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Air Force presents Purple Heart, POW/MIA medal to family of WWII soldier

  • Published
  • By Bekah Clark
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  The U.S. Air Force presented the Purple Heart award and the POW/MIA medal to the brothers of a WWII soldier during a ceremony today attended by more than 200 people, military and civilian alike, at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

Army Private 1st Class John Lewis Ferguson, a hero to his family and all who attended the event, survived the notorious 'Bataan Death March' before being held captive at the infamous Cabanatuan Prisoner of War Camp, where he later died on Dec. 10, 1942. Private Ferguson's twin brothers, Merle and Earl Ferguson, accepted the awards from Gen. Raymond Johns, commander of Air Mobility Command, in a ceremony coinciding with National POW/MIA Remembrance Day.

"Today is a day for remembering a young man's sacrifice to his nation at a time of great need and, in doing so, persevered through tremendous hardship and ultimately succumbing to the brutal treatment in a POW camp in the Philippines," said General Johns.

The day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese invaded the Philippines. Private Ferguson's status was changed to "beleaguered" on Dec. 8, 1941. He was originally reported as 'Missing in Action' on May 7, 1942, with his status later updated to 'Prisoner of War,' effective April 17, 1942.

Growing up in a small farmland outside of Gridley, Ill., Private Ferguson stepped up to help his mother care for his younger siblings when, at age 12, he lost his father to pneumonia. He worked on a dairy farm and, as a form of payment, would bring home milk for the family. John attended a one-room schoolhouse in rural Benedict, completing 8 grades before moving to Flanagan. With the move to town, John entered high school and proudly graduated in 1940.

As the family lacked the means for John to attend college, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps to further his education, eventually earning his wings as a glider pilot.

"This is a day to reflect on how (Private Ferguson) wanted to better himself by furthering his education. He joined the Army Air Corps as a mechanic, but later earned his wings while serving in the Pacific. It's a day to honor his service to our nation, and present the appropriate recognition for his contributions."

Private Ferguson's nephew, Mike Ferguson, of Orlando, Fla., spoke on behalf of the family and recalled hearing stories about his uncle from former classmates who thought of him as a quiet and polite boy who also loved to play baseball. He thanked General Johns for his kind words in helping to put his uncle's service in perspective.

"It's a special day for us and is in keeping with the motto printed on the POW/MIA flag: 'You are not forgotten'," said Mr. Ferguson. "We appreciate all that the base [and Air Mobility Command] has done for us in working with the Army to make this happen."

During the ceremony, members of the local Philippine-American community at Scott AFB, were given a special 'thank you' from General Johns and family members for "representing the Philippine population who did all they could to save the lives of our American troops."