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Elmer F Blonien

War: World War II
Parent/Wife: John
City: Rudolph
Birth Date: May 17 1915
Death Date: abt Jul 1943
How Died: Illness/POW
Where Died: POW/Luzon
Where Buried:
Rank: Pvt
Branch: Army

Kia=Killed in Action
Dow=Died of Wounds
Dod=Died of Disease
Mia=Missing in Action

Stories









Elmer H. Blonien was born on April 12th, 1916 to Mrs. Catherine Blonien and Mr. John Blonien. When he was fourteen years of age his family moved into Wood County, residing in Rudolph. At the age of twenty-nine, he was initiated into the United States Army where he was appointed to A Company, 192nd Tank Battalion. He was a Private in the medical detachment.


Into the fall of 1941, his division was sent overseas to the Philippine Islands. Blonien and other men in his department spent the next couple of weeks getting combat equipment ready for action. Then on the morning of December 8th, 1941, their captain informed them of the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. They were directed to prepare their stations for attacks. The next morning Mr. Blonien lived through the bombing of Clark Field. Yet, several months following that attack, he spent fighting the Japanese and became a prisoner of war. During his imprisonment he was severely beaten with critical injuries. Camp doctors decided that the only way to save his life was to perform surgery.


Elmer H. Blonien died shortly after surgery on October 20th, 1942 due to a ruptured spleen. He was buried in the camp’s cemetery. He was the 2nd Wood County soldier known to have perished while a prisoner and to this day his final resting place is unknown.


Written By, Tianna Vanderhei

 


 


 


News Articles

Blonien Family Thank You
Blonien News
Blonien Notice
Blonien Part Two
Blonien Rites
Induction
http://www.proviso.k12.il.us/bataan%20web/Blonien.htm

 

  Honoring Our Wood County War Dead