarily died of starvation, but many from the beatings and torture they were forced to endure. He would later learn that of the prisoners who left the Philippines, less than half had survived.
Wesley was taken to Belibed and on to Cabantuan prison camp. During the trip to Japan, more than 100 men were jammed into a stifling metal boxcar in 116-degree heat. Many prisoners died standing up in the cramped space. At the prison camp, the conditions were be deplorable, with no sanitation, very little food and forced labor of 12 hours a day.
Ten months after being transferred to Japan, he worked in a shipyard while held in the Sadarajama prison camp. Bombing by American planes and the hostility of their captors increased the death rate of the prisoners. But Wesley never gave up hope that he would survive and come back to America. He prayed a lot and feels that others praying for him is how he survived.
After 40 months of being moved from camp to camp and under forced labor, Wesley was finally liberated. He weighed less than 100 pounds when rescued. He says the prisoners found out about the end of the war by the action of the Japanese Imperial forces, who began treating them better.
LIFE AFTER WWII
Not only did Wesley proudly serve his country in WWII, he saw combat during the Korean War and was close to the fighting in Vietnam. He was in the Merchant Marines as a member of the Military Sea Transport Service while in Vietnam.
About Wesley
BRANCH OF SERVICE
Navy
YEARS SERVED
1939 to 1970
FAMILY
Wife, Daisy; one son and one daughter
HOMETOWN
Independence
JOINING UP
In 1939, at age 17, Wesley left his family and twin, Lesley, to join the Navy. After training in Norfolk and then San Diego, he found himself aboard the USS Canopus, a submarine tender stationed in the Philippine Islands. His ship served the submarines around the islands with bombings, and soon under the command of Gen. Wainwright was sent to defend Corregidor. Wesley fought with the 4th Marines on the beach defense until the surrender of Corregidor on May 6, 1942. Under intense fire, they were told to surrender to the Japanese, and his nightmare as a prisoner of war began.
LIFE AS A POW
Nearly 80,000 men, including Filippino soldiers and scouts fighting in defense of the islands, were captured and marched to a holding camp set up on Corregidor. Wesley remembers that from 30 to 40 men died each day from lack of medical and food supplies. They primarily died of starvation, but many from the beatings and torture they were forced to endure. He would later learn that of the prisoners who left the Philippines, less than half had survived.
Wesley was taken to Belibed and on to Cabantuan prison camp. During the trip to Japan, more than 100 men were jammed into a stifling metal boxcar in 116-degree heat. Many prisoners died standing up in the cramped space. At the prison camp, the conditions were be deplorable, with no sanitation, very little food and forced labor of 12 hours a day.
Ten months after being transferred to Japan, he worked in a shipyard while held in the Sadarajama prison camp. Bombing by American planes and the hostility of their captors increased the death rate of the prisoners. But Wesley never gave up hope that he would survive and come back to America. He prayed a lot and feels that others praying for him is how he survived.
After 40 months of being moved from camp to camp and under forced labor, Wesley was finally liberated. He weighed less than 100 pounds when rescued. He says the prisoners found out about the end of the war by the action of the Japanese Imperial forces, who began treating them better.
LIFE AFTER WWII
Not only did Wesley proudly serve his country in WWII, he saw combat during the Korean War and was close to the fighting in Vietnam. He was in the Merchant Marines as a member of the Military Sea Transport Service while in Vietnam.
Wesley served his country for 30 years and is proud to have done so and retired as a chief bosun’s mate, BMC-E7. He believes the cause of freedom was worth him going through what he did as a prisoner of war and takes pride in his many awards which include a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and POW medal.
Wesley and his wife, Daisy, raised one son and one daughter. Wesley lives in Independence.
Helen Matson, on staff at the Independence Parks and Recreation Department, compiles interviews with veterans at the Truman Memorial Building. Contact her at HMATSON@indepmo.org or 816-325-7860 if you are interested in helping a veteran tell his or her story.
