Camps
Held In: BATAAN; BILIBID; CABANATUAN, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS;
MOTOYAMA AND UBE, JAPAN
How
Long Interned: 1254 days
Liberated
/ repatriated:liberated
Date
Liberated: 09/14/45
Age
at Capture: 33
Medals
Received: AMERICAN THEATER RIBBON; WORLD WAR II VICTORY RIBBON;
BRONZE STAR MEDAL; PHILIPPINE DEFENSE RIBBON; PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION
Military
Job: PHYSICIAN
Company:
U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
Occupation
after War: PHYSICIAN OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
Bio:
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 rank of Colonel, and was held many medals including,
American Defense Ribbon; American Theater Ribbon; World War II Victory
Ribbon; Bronze Star Medal; Philippine Defense Ribbon; Presidential Unit
Citation.
Jack was formerly a member of the Florida chapter (lived in Largo,
Florida) and a member of the Houston, Texas chapter since moving here 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.
