William Elwood Blacketer – Harrodsburg Tanker

William Elwood Blacketer

Corporal

Corp. William Elwood Blacketer (Harrodsburg Tankers Survivor, WW II) BIRTH 5 APR 1920 • Mackville, Washington County, Kentucky, USA DEATH (Unknown, see below) Highest Grade Completed; Elementary school, 7th grade Occupation; Laborer (He was married with no children.)

Note: According to Bill Blacketer, his father had worked as a book salesman and was accused of embezzling money from his company. He spent two years in prison. Bill stated that he was in Louisville in December 1969 – just after enlisting in the Air Force – and was walking down the street when he ran into his father. The two talked for several hours before parting company. That was the last time he ever saw his father. Other members of the family have stated that William was involved in some trouble with Chicago hoodlums. According to them, he disappeared not too long after this and has never been heard from again.

William E Blacketer
BIRTH, 5 Apr 1920, Mackville, Washington County, Kentucky, USA
DEATH, unknown
BURIAL, Unknown
MEMORIAL ID, 144903734
William E. Blacketer was a member of D Company, 192nd Tank Battalion. He was reassigned to HQ Company at Fort Knox, Kentucky. After nearly a year of training, his battalion was sent to the Philippine Islands.

Ten hours after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he lived through the Japanese attack on Clark Airfield. For four months his battalion fought to slow Japan's conquest of the Philippines. On April 9, 1942, he became a Prisoner of War and took part in the death march from Bataan.

As a POW he was held at Camp O'Donnell and Cabanatuan in the Philippines. He was later sent to Japan and held at Yodagawa and Oeyama POW Camps until liberated. After the war William's life was not easy. He simply disappeared and was never heard from again by his family.

William E. Blacketer Private William Elwood Blacketer enlisted in the Harrodsburg National Guard unit sometime before it was activated in November 1940. He was taken prisoner on 9 April 1942 and survived the Death March. He was held at Camp O'Donnell and Cabanatuan. He was put aboard the Hell Ship Nissyo Maru and was sent to Moji, Japan and was held at Oeyama Camp where he worked in a nickel refinery. He was liberated on 2 September 1945.