Thomas Joseph Agzigian was born on December 21, 1918, in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Tavit Agzigian and Mary Gertrude Leisner Agzigian. He was employed as a manufacturing foreman before enlisting in the service on March 31, 1941. He served in the 803rd Engineer Battalion, Aviation, as a Technician 5th Grade during World War II.

After the fall of Bataan in the hands of the Japanese Army on April 9, 1942, T5 Agzigian 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.

T5 Agzigian was reported missing and officially declared dead on June 10, 1942. His name is memorialized in the Walls of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines.

Source of information: www.livescience.com