Brothers Charles and James O'Neil were from Ames, Iowa and were students at Iowa State University. Both brothers lost their lives while with the Army Air Corps in World War II. This will take you to two places to remember the O'Neil Brothers.
Begin your search at the listed coordinates. Here is the Gold Star Hall where Iowa State University Alumni who fell during war are remembered with their names etched in stone on a wall. Find James' Name on the wall. For the portion of the wall identify which column (count from the left) on this particular wall he is on. This is A. From the bottom of that column of names count up. He he is the Bth from the bottom.
Now travel to N 42° 01.217 W 093° 37.449 . There is a plaque placed by the Arnold Air Society to honor POW's like Charles O'Neil. It was placed in CDDE.
Use this to find the final at N 42 EC.C(B-C)C W 093 (A-2)B.(A-C)(B-4)(D-6).
Charles Henry O'Neil was born in Ames, Iowa on December 14, 1918. He attended St. Cecilia's Catholic School and Ames High School. Charles continued his education at Iowa State College where he pursued a degree in Dairy Manufacturing. On September 8, 1940, he enlisted in the U.S.A. Air Corps and received his primary training at Sikeston, Mo., being one of the first classes to enter that school.
Charles went through basic training at Randolph Field, Texas, and received his pilot wings and Second Lieutenant's commission on April 28, 1941.
Charles' first assignment after graduation stationed him in the Philippines. On June 25, 1941, Charles arrived at Clark Field located on Luzon Island. He participated in the defense of the Philippines during the Japanese invasion of the islands in 1941. Charles fought with the First Provisional Air Regiment on Bataan after all of the planes were destroyed at Clark Field. Charles surrendered with the remaining United States forces on April 9, 1942 and survived the Bataan Death March to Cabanatuan, Prison Camp No. 1.
In October 1942, Charles transferred to Prison Camp No. 2, near Davao. In March 1944, he transferred out to a work detail on a Japanese air field. On August 20, 1944, Charles and other prisoners were loaded on to a Japanese freighter at Davao, Mindanao, and set sail for an unknown destination. On September 7, 1944, two torpedoes struck the vessel about two miles off the western shores of Mindanao. The freighter later sunk and very few POWs survived.
On February 14, 1945, Charles was officially declared killed in action and his parents received his Purple Heart.
According to testimony from surviving POWs, Charles never lost his faith during his long interim as a POW in the Philippines. He assisted Father Carberry at Mass and was a leader in building altars and places of worship in the prison camps. Charles established camaraderie with his fellow prisoners which helped many to survive the terrible conditions of the Camps. Fellow POWs saw Charles as a beacon of hope in the bleak camps.
James Joseph O'Neil was born in Ames, Iowa on September 8, 1921. He was the second eldest son of Patrick Henry O'Neil and Gertrude Allen Cooper of Ames, Iowa. His older brother, Charles, was officially reported killed in action on September 7, 1944. He also had another brother, Lt Eugene E., and one sister Rosella. James attended St. Cecilia's Catholic School and graduated from Ames High School in 1939. The following year he enrolled at Iowa State College and had completed up to his third year in Science. On April 16, 1942, James enlisted in the U.S.A Air Corps. He received his call to active duty on August 27, 1942 and began his preflight training at Kelley Field, Texas.
At Uvalde, Texas, he finished his primary training. He then continued on to Randolph field, Texas for basic training. On April 22, 1943, he graduated from Moore Field, Texas and received his pilot wings and Second Lieutenant's Commission. Soon after graduation, James attended additional training at Moore Field.
On June 2, 1943 he received his assignment and shipped out to Hawaii. His duty in Hawaii marked the beginning of his overseas career as a fighter pilot. James received his promotion to 1st Lieutenant on December 16, 1943. Over the following twenty-two months, James was based in Australia, New Guinea, Biak Island, Leyte and Mindoro. James was credited with downing three Japanese planes in aerial combat and accumulated four awards: Air Medal Award with Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Legion of Merit in April 1944, and the Presidential Unit Citation. James spent 20 months in the Pacific Theater. He accumulated 450 combat flying hours and participated in 182 aerial combat missions prior to his reassignment to the United States.
James returned to the United States in February 1945 and spent some time with his parents and sister before reporting to Santa Ana, California for redistribution. The United States Army Air force assigned him to Ontario, California as an instructor.
On June 14, 1945, James died in an airplane accident thirty-four miles south of Riverside, Calif. at 4:28 in the afternoon after bailing out of a crippled P-38 fighter plane.
This cache was placed as part of the Iowa Geocachers Organization's annual Hike-N-Seek Event September 22-24 in Ames, IA. For more information visit http://www.hikenseek2017.org/.