Born: 1916 Captain, United States Army Service #0-374478
COMMANDING OFFICER A CO, 31ST INFANTRY REGIMENT, PHILIPPINE DIVISION, UNITED STATES ARMY FORCES IN THE FAR EAST (USAFFE), PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
Home or Place of Enlistment: Boundary County, Idaho Date of Loss: January 9, 1945
Cecil R. Welchko was captured by Imperial Japan while serving in the Philippine Islands, and was sent to PW Camp #1 near Cabanatuan, Luzon, Phillipines where 3,213 other American POWs were held. Cecil’s capture was first reported to the International Committee of the Red Cross on May 7, 1942, and the last report was made on January 30, 1945. Based on these two reports, Cecil was imprisoned for at least 999 days (2 years and ~10 months). After surviving the attack on the Oryoko Maru, Cecil died aboard the Brazil Maru on January 30, 1945 while in Prisoner of War status.