American Ex-Prisoners of War
A not-for-profit, Congressionally-chartered veterans’ service organization advocating for former prisoners of war and their families.

Established April 14, 1942



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Biography
Dorset, Virgil Jackson
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Biography
Virgil Jackson Dorset, of Sugar Land, Texas served with the U.S. Public Health Service in Manila, P.I. On December 24,1941, he volunteered for service with the U.S. Army Medical Corps. He was sent to Bataan and was Chief of the Medical Service at the time of the surrender of Bataan on April 9, 1942. About May 6th he was moved to Bilibid Prison and from there to Cabanatuan Prison Camp. In March 1944 he was moved to Ube, Japan.

Following the liberation of the Philippine Islands July 5, 1945, Jack was moved to Motoyama, Japan until the end of the war. He witnessed "an enormous white cloud which built up very rapidly and rose to a tremendous height", which was from the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki. On September 14, 1945 he was evacuated from Japan by the U.S. Navy and taken to Manila for processing.

At the time he held the rank of Colonel. He was the recipient of numerous medals including American Defense Ribbon, American Theater Ribbon, World War II Victory Ribbon, Bronze Star Medal, Philippine Defense Ribbon, and Presidential Unit Citation.

Jack was a member of the Florida chapter (he lived in Largo, Florida) and also a member of the Houston, Texas chapter after moving there in March of 1996. Jack also returned to the U.S. Public Health Service to practice as a physician of Internal Medicine until retirement.

Jack passed away on February 27, 1999. His Wife, Laurie Harris Dorset; daughter, Emily Dorset Manning; daughter, Sarah Dorset Robey; 6 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren survive him.

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