Clifford Strickland, fallen Colorado prisoner of war during World War II, identified

Lina Portman5 days ago

0 3 minutes read

A 25-year-old Colorado soldier whose remains were identified 82 years after he died as a prisoner of war during World War II was honored Saturday in Pueblo at a ceremony attended by many family members and veterans.

Fifth-year Air Force Technician Clifford Harley Strickland was among those captured in April 1942 who endured the Baatan Death March.

On Saturday, at the historic Hobbs Field at the Runyon Sports Complex, relatives held a memorial service for Strickland, a native of Fowler, a small community about 35 minutes southeast of Pueblo.

His remains were flown back to Colorado so he could be buried near his parents, Clarence and Lydia Strickland, in Florence, according to an obituary. This community is about 40 minutes northwest of Pueblo.

“After 82 years, I think we still had a little closure, but not as much as seeing him come home,” said Quita Smith, one of Strickland's nieces.

Background by Clifford Strickland

After enlisting, Strickland was a member of the 803rd Engineer Battalion and part of the Department of the Philippines. The troops were tasked with defending the Philippine islands and training the Philippine Army. He was captured following the American surrender of the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

The entire platoon was forced to participate in the Bataan Death March. He was eventually held at the Cabanatuan prison camp in Nueva Ecija province, where he died on July 29, 1942. When the camp was liberated in early 1945, approximately 2,800 Americans had died at Cabanatuan.

He was buried in mass grave 215 at the local Cabanatuan camp cemetery with other American POWs who died in captivity.

After the war, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) personnel exhumed the remains of those buried in the cemetery and transferred them to a temporary U.S. military mausoleum near Manila. Those whose remains were unidentifiable were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial under the name Unknown.

Decades later, in 2018, under the Cabanatuan Project, the remains associated with mass grave 215, which included five sets of remains, were sent to the DPAA laboratory for analysis. Laboratory analysis and available evidence confirmed an association between a set of these unknown remains and Strickland, the accounting agency said.

Strickland was the third of 11 children born to his parents in Fowler. The family – his father and mother in particular – struggled to cope with his loss, the obituary said.

He wrote letters almost every week and it is obvious he longed to go home, according to the obituary.

“We know him through the stories they told about him at family reunions and all the photos and letters they kept and passed down to us,” his family wrote. “Stories about how hard he worked on the farm, how much he loved to sing the song ‘Cool Water,’ how much he loved horses and even signed up for a horse and mule unit stationed in the Philippines.”

Memorial service at the Runyon sports complex

The memorial service was held at Hobbs Field. Nearly 80 members of Strickland's family were in attendance, including Smith, the niece and one of his oldest living relatives.

It was DNA from his niece, his mother, Strickland's sister and one of Smith's cousins that helped positively identify his remains.

This step allowed his loved ones to finally be able to honor their uncle properly.

“It was beautiful and very moving,” Smith said of the service. “We are very grateful to Pueblo for this and everyone who was involved in this, they did a wonderful job, thank you.”

In addition to the flyover and the paratroopers, there was a 21-gun salute. Country music artist Colton James sang, and the crowd also heard a special rendition of Amazing Grace played on bagpipes.

Volunteers lined the field with flags and posters honoring Strickland. These posters and flags were then presented to the family. In total, there were 82 flags and posters, each representing the years Strickland was unidentified. His remains were then taken for burial in Florence.

The Strickland family expressed gratitude for the memorial service, acknowledging that their uncle was found and those who helped organize it.

More: Family of Air Force veteran in Pueblo finally has closure now that his remains are home

Christopher Abdelmalek is a sports reporter for the Pueblo Chieftain and can be reached at [email protected] or follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @chowebacca. Support local news, subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com

Background by Clifford Strickland

Memorial service at the Runyon sports complex

Lina Portman

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