Carl Ernest Deemer was born on May 12, 1917, in Guadalupe County, New Mexico. He was the son of William John "Billy" Deemer and Rose Marie Widman Deemer. He served in the 200th Coast Artillery Regiment as a Private First Class during World War II.

After the fall of Bataan in the hands of the Japanese Army on April 9, 1942, PFC Deemer was one of the 10,000 to 12,000 Americans who were forced to march over 60 miles under brutal conditions, resulting in 1,000 to 5,000 deaths due to starvation, dehydration, and abuse. Survivors were sent to Camp O'Donnell, where dire conditions, including overcrowding, malnutrition, and disease, caused an additional 1,500 to 2,300 American deaths within weeks. Those who survived faced ongoing hardships, including transfers to other camps and forced labor, where many continued to suffer or die.

PFC Deemer was reported missing and officially declared dead on October 12, 1944. His name is memorialized in the Walls of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines. PFC Deemer also has a cenotaph in Mission Garden of Memories Cemetery, Clovis, Curry County, New Mexico, USA.

Source of information:www.livescience.com