Thomas J. Pechacek
U.S. Marine Corps, 1st Defense Battalion and Prisoner Of War (POW)

In memory: Thomas J. Pechacek passed away July 22, 2019

Background
Thomas Joseph Pechacek (pronounced Pay-Check) was born in Cleveland, Ohio and graduated high school in 1937. During November 1939, he joined the United States Marine Corps (USMC) with serial number 277224. He attended recruit training at Parris Island, SC. Afterwards, stationed in Cuba, San Diego then Oahu where he was assigned to the 3rd Defense Battalion. During August 1941, transfered to the 1st Defense Battalion on Wake Island to replace a Marine that was evacuated for health reasons.

On Wake Island, he was responsible for communications, maintaining telephone wire between gun positions and servicing field telephones around Peacock Point on the southeast tip. He was armed with a Springfield M1903 rifle and a bayonet and was issued a World War I era helmet.

Wartime History
On December 8, 1941 at the start of the Pacific War, he experienced the first Japanese air raid against Wake Island. He remembers damage sustained by the Pan Am "Philippine Clipper" NC14715 in the lagoon and helped repair the skin. For the next fifteen days, he and the U.S. garrison on Wake endured Japanese air raids and manned defensive positions.

On December 23, 1941 in the morning as the Japanese landed, he was wounded by a piece of shrapnel from a Japanese bomb that hit his left leg above the ankle. That same day, the entire garrison of roughly 1,600 including Marines and civilian contractors surrendered and became Prisoners Of War (POW).

Prisoner Of War (POW)
Pechacek and the other prisoners were loaded aboard Nitta Maru and shipped to Yokohama then to Shanghai and forced to march to Woosung Prison Camp. For the next two years, he and other prisoners labored for the Japanese. Later, he was transfered to Korea and performed hard labor working 12 hours per day loading salt onto Japanese ships. Afterwards, he was sent to Hakodate POW Camp on Hokkaido and worked in a coal mine until the end of the Pacific War. On September 16, 1945 he was liberated via Guam to San Francisco where he was hospitalized for a month. In January 1946 he was discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant.

Postwar
After the war, Pechacek applied for a job at Pan Am, a company he knew from Wake and was hired. He became a duty supervisor and foreman and worked at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station supporting space missions including the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs.

Today
After 28 years working, he retired to Melbourne, Florida. Due to the efforts of Donna Loretti, his home health aid he was awarded the Purple Heart on April 14, 2018 at American Legion Post 163 POW-MIA Recognition Day ceremony. He was active in the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign War (VFW).

Memorials
Pechacek passed away on July 22, 2019 at age 98. He is buried at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery section A-B4 row B site 1.

References
NARA World War II Prisoners of War Data File - Thomas J. Pechacek
NARA World War II Prisoners of the Japanese Data Files, created 4/2005 - 10/2007, documenting the period ca. 1941 - ca. 1945
Florida Today "Melbourne World War II POW finally receives Purple Heart, 76 years after his capture" May 10, 2018
Florida Today "Thomas Joseph Pechacek - Funeral Notice 98, 22-Jul, Brownlie-Maxwell Funeral Home" July 24, 2019
Florida Today "Melbourne WWII POW who waited 76 years for his Purple Heart dies at age 98" July 31, 2019
FindAGrave - Thomas Joseph Pechacek (grave photo)
Thanks to Thomas J. Pechacek for additional information