Arisan Maru
10 October 1944 – 24 October 44
Arisan Maru was a 6,886 GRT Type 2A freighter constructed in 1944 during World War II and was one of Imperial Japan‘s hell ships. The vessel, named for a mountain on Formosa, was initially used as a troop transport. The vessel was then turned over for use for the transportation of prisoners of war (POWs) from the Philippines to Manchuria, China or Japan. On October 24, 1944 the ship was torpedoed by an American submarine and sank. Of the 1,781 POWs aboard, all of them escaped the sinking ship but were not rescued by the Japanese. In the end, only nine of the prisoners survived the sinking.
T/5 Paul Edward Moser III was born on June 10, 1919, in Jeffersonville, Clark County, Indiana, and was the son of Anna Duffy-Moser and Paul
Pvt. Peter Nakavich was born on December 23, 1913, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Thomas and Casimira Nakavich. With his two brothers and four sisters, he
T/4 Andrew Jackson Napier was born on January 23, 1915, in Breathitt County, Kentucky, to Zachariah T. Napier and Lou Ellen Mays-Napier, and had three
PFC Roy Marton Nordstrom was born on January 16, 1919, to Arvid Nordstrom and Caroline Anderson-Nordstrom. He was one of six sons and a daughter
Cpl. Glenn Stuart Oliver was born on April 28, 1919, in Brainerd, Minnesota, to Stuart and Erma Stewart-Oliver. With his two sisters, he grew up
PFC Manuel Frank Ortez was born on October 8, 1918, in Huntington Park, California. It is known that his mother was Bertha Galavis-Ortez and the
PFC Paul A. Paden was the son of Samuel A. Paden and Eva L. Lofton-Paden. He was born on August 12, 1917, in Kansas and
Cpl. Marvel V. Peterson was born in 1921 and was the son of Clarence A. Peterson and Orpha Flora-Peterson. With his three brothers and sister,
Cpl. Bruno Jacob Pierotti was born to Colombo and Odetta Pierotti and on October 30, 1914. With his brother and two sisters, he was raised
Pvt. Howard Edward Rickman was from Washington County, Oklahoma, and was born on October 1, 1917, in Pineville, Missouri, to Emmet Rickman and Ida Maude
T/5 James Harry Robertson was born on July 19, 1918, in Bolivar, Missouri. He was the younger of two sons born to William H. Robertson
PFC Wilbur Forrest Russell Jr. was born on February 27, 1918, to Wilbur F. Russell Sr. and Charlotte Pannier-Russell in Youngstown, Ohio. He was known
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