John Paul Henry
Posted Friday, March 1, 2013 08:03 AM

REMEMBERING
John Paul Henry

 

By Joe C. Fling

IThe war in Europe ended May 8, 1945, but the fighting and dying went on another three months in the Pacific. The re-conquest of the Philippines, which began in October,1944 extended to the end of the War. The fighting at Luzon and Leyte which took the lives of Louis Donald Vaughn (October 26) and Everitt Wright (December 18) ended, and General Douglas MacArthur set out to rid the scores of tiny islands in the Philippines from Japanese control.

Conducted between February and May, 1945, the campaign consisted of thirty-eight, rapid amphibious thrusts on various islands conducted by regimental combat teams staged by Admiral Daniel Barbey’s 7th Amphibious Corps. Fighting continued on some of the islands until the Japanese surrender in August. John Paul Henry of Rock Island was a member of one of these regimental assault teams.

Henry was born on October 21, 1921 in El Campo. He was the son of John Davis “Jake” Henry and Cutie Ellen Vordick. He lived in Rock Island almost his whole life, and attended school there. He enlisted in the army on September 27, 1942.

Henry went to the Pacific and for a time was stationed in Australia. He saw action in the Philippines while serving with the 132nd Infantry Regiment. He was killed in the fighting for Cebu island. He was awarded the Bronze Star for heroism and the purple heart. Whether the Bronze Star came in the action which resulted in his death or from previous fighting is unknown.

Cebu was one of the scores of islands retaken during this period by Barbey’s troops. Troops were put ashore on March 26, 1945. Although the island was considered secure by April 18, fighting continued. The 132nd Regiment, along with the 164th and 182nd, all part of the veteran Americal Division that fought at Guadalcanal, forced the Japanese defenders out of their prepared defenses around Cebu City. The Japanese fled into the hills from which they conducted guerilla attacks on American troops. The United States army suffered 410 deaths and 1700 wounded in retaking Cebu. Henry was killed on June 8.

The young soldier was survived by three sisters: Willie Mae, Dorothy and Doris as well as six brothers: Raymond, Wilbur, John Davis, Jr., Gentle Lee Thomas, and Billie Earl.

Henry’s remains returned to Rock Island for burial after the war. The same issue of the Headlight that reported his funeral also included news that Staff Sergeant Almous C. New’s body was being returned from France for burial in Wharton. For friends and acquaintances, little time was left to mourn one death before news of another cried for sympathy.

John Paul Henry’s funeral was held in October, 1948 at the Rock Island Methodist Church with interment in Myrtle Cemetery. Eagle Lake’s Cherry-Perry American Legion chapter provided the military honors. Harry Larson served as chaplain. Pallbearers included my father Curtis Fling, as well as A.J. Kerr, Woodrow Hardman, Pete Eaton, Norman Jacobson and Bob Criswell. Color bearers were Kennie Bauer and Rueben Muench. The firing squad, firing a volley in honor of Henry were Fred R. Frnka, L.J. Spanihel, Lawrence Herring and Earl Braden.

The little town of Rock Island had not buried a war casualty in the six years since January, 1942 when Orville Baker (who died of blood poisoning from a ruptured appendix while on duty with the Navy in California) was laid to rest. Between these two funerals 68 Colorado County men would die in the service of our country. The world had changed immeasurably in that time. Whereas before December 7, 1941 most Americans had never even heard of Pearl Harbor; now places like Guadalcanal, Okinawa, Salerno and Normandy were all too familiar. Such names, and the battles they represent have become seared into our national consciousness and the sacrifices made there written in the life-blood of our young men.