"I am a Masters in History student at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM.   It is the alma mater of First Lt. Albert Fall Chase, who graduated in 1940.

Lt. Chase was an Army ROTC commissioned officer.   He shipped with the 45th Infantry to Fort McKinley, Philippines in the summer of 1941.   Sometime during the fall of 1941, he was transferred to 81st Division, 73 Regiment under Colonel Robert Vesey's command on Mindanao.

Lt. Chase was captured in May 1942 and was imprisoned at Davao until August 1944.   At that time he was placed on the Shinyo Maru "hellship" and died when it was torpedoed by the USS Paddle on September 7, 1944.

I am doing research on my thesis which includes Lt. Chase's story along with an analysis of the treatment of American POWs in the camps and also slave labor camps.   I am also examining treaties, conventions, war crimes trials and reparations.

I would appreciate being added to your researcher listing in anticipation that there are some veterans or their family members who (a) would remember Lt. Chase or (b) could aid me in my research into this topic, which remains ignored in academic circles."

Thank you,
Nancy E. Shockley
NESHOCKLEY@peoplepc.com


May 30, 2005
Update from Nancy:

I successfully defended my thesis on Lt. Chase in November 2003 and received my Masters with honors, including outstanding thesis and graduate student.  Since then I have continued my research into his life
and the history of the POWs on Mindanao.  Currently I am seeking a publisher for Lt. Chase' story.  So far both University of New Mexico Press and McFarland Publishers have rejected my book proposal but I am continuing to seek out a publisher.

I am continuing my research and would appreciate hearing from anyone with information about Davao, the Lasang airfield detail, and the Shinyo Maru.