Robert G. Bogan
Private, U.S. Army
Serial: 06978763
19th Quartermaster Company (Truck)
Entered the Service from: Pennsylvania
Died: May 14, 1942
Buried at: Plot D Row 11 Grave 246
Manila American Cemetery
Manila, Philippines
Introduction
Private Robert G. Bogan was born in 1920. He was the son of Gordon and Mary Bogan, who lived at 120 North Brown Street in Gloucester City, New Jersey. Private Bogan entered the service from Pennsylvania and was serving with the 19th Quartermaster Company (Truck) when the Philippines fell to Japanese forces in the spring of 1942. He was captured and died on May 14, 1942 at Camp O'Donnell, one of approximately 1,600 Americans who perished there in the first forty days of American captivity. He is memorialized at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Defense of Bataan
Outline of Events — “Battling Bastards of Bataan”
July 26, 1941 — Far East Air Force activated; General Douglas MacArthur named Commander of U.S. Army Forces in the Far East.
December 8, 1941 (Philippines time) — Japan attacks the Philippines. Clark Field and Iba Field are devastated; the Far East Air Force is crippled in the first hours of war. Philippine Army is mobilized.
December 10, 1941 — Japanese troops land at Aparri and Vigan in Northern Luzon and Legaspi in Southern Luzon.
December 22, 1941 — The main Japanese invasion force of 43,000 troops under General Masaharu Homma lands at Lingayen Gulf.
December 23, 1941 — General MacArthur orders the implementation of War Plan Orange 3 (WPO-3), which calls for a fighting withdrawal to Bataan.
December 24, 1941 — The North and South Luzon Forces begin the fighting retreat to Bataan. USAFFE Headquarters moves from Manila to Corregidor.
December 25, 1941 — Manila is declared an Open City.
December 26, 1941 — Japanese troops land at Lamon Bay. The South Luzon Force withdraws northward across the Calumpit bridges.
January 1, 1942 — USAFFE forces complete the withdrawal into Bataan; the Calumpit bridges are blown. Approximately 80,000 Filipino and American troops are now on Bataan Peninsula.
January 2, 1942 — Manila falls to the Japanese.
January 7, 1942 — The Abucay–Mauban line, the first main line of resistance, is established across Bataan.
January 9, 1942 — General Homma launches his main attack on Bataan along the Abucay–Mauban line.
January 22–26, 1942 — Japanese forces infiltrate behind the Abucay line; USAFFE forces withdraw to the Pilar–Bagac line, the final main line of resistance.
January 26, 1942 — The Pilar–Bagac line is established. Food rations are cut in half.
February 8, 1942 — General Homma requests reinforcements from Tokyo; fighting subsides into a period of relative stalemate.
February 22, 1942 — President Roosevelt orders General MacArthur to leave the Philippines. MacArthur protests but is ordered to obey.
March 11, 1942 — General MacArthur, his family, and key staff leave Corregidor by PT boat for Mindanao, and then fly to Australia. General Jonathan Wainwright assumes command of USAFFE.
March 12–April 3, 1942 — Japanese reinforcements arrive. The defenders of Bataan are exhausted, diseased, and slowly starving; malaria, dysentery, beriberi, and dengue fever are rampant. Food rations are cut again.
April 3, 1942 — General Homma launches a massive offensive on the Pilar–Bagac line, supported by heavy artillery and air bombardment.
April 7, 1942 — The Pilar–Bagac line collapses. General Edward King, commanding Bataan, determines that further resistance is hopeless and begins arranging surrender terms.
April 9, 1942 — General King surrenders Bataan. Approximately 12,000 Americans and 63,000 Filipinos become prisoners of war—the largest surrender of American forces since the Civil War.
April 9–May 1942 — The Bataan Death March begins. Approximately 70,000 prisoners of war are forced to march approximately 65 miles from Mariveles at the tip of the Bataan Peninsula to Camp O'Donnell. Those who fall are beaten; those who cannot rise are killed. Thousands die on the march from brutality, starvation, dehydration, disease, and exhaustion.
Approximately 54,000 Filipinos and 12,000 Americans are interned at Camp O'Donnell. Conditions are catastrophic. Approximately 2,500 Americans die at Camp O'Donnell; Filipino casualties are far higher. In the first forty days of American captivity at Camp O'Donnell, approximately 1,600 Americans perish—among them Private Robert G. Bogan of Gloucester City, New Jersey.
May 6, 1942 — Corregidor falls; General Wainwright surrenders all remaining American forces in the Philippines.