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McMurry, Cloyd C. (Second World War correspondence and other materials)
2017.441.w.r
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Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Cloyd C. McMurry Second World War correspondence and other materials
Creator:
McMurry, Cloyd Carter, Sergeant, 1916-1944
source:
Fry, Susan V.
Identifier/Call Number: 2017.441.w.r
Physical Description:
0.02 Linear Feet
(1 folder)
Date (inclusive): 1942 September 25 - 1954 May 16
Abstract: This collection contains correspondence from Sgt. Cloyd C. McMurry, USMC to his mother and sister from a POW camp in Japan
during the Second World War. Also included are photocopies of letters and telegrams relating to his death as a prisoner.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: WWII 24
Container: 7
Container: 1
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Susan V. Fry.
This collection is arranged by material type and chronology.
Sergeant Cloyd Carter McMurry, United States Marine Corps (12/21/1916 - 11/24/1944) was born and raised in San Diego, California
and entered the service on February 28, 1940 in San Diego. He was deployed overseas to Guam on August 13, 1941 and after engaging
the enemy, he was captured by the Japanese less than four months into his tour of duty on December 8, 1941.
He was transferred to a Prisoner of War camp at Zentsuji in Nippon, Japan and later to the Osaka POW Camp in Nippon. He wrote
home only five times, tricking the Japanese by sending home seemingly positive reports while actually informing his mother
of his starvation and weight loss and asks for packages and photographs. The Japanese did withhold many letters from him,
according to one of the clippings, however he mentions receiving dozens of letters and even photographs.
Sgt. McMurry was killed one day while walking along train tracks to do work for the Japanese when a passing train sucked him
in and he hit his head on the train. He died instantly.
By all accounts, in the book and via a letter from one of the POWs that knew him and inspired the book, Sgt. McMurry was well
liked by both the Americans and the Japanese and was elected to be a captian of a work group. Their captors even allowed a
small and "adequate" service for him after his death. He was 25 years old.
[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Cloyd C. McMurry Second World War correspondence and other materials(2017.441.w.r),
Center for American War Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this
collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.
This collection contains five original letters sent by Sgt. Cloyd C. "Mac" McMurry, USMC to his mother, Minnie "Peggie" McMurry,
and sister, Theda McMurry, during his internment in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp during the Second World War. Also included
are photocopies of two Western Union telegrams, one partial letter, one certificate of death from the Marine Corps, two letters
from an author and a fellow POW to McMurry's mother, five photocopied clippings and a few photocopied pages of a book.
The correspondence is short and tells his family that he is in good health and spirits, though according to one clipping,
his mention of weight was a ruse to pass the Japanese censors while informing his mother that he was starving.
The telegrams contain news of his missing status at the end of the war, September 25, 1945, and the discovery of his death
through prison camp records in October 1945, the latter "signed" by General Alexander Vandegrift, Commandant of the Marine
Corps.
The partial letter was written by First Lieutenant Edwin C. Clerke, United States Marine Corps with information contained
in the prison camp report regarding Sgt. McMurry's death.
The certificate of death comes with an award style certificate, as well as an informational sheet that looks more like a death
certificate, furnished for Mrs. Minnie L. McMurry on August 18, 1948. The information includes medals awarded, such as the
American Defense Service Medal with Base Clasp, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal.
The Clippings describe his letters written home to his mother, with emphasis on his weight, and the book about POWs, "Laughter
in Hell."
One letter sent to Sgt. McMurry's mother was from Stephen Marek, author of the book, on May 16, 1954.
One letter sent to Sgt. McMurry's mothers was from Lieutenant Ernest L. Guirey, United States Navy, who was a subject of the
book and ex-POW that worked briefly with Sgt. McMurry.
Included from the book are copies of the cover, title page and the four pages that discuss Sgt. McMurry and the circumstances
of his death and burial.
Also included is a "Find a Grave Memorial" sheet with photographs of his headstone, and one photocopied picture of a man that
can be inferred to be Sgt. McMurry.
There are no restrictions on the use of this material except where previously copyrighted material is concerned. It is the
responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War (1939-1945) -- Prisoners and prisons
Prisoner of war
Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
War -- Death notification
Fry, Susan V.