Minnear, Nellie

Other Events and Attributes:

• Reference Number: MINN.N001
• _FGRAVE: 70159579

Family/Spouse: Combs, Herbert Leroy 'Roy'. Herbert was born on 19 Aug 1894 in Waverly, Wood County, West Virginia; died on 28 Sep 1955 in Elkview, Kanawha County, West Virginia; was buried in Bethel Presbyterian Cemetery, Waverly, Wood County, West Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Reference Number: COMB.C003
• _FGRAVE: 70159529

Other Events and Attributes:

• Reference Number: COMB.A002
• _FGRAVE: 74930744

Family/Spouse: Strickland, Ivan Conward. Ivan was born in 1913; died in 1969. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Reference Number: COMB.R001
• _FGRAVE: 70159995
• Military Service: World War II, Technician Fifth Grade, Medical Detachment, Company A, 19th Ordnance Battalion, United States Army

Notes:

WV TEC5 Med Dept. 17 ORD CO WWII

Richard Combs was a member of the 17th Ordnance Company. He was stationed in the Philippine Islands when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Ten hours later, he lived through the bombing of Clark Airfield. For four months, his unit worked to keep the tanks running of the Provisional Tank Group.

For four months they slowed Japan’s conquest of the Philippines. Without food, without adequate supplies, and no hope of being relieved, he became a Prisoner of War on April 9, 1942, when Bataan was surrendered to the Japanese.
He took part in the death march from Mariveles to Capas. There, 100 POWs were packed into small wooden boxcars that could hold 40 men or 8 horses. At San Fernando, the living left the boxcars and those who had died fell to the floor. The POWs walked the final miles to Camp O’Donnell.

As a POW, he was held at Camp O’Donnell. The death rate in the camp was so high that the Japanese opened a new camp at Cabanatuan and transferred the healthier POWs there. He remained at Camp O'Donnell because he was too ill to be moved. He was one of the last POWs to die at the camp and was buried in the camp cemetery. After the war, his remains were identified and his family requested that they be returned to the United States. In October 1955, he was buried at Bethel Presbyterian Cemetery.

Military Service:
Richard Combs was a member of the 17th Ordnance Company. He was stationed in the Philippine Islands when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Ten hours later, he lived through the bombing of Clark Airfield. For four months, his unit worked to keep the tanks running of the Provisional Tank Group.

For four months they slowed Japan’s conquest of the Philippines. Without food, without adequate supplies, and no hope of being relieved, he became a Prisoner of War on April 9, 1942, when Bataan was surrendered to the Japanese.
He took part in the death march from Mariveles to Capas. There, 100 POWs were packed into small wooden boxcars that could hold 40 men or 8 horses. At San Fernando, the living left the boxcars and those who had died fell to the floor. The POWs walked the final miles to Camp O’Donnell.

As a POW, he was held at Camp O’Donnell. The death rate in the camp was so high that the Japanese opened a new camp at Cabanatuan and transferred the healthier POWs there. He remained at Camp O'Donnell because he was too ill to be moved. He was one of the last POWs to die at the camp and was buried in the camp cemetery. After the war, his remains were identified and his family requested that they be returned to the United States. In October 1955, he was buried at Bethel Presbyterian Cemetery.

==================
All military records refer to him as s Private. His headstone shows his rank as Tecnician 5. Was he posthunously promoted?

Other Events and Attributes:

• Reference Number: COMB.E002
• _FGRAVE: 70159658