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<em>William Henry Traeger</em> was born in Bellevue, Pennsylvania on 26 February 1912, the son of Colonel and Mrs. Charles H. Traeger, Ordnance Corps, United States Army. His early schooling was at the various Army posts where his father was stationed. While Bill was spending a year at Ohio State University, his parents were stationed at Rock Island Arsenal, and Bill was able to obtain an appointment to the Military Academy from Illinois.</p>
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At West Point Bill took academics rather casually but showed his fine mind in philosophical sessions with his company mates. Four years on the soccer team kept his body in excellent shape, too. His social life blossomed when he met Virginia (Ginny) Meekin of Fond-du-Lac, Wisconsin. They wore married on 14 June 1937 in the Cadet Chapel by Colonel Clayton Wheat, Professor of English and former Cadet Chaplain.</p>
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Bill and Ginny spent their first year and a half at Fort Banning, Georgia, with Bill assigned to the 29th Infantry. In January 1939 Bill, Ginny, and their baby daughter, Catherine, sailed from Charleston for Manila aboard the Army transport Grant. Forty-six days later they arrived in the Philippines, where Bill was assigned to the 43th Infantry, Philippine Scouts. They enjoyed a pleasant, short year or so together at Fort McKinley. In May 1941 their four-year life together ended with the evacuation of dependents from the islands.</p>
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When the Japanese invaded Bill fought with his unit as battalion operations officer and battalion commander on the Bataan Peninsula until surrender. He managed to survive the death march and almost three years of POW camps, only to die in the sinking of the <em>Oryoku Maru</em> on 13 December 1944 en route to Manchuria.</p>
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While a POW Bill, now a major, received a posthumous Bronze Star Medal and a Purple Heart for his role in preventing the execution of an entire POW work detail because of a violent attack by a mentally disturbed prisoner upon a Japanese guard.</p>
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Cut down in his prime, we do not know what this brave infantryman, with his clear vision and strong character, might have accomplished. Farewell, true friend, husband, father and classmate.</p>
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<em>VTR and CBH</em></p>