Son of Local Man on Bataan
Lieut. Lawrence E. Hendrickson
Last Wrote in November
Lieut. Lawrence E. Hendrickson, son of H. J. Hendrickson, 25 Twentieth street southeast, was among the American Troops believed taken prisoner by the Japs when Bataan fell in the Philippines.
He was last heard from in November, when he wrote his father, describing the Philippines and telling of his work there. He was in the signal corps.
The 31-year-old lieutenant was a reserve officer and was called to duty in March of 1941. He visited his father here in April of 1941. A brother, Joe, is a sportswriter on the staff of the Minneapolis Star-Journal.
Source: The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Saturday, May 23, 1942 Page 7
Son of Mason Cityan Dies
While Prisoner on Transport
Father Notified Son Was on
Jap Torpedoed Ship
First Lt. Lawrence E. Hendrickson, son of H. J. Hendrickson, 25 20th S. E., was killed on last Dec. 16 while being transported by the Japanese from Manila to Japan, the war department officially notified his father in Mason City Friday.
Lt. Hendrickson, who had been a prisoner of the Japs in the Philippines since the fall of Bataan, was aboard a Japanese transport that was hit by a torpedo and the ship was sunk.
The last message was received from Lt. Hendrickson on July 15, 1944. At that time he declared he was in excellent health. He was then in prison camp No. 1.
Lt. Hendrickson was with the Minnesota state highway commission at the time of entering the service with the air signal corps on April 26, 1941. He went through the battles of Corregidor and Bataan.
Hendrickson held an M. A. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota and was also graduated from Harvard university.
The lieutenant’s brother, Joseph Hendrickson, sports editor of Esquire, was in Mason City, from Chicago Friday visiting with his father, who has just returned to Mason City after 5 weeks of hospitalization at Iowa City.
Source: The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Friday, July 27, 1945 Page 1
LIBERATED JAPANESE PRISONERS
EMERGE TO CHEERS OF WAITING CROWDS
Tokyo, (AP) – Liberated prisoners emerged from behind the massive walls of 4 Japanese prisons Wednesday to the acclaim of welcoming crowds shouting opposition to imperial rule . . . Sixteen liberated prisoners walked through the big wooden gate in Fuchu prison’s massive stone wall Wednesday to be hoisted immediately to the shoulders of a cheering crowd of 300 shouting “banzai.” . . . Three other prisons, Kosuge, Toyotama and Tokyo Kochisao, also opened on the Oct. 10 deadline set by [General Douglas] MacArthur. Many of these prisoners had been held as political prisoners without charge for 10 to 20 years, after advocating communism or had spoken against the ruling Japanese government. . . .
. . . Known to have died is Lt. Lawrence Hendrickson, son of H. J. Hendrickson, Mason City, died as he was being transported from the Philippines to Japan by the Japs. . . .
Source: The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Wednesday, October 10, 1945 Page 1
Joint Memorial Services Set
Joint public memorial services honoring 4 Mason Cityans who gave their lives in the service will be held at Music hall Sunday afternoon at 3:30 with the Rev. Alvin N. Rogness, pastor of Trinity Lutheran church, giving the eulogy.
Burial flags from the U. S. government will be presented to the next of kin of the 4 men as follows: To H. J. Hendrickson, 25 20th S. E., for his son, Lt. Lawrence E. Hendrickson; to Fred Hart, 816 Jefferson N. W., for his son, Pvt. Peter Hart; to Harriette J. Larson, 1442 Jefferson N. W., for her husband, F/O Harley R. Larson; and to Frances Louis Spencer, for her husband Pfc. William C. Spencer.
Gold star citation scrolls from the national department of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars and flowers from the 3 local organizations will also be presented to those receiving the flags.
The service will begin with a 5 minute piano prelude played by Mrs. Mildred Wolf. Mrs. T. J. Kiesselbach will be soloist.
Honor guard and firing squad for the day will be furnished by Company E of the Iowa state guard, Capt. L. R. Whipple commanding officer, with Lt. George C. Mathews in charge. Bugler of the day will be Dick Whipple, veteran returned from overseas.
All veterans organizations will attend in a body with their colors. They are requested to be at Music hall at 3:15. Tyler Stewart is in charge of arrangements.
Source: The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Friday, January 25, 1946 Page 7
