Note: There is a discrepancy with the date of death on this marker and the marker in Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (#53423356). Also known as: Fort William McKinley Cemetery.

60th Coastal Artillery Corp, Army
Philippines

Coast Artillery Corps. The coastal artillery, commanded by Major General George F. Moore, was responsible for manning the fortified islands in the mouths of Manila Bay and Subic Bay. Their base island, Corregidor, was the last Allied fortification to fall to the Japanese at the beginning of World War II.
59th Coast Artillery Regiment (US)
60th Coast Artillery Regiment (US)
91st Coast Artillery Regiment (PS)
92nd Coast Artillery Regiment (PS)

AWARDS
★ American Campaign Medal
★ World War II Victory Medal
★ Purple Heart
★ Prisoner of War Medal

Died as a POW in Osaka Main Camp, Chikko, Osaka Japan. His body was cremated and disposed of by the Japanese. Died of disease, beriberi, chronic colitis and malnutrition and starvation as a result of slave labor and cruelty by the Japanese.

Gus Byrd Jr. - Prisoner of War Record
Held in Osaka Main Camp Chikko near Osaka, Japan
Gus Byrd Jr. was a Private in the Army during World War II. Gus resided in Newton County, Georgia before enlisting on January 30, 1941. At the time of enlistment, Gus was 22 years old, had 4 years of high school education and was single, without dependents. One year later, Gus was captured by Imperial Japan while serving in the Philippine Islands, and was sent to Osaka Main Camp Chikko near Osaka, Japan where 4,123 other American POWs were held. Gus's capture was first reported to the International Committee of the Red Cross on May 7, 1942, and the last report was made on May 18, 1943. Based on these two reports, Gus was imprisoned for at least 376 days (1 year and ~1 months), about the average for U.S. POWs. Ultimately, Gus died as a prisoner of war.

14043764 Byrd Gus Jr Army Georgia Southwest Pacific Theatre: Philippine Islands Died as Prisoner of War, Not Above Cases Japan Osaka Main Camp Chikko Osaka 34-135
Name: Gus Byrd Junior
Branch of Service: Coast Artillery Corps
Rank: Private
Service Number: 14043764
Sub Unit: A Battery
Assigned Unit: 60th Coast Artillery Regiment (AntiAircraft)
Parent Unit: Habor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays
Source: Center for Research Allied POWs Under the Japanese by Roger Mansell

THIS LISTING IS A MEMORIAL CENOTAPH. ACTUAL BURIAL (if there was one) IS UNKNOWN. My grandparents were told that his body was cremated and his ashes disposed of by the Japanese.

My Grandmother's Story about her son, Junior.

On the morning Junior was to report to Covington, GA for the bus to Atlanta, his parents, Augustus and Mary Byrd waited as long as they could for Junior's ride to pick him up, his cousin, Virgil Mote (memorial # 37985311) . Finally they went to the barn to feed the livestock and milk the cows. They told Junior to wait until they got back; however, he left without telling them goodbye. My grandmother always regretted not being able to tell him goodbye. Later after the fall of Bataan and Corregidor, the family heard of the death march and learned that Junior was in a Japanese Prison Camp. My grandmother lost a lot of weight, couldn't eat much as she said: "I can't eat a bite when I know that my son is starving." It was a very difficult time for the family. Virgil Mote was with Junior at the surrender in the Philippines, the Bataan and Corregidor "Death March", the "Hell Ship" to Japan, through the imprisonment and was with Junior when he died. After the camp's liberation, Virgil returned to Georgia and spent time with my Grandmother. Virgil told her that, "yes, I saw him die. He is dead." However My grandmother, as a Mother would do during WW II, always believed that somehow the facts were not true and that Junior would come home someday. It's always been a comfort for me to know that my grandparents and their children are somehow all together now, waiting for the rest of us here on earth to join them.

The photo at right:
I reposted the newspaper photo that my Mother had in a scrapbook. I wanted the world to see how thin and gaunt you were from the mistreatment, malnutrition and diseases that were inflicted upon you by the Japanese.

NOTE: A very special thanks to Zina ♥︎ Bee for sponsoring this memorial.