John Edward Hood was born Nov. 13, 1921 to Bert E. and Agnes Hood. He died Nov. 23, 2007 and is buried in Glendale Cemetery, Des Moines, IA.
Petty Officer Hood served in World War II with the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Houston (CA-30) and became a POW after that ship was sunk. The survivors were taken as slave laborers, prisoners of war. At first they were put to work unloading weapons, supplies and other cargo on Java.
Later, John was taken with other prisoners to Burma, India to work on a railroad that the Japanese were building from Burma, India to Thailand now known as Indonesia. The work consisted of clearing the jungle, making embankments and laying railroad track. The railroad construction was made famous, in the 1957 Academy Award Winning Motion Picture, "Bridge Over River Kwai". John lost 50 pounds being a prisoner of war. The men were liberated at daylight, September 6, 1945 by six C47's.
John had to finish 10 more months of his six year enlistment after having his medical check-up. He was stationed in San Diego, CA. He was discharged from the Navy, June 23, 1946. Later he received the Purple Heart and many other medals.
Source: ancestry.com
