Wilbur F. Hansen

Era: World War II

Military Branch: Army

Wilbur F. Hansen of Duluth, Minnesota, enlisted in the Army on February 4, 1941.

He served as a military policeman with the 809th MP Company at Fort Mills, Corregidor, Philippines.

He was taken prisoner by the Japanese when Corregidor fell in May, 1942 and was held in the following prison camps: Bilibid, Cavanatuan, Las Pinas and Formosa. At the end of the war he was hospitalized in Manila. H e was taken by hospital plane to the Presidio in San Francisco, Calif. 

Mr. Hansen was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal with bronze service star, Purple Heart, Distinguished Unit Citation with two oak leaf clusters, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two bronze battle stars, Philippine Defense Medal, American Defense Service Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.

He received a disability discharge Feb. 2, 1946 at Minneapolis, Minn.

Source: Hometown Heroes: The St. Louis County World War II Project. 101.

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