Medals
Received: Purple Heart, American Defense, 1 Bronze Star,
American Campain, Defense 1 Bronze Star, Pacific Campaign with 3 Bronze
Stars, Distinguished Unit Badge 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Military
Job: Cannoneer
Company:
Occupation
after War: Truck Driver
Bio:
My name is Noland D. Anthony; I was born in Byrd community, located in
South Eastern Ellis County near Ennis, Texas. My parents were Jay and
Willie (Alexander) Anthony. I grew up on my parents farm and lived an
outdoor life until January 17th 1941. At the ripe old age of 23 I
enlisted with the U.S. Army on January 17, 1941 in Dallas, Texas. I
trained with this 36th Division in Brownwood, Texas. My buddy R.L.
(Swede) E Eklund and I volunteered for overseas duty in November 1941,
and went by train to San Francisco, then on to Honolulu, Hawaii by
ship. We were about halfway between Honolulu and the Philippine
Islands when the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor. Our convoy turned to the
Fiji islands and from there on to Brisbane, Australia. We then
traveled on to Java, where we were taken as POWs March 8, 1942 when
the Dutch surrendered the island to the Japanese. The next stop was
Singapore, then to Burma (by slave ship) where we helped we were used
as forced labor to build the Burma Thailand railroad. The bridge over
the river Kwai was also part of our experience. Needless to say the
experience left many a POW dead or suffering from malnutrition and
other diseases and the abusive treatment my the Japanese guards.
On August 1945,(after 42 months) we were liberated and brought to
Bangkok, Thailand. There we were picked up by U.S. Air Force and flown
to Calcutta, India where I was hospitalized at the 142nd General
Hospital. Later, I was flown to New York Halloren General Hospital on
Staten Island, and finally to love Field, in Dallas, Texas, where I
was hospitalized at Asheburn General Hospital in McKinney, Texas. On
May 28, 1946, (after 9 months of hospitalization) I was discharged at
Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio Texas. On Sept. 28, 1946, I married my
pre-war sweetheart, Elizabeth Jarolimek (Czech heritage), of Ennis
Texas. We had two children, Durwood E.Anthony our son and Nola Ann
Skipper our daughter. We were blessed with two grandchildren, Bryan
Anthony and Patrick Anthony.
I have long been a member of the “Lost Battalion”. Its members
include personnel of the 2nd battalion, 131st Field Artillery, and
sailors and marines from the USS Houston (CA30)
Message to Future Generations:
To future generations, I say: The clock of life is wound
only once, and no man has the power to tell when the hands will stop,
at a late or early hour. Now is the only time you own, live, love, and
toil with a will. Place no faith in tomorrow, for the clock may then
be still. With this in mind, support military readiness second
to none. Stay out of other countries conflicts.
But, if you are to go on the attack, give all you've got.
