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<em>David Sherman Babcock</em> was born on Staten Island, New York on September 28, 1899. He was the son of Philip S. and Lillian Clarke Babcock, and was named for his grandfather, Captain David S. Babcock, a well-known New England sea captain who commanded the Swordfish and the Young America, two of the famous clipper ships of the Nineteenth Century.</p>
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David III, who was called Sherman, or “Bab”, grew up in Bronxville and Mt. Vernon, N.Y. and attended the public schools. In 1917, when a senior in Mt. Vernon High School, he enlisted in the Cavalry and served at Fort Myer, Virginia until his appointment to the United States Military Academy in 1919. After graduation from West Point in 1923 he was assigned to the Field Artillery. His first post was Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and his second assignment Schofield Barracks, T.H. in 1929 he returned to the United States where he served at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont, at R.O.T.C. at Michigan State College, and at other posts.</p>
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In 1938 Bab was married to Roberta Miner of Lynn, Indiana. At this time he was stationed at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana with the 19th Field Artillery. With the expansion of the Army which began in 1939 Bab was moved to Fort Knox, Kentucky, and in 1940 he was active in the maneuvers of the Fifth Division. In January, 1941 he went to Fort Custer, Michigan. In the summer of 1941 he was made Battalion Commander of the then experimental Tank Destroyer group. He developed tactics in this field, and an article by him on the subject of anti-tank work was published in the Field Artillery Journal in November, 1942.</p>
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After receiving orders to go to the Philippines, Bab left the States for this assignment on November 1, 1941. Prior to the fall of Bataan in April, 1942, he was commanding officer of the Southern Luzon 2nd Provisional Group, F.A., a battalion of 75 mm. guns mounted on half tracks (self-propelled mounts). Colonel Arthur L. Shreve, who was Chief of Artillery of the Second Philippine Corps, has written: “Bab served with distinction during the difficult withdrawal from Southern Luzon and his battalion was an excellent one which he had gotten together on extremely short notice...serving in it were American soldiers, Philippine Scouts, Philippine army draftees, and even some patriotic Philippine civilians who drove Bab’s vehicles ... It was a great tribute to his leadership that he could hold so heterogeneous an organization together during the stress of battle”. Major Jack Curtiss, who was executive officer of the 2nd Provisional Group, F.A. (and the only American from the unit to return), wrote that on December 31st the battalion kept the town of Bahwag under heavy fire, thus preventing the Japs from cutting off the withdrawal of the Southern Luzon Forces. The battalion also played a prominent part in the battle of Bataan.</p>
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In April, 1942, Bab was taken prisoner on Bataan. According to returnees he was at Camp O’Donnell for about three months and then transferred to Cabanatuan (Prison Camp No. 1) where he remained until transferred to Bilibid Prison, Manila in December, 1944. At Cabanatuan Bab did a great deal to help the morale of the prisoners by organizing and running the camp library, which was formed by books brought in by the prisoners and later augmented by books from Red Cross. Bab distributed Churchill’s speeches and other anti-Nazi works among the American prisoners by inserting them in copies of Alice in Wonderland and similar books and so hoodwinking the Japanese censors into stamping these books with approval. While in prison camp he also wrote a monograph on the subject of an international police force, one of the phases of world federation in which he was deeply interested.</p>
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On December 13, 1944, Bab left Bilibid with a large group of officers designated for shipment to Japan. Some 1,600 of this group sailed on the Oryoku Maru which was sunk by dive bombers in Subic Bay on December 15th. Bab was among those who reached shore safely, and on December 27th sailed again for Japan. On January 9th, 1945, while in the Harbor of Tacoa at Formosa this vessel was hit by Navy bombers and Bab was wounded in the left breast. The survivors were placed on a third vessel on which conditions were very bad, and of the 1,200 on board, only about 450 reached Japan. Bab died on January 23rd. Major Curtiss was on this ship and has reported that he saw Bab every day until his death and that Bab was cheerful and active In mind. Colonel Shreve, a friend of many years of Army service, was by Bab’s side on shipboard when he died.</p>
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Bab had a great zest for life and many hobbies. During his early Army days he was active in polo playing and won several cups and trophies. He was a keen student of current events and international politics and intensely interested in world federation. This interest, and hope of reunion with his beautiful wife, sustained him during the years in prison. An officer of his battalion wrote: “There is no use of me telling you what a wonderful man he was and how much he meant to those of us who had the honor to serve under him.”</p>
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