Inside the Plaza Cuartel Park main square next to the Palawan Survivors Memorial (POW Camp 10A).

The monument is pyramid shape made of stone with 3 inscribed brass plates.  The Monument is about 6 feet high with a sculpture of a contorted solider easing through barbed wire on top. 

The artist of the sculpture was a former Palawan POWs, Don Schloat. Don T Schloat, is listed on the Palawan Survivor Monument incorrectly as he was initially imprisoned at Palawan, after several escape attempts, he was transferred to the prison at Bilibid, a POW camp in Manila and was not present during the December 14, 1944 massacre. His name is listed on the Palawan Survivor Memorial incorrectly as Don T Schlot- USA

On December 14, 1944, with US Forces advancing through the Philippines, enemy prison guards commenced to kill the American POWs located a POW Camp 10A on this site.  It is estimated 139 Americans were killed; 11 escaped and with the assistance of the local population and partisans, were able to evade the enemy until US Forces arrived.  123 of the 139 that perished were buried in a mass grave at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in Missouri. This is the largest single group burial at Jefferson Barracks located in Section 85, Graves 14-20; 25-31; 40-46; 50-66.

As a result of eleven men who survived the massacre to confirm the ordeal, American military leaders realized the imminent threat to other POWs and detainees. Senior commanders were determined to prevent more atrocities. With several thousand American and Allied lives at stake, the rescue of POWs and internees became a high priority. Four raids were done in short succession, freeing over 7,000 POWs and detainees in less than a month.

Major POW/Detainee Rescue Operations Luzon -Philippines / 1945:

Cabanatuan Rescue-   30 January       516 POWs

Santo Tomas Prison-  3 February       3,500 detainees/275 hostages

Bilibid Prison-             4 February       700 + POWs/ 500 internees

Los Banos Rescue-     23 February     2,147 Allied POWs

For other POW Camps Memorials and historic raids to liberate them see this website:

Cabanatuan- POW Camp

Santo Tomas Internment (POW) Camp Marker

Palawan WWII Massacre Memorial (POW Camp 10A)

Palawan Survivors Memorial (POW Camp 10A).

Palawan Prison Camp (POW Camp 10A)- Philippine Historic Marker

11th Airborne Division- Los Baños Raid Marker 

Hellships Memorial

Text:  Text is located on three sides of the base in English:

Side 1:

“I WILL MAKE YOUR DREAM COME TRUE”

Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn’s promise made to former WW-II American POW Don Schloat, creator of the Palawan Massacre Monument. September 15, 2009.

Don Schloat’s dream to install a commemorative marker on this site began March, 2007 when PSU President Teresita L. Salva and Mrs. Ellen M. Hagedorn headed the collaborative effort to gather support from the Palawan WW-II veterans and the people of Puerto Princesa, and culminated with the pledge of support by City Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn in September 2009.

American WW-II POW’s were massacred in this place on December 14, 1944.

On that day, Japanese guards stationed here in Palawan ordered the American POW’s under their control into the air raid shelters.

Japanese soldiers suddenly poured gasoline on and into the American POW shelters and set them on fire with flaming torches, followed by hand grenades. As the American POW’s engulfed in flames broke out of the fiery death traps, their Japanese guards machine-gunned, bayoneted, decapitated and clubbed them to death.

Of the American POW’s, only 11 survived the massacre. This memorial is by artist Don Schloat, a former POW of the Japanese at Palawan.

September 25, 2009

Puerto Princesa City

Side 2: 

Roster of the known Palawan Massacre victims compiled from Lorna Murray and Abie Abraham’s list

LIST OF NAMES (actually in column format on the brass inscribed plaque):

US Marines

Jewett Adams; Robert Adkins; Sammy Caldwell; Joseph Glacken; James Grahnert; William Hammock; Kenneth Hanson; Cifford Henderson; John Hughes; Aubrey Johnson; Earl Joyner; Wilfred Kernes; Daniel Ray; Edward Schultz; Jesse Simpson; Owen Skaggs; George Walker; John Warren; Stephen Kozuch; Kenneth Lindsay; Donald Martin; E. C. Morris; Orlando Morris; Dillard Price

US Navy

Carl Barnes; Darrell Barnes; Wilbur Blackburn; Vernon Buchanan; Harry Cook; Bill Gillespie; Waldo Hale; John Harris; Henry Knight; Arthur Lamountain; Theodore McNally; James Roe

Side 3: (actually in column format on the brass inscribed plaque):

Roster of the known Palawan Massacre victims compiled from Lorna Murray and Abie Abraham’s list

US Army

Henry Aroujo; Heraclio Arispo; Homer Bailey; Herbert Baker; Benjamin Beason; Mason Bouchy; William T. Brown; Fred Bruni; Douglas Burnett; Casey Carter; Roy Childers; James Choate; Earl Crandell; Franklin Cullens; John Czajkowski; John Diaz; Elix Clayton; Erving Evans; George Eyre

Houston Fletcher; Jessie Gee; Mike Guiffreda; Samuel Glover; Richard Goodykoontz; Lenton Harbin; Douglas Hawkins; Joseph Henderson; Roy Hickle; Miner Hinkle; Hugh Hubbard; Tom Huston; Fred Hutchinson; Charles Jacobson; Josepf Kazlauskas; Robert Stevenson; James Stidham; Charles Street; Harding Stutts; Leslie Sweany; Homer Swinner; Glen Teel; Jolley Terry; Harold King; Richard Koerner; Leo Lampshire; Kenneth Lewis; Forest Lindsay; John Lyons; Carl Mango’ George Manzi;  Richard McAnany; William McElveen; Joe Mascarenas; Joe Million

Fred Moffatt; Roger Moore; Frank Newell; Harry Noel; Ernest Novak; Trinidad Otero; James Pitts;  Homer Rankin; Vernon Rector; Arthur Rhoades; James Rudd; Santiago Saiz; John Sanchez

Henry Scally;  Charles Schubert; Gabriei Sierra; Charles Sirfus; Kenneth O. Smith; Cecil Snyder; Carroll Spinder; Devert Stanley; John Stanley; Delbert Thomas; Glen Turner; Joseph Uballe; Ted Vitatoe; Carl Walker; Horace Whitecotten; Willard Yeast