Francis S. Bushman
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
BUSHMAN, Francis S.
Francis S. Bushman was from Grand Portage, Minnesota served as a Private in World War II. He was a Prisoner of War in a Japanese POW camp and died there on June 29, 1943.
Source: Duluth News Tribune, date unknown after the fall of Corregidor (see complete article, copied below);
Duluth News Tribune, date unknown but after July 14, 1944 (see portion of article, below)
“Two Grand Portage Soldiers Said ‘Missing in Action’”
Francis S. Bushman, son of John Bushman, and Bernard Cyrette, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Cyrette, both of Grand Portage, are the first Cook county war casualties listed as “missing in action, interned or captured.”
The government notified the families recently to this effect, and its general nature shows that not much—if anything—is known about their plight. Both boys were fighting under Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the Philipine Islands.
At various times, it was rumored that the boys were wounded or that they had won honors for bravery in action. These rumors may both have been correct, but it is not known definitely. At any rate, it can be assumed that the Grand Portage lads gave a good account of themselves.
When the Corrigidor fell, the confusion of battle, and the taking of an unknown number of prisoners by the Japs, made it impossible for the authorities of our own nation to get a true picture of what happened.
Under treaty, the list of prisoners taken by both sides is supposed to be exchanged. This has not yet been done, evidently, so as far as Bushman and Cyrette are concerned, and hundreds of others, the Government can issue only such notice as “Missing in action, interned or captured.”
Leonard Evans Reported Missing; Others Injured” . . . Others reported lost, to date, are: Pvt. Frances S. Bushman, Grand Portage, who died in a Japanese prison, June 29, 1943 . . .
Albert J. Amatuzio Research Center
