NORTH CHINA MARINE FOOD SERVICE POW

Last updated June 28, 2008

As Pearl Harbor was being attacked, 203 United States Marines in northern China were surrounded and captured by the Japanese. They spent from that day until mid September of 1945 as prisoners of war. At least five of the captured Marines were our food service brothers

Some of the more fortunate members of the USMC Food Service Association served with one or more of these Marine Corps heroes who would seldom if ever discuss their experience as a POW with fellow Marines.

The five North China Marine Food Service POW's were Technical Sergeant/Chief Cook Charles H. Darr; Technical Sergeant/Chief Cook Antonio Leon; Sergeant/Field Cook Benjamin R. Benson; Technical Sergeant/Chief Cook Orin R. Miller and Sergeant/Field Cook George W. Parr . All would serve out the remainder of the war in Japanese labor camps.

Of these five Food Service Marines, CWO-4 Charles H. Darr is the lone survivor and perhaps our associations most precious legacy from WW II.

For additional information on North China Marine Pow's follow this link to their exceptional website.

<www.northchinamarines.com>