SONS OF THE WEST
THE MEN OF THE TWO HON’ RED
By Larry Sanderson, 2004
With Permission
History is filled with stories of heroism and valor. As a
society we build and repeat the legends to later
generations. Some tales are immortalized in verse such as
“Into the valley of death rode the 600…” Others are cast as
challenges and rally cries such as “Remember the Alamo.” In
many of these cases we lose sight of the actual story and
the human sacrifice and heroism in the original acts. In
other cases we unfortunately lose sight of the story
entirely because for whatever reason it did not capture the
imagination or it was overshadowed by other events.
Such is the case of the Sons of the West who formed the most
decorated unit in Army history. Eighteen hundred young men
of New Mexico went to war in 1941 and within 122 short days
became one of the most heroic fighting forces in the history
of the United States. But that was just the beginning of
their battle and of their sacrifice.
Six hundred men died in the valley of death and were
immortalized by Tennyson. Two hundred men died at the Alamo
and every American schoolchild knows the story. Of the 1800
New Mexicans in the 200th Coast Artillery who fired the
first shots of World War II only 900 came home and of those
900 only 600 survived past twelve months of peacetime. How
many Americans know that New Mexico gave more sons and
daughters per capita than any other state in the Union in
World War II? How many Americans know that of the 12,000
Americans on the Bataan Death March that 1 in 6 was from New
Mexico? How many Americans know that the now famous Navajo
Code of World War II started when the Taos Pueblo Indians of
the 200th were used to communicate between units because the
Japanese had broken every other code? And how many Americans
know that on April 9th, 1942 when the rest of the army
surrendered the New Mexicans dug into a ridge above Cacaben
airfield for the express purpose of proving that the Alamo
was nothing compared to what New Mexico could do?
The story we want to tell you today occurred over 60 years
ago but our journey to the story started just a year ago in
a broken down building in Forrest, New Mexico. On the wall
of an outbuilding at the James homestead we saw the name
Vernie James written in whitewash. It is the name of a lost
brother, an uncle never known, a hero unrecognized.
The story of Vernie is the story of the fabled 200th Coast
Artillery, the “Two Hon’ erd” as it was known to the men. In
January 1941 the 200th New Mexico National Guard Regiment
was federalized. On April 4th 1941 the first major flood of
peacetime draftees were inducted into service. At Fort Bliss
in El Paso the 200th was scheduled to virtually double its
ranks. The officers of the regiment wanted nothing to do
with men from other states and told their sergeants, “Stand
in the doorway at the induction center and pick out the New
Mexicans, those are our boys and we want them.”
The result was an 1800 man regiment almost exclusively
composed of New Mexicans including men like Manuel Armijo of
Santa Fe, Jack Aldrich of Clovis, Lee Roach of Clovis and
Otis Yates and Vernie James both of Forrest. April through
September was spent in training and, of course, some weekend
passes. Old Otis Yates had a system worked out. Each soldier
got $5 for the weekend. Otis would rent a car and charge
each man $5 and drop them off on his way home to Forrest.
Otis survived the war and lived in Clovis until his death
about five years ago.
The regiment trained hard and received their orders to ship
out in September 1941… destination Manila. Our leaders in
Washington needed to show that they supported MacArthur in
the Philippines and the 200th was chosen. After all it had
proven in training that it was the equal or better of any
regular army regiment when it was selected as the best
Anti-aircraft Regiment in the army.
The job of the 200th was to defend Clark Field (Fort
Stotsenberg) and on December 8th, 1941 their work began. On
that day, despite the fact that they had never fired the
live ammunition, it was old and limited in altitude, they
downed a half dozen Japanese planes, the first of 86 that
they would shoot down in the conflict. That evening the
regiment was split in two with 500 men assigned to the new
515th and 96 re-assigned to half-tracks. The 200th was
charged to defend Clark Field and the new 515th was sent to
defend Manila. Vernie was in Battery C and remained with the
200th at Clark Field.
Very quickly MacArthur decided to implement his plan to
retreat to Bataan where the army could hold out until
reinforcements arrived. The retreat to Bataan, often called
one of the most skillful military maneuvers in history
depended on the New Mexicans as part of the rear guard. In
the process they were in the center of a battle that
decimated a Japanese army of 14,000 men. By the time the
retreat was complete the army was intact. The Japanese had
to pause for reinforcements and the New Mexicans were
becoming a legend in MacArthur’s command.
Over the next 122 days the New Mexicans shot down plane
after plane, defended the line and protected airfields.
Along with their comrades they starved, fought and waited
for reinforcements. They became part of the famous sobriquet
“The Battling Bastards of Bataan, no momma, no poppa and no
Uncle Sam.”
In April 1942 the Japanese broke the lines and by the 9th of
April the army knew the peninsula was lost. The 515th and
the 200th came back together again at Cacaben. The army was
ordered to surrender but the New Mexicans picked up their
shovels and started to dig in for their last stand.
Eventually they were persuaded to surrender but not First
Sergeant Armijo, PFC Vernie James and the communications
squad of C Battery. These six men headed for the hills to
continue the fight. They were captured later and brought
back to make the Death March with 12,000 fellow Americans.
The first stop after the March was Camp O’Donnell and the
New Mexicans did it again. When the first ones arrived they
took up station at the main gate and waited for each of
their comrades to come through. Once again the sergeants
claimed their boys at the door and soon they were together.
Most everyone was sent to Cabanatuan prison camp. Almost
10,000 Americans were in the camp. Many were in other
smaller camps and many, like Lee Roach, were sent to perform
labor by building airfields. By all accounts Vernie spent
his time at Cabanatuan. Several years ago his sister Bertha
was told that Vernie spent much of his time assisting the
Chaplains at the camp.
By 1944 the Japanese knew it was only a matter of time until
the Americans came back to the islands and they began
packing prisoners into ships for transport to Japan or
Manchuria. These ships became known as Hell ships because of
their horrible conditions. Of the over 13 Hell ships three
were sunk and one, the Arisan Maru, became infamous as the
worst disaster in American naval history.
Vernie James and the Arisan Maru began their voyage together
in September 1944. That month Vernie was sent to Bilibid
prison in Manila in preparation for shipment to Japan or
Manchuria. He and 1800 other Americans were loaded on the
Arisan Maru and they set sail on October 10th, 1944. On the
night of October 24th as the battle of Leyte Gulf raged the
Arisan Maru was in the South China Sea. The USS SHARK II on
her third war patrol radioed that she was in contact with a
single transport and was commencing an attack. This message
was the last ever received from the submarine. Her torpedoes
found the Arisan Maru. A Catholic Priest from Indianapolis,
Father Thomas Scecina, was on deck at the time. He went down
into the holds and brought the comfort of God to the men he
would die with. For his valor he was awarded the Silver Star
posthumously.
The night of October 24th was a tragedy for more than the
Arisan Maru. Records received from the Japanese after the
close of the war concerning anti-submarine attacks report
the attack made by SHARK on October 24, 1944. Depth charges
were dropped 17 times, and the enemy reports having seen
“bubbles, and heavy oil, clothes, cork, etc.” US Submarines
had standing orders to close and attempt rescue of survivors
of ships when there was a high probability of US servicemen
involved. It is very likely that SHARK’s crew, realizing the
situation, had lingered in the area to provide aid to the
survivors in the water. That heroic act had fatal
consequences for the 84 officers and men of SHARK II.
Vernie James was lost at sea but his spirit and memory are
enshrined in the American Cemetery in Manila. His name is
carved in the Tablets of the Missing.
PFC Vernie James died in October 1944 just three months
before American Rangers liberated the Cabanatuan camp in a
daring raid deep into enemy held territory. Vernie and 900
of his comrades did not make the trip home but they made
history. Vernie and his comrades were recognized with awards
and commendations the like of which had not been bestowed on
any other regiment in American army history. For the record,
PFC Vernie James is entitled to:
The Purple Heart
The Philippines Defense Medal
The Philippines Liberation Medal
The Prisoner of War Medal
The Bataan Medal
The World War II Victory Medal
The Asia-Pacific Campaign Medal
The American Defense Medal
The Presidential Unit Citation with three clusters
The Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
Vernie and his comrades were never immortalized in prose or
in a slogan, but they have never been forgotten by their
families or their government. These Sons of the West showed
the world what it means to bring Anglos, Indians and
Hispanics together in a common cause. These amigos lived,
fought and died together and showed their army and their
enemy that men of the West are something special indeed.
In December 1945 in a speech in Deming, New Mexico General
Jonathan Wainwright paid tribute to the men of the regiment
when he said:
“On December 8, 1941, when the Japanese unexpectedly
attacked the Philippine Islands, the first point bombed
was Ft. Stotsenberg. The 200th Coast Artillery, assigned
to defend the Fort, was the first unit under The General
of the Army Douglas MacArthur, to go into action
defending our flag in the Pacific. First to fire, and
last to lay down their arms! A fitting epitaph for a
valiant Brigade which fought standing firmly in its
appointed place and facing toward the enemy.”
But Vernie’s epitaph was not yet written.
In the early dawn hours of July 26th, 2002 Vernie’s
great-niece Angie loaded her kids, the 3rd generation of
James after Vernie, into the family car in Lubbock, Texas.
Ninety minutes later she arrived in Clovis where she
delivered a special package to her brother-in-law. Chuck
immediately drove to the Main Gate at Cannon Air Force Base
and the final chapter of Vernie’s story opened.
Fifty-eight years and seven months after Vernie James gave
his life in service of his state and country the men and
women of the United States Air Force 27th Fighter Wing under
command of Colonel Robert Yates chose to write the epitaph
of Vernie James by rendering long overdue honors to their
fallen comrade-in-arms.
Two Air Police cars escorted Chuck to the headquarters
building. At 0800 two members of the Base Security Force
carefully unfolded the contents of the package and hoisted
the 5' x 8', 40 square foot American Flag in honor of
Private First Class Vernie L. James, 200th Coast Artillery.
The bright colors of the new flag glistened in the New
Mexico sun. As the flag unfurled in the slight westerly wind
it was almost as if Forrest, 30 miles to the northwest, had
sent the puff of wind to push the flag out proudly in honor
of her fallen son. At evening retreat the flag was retired
with honors and carefully folded in anticipation of the role
it would play the next day.
On Saturday, the 27th of July 2002 more than 50 members of
the James family gathered for their annual reunion in
Clovis. Four generations of James gathered for what they
thought would be another typical reunion. The 27th Fighter
Wing had other plans that day. Major Darrel Cunningham,
commanding officer of the 27th MOS Squadron, walked to the
podium in front of the family and spoke eloquently of
Vernie’s sacrifice and how the men and women of today’s
armed forces draw moral strength and courage from their
fallen comrades. Throughout the presentation Cunningham’s
Master Sergeant stood quietly at attention holding the
honored flag with medals laid carefully across the top. At
the conclusion of his remarks Cunningham braced and walked
slowly across the floor. Standing in front of Buford James,
brother of Vernie, and Linda Sanderson, representing her
mother Bertha, Cunningham bent forward and presented the
flag and medals to Vernie’s family. As he ended his quiet
words of thanks Cunningham rose in salute.
Vernie James’ story was concluded that day. In 1942 the men
of the 200th stood firmly facing toward the enemy. Sixty
years later on July 27th, 2002 Private First Class Vernie
James stood in the hand of God and looked down as his family
said goodbye. |