WISECUP-JOHN

SURVIVED  3½  YEARS  AS  JAPANESE  POW

John Herbert Wisecup was reportedly born May 15, 1919, in Louisiana.  Readily available historical records do not reveal the date he joined the Marine Corps, but it is recorded that prior to World War II he was a private attached to the Marine Detachment aboard the cruiser USS Houston where he was a member of the ship’s baseball team.  On March 1, 1942, the ship inadvertently encountered a Japanese invasion fleet in the Sunda Strait near Java and was sunk during the ensuing battle.  Of the 1,061 crewmembers, only 368 survived, including Wisecup, and all were taken prisoner by the Japanese.  Wisecup then spent World War II as a POW and was held in Java, Singapore, Thailand, and Changi until he was eventually released following the war after 3½ years as a POW.

During his internment he was one of the POW slave laborers who participated in building the Burma-Thailand Death Railway (1942-1944).  Here he gained the reputation as a “rugged, tough man” and despite legs swollen by beri-beri, foot tropical ulcers, dysentery, and occasional bouts of malaria, Wisecup reportedly not only refused to shirk his share of the slave labor but also entertained his fellow Americans with his wit and drawings.  His drawings were criticized as cartoonish but following the war he was persuaded to share his drawings with members of the Houston Survivors Association of which he became actively associated.  An associate described his drawings as “a gruesome reminder that we must never forget.”

Historical records fail to furnish details of Wisecup’s activities following World War II but it is written he lived for a period in Japan where he married a Japanese lady named Iku.  He also joined the Merchant Marine and reportedly sailed for many years until finally retiring.  John Herbert Wisecup died September 25, 2001, and his ashes are interred at Dallas - Fort Worth National Cemetery in Texas next to his wife who predeceased him in 2000.  His memorial marker carries the inscription:  CPL – USMC – WORLD WAR II – PURPLE HEART – POW.

     

   WISECUP DRAWING  - BURIAL DETAIL, POW CAMP - HINTOK, THAILAND

Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)