May 27, 2021
Dear Friend,
As your Representative, it is an honor to be able to provide a wide range of services through our offices in the First Congressional District as well as Washington, D.C. Recently, I had the honor to present military medals to the family of late World II Veteran Walter Gann. We gathered with his family, friends, and members of the community at the George Robert Mitchell VFW Post 4877 in Booneville to honor his courage and bravery in combat and as a Prisoner of War (POW).
In 1941, the 18-year-old Calhoun City resident was inducted into the U.S. Army Air Forces. Five months later, Mr. Gann and his comrades were fiercely attacked by the Imperial Japanese Army while defending the Bataan Peninsula. After months of battle, their supplies were wiped out, forcing them to surrender. On March 8, 1942, Mr. Gann was among approximately 76,000 American and Filipino troops forced to walk some 65 miles without adequate food, water, or shelter from the intense heat. Thousands died during the journey or were executed by their captors. The soldiers who survived the experience endured torture and starvation in POW camps. Mr. Gann was a POW for 3.5 years - working long and exhausting hours in coal mines. He managed to survive and eventually settled in Booneville, marrying Juanita Goddard in 1949.
In January, Debbie Stolz, Mr. Gann's daughter, contacted the Tupelo District Office in hopes of acquiring medals that her father had earned and deserved but never received. We obtained the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious achievement in active ground combat, the Prisoner of War Medal, and the Presidential Unit Citation with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters. Mr. Gann's service will always be remembered.
