Hardwood Stevens Sharp was born on November 2, 1921, in Portland, Oregon. He was the son of Selwyn Jackson Sharp and Vida Williams Sharp. He was married to Irene Marie Ficker Thomason.

Hardwood served in the United States Navy as a Lieutenant during World War II. He was taking part in an attack on Taiwan in 1944 when their plane was struck by anti-aircraft fire. They were last seen getting into a rubber life raft.

It was later discovered that Lt Sharp became a POW of the Japanese and was brought to the Taipei Prison, Taipei City, Taiwan. While a POW in Taipei, a mock trial was held. Lt Sharp, along with 13 other American servicemen, were accused of being "war criminals" by the Japanese Army, sentenced to death, and executed. They were cremated and their ashes placed in a local Japanese Shinto temple. At the end of the war, the remains were turned over to the Allies for burial.

Lt Sharp's ashes were scattered over the Pacific on April 12, 1948.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com
Source of photo: www.powtaiwan.org