Sgt. John L. Mims, one of the last survivors of the Bataan Death March passed into eternity on Sunday after celebrating his 94th birthday last Friday. He enlisted in the US Army at age of 15 in 1938 because, as he said, he was hungry. He was discharged in 1939 after the Army discovered his age. He reenlisted before the attack on Pearl Harbor and was sent to the Philippines in the 21st Division. He was caught up in the thousands of American servicemen that were ordered to surrender in April, 1942. He endured the Death March and when he observed a Japanese soldier dropping a bottle of Coca Cola, Sgt. Mims picked it up, and the soldier took it away and hit him in the mouth, knocking out all his lower front teeth. He did not receive a set of false teeth until after the war ended. He tried to escape and was gone for seven days only to be recaptured. He was then spread on the ground and a bulldozer blade was dropped on his legs breaking both of them. He was shipped to Japan on a "Hell Ship" and was forced, along with other prisoners to dig coal in a coal mine. When he was released from prison he weighted 67 pounds. He stayed in the Army and retired with 27 years of active service. He was a very proud American, a great patriot, a husband and father. He was a full bloodied Native American and credited his survival and long life to God. I attended church with he and his wife, always gracious and humble, he will be missed.
