Abbott Theodore D.

Name:

Theodore D. Abbott

Rank:

Private

Serial Number:

18036360

Unit:

31st Infantry Regiment

Date of Death:

1942-05-11

State:

Ohio

Cemetery:

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines

Plot:

D

Row:

4

Grave:

98

Decoration:

Comments:

Theodore D. Abbott was born in 1919, in Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio. He worked as a laborer and truck driver before enlisting in the Army on February 20, 1941. He served in the 31st Infantry Regiment as a Private during World War II.

After the fall of Bataan in the hands of the Japanese Army on April 9, 1942, Pvt Abbott 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.

Pvt Abbott was among the American soldiers who lost their lives in captivity on May 11, 1942. He is now buried in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines.

Source of information: www.livescience.com