If you know me by now, you know that I have an obsession with all things Hillsboro, Washington County, and our History. That is why a little-known web article came across my radar early this morning. I simply had to investigate.
Private William E Calkins is coming home!
The Central Oregon Daily News posted an AP news story online article about a Hillsboro, Oregon, area WW II soldier who served in the Philippines and whose remains, dug up from a mass grave, were just identified after years of research using DNA and dental records. His name was William E Calkins.
Catch that story here- https://www.centraloregondaily.com/news/redmond/newly-identified-remains-of-missing-world-war-ii-soldier-from-oregon-set-to-return-home/article_13e18322-d82f-500c-9734-199fab72174c.html
According to the Department of Defense, Calkins was captured by Japanese forces after the fall of Bataan and endured the infamous Bataan Death March, where tens of thousands of captured soldiers from the US and Philippines were killed by brutal Japanese officers in every form of torture known to man. Calkins survived the 65-mile ordeal but died in a prisoner of war camp in the Philippines in 1942 at the age of 17 and was buried in a mass grave. His remains were later moved to the Manila American Cemetery but remained unidentified until recently. Through DNA analysis, Calkins has now been accounted for and will be laid to rest in Hillsboro, Oregon, this September.
There is not much more published about Calkins, but the Herald and our partners at the Hillsboro Historical Society will be digging in to ensure this fallen hero has a hero’s welcome. It is unknown where or when exactly he will be buried. Our historical researchers at the Historical Society believe his parents and family were from Mountaindale above North Plains, Laurelwood, and Gaston, Oregon.
According to our research, Joseph Edison and Eva Lena Calkins were his parents. The Herald will update this story and how local people may want to honor this young fallen soldier who fell over 81 years ago while defending our Country, a place where we all live free to this day because of brave men and women like him.
We will post the time and place of any public memorial or service for Private Calkins as soon as we know.
We expect this story to generate significant media attention within a few days and we hope for nothing less. RIP and Welcome home to Private William Ezra Calkins.
The Hillsboro Herald is a News source- an online digital newspaper and media source. Most of our stories are one-of-a-kind, unique, hyper-local, investigative, and uncovered by no other news media. We have subscribers and allow advertisers to work with us and meet our readers. We are formally organized as an Oregon LLC with the express purpose of gathering and diseminating news to the public and the Citizens of the Communities we serve. The City of Hillsboro leadership denies the Hillsboro Herald access to Executive Sessions, which has been held almost every meeting lately. There is no record of what happens in those meetings, and media and journalists are allowed. The Herald has been denied access because their city attorneys stated that this is a blog site, not a news media source. This makes it convenient for them to hide what is being done and said from the Herald. We tell you, our readers, this to make you ponder their decision and why they have made it. Several attorneys from the State and National Levels offer to take this matter to court. We want to bring you the news- and the best of the news. We do not force our readers to pay for the news like The Oregonian, Oregon-Live, The Business Journal, and others will. We do ask for your support and patronage as a subscriber or supporter. You can do that right here- https://www.patreon.com/join/HillsboroHerald
Additional information was found here: https://www.stripes.com/veterans/2024-08-15/wwii-soldier-remains-philippines-14876847.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawEt7f5leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHZ-lIy3UcsUaPW-1AtIOW5YbnFyMwQKhmr_pAb4FpE07wHvpDzTkXnzJ5Q_aem_hvfAPQRrDd_r5SNfcEWgmg
