Lloyd A. Nelson, Corporal, U.S. Army Air Forces

Service # 37037644

803rd Engineer Battalion, Aviation

Entered the Service from: Nebraska

Died 25 Nov 42

Buried at: Plot D Row 1 Grave 142 Manila American Cemetery Manila, Philippines

Awards: Silver Star

Lloyd A. Nelson, Corporal, U.S. Army Air Forces, World War 2

Lloyd A. Nelson was born in Washington County on April 30, 1906, attended Pleasant View Grade School. He volunteered for the service on April 28, 1941 and after training was sent to the Philippines. His parents had not heard from him since November 1941, a month before the war started. In May of 1942 the war department listed him as “missing in action” since the Japanese overran the islands. He was then listed as a “prisoner of war”, and in July 1943 they were notified he died as a prisoner of the Japanese. The American Battle Monuments Commission records Lloyd A. Nelson as dying on November 25, 1942. He is buried at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines. He was awarded the Silver Star.

At the time of his death his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nels C. Nelson, his brother Sgt. Harold A. Nelson, and two sisters Della and Lela Nelson, and his grandparents Mr. and Mrs. Christ Nelson of Blair survived him.

Currently, Della Ray and Lela Ray are living in Blair.

#2-Pilot Tribune 18 Feb 1943

Another is Jap Prisoner

Nelsons Learn Son, Lloyd Nelson, Prisoner In Fall Of Philippines

Mr. and Mrs. N. C. Nelson of northwest of Blair received word Monday night that their son, Private Lloyd A. Nelson, who was in the Philippines when the Japanese overran the islands, is now a prisoner of the Japs.

The Nelsons were much relieved to learn of his comparative safety, inasmuch as they had received no word whatsoever from him since November, 1941, a month before the war started. Last May the war department listed him as “missing in action”, a routine classification of all men swallowed up in the islands.

Private Nelson was serving at Clark Field, Fort Stotsenburg, one of the hot spots of initial Philippines action.

He has a brother, Sergeant Harold A. Nelson, now in Africa, and two sisters, Misses Della and Lelah Nelson of Blair. His grand ???? Note: Lloyd died Nov. 15, 1942 in march on Bataan in Philippines. He was born April 30, 1906.

#3-Pilot Tribune 22 July 1943

Cpl. Lloyd Nelson

(Photo)

Blair Man is Victim

Former Farmer, 37 Dies Prisoner

War Department Notifies Mr. and Mrs. Nels C. Nelson of Their Son’s Fate; Was Second of Japs’ Four County Prisoners to Die

Cpl. Lloyd A. Nelson, 37, former Blair farmer, has met death in the Philippine Islands as a prisoner of the Japanese, the war department last week-end informed his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nels C. Jensen of west of Blair.

Thus the fate of another of Washington county’s four soldiers imprisoned by the Japanese has been learned. Word had been received last week that Capt. Harlow Brewer, 30, former Blair dentist, also had met death there. No reports have been received concerning Staff Sgt. Gifford Dixon, jr. of Blair and Aaron Johnson of Kennard.

The word which announced the death of Cpl. Nelson was the first word his parents had received that he had been promoted from private. They had not heard from him directly since before the war started.

Cpl. Nelson, born west of Herman April 30, 1906, spent his entire lifetime in Washington county prior to entering the army. He was farming south of Blair for Chris and Floyd Hinz when he entered the army on April 28, 1941. Four months later he was sent to the Philippines to complete his training and was stationed there at Clark Field, Fort Stotsenburg.

ELEVEN PRESENT OR EX-COUNTIANS DEAD

On the basis of officially reported deaths, 11 present and former Washington county boys already have offered their lives in the present war. The list of heroes:

CPL. LLOYD A. NELSON, 37 Blair; army, Philippines.

CAPT. HARLOW BREWER, 30, Blair; army, Philippines

LT. ROBERT K. FLYNN, 27 Blair; army, air corps, Europe.

SGT. JOHN B. McNEW, 28, Ft. Calhoun; army, “North American area”

DONALD MILLION, formerly of Arlington; navy, Pacific

SGT. JOHN BAILEY, 27, Herman; army, Philippines

PFC. PAUL SCHMIDT, 27, Arlington; army, North Africa

VERNON MORRIS, 18, formerly of Arlington; navy, Pacific

S2/c EDWIN JAPP, 20, formerly of Kennard; navy, Pacific

HYLE E. BASSINGER, 27, formerly of Arlington; army, North Africa

LT. ERVIN MEYER, 25, husband of the former Betty Compton, of Blair; army air corps, Texas

#4-Enterprise 22 July 1943

(Photo)

Cpl. Lloyd Nelson Is War Victim

Previously Reported To Be Prisoner Of War Now Dead

#5-Enterprise 19 April 1945

Report received from the Japanese government through the International Red Cross states that your son, Corporal Lloyd A. Nelson previously reported a prisoner of war died in the Philippine Islands. The secretary of war extends his deep sympathy. Letter follows. Ulio the Adjutant General

The above telegram was received Monday morning by Mr. and Mrs. N. C. Nelson. It is useless to attempt to find words strong enough to portray bitter sorrow that it brought to them, but they are brave and realize that war must take its toll in the loss of life and the suffering and sacrifice in every conceivable way.

Cpl. Lloyd A. Nelson, 37 years old last April, volunteered and was admitted to the armed forces of his country on April 28, 1941. After a short training course he was sent to the Philippines where since October of 1942 he has been stationed and where he saw much active service. His base where he was located was Clarkfield in the Philippines.

His younger brother, Harold, had enlisted in February of 1941 and is now in Africa.

Lloyd was born and reared in this county and was educated in the Pleasant View school and has many friends of his earlier days who will mourn his death.

Besides the parents, Mr. and Mrs. N. C. Nelson and his brother, serving his country in Africa, he leaves two sisters Della and Lela, both at home, and the grandparents on his father’s side, Mr. and Mrs. Chris Nelson besides many uncles, aunts and cousins.

He died doing his bit for the land he loved, a martyr for freedom. His memory will be cherished and as long as time lasts he will be pointed to as one of the illustrious sons who died for freedom’s sake.

#6-Enterprise 19 April 1945

Lloyd A. Nelson Died in Nov. ‘42

Word Received By Aunt Verifies Facts Relative To His Death

Mrs. Alfred C. Andersen, of Herman, aunt of the late Lloyd A. Nelson, who died in service, is in receipt of a letter from Travis W. Flowers, who served alongside of Nelson. The letter clears up the doubt of how and when he died.

For the information of his friends and relatives, The Enterprise reproduces the letter as follows:

“Fitzsimmons G. H. April 11, 1945

“Dear Mrs. Andersen:

“Received your letter yesterday and will be glad to help you. I have been intending to write to Blair, Nebraska, as that was Lloyd’s address. But I am glad I got a letter from you.

“I knew your nephew well. We were together all the time during the war, in fact, the last foxhole I was in was with Lloyd on May 6, 1942, when Corregidor surrendered. We were good buddies. He didn’t smoke so he gave me all the cigarettes he got through the mess line.

“I wonder if his grandfather is still living. I heard him say he was pretty old but got around every day for a walk when he left home.

“In August, 1942, Lloyd had yellow jaundice. That lasted until October. About the time the jaundice was getting better, he was taken with diphtheria and I could not see him any more because he was isolated then. He died around the 15th of November, 1942.

“If there are any questions, write again. I will try to answer them for you the best I can.

“Sincerely, Travis W. Flowers”

#7-Pilot Tribune 19 April 1945

Nelson is Victim of Disease

Died In Jap Prison Camp, In 1942; Details Told By Former “Buddy”

Lloyd A. Nelson, Blair serviceman who died in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines nearly two and a half years ago, was a victim of disease,, Blair relatives learned this week.

Details of Nelson’s death were contained in a letter written by a fellow serviceman, Pvt. Travis W. Flowers, 803rd Engineers, of Scranton, N. C. In a letter to Nelson’s aunt, Mrs. Alfred C. Andersen of Herman, Pvt. Flowers wrote as follows:

I have been intending to write to Blair, Nebraska, as that was Lloyd’s address. “I knew your nephew well. We were together all the time during the war, in fact, the last foxhole I was in was with Lloyd on May 6, 1942, when Corregidor surrendered.

We were good buddies. He didn’t smoke so he gave me all the cigarettes he got through the mess line.

“In August, 1942, Lloyd had yellow jaundice. That lasted until October. About the time the jaundice was getting better, he was taken with diphtheria and I could not see him any more because he was isolated then. He died around the 15th of November, 1942.

Pvt. Flowers wrote Mrs. Andersen in answer to a letter which she had sent him %Postmaster, Scranton, N.C., soon after the soldier was listed among released prisoners. The letter was forwarded to Pvt. Flowers at the Fitzsimmons hospital in Denver, Colo.

Nelson, a grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Chris Nelson of Blair, was in the 803rd Engineers, also.

#8-25 Oct., 1945 - The Enterprise

CPL. L. NELSON DIED OF ILLNESS IN PACIFIC AREA

A letter received this week by Mr. and Mrs. Nels Nelson from Major R. E. Gambrill of the United States Army, revealed that their son, Cpl. Lloyd Nelson, died in a Philippine prison camp on November 25th, 1942. Death was attributed to Beri-Beri and other complications at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp.

The Nelsons had not previously known just how their son met his death in the service.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~