June/July 2002 - Philippine Defenders Main

World War II and the Korean Conflict.
While in World War II, he was held as a
P.O.W. by Japan for three years and four
months. He received the Purple Heart
with Star, the Bronze Star and many
other medals, awards and citations during
his 20 years of military service.
Survivors include his wife, Iva Joyce
Thomas of the home; one daughter, Chris
Thomas; two sons, Scot Thomas and
Glenn Thomas; and five grandchildren,
Whitney Thomas, Ryan Welker, Jill
Welker, Trent Welker and Sarah Thomas.
He was preceded in death by his parents;
one sister, Sally Thomas and two
brothers, Walter and Zane Thomas.
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EMIL SANGIORGIO
Emil SanGiorgio of San Diego died on
December 29, 2001 at the age of 81. Born
in Lawrence, MA, he enlisted in the Navy
at age 17 and honorably served his country
for 20 years including combat duty in
World War II and the Korean Conflict.
Emil spent 40 months as a POW in Japan
following the fall of Corregidor in May
1942. He retired as a Chief Quartermaster
in 1957 and was a 50 year resident of San
Diego. Emil retired from the United
States Postal Service in 1977 as Budget
Officer for the San Diego Region.
Emil was preceded in death by his wife
Helen. He is survived by his son Philip
and daughter-in-law Terrie San Giorgio,
son David SanGiorgio, daughter LTC
Donna SanGiorgio, USA (Ret.), grandchildren
Sophia SanGiorgio and Paul
SanGiorgio; sisters Pat SanGiorgio and
Mary Musmanno, and nephew Robert
Musmanno; and sister-in-law Brigitte
Joncas and nephew Wilfred Joncas.
Interment was at Fort Rosecrans
National Cemetery.
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WADE W. WALDRUP
Wade W. Waldrup, 1st Sgt. U.S. Army
(Retired), age 85, of Augusta, Georgia,
passed away Feb. 28, 2002 at the Augusta
VA Medical Center. Mr. Waldrup was taken
prisoner of war by the Japanese on Bataan
in April 1942 while serving with the 31st
Infantry Regiment in the Philippine Islands.
As a POW he was held on Bataan, in Bilibid
prison and Port Area Detail (Philippine
Camp 11) in Manila, finishing his captivity
in Kamioka, Japan, Sept. 1945.
He was active in former prisoner of war
programs in Georgia, serving as State
Commander AXPOW, Chapter Commander
of the Greater Augusta Chapter
AXPOW, and other positions on the state
and local level. He was a life member of
the American Defenders of Bataan and
Corregidor, American Ex-Prisoners of
War, Department of Georgia AXPOW and
the 31st Infantry Regimental Association.
He is survived by his wife Elizabeth of
Augusta, Georgia, a son Wade T. Waldrup
of Memphis, TN and a granddaughter
Meghan Waldrup of Memphis, TN.
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10 — THE QUAN
RUDOLFO ZEPEDA
Rudolfo Zepeda, 85, a retired Army
master sergeant who did security work for
the U.S. Department of Transportation in
the 1970s, died March 22 at Virginia
Hospital Center-Arlington after a heart
attack. He lived in Arlington.
Sgt. Zepeda, a native of the Philippines,
joined the Philippine army assisting U.S.
forces during World War II. He was captured
by he Japanese and endured the
Bataan Death March. Along the way, he
escaped and joined a group of guerrillas.
In the final months of the war, he joined
the U.S. Army and did Japanese translation
work. He also served in the Korean
and Vietnam wars as a military policeman.
His last active-duty assignment, in
1971, was at Fort Myer as an advisor to
the D.C. National Guard.
His memberships included St. Ann’s
Catholic Church in Arlington and
Veterans of Foreign Wars.
His first wife, Mercedes Zepeda, died in
1990.
Survivors include his wife of 10 years,
Cresina Patron Zepeda of Arlington; six
children from his first marriage, Orlando
Zepeda, Robert Zepeda, Rebecca Feliciano,
Rudy Zepeda and Roman Zepeda and
Rosemary Zepeda; six grandchildren; and
two great-grandsons.
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SEEKING INFORMATION
Dear Mr. Crago:
My father, John L. (Jack) Kennedy was
a POW to the Japanese for 3.5 years. He
was not on the Bataan Death March, but
had gone to the Philippines before war
broke out and was at the Del Monte Pineapple
Plantation on Mindanao. John Lewis
said for me to give you as much information
as I can about my dad. I do know that
he took the Quan so he must have also
been a member at one time. He passed
away in 1990. What information I have
about my dad’s POW years is as follows:
He was a private at the time of capture,
given the rank of corporal upon release (or
some time thereafter). He was first at
Casisang POW Camp, then Davao Penal
Colony, then went to Japan on the
Canadian Inventor hell ship. In Japan he
worked first at the Yokkaichi copper refinery
and then at the Toyama steel mill
where he was liberated. John Lewis also
stated that his dad and my dad went to
Japan from Mindanao together and he
told me the names of the other two ships:
the Yashu Maru from Davao to Cebu City,
arriving June 17, 1944 where they were
held at fort San Pedro four days. Then
they left Cebu City on the Singoto Maru
on June 21, 1944 and arrived in Manila on
June 24, 1944 where they were taken to
Bilibid Prison Camp in Manila. Dad
stayed there until July 4, 1944 then finished
his journey to Japan on the
Canadian Inventor.
I have been interested in finding out
more about Dad’s experience as POW. He
did write a history, but as far as his circum-
stances go, it didn’t tell the whole story.
Thanks for your time and attention.
Judy Kennedy Barrett
595 North 2200 West
West Point, UT 84015
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Searches for Book
Dear Mr. Vater:
I am the daughter of a Bataan/
Corregidor Army Doctor, Colonel John F.
Breslin, who has subscribed for so many
years to the Quan. The reason I am writing
is to find out how I can purchase a
special book that was summarized in the
March 1999 issue of the Quan (Volume 53
No. 5). The book is by William N. Donovan,
MC, entitled POW IN THE PACIFIC:
Memoirs of an American Doctor in World
War II. Its code is listed as ISBN 0-8420-
2725-4 and is priced at $22.95.
Colonel Donovan and my father were
very good friends and colleagues, stemming
from their service in the Philippines
and subsequent internment by the
Japanese, throughout their long miliary
careers as Army doctors following World
War II. I want to purchase the book for my
father. But I do not know where to send
for it. I know you will help me out.
I see that it is edited by Colonel
Donovan’s daughter, Josephine Donovan,
who is at the University of Maine. I would
also like to have Josephine’s address, if
you could be so kind as to help me, so I
can write to her.
Growing up after the war, the Donovans
remained family friends and I knew both
Colonel and Mrs. Donovan and Josephine
as a young girl.
My dad told me that “Bill” had planned
to write such a book when I pointed out
the article to him which I ran across
recently. (I, too, am an avid reader of the
Quan.) My dad said he did not know how
to obtain the book when he saw it listed in
the Quan a few years ago.
My dad is now 94 years old. A wonderful
old gentleman, who is known simply as
“The Colonel” in the small rural community
where he lives on a farm. I am so filled
with awe and emotion by the saga of all
the gallant men who served on Bataan
and Corregidor and who suffered so much
unimaginable hardship, even death, at the
hands of the Japanese during World War
II. Art Bressi was a dear friend of my dad.
As was Chaplain John MacDonald (Father
“Mac”), who died on one of the horrible
Japanese transport ships. My whole life
has been affected by these events and
these heroic men of valor whose service to
this country is beyond all imagination.
Thank you so much for your interest,
and more so, thank you especially for all
your hard work and dedication to keeping
the Quan an ongoing dialogue for all
American POWs from the pacific War. It
is an incredible publication.
Sincerely,
Margot Breslin Hastings
RR 1, Box 21
Turbotville, PA 17772
(T: 570-524-4323)
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