Smith, George Leonard (1917-2001)

George Leonard Smith served as a staff sergeant with the 515th Coast Artillery Regiment during World War II. He was taken as a Japanese prisoner of war, and saw time in six different prisoner of war camps from May 6, 1942 until liberation on September 11, 1945. Smith spent time in Corregidor (Philippines), Cabanatuan (Philippines), Lipa (Philippines), Manila (Philippines), Formosa, and Kosaka, Japan. Over his time in the different prisoner of war camps, Smith was hospitalized for dengue fever, flu, dysentery, beri-beri, boils, and frost bite. He worked in many of the camps, and described the punishments received for working to too slow. When he was liberated from Sendai Camp #8, Smith weighed 85 pounds, being the third lightest man in the camp. He married Jean Eleanor Galbraith Smith, and passed away on April 25, 2001.

No oral history

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