Ilion High School - Class of 1937

Herkimer Evening Telegram - August 15, 1946

Army Seeks Testimony Of Ilion War Prisoner For Jap Crime Trials

Article 10

Ilion - Cpl. John H. Chesebrough, son of William A. Chesebrough, 116 Central Ave., a survivor of the "Bataan Death March," will be one of the 2,661 former American prisoners of war, to furnish a deposition concerning war crimes and atrocities committed by the Japs, it was learned here today.

The nation-wide campaign to contact the former American prisoners of the Japs, many since returned to civilian status, was initiated today by the Army in a concerted effort to obtain evidence to be used in the war crimes trials at Tokyo.

Both the Veterans Administration and the Attorney General's office will cooperate with the Army in taking the statements of the exPOWS. Branch and regional offices of the Veterans Agency and all Federal District Attorneys have been provided with the lists of former prisoners who have been requested to give depositions, and have been briefed also in the procedure for taking evidenciary statements

The name of Cpl. Chesebrough was the only one listed from Herkimer county, although there were at least two others in the "death march." They were S/gt. Howard L. Hume, Ilion, RD 2, and S/Sgt. John Fitchard Fischer, 310 N. Prospect St., Herkimer.

Betters, it was learned, have been sent to each former PW from whom a deposition is desired, urging him to visit either a Federal District Attorney's office or a VA office.

Originally an attempt was made to contact every former PW immediately on his release from confinement and have him fill out a questionnaire, the answers to which would reflect his personal knowledge of war crimes, and its potential value as trial evidence. It was hoped that this would provide an adequate basis for the presentation of war crimes evidence.

However, as the trials progressed, it became increasingly apparent that the statements available for use represented only a small percentage of the total number of Americans who were held prisoner by the Japanese and, further, that particular points needing coverage often were not included in statements that were possessed by the prosecuting teams.

Cpl. Chesebrough, who enlisted in 1940 in Utica, was among those taken prisoner by the Japs in the tunnels of Corregidor. Prior to that he had been stationed at Nichols Field near Manila, and had participated in the defense of Bataan and Corregidor.

Chesebrough, believed to be the only Ilion youth to have taken part in those engagements, was graduated from Ilion high school in 1937. He played on the basketball team and was active in Mohawk Valley boxing circles.

The Ilion veteran after being confined in the Philippines weighed about 160 pounds after the "Death March." He was one of those physically fit for transfer to the mainland.