WWII soldier from Barry County identified, to be buried at Arlington
Srgt. John
Phillips
February 12, 2020
Vinnie Roberts
One of the harshest realities of war is the spectre of death. Many men and women from Barry County have had the honor of serving the United States Armed forces in the past, and in that endeavor, many have fallen. One soldier, the son of a Barry County family, was lost during the Pacific Theater in World War II. That man was U.S. Army sergeant John Phillips.
After joining the Army at the start of World War II, Phillips became one of thousands of American soldiers to never return from the Pacific Theater. Now, nearly 80 years later, thanks to the forensic efforts of the United States Armed forces, Phillips’ body has been found.
Phillips was born in the early 1900s in Barry County before his family moved to California during the Great Depression. Soon after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Phillips and his brother, Zane Phillips, enlisted in the United States Army.
While his brother Zane would return home and begin his own family, John lost his life attempting to retake the Philippines from the Japanese.
John has several relatives still living in both California and the Barry County areas, notably his first cousin, Bonnie Ragain, of Jenkins.
“He was my cousin. His mother and my dad were brother and sister,” said Ragain. “They left for California when I was six months old.”
“[John] died in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines,” explained Ragain. “The last letter his mother received from him was in November of 1941. After that, it was a while until he was reported missing.”
According to Ragain, Phillips was a part of the Bataan Death March, an event in 1942 that saw the forcible transfer of anywhere from 60,000-80,000 American and Filipino soldiers. These soldiers were captured by Japanese forces and forced to endure a 70-mile walk to a fortified enemy encampment.
“They were so outnumbered that they didn’t get to capture the Philippines,” explained Ragain. “They were on that march for 70 miles to the camp. Apparently, he survived the march and died at the camp, where he was buried.”
Phillips was held at the Cabanatuan POW camp where he and an estimated 2,500 other American soldiers lost their lives.
According to Ragain, after losing contact with John in 1941, his family was in the dark about what had happened until being informed by the military at the end of the war.
“[His family] didn’t even know what happened to him until the war was over,” continued Ragain. “In either 1944 or 1945, they found out that he had died in the prison camps down there.”
John, as well as anywhere from 5,000-18,000 other prisoners of war, was buried in the Philippines in a common grave. He was 25 years old.
After the war, when the U.S. and the Filipino nationals were able to take the country back from the Japanese, Phillips and his fallen allies’ bodies were exhumed and taken to a temporary mausoleum in Manila. Despite prison records indicating his burial location and the date of his death, Phillips was unable to be identified due to extensive decomposition.
A ray of hope would eventually shine through for the family of John Phillips. In 2018, the military began exhuming the remains of the soldiers who were buried at Cabanatuan. According to Ragain, thanks to the cooperation of his brother Zane’s children, Phillips was able to be identified.
“A few years later, his nieces got their father (Zanes)’s DNA,” explained Ragain. “The military was investigating with DNA. They were excavating a grave that had 18 other soldiers and they were able to match Zane’s DNA with Johnny’s and proceed from there.”
Now that Phillips’ remains have been identified, his body has been returned to the United States. Soon, the family members will be invited to attend a burial ceremony where Phillips will be buried among the other fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C.
“They intend to either have it on July 26 or 27, which will be the anniversary of his death,” continued Ragain. “The military, at their own expense, is flying a few of the family members over there to attend the funeral.”
Vinnie Roberts
One of the harshest realities of war is the spectre of death. Many men and women from Barry County have had the honor of serving the United States Armed forces in the past, and in that endeavor, many have fallen. One soldier, the son of a Barry County family, was lost during the Pacific Theater in World War II. That man was U.S. Army sergeant John Phillips.
After joining the Army at the start of World War II, Phillips became one of thousands of American soldiers to never return from the Pacific Theater. Now, nearly 80 years later, thanks to the forensic efforts of the United States Armed forces, Phillips’ body has been found.
Phillips was born in the early 1900s in Barry County before his family moved to California during the Great Depression. Soon after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Phillips and his brother, Zane Phillips, enlisted in the United States Army.
While his brother Zane would return home and begin his own family, John lost his life attempting to retake the Philippines from the Japanese.
John has several relatives still living in both California and the Barry County areas, notably his first cousin, Bonnie Ragain, of Jenkins.
“He was my cousin. His mother and my dad were brother and sister,” said Ragain. “They left for California when I was six months old.”
“[John] died in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines,” explained Ragain. “The last letter his mother received from him was in November of 1941. After that, it was a while until he was reported missing.”
According to Ragain, Phillips was a part of the Bataan Death March, an event in 1942 that saw the forcible transfer of anywhere from 60,000-80,000 American and Filipino soldiers. These soldiers were captured by Japanese forces and forced to endure a 70-mile walk to a fortified enemy encampment.
“They were so outnumbered that they didn’t get to capture the Philippines,” explained Ragain. “They were on that march for 70 miles to the camp. Apparently, he survived the march and died at the camp, where he was buried.”
Phillips was held at the Cabanatuan POW camp where he and an estimated 2,500 other American soldiers lost their lives.
According to Ragain, after losing contact with John in 1941, his family was in the dark about what had happened until being informed by the military at the end of the war.
“[His family] didn’t even know what happened to him until the war was over,” continued Ragain. “In either 1944 or 1945, they found out that he had died in the prison camps down there.”
John, as well as anywhere from 5,000-18,000 other prisoners of war, was buried in the Philippines in a common grave. He was 25 years old.
After the war, when the U.S. and the Filipino nationals were able to take the country back from the Japanese, Phillips and his fallen allies’ bodies were exhumed and taken to a temporary mausoleum in Manila. Despite prison records indicating his burial location and the date of his death, Phillips was unable to be identified due to extensive decomposition.
A ray of hope would eventually shine through for the family of John Phillips. In 2018, the military began exhuming the remains of the soldiers who were buried at Cabanatuan. According to Ragain, thanks to the cooperation of his brother Zane’s children, Phillips was able to be identified.
“A few years later, his nieces got their father (Zanes)’s DNA,” explained Ragain. “The military was investigating with DNA. They were excavating a grave that had 18 other soldiers and they were able to match Zane’s DNA with Johnny’s and proceed from there.”
Now that Phillips’ remains have been identified, his body has been returned to the United States. Soon, the family members will be invited to attend a burial ceremony where Phillips will be buried among the other fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C.
“They intend to either have it on July 26 or 27, which will be the anniversary of his death,” continued Ragain. “The military, at their own expense, is flying a few of the family members over there to attend the funeral.”