Alexander Harold Mathews

1919 - 2008

fmr. Pawnee Nation President

515th Coast Artillery (AA)

2001-02 Commander
New Mexico Chapter, American Ex-Prisoners of War

[Story] [Video]

Photo by B. Charley Gallegos

Authored by his nephew and namesake, this book chronicles the life and death in a Hanawa, Japan prisoner-of-war camp of Wisconsin native, Adrian R. Martin, who joined the ranks of the 200th Coast Artillery in the summer of 1941.

Includes interviews with other mid-westerners who served with the 200th and 515th Coast Artillery units in the Philippines rarely seen elsewhere such as Bill Nolan, Urban McVey, and Mario “Motts” Tonelli, with important contributions by New Mexicans like Jack Aldrich.

Also includes roster of men held at Las Pinas as well as the prisoner passenger list for the Hell Ship Noto Maru.

Click here for information.

Ben E. Martinez

Fukuoka POW Camp 3

Photo by Dr. Don C. Salisbury

Tony A. Martinez

A Btry 200th CA(AA)

Pvt. Harold J. McAndrew.

Memorial services for Pvt. Harold J. McAndrew, 2445 North Sayre avenue, will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. William's church; Sayre and Wrightwood avenues. Pvt. McAndrew's parents, John J. and Ester Maguire McAndrew, were notified Tuesday that he had died June 16 in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines.

(Chicago, Illinois 1943)

“Man, that thing beat me and he started bringing the blood and I called him a dirty Jap. I called him so many bad names like that. But then, when I said ‘yellow belly,’ he understood that and I shouldn't have said that.”

— John McCarty [Video]

CABANATUAN

Japanese Death Camp

[Book Information]

Bataan Vets Finish Meet With Election

ALBQ. — APR. 11, 1948 — Lt. Col. Virgil O. McCollum of Carlsbad was elected unanimously to be the first National Commander of the Bataan Veterans Organization Saturday.

Manuel Armijo of Santa Fe, another member of the 200th, was unanimously chosen Vice Commander.

The men were elected by some 400 delegates of the BVO in the closing session of the first BVO convention.

Portales, New Mexico VFW Post 9515 was renamed to honor the 200th's John “Tommy” McGee December 21, 2007. Mr. McGee, a survivor of the Bataan Death March, passed away in 2004. His brother, William Douglass McGee , also a 200th CA(AA) man, died as a prisoner of war at Fukuoka Camp #4.

“Reminiscence of Urban McVey”, from the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, Wisconsin Veterans Museum. Click here.

In ceremonies on 26 SEP 1998, CPT Joseph A. Brimo, California National Guard (Ret.), was awarded the Bronze Star for rescuing several fellow Americans as the Hell Ship Oryoku Maru was sinking in the Pacific Ocean.

After dragging a Navy Commander to shore, Brimo returned to the sinking ship on a rowboat with some fellow POWs: “Once reaching the ship, we loaded it with as many sick persons as it could carry. In the meantime, I climbed up to the upper deck to look for food. After eating enough, I went down the loading platform and was approached by a Major Melendez, a New Mexico National Guardsman, who told me he could not swim. So I dragged him to shore.”

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Captain Alfonso Melendez survived the sinking of the Oryoku, but he would perish on board the Brazil Maru — his body thrown over the side.

Photo by Michael Fagans

Gallup Independent

Carlo Menini’s canteen, given to a doctor at the end of WWII and subsequently given to the doctor’s son, was mailed to Bertha Menini after the son tracked her down on an internet list of POWs.

For full story, click here.

Maynard Christian Meuli

1916 - 1987

Photo by Nicole Goodhue

Gallup Independent

Gallup, New Mexico’s “Hero Award” is awarded by the Retired Senior Volunteer Program/Senior Companion Program to honor the giving spirit of volunteer Robert Miller, who died June 1, 2000.

Charles Euphra Mitchell

Died Cabanatuan 1942

Following the war, two friends of Charles Mitchell who knew him in Cabanatuan visited his parents. They told of Charles Mitchell's defiance and how he was regularly beaten, until the day he was beaten to death.

See: Grave Site

Courtesy of Walt Euphra Warren

Ernest Montoya

Fort Bliss, 1941 (pre-War)

Mukden POW #886

Originally attached to the 200th Coast Artillery, Ernest Montoya was transferred to the 515th Coast Artillery when that unit was formed, split from the ranks of the 200th. Ordered to Corregidor before the surrender of Bataan — he had been operating advanced radar equipment, a top secret project on Luzon and later Bataan. On Corregidor, Montoya volunteered to fight on with a group of 60th Coast Artillery men. At the end, he was with the 4th Marines.

See: Mukden POWs

In 2004, Mr. Montoya received the Citizen Patriot Unit Award in ceremonies in Washington, DC. The award is “Presented annually each to an individual and to a unit of the Reserve components in recognition of their dedicated an exemplary service to the National Guard and Reserve Forces of the United States of America.” Mr. Montoya received the award on behalf of the 515th Coast Artillery veterans, and Vicente Ojinaga received the award on behalf of the 200th Coast Artillery veterans.

Rep. Tom Udall’s tribute to the men of the 200th and 515th Coast Artillery Regiments in the US House of Representatives

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Ernest Montoya Visits
Madison Middle School

"Rising Sun Over Bataan: Memoirs Of War"

Horacio H. Montoya

1916 - 2009

Horacio Montoya was the brother of the 200th's Ben Montoya. The brothers were prisoners at Fukuoka POW Camp #17 at Omuta, Japan.

Orlando Montoya

1920 - 1955

The following message, intercepted by the War Department to Montoya's parents, appeared in the BRO's “National Bulletin” in July 1945:

Greeting Mom and Dad: Extending my seasons greetings to you and the rest. May you all be in the best of health. I am in good spirits myself and best of health. Send pictures and parcels through committee. Regards and God bless you. Love, Orlando “Reno” Montoya.

John J. Moseley

Bataan Death March

Mukden POW #972

See: Mukden POWs

Photo by B. Charley Gallegos