William “Bill” Dawson Gruber, age 22, of Toston and Townsend

Pvt William Gruber’s Memorial Services for His Return Home, Aug 5, 2017

Remembrance of His Early Life and Circumstances of His Loss, died Sept 27, 1942 in the Philippines

The Gruber family thanks all of you for attending today’s services in memory of Private William Gruber. Many of you here today may not be familiar with the story of Bill’s loss in the service of his country, three generations ago. William Gruber died Sept 27, 1942 in a Philippine Prisoner of War Camp.

My name is Ken Gruber, William’s nephew, Jack Gruber’s son. Today’s ceremonies are the result of the family’s insistence that Bill be identified using DNA submitted by the four surviving brothers. The Gruber family thanks the U.S. Army and the Defense POW and MIA Accounting Agency for identifying William’s partial remains.

William’s parents were Edward and Dora Gruber of Toston, Montana. William was born January 1920, the third eldest of nine children. The family was raised on a ranch beside the Missouri River near Toston. The family also lived in Toston for some time, and later Clancy Montana. William grew up during the difficult depression years and was instilled with a strong work ethic and learned the importance of family values. William, his parents and siblings were all raised as Catholic.

His surviving brothers, Bob, Barney and Frank remember William as being a hard worker and never complaining. He had a good sense of humor and a boyish grin. William loved to tinker with the family’s various cars and farm equipment. He learned many skills from his father, who at one time owned the Ford dealership in Townsend. There are family photos of Bill and his siblings perched on a Model T that he converted into a tractor. He looks very proud of it.

His brother, Bob, remembers one day their father took a little one cylinder gas engine off their mom’s washing machine and used it to power a water pump for the family’s garden. The engine was too small and broke down. Bill took the engine apart. The crank shaft and connecting rod were badly bent. Bill hammered the crankshaft and connecting rod straight, put the engine together, and mounted it back on the washing machine. It ran well. His mother was very pleased, and his father was in the dog house.

My mother Shirley Gruber has a story about Bill. Shirley was the teacher at the local one room school house near Toston. Jack and Bill were older having both completed school. Their parents frequently sent Jack in his Model T to pick up Jack’s younger brothers and sisters from school. This is how my mom and dad met. Occasionally Bill would go with Jack. Jack and Shirley would chat. Frequently Bill would chat with one of the older girls. Shirley says the girl developed a strong crush on Bill. Every Monday morning the girl would ask Shirley if she saw Bill during her weekend outings with Jack. Mom said nothing came out of it because Bill was entirely clueless. He did not figure out the girl liked him.

Upon becoming an adult, Bill entered the CCC’s for several years, sending money home to his family each month. Like many boys of the time, Bill was interested in aviation and wanted to further improve upon his mechanical skills. Bill decided to enlist in the Army Air Corps with the desire to become an aircraft mechanic. He enlisted October 1940 at age 20.

Bill completed basic training at March Field, Los Angeles. His brothers Jack and Bud lived in LA at the time. Bill spent his week end leave time with them. Upon completion of basic training, about March 1941, Bill made a trip home to Montana to see his family. Sadly, it was the last time the family saw him.

Upon completion of basic training, Bill was transferred to an airfield near Albuquerque, New Mexico to undergo further training for servicing of B17 bombers. Unfortunately Bill failed the written math exam for aircraft mechanic school. So, instead he became an aircraft refueler. He likely was on a bomber ground crew team and looked forward to serving his country. He completed training in Sept 1941.

At this time, the United States was reinforcing the Philippines, including the addition of new B-17 bomber squadrons. Bill was assigned to the 93^rd Bombardment Squadron (a B17 squadron). In October 1941, Bill was put on a ship, along with the rest of the squadron… destination Manila, Philippines. His squadron was assigned to Clark Air Base.

Upon his arrival in the Philippines Bill mailed a letter home dated Nov. 1941. He proudly mentions watching B17 squadrons flying in formation overhead. He also mentions he looked forward to learning about the odd customs of the locals. He complained about the high cost of postage. He said he would write home again soon. Unfortunately, this was the last the family heard from Bill. The Gruber family still treasures this letter. It is in Frank Gruber’s scrap book.

On Dec 7, 1941 (known as Pearl Harbor day), Japanese aircraft attacked Clark Airfield, destroying all the B17 bombers based there. Now, Bill and his fellow ground crew had no planes to work on. Their commander handed them rifles and ordered them to fight the invading Japanese on the Bataan Peninsula.

While the fighting on Bataan was taking place, there is a record Bill spent 3 days in the hospital, but was released to fight again.

The Bataan defenders fought for five months, but eventually ran out of food and ammunition. Many became ill with tropical diseases. They were told there would be no reinforcements. They were told there would be no attempt to relieve them. The situation was hopeless. On April 8, 1942 the Bataan defenders surrendered to the Japanese. 10,000 American soldiers and 60,000 Philippine soldiers laid down their arms. Most were already near starvation due to severely restricted rations. To this day, it is still the largest surrender of American military personnel in history. One of those included in the surrender that day was Bill Gruber.

All the surrendered soldiers were forced to march 100 miles in the hot tropical sun, with no food or water. The soldiers were mistreated by their captors. Over 600 Americans died on the march, today known as the Bataan Death March. Among the survivors of the march was Bill Gruber. Unfortunately, Bill and his fellow soldier’s ordeal was not over.

The troops finally entered POW Camp O’Donnell, all in weakened condition. Many died there. After several weeks, they were moved to the Cabanatuan POW Camp. Here the conditions became even worse; little food, no medicine, poor sanitation, contaminated drinking water. The Americans continued to die, up to 50 a day. Bill was known to have entered the hospital several times, beginning in June 1942. But his condition continued to weaken. Finally on Sept 27, 1942, Bill died. He was only 22 years old. His cause of death was recorded by American medical officers on the back of tin can labels: starvation, malaria, dysentery, beri-beri, diphtheria. He was buried along with 10 others that died that day in the Cabanatuan POW cemetery.

Of the 10,000 soldiers that surrendered at Bataan, more than half would not survive the ordeal of the Death March and the POW camps.

Bill’s family was not informed of his passing until June 1943. This was a tragic day for the Gruber family, never to be forgotten. Bill’s Army photograph remained on his mother’s bedroom dresser for the rest of her life.

For many years, the Gruber family had no information about what happened to Bill during the months between Nov 1941 and Sept 1942, other than the Army’s notice of his passing. The family had a sense that Bill had disappeared into a black hole, and we would never have information about his last months. However, that changed in 1974 when the family received a letter from Abie Abraham, also known as the “Ghost of Bataan”. Abie was known for his exploits behind enemy line during the Bataan battle. Abie explained he was a friend of Bill’s in the Cabanatuan POW camp. He wrote several letters to the family and also visited the family several times. Abie said he was with Bill when he died. It was of great solace to the family that Bill was not alone. Abie later wrote a book “Oh God, Where are You?” Bill is mentioned many times, having many conversations with Abie and other soldiers. This provided some sense of relief for the family…. just knowing the circumstances of his loss, and that he had friends that supported one another during their time of dire need.

This would be the end of Bill’s story, except for one instance of extreme coincidence. About 1995, my father Jack Gruber was on a shopping trip in Santa Maria CA. He noticed a car in the parking lot with a license frame “Bataan Survivor”. Jack was curious. He waited a while. Eventually an elderly gentleman came out of the store. Jack asked him if he was a Bataan survivor. He replied: “ yes I am”. Jack asked if he was held in the Cabanatuan POW Camp. “Yes I was a prisoner there”. Jack asked if he knew his bother Bill Gruber who was in the camp. The man said; “ that was a long time ago and there were thousands of us. But, after thinking a bit, “the name sounds familiar. Let me check some papers I have at home”. Jack gave him his phone number. A few days later the man called Jack. “Yes I knew Bill. We were stationed at Albuquerque together. We went on leave to town a couple of times. On one leave I took some photos. Bill is in them. I also remember Bill in the POW camp. He got in trouble with the Japanese when he refused to repair their broken down trucks (using colorful, but not polite Montana ranch language). After this they reduced his rations. Since we all were starving, he didn’t survive long after that”. A sad story. A few days later three photographs arrived in Jack’s mail. The photos have Bill and two soldier friends smiling, standing in front of a car with New Mexico desert in the background. They are the last known photographs of Bill.

Unfortunately, I, and my many cousins did not have the pleasure of knowing Bill. He died before any of us were born. Never the less, from our family’s fond stories about him, he lives in our hearts. And we are forever grateful for his service to his country, and the thousands of others that surrendered at Bataan.

After 75 years, we are here together today to say prayers for Bill and to say one last goodbye to Bill Gruber.

May our fallen loved ones not be forgotten.

  A Funeral Mass will celebrated at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 5, 2017 at the Cathedral of St. Helena, 530 N. Ewing St., Helena. Rite of Committal with Military Honors will take place following mass at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Cemetery in the North Boulder Valley. A reception will follow at St. Catehrine Catholic Church, 214 S. Elder St., Boulder, MT 59632. In lieu of flowers, memorials in honor of Private William Dawson Gruber, are suggested to the Prickly Pear Land Trust, P.O. Box 892, Helena, MT 59624. Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer the family a condolence or to share a memory of Bill.

Service Schedule

Funeral Mass

9:00 a.m.

Saturday August 5, 2017

Cathedral of St. Helena

530 N. Ewing St.

Helena, Montana 59601

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Burial with Military Honors

Following the Funeral Mass

Saturday August 5, 2017

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Cemetery

North Boulder Valley, Montana

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Reception

Following the burial

Saturday August 5, 2017

St Catherine Catholic Church

214 S. Elder

Boulder, Montana 59632

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