Jack Pickard Gould Full Narrative

Jack Pickard Gould was born on August 13, 1917 and grew up in the town of La Crosse, Washington. After graduating from La Crosse High School, he attended Washington State College (WSC) during the 1936 to 1937 academic year as a General Studies major. After dropping out of WSC, likely due to family financial concerns, he moved to Los Angeles and worked at La Brea and Pico Service Station. Gould enlisted as a Private in the Army Air Corps on November 6, 1940, and once his training was completed he was assigned to the Headquarters Squadron, 19th Bomb Group (Heavy). Both Gould and the 19th moved to the Philippine Islands from September to November 1941. After Army Major General Edward P. King surrendered to Japanese General Masaharu Homma on April 9, 1942, Gould was among the roughly 12,000 Americans and 63,000 Filipinos who became prisoners of war. Following the surrender, the Japanese marched the Allied troops toward Camp O'Donnell in Tarlac province, in what became known as the Bataan Death March. Gould survived the march, but fell ill at Camp O'Donnell and died on May 5, 1942. He was initially reported missing after the surrender of Bataan, so his family did not learn his fate until August 1945. He is memorialized at the Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines as well as the WSU Veterans Memorial. He posthumously received the Purple Heart.