Three friends from Franklin - Mike Parchomcik, Mike Concoy and Joe Auche - joined the Army in 1940 and shipped off to the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of Bill Parchomcik)
Street signs honor Mike Concoy and Allen Edmonds. (Photo courtesy of Bill Truran)
Memorial Day weekend is upon us. Enjoy your picnics and parades.
Speaking of parades, let’s talk about the Bataan Death March and three Franklin friends who joined the Army in 1940 and shipped off to the Philippines.
Only one returned.
The three friends from Franklin had joined the U.S. Army during the busy days of 1940-41. The world was at war and the country was well on its way out of the Great Depression.
The three enlisted Aug. 1, 1940. They were sent to the Philippines.
Mike Parchomcik was in the 60th Coast Artillery. While Pearl Harbor was attacked Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese also attacked the Philippines with a large landing force.
The three men were among the combined force of Philippines and Americans defending the islands. Well-known to that generation was the defense of the Bataan Peninsula.
Mike Concoy and Joe Auche died during that defense.
After the fall of Bataan, the small, rocky and heavily defended island of Corregidor was a last stand for the Allied defenders. Gen. Douglas MacArthur left on March 11 for Australia and the Bataan Peninsula fell on April 9.
The island was the last bastion of the Allies and the whole world watched. Corregidor was heavily bombarded day and night but held out until May 6, 1942, when Gen. Jonathan Wainwright surrendered to the Japanese.
Mike Parchomcik was marched from Corregidor to the Imperial Japanese Army Philippine Military Prison Camp #1. The camp was located in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, a march of 120 miles.
Parchomcik later was transported to Japan - fortunately, he was not killed on an unmarked enemy ship - and he worked in coal mines near Tokyo for two years. He was liberated in August 1945 with VJ Day and the end of World War II.
Street signs in Franklin honor Conqoy and Allen Edmonds, who was killed near the end of the war in Europe in Germany.
Here is a letter from Parchomcik, sent while he was in captivity in Camp Tokyo working the coal mines for the enemy.
“Dear family. I received your letters last night and am very glad to hear from you ... I am in the hospital recovering from diptheria ... send some pictures of home and family. May God bless and keep each one of you. Mike.”
Bill Truran, Sussex County’s historian, may be contacted at billt1425@gmail.com