Joseph served as a First Lieutenant, Headquarters Squadron, 19th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Louisiana prior to the war.
He became a prisoner of the Japanese Army while fighting in the Philippines during the war in 1942. He was held at Japanese POW Camp 2, Davao, Mindanao, Philippines
Joseph was declared "Missing In Action" while a POW of the Japanese Army in the sinking of the "Shinyo Maru".
He was awarded the "Distinguished Service Cross", "Bronze Star", Prisoner Of War Medal and the Purple Heart.
The Japanese ship "Shinyo Maru" was loaded with 750 U.S. POW's in the cargo holds. The U.S.S. Paddle (SS-263), not knowing that American POW's were on board, fired torpedoes at the ship off the coast of Mindanao and sank it. Some Japanese guards shot prisoners as they struggled from the holds after the attack or were in the water.
668 POW's died when the ship sank, leaving only 82 survivors. 47 of 52 Japanese guards also died.
His remains were not recovered.
Service # 0-413997
( Bio by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soldiers & Sailors who died on the "Shinyo Maru":
( Last name staring with: A through D )
( Last name staring with: E through L )
( Last name staring with: M through R )
( Last name staring with: S through Z )
Survivor of the "Shinyo Maru"
Click Here For Listing
( Above listings created by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lieutenant Father Verbis Lafleur was ordained a priest in New Orleans, in 1938. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1941, before the U.S. entered World War II. In July of that year, he was assigned to the 19th Bombardment Unit, and was sent to the Philippines as their chaplain.
He became a prisoner of war when his unit was captured by the Japanese, and was killed when the ship on which he and 750 prisoners were being transported, the Shinyo Maru, was torpedoed by an American submarine.Father Lafleur refused to leave the ship when the men had the chance to climb out, instead remaining behind to help the other men up the ladder. Those who made it to shore last saw him in waist-deep water, assisting others. His body was not recovered.
Contributor: Andy (48021049)
He resided in Louisiana prior to the war.
He became a prisoner of the Japanese Army while fighting in the Philippines during the war in 1942. He was held at Japanese POW Camp 2, Davao, Mindanao, Philippines
Joseph was declared "Missing In Action" while a POW of the Japanese Army in the sinking of the "Shinyo Maru".
He was awarded the "Distinguished Service Cross", "Bronze Star", Prisoner Of War Medal and the Purple Heart.
The Japanese ship "Shinyo Maru" was loaded with 750 U.S. POW's in the cargo holds. The U.S.S. Paddle (SS-263), not knowing that American POW's were on board, fired torpedoes at the ship off the coast of Mindanao and sank it. Some Japanese guards shot prisoners as they struggled from the holds after the attack or were in the water.
668 POW's died when the ship sank, leaving only 82 survivors. 47 of 52 Japanese guards also died.
His remains were not recovered.
Service # 0-413997
( Bio by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soldiers & Sailors who died on the "Shinyo Maru":
( Last name staring with: A through D )
( Last name staring with: E through L )
( Last name staring with: M through R )
( Last name staring with: S through Z )
Survivor of the "Shinyo Maru"
Click Here For Listing
( Above listings created by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lieutenant Father Verbis Lafleur was ordained a priest in New Orleans, in 1938. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1941, before the U.S. entered World War II. In July of that year, he was assigned to the 19th Bombardment Unit, and was sent to the Philippines as their chaplain.
He became a prisoner of war when his unit was captured by the Japanese, and was killed when the ship on which he and 750 prisoners were being transported, the Shinyo Maru, was torpedoed by an American submarine.Father Lafleur refused to leave the ship when the men had the chance to climb out, instead remaining behind to help the other men up the ladder. Those who made it to shore last saw him in waist-deep water, assisting others. His body was not recovered.
Contributor: Andy (48021049)
Joseph served as a First Lieutenant, Headquarters Squadron, 19th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Louisiana prior to the war.
He became a prisoner of the Japanese Army while fighting in the Philippines during the war in 1942. He was held at Japanese POW Camp 2, Davao, Mindanao, Philippines
Joseph was declared "Missing In Action" while a POW of the Japanese Army in the sinking of the "Shinyo Maru".
He was awarded the "Distinguished Service Cross", "Bronze Star", Prisoner Of War Medal and the Purple Heart.
The Japanese ship "Shinyo Maru" was loaded with 750 U.S. POW's in the cargo holds. The U.S.S. Paddle (SS-263), not knowing that American POW's were on board, fired torpedoes at the ship off the coast of Mindanao and sank it. Some Japanese guards shot prisoners as they struggled from the holds after the attack or were in the water.
668 POW's died when the ship sank, leaving only 82 survivors. 47 of 52 Japanese guards also died.
His remains were not recovered.
Service # 0-413997
( Bio by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soldiers & Sailors who died on the "Shinyo Maru":
( Last name staring with: A through D )
( Last name staring with: E through L )
( Last name staring with: M through R )
( Last name staring with: S through Z )
Survivor of the "Shinyo Maru"
Click Here For Listing
( Above listings created by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lieutenant Father Verbis Lafleur was ordained a priest in New Orleans, in 1938. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1941, before the U.S. entered World War II. In July of that year, he was assigned to the 19th Bombardment Unit, and was sent to the Philippines as their chaplain.
He became a prisoner of war when his unit was captured by the Japanese, and was killed when the ship on which he and 750 prisoners were being transported, the Shinyo Maru, was torpedoed by an American submarine.Father Lafleur refused to leave the ship when the men had the chance to climb out, instead remaining behind to help the other men up the ladder. Those who made it to shore last saw him in waist-deep water, assisting others. His body was not recovered.
Contributor: Andy (48021049)
He resided in Louisiana prior to the war.
He became a prisoner of the Japanese Army while fighting in the Philippines during the war in 1942. He was held at Japanese POW Camp 2, Davao, Mindanao, Philippines
Joseph was declared "Missing In Action" while a POW of the Japanese Army in the sinking of the "Shinyo Maru".
He was awarded the "Distinguished Service Cross", "Bronze Star", Prisoner Of War Medal and the Purple Heart.
The Japanese ship "Shinyo Maru" was loaded with 750 U.S. POW's in the cargo holds. The U.S.S. Paddle (SS-263), not knowing that American POW's were on board, fired torpedoes at the ship off the coast of Mindanao and sank it. Some Japanese guards shot prisoners as they struggled from the holds after the attack or were in the water.
668 POW's died when the ship sank, leaving only 82 survivors. 47 of 52 Japanese guards also died.
His remains were not recovered.
Service # 0-413997
( Bio by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soldiers & Sailors who died on the "Shinyo Maru":
( Last name staring with: A through D )
( Last name staring with: E through L )
( Last name staring with: M through R )
( Last name staring with: S through Z )
Survivor of the "Shinyo Maru"
Click Here For Listing
( Above listings created by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lieutenant Father Verbis Lafleur was ordained a priest in New Orleans, in 1938. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1941, before the U.S. entered World War II. In July of that year, he was assigned to the 19th Bombardment Unit, and was sent to the Philippines as their chaplain.
He became a prisoner of war when his unit was captured by the Japanese, and was killed when the ship on which he and 750 prisoners were being transported, the Shinyo Maru, was torpedoed by an American submarine.Father Lafleur refused to leave the ship when the men had the chance to climb out, instead remaining behind to help the other men up the ladder. Those who made it to shore last saw him in waist-deep water, assisting others. His body was not recovered.
Contributor: Andy (48021049)
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