Robert Guy Griffith
Courier Tribune
14 Nov 1940
page 8
Bern
Mr. and Mrs. Guy Griffith received word from their son, Bob, last week that he had joined the Army Air corps and has been at Hamilton Field, near San Francisco until recently, when he sailed for the Philippines.
Courier Tribune
29 Dec 1941
page 1
Christmas “All’s Well”
from Son in Philippines
The finest Christmas greeting received by Mr. and Mrs. Guy Griffith, north of Seneca, came by cable and telephone. It was a simple message; an “all’s well,” from Robert Griffith, son who is in the air corps in the Philippines. Robert is a graduate of Seneca high school. He has been stationed at Nichol and Clark fields. The cablegram was the first word from him since October 20 The parents arr temporarily relieved but of course remain anxious about Robert’s continued safety while the Philippines battle rages.
Courier Tribune
20 Aug 1942
page 1
Bob Griffith Listed Missing
He Was in Bataan Action
By Bern Correspondent
Mr. and Mrs. Guy Griffith Seneca route, who live west of Bern, have received official work that their son Robert, former Seneca student, is missing in action on Bataan peninsula.
His name does not appear on the casualty list. However, a final check-up cannot be made for some time to come.
Mr. and Mrs. Griffith had appealed to the Red Cross in getting some news from their son. The last letter they received from him was written in November. They received a cablegram of Christmas greetings. Bob was serving in the air corps according to last word.
Courier Tribune
11 Sep 1944
page 2
Robert G. Griffith, reported missing in action in the Philippines over a year ago, was declared officially dead May 8, 1944, leaving as his nearest kin, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Guy D. Griffith. Mr. Griffith was appointed administrator.
Courier Tribune
26 Jun 1947
page 1
Announce Identification
of Soldier’s Remains
Robert G. Griffith, Technician 3rd grade, U. S army, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Guy Griffith, of north of Seneca, gave his life in the Philippines during the recent world war. While it has been long realized that he must have lost his life, his remains were among the unidentified dead until recently.
The following item is from the Kansas City Quartermaster department:
Recent announcement from Washington of the positive identification of the remains of 353 American solders, including six from Kansas, who died in the Philoppine Islands during the Japanese occupation, is one of the many examples of the thoroughness-and persistency being exhibited by the American Graves Registration Service and the Quartermaster Corps in establishing the identities of previously recorded unknown dead of World War II, Col. M. A. Quinn, Commanding officer, Kansas City Quartermaster Depot, stated.
The identified Kansans, who were among a group of approximately 1,600 buried in Camp O’Donnell Prisoner of War Cemetery on Luzon and later reburied in the U. S. Armed Forces Cemetery Manila No. 2, include Technician 3rd grade Robert G. Griffith, Seneca, Kansas.
Next of kin of the deceased have been notified by The Quartermaster General of the Army, T. B. Larkin, according to Col. Quinn.
“Identities of the unknown were established by the Office of The Quartermaster General following more than a year of research and study and interrogation of liberated prisoners of war, including officers who survived the period of imprisonment,” Colonel Quinn explained. “Certification of the correctness of the identification in each case was made by an Army Board of Review which examined all the facts gathered-by-American Graves Registration Service personnel and Quartermastex Corps identification experts.
“Those facts included among other things dental charts, on which a number of months were spent in comparisons finally authenticated by a Dental Corps officer. Each of the remains was examined and the clues in each case collected and studied until overwhelming evidence regarding identity could be presented to the Review Board.”。
Present plans call for a continued study of all other remains that are still in an unidentified status in temporary military cemeteries over the globe in an effort to obtain further additional identifying media, Colonel Quinn advised.
The 1 Dec 2010 issue of the Sabetha Herald contains a detailed article by Patty Locher about Robert Griffith’s death in a Japanese prisoner of war camp.
Bataan Death March Resources