John Vinson Blanton Jr. was born on November 29, 1918. He was the son of John Vinson Blanton and Gurthie Ree Murry Scott - Blanton. He served in the 31st Infantry 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 Blanton 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 Blanton was reported missing and officially declared dead on May 1, 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. He also has a cenotaph in the Denver City Memorial Park, Denver City, Yoakum County, Texas, USA. Note that the death date inscribed on his cenotaph is February 1, 1946.

Source of information: www.livescience.com