<div>
<em>William Starr Van Nostrand</em>, variously known as Swede, Van, or Bill, was born 28 July 1910 at Merrill, Wisconsin, where he grew up and attended school, graduating from Merrill High School in 1928. He attended Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota, before receiving an appointment to West Point from the 11th District of Wisconsin and entering the Academy in July 1930 with the Class of 1934. He was a member of "D" Company all four years and was active in athletics, winning letters in soccer, hockey, and lacrosse.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Van chose the Cavalry and upon graduation went to Fort Bliss, Texas, with the 7th Cavalry. From June to October 1936 he was a student officer at the Air Corps Primary Flying School, Randolph Field, Texas, after which he returned to Bliss with the 1st Armored Cavalry Squadron. While stationd there, he met Jane Burke of El Paso, to whom he was married 3 October 1936. From Bliss Van went to the Cavalry School at Fort Riley, where he attended the Regular Course, 1938-1939, and went on to Advanced Equitation, 1939-1910. From Riley he was ordered to Fort Knox with the Armored Force, then to the 26th Cavalry at Fort Stotsenburg in the Philippines. On 14 June 1941, Van’s son, William Starr Van Nostrand III, was born in Sternberg Hospital, Manila. Shortly after the birth of young Bill the international situation became worse, so Jane and the baby returned to the States while Van remained with his unit.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
In September 1941 he was sent, with other American officers, to assist in the mobilization of the Philippine Army. His first assignment was with the 2d Battalion, 61st Regiment, 81st Division, Philippine Army, stationed at Dingle, Iloilo, on the island of Panay. Later, when war became imminent, the American officers were relieved as instructors and given command assignments in the Philippine Army. Van became Regimental Executive and was promoted to major. Soon after this, the 61st Infantry was sent to the island of Negros, where it remained until after the attack on Pearl Harbor, when it was moved to Mindanao, arriving on New Years Day, 1942.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
When the islands fell in early May, Van was captured and confined first in Prisoner of War camp number two at Davao, Mindanao, but later, in June of 1944, was transferred to camp number one at Cabanatuan, Luzon. In December of 1944, he, with about 1800 other American prisoners of war, were loaded aboard the unmarked Japanese Prisoner of War transport "Oryoku Maru” for transfer to Japan. It sailed from Manila 13 December and was bombed in Subic Bay on 15 December by American planes. Van survived this bombing, swimming to Olongapo where he was gathered, with other survivors, on the Navy tennis courts. He was then sent by train to Lingayen Gulf where he was placed aboard another unmarked Prisoner of War transport, the "Enoura Maru," en route to Formosa. This transport was bombed on 9 January 1945 in the harbor at Takao, Formosa. Van was hit by a bomb fragment and apparently died of internal bleeding. He held the rank of lieutenant colonel at the time of his death. Among the medals awarded him are the Silver Star, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Purple Heart.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Van was a dedicated soldier, a born leader of men, and an excellent young officer with a promising military future before him. It was the Army’s and the nation’s loss that this career was cut short at such an early age.</div>
<div>
</div>