1945 through 1946

1945 through 1946

To see actual video footage of the Hoten Prisoner of War Camp, that Jacob Johler, John Zale and hundreds of others were interned at, please go to http://www.youtube.com and place “Hoten POW Camp Liberated” in the search bar.

The video length is 5 minutes and twenty-three seconds. United States T/Sgt. Jacob Johler had been in the 59th Coast Artillery but transferred to the 60th in the latter part of 1941. He had requested a transfer to the 17th Pursuit Squadron but was denied because they needed his services. Johler had been attending electrical school on Corregidor Island and graduated in the top of his class. After joining the 60th Coast Artillery, he departed Corregidor on December 2, 1941 as part of a searchlight Battery under the direction of Colonel William Massello. He was on Corregidor at the time of his capture.

The liberation video shows a man by the name of Kounstant J Wasilewski, 60th Coast Artillery. If you advance to 2:25 in the film you will see him. Shortly after that from approximately 2:32-2:35, there is a man that appears in the background of the picture on the right side of the screen. He is walking parallel and advances forward a bit. He is wearning a sleeveless shirt that is not buttoned. After meeting up with who appears to be a Japanese guard, the image disappears. I could be mistaken but I do believe that this could be Jacob Johler, POW # 564.

After thirty-nine months as a prisoner, first at Bilibud Prison, then at Cabanatuan #3 in the Philippines, Jacob arrived at the Mukden POW camp on November 11, 1942 after approximately thirty days at sea on the “Hellship” Tottori Maru.

On 16 August 1945, the OSS parachuted into the camp searching for General Jonathan Wainwright.

On 17 or 18 August 1945, General Parker assumed control of the camp.

On 20 August 1945, the Russian Army arrived and the camp was officially liberated. I had the honor of meeting Hal Leith, one of the OSS who parachuted into the camp that amazing day in 1945. He and his wife were at the Mukden Reunion in Kingston, New York in 2007. I was blessed to have met both Mr. Leith and his beautiful wife. You may want to do a search on google as Mr. Leith published his memoirs about the experience. As soon as I can locate the book, I will post the ISBN number and the title and publisher.

Here are some images of the Hoten Prisoner of War Camp in Mukden , Manchuria which is now Shenyang, China.

Just click over the image to enlarge and navigate to next photo.

These photos were cropped, labeled and framed by either PhotoScape or Paint Program.

Finally, I have actual photographs so I have labeled them accordingly. I do believe however that duplicates may have been gifted to my father, Jacob Johler by Joseph Vater.

Joseph Vater was interned at the Mukden Camp and speaks about how he had a camera and began to take pictures. To see these images and more from the Joseph Vater Collection, please go to http://www.philippine-defenders.lib.wv.us

Stay tuned for addresses and links to other sites with valuable information.

1945

Jake wrote a letter to Marie from the hospital train on 28 October 1945 . He speaks about how the train would pass through Buffalo, New York and how disappointed he felt about his inability to get off the train.

: Correspondence from Jacob Johler .

: I believe that there were people at the station in Buffalo, New York as the train passed through.

: I wish Jake and Marie were hear to confirm if they saw each other as the train passed through through the New York Central Terminal in Buffalo, New York.