One
bizarre incident of the Corregidor campaign remains as a unique and eerie
mystery. Whereas all those missing in action from the 503d Infantry are
accounted for and their deaths confirmed by witnesses, the single missing in
action report of the 462d Parachute Field Artillery Battalion indicates that
Cannoneer Harvey R. Huskey of Battery A was never seen again after he
parachuted from his plane onto Corregidor. The assaulting paratroopers
turned every rock and pebble on the Rock at least twice in their relentless
search for the enemy. Yet the remains of this artillery man were never
discovered. He did not drift into the sea; PT boats were watching and would
have seen him. Was his body disposed of by the enemy? Did he seek shelter in
an enemy occupied cave and was killed the morning of the jump? Was he
captured alive and tortured to death in an enemy abyss? The 462d also failed
to locate three .50-caliber machine guns and one entire 75mm pack howitzer
that were dropped onto Corregidor on 16 February.
Bennett M. Guthrie
"B" Company
Huskey was not included in Templeman's jump
list, but in view of the manner in which Templeman's list was compiled, this
means nothing.
Recent research by Jim Mullaney, based upon the
fact that Huskey is nowhere listed in records of the U.S.WWII M.I.A.'s,
indicates that
there
was a "Harvey Huskey" buried in the HIGHLAND CEMETERY in Allen County,
Kansas. Burial date was October 25th 1949. Jim comments that
"The date of burial fits in the time slot that so many WWII KIAs bodies were
being returned. There is a Harvey Huskey listed in the Allen County records
as KIA."
Harvey Huskey's final resting place. Image has been provided courtesy of
Todd Mayer.
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