Name/Title
Harrodsburg Tankers: Marcus LawsonEntry/Object ID
2024.8.15Secondary Title
Marcus Lawson was one of the Harrodsburg TankersDescription
Sergeant Marcus Arnold Lawson was one of the original members of the Harrodsburg National Guard Company. At Ft Knox he was promoted to Corporal and then Sergeant and made a tank commander and instructor. Robert Brooks from Sadieville joined the unit from active duty at Fort Knox and was Lawson’s tank driver. Brooks was killed in the initial attack in the Philippines and Lawson took over his duties. Lawson with others took a boat to Corregidor where he was attached to the Fourth Marine Division. They were taken prisoner and eventually moved to Bilibid Prison outside Manila and then on to Cabanatuan #3 and later Cabanatuan Camp #1. He was put on the Nagato Maru sailed for Moji, Japan and taken to Tanagawa #4-B working on building a dry dock. He was sent to a Japanese Army Hospital on an experimental detail and given different pills everyday for eight weeks. He was later sent to Osaka #1 where he worked as a stevedore. He was later sent back to Tanagawa #4-B and working on the dry dock. When the war was over he managed to find his way to an American unit. After extensive medical stays at various hospitals and was discharged on November 5, 1946, as a Staff Sergeant. He returned to Kentucky. He suffered vision problems for the rest of his life. He passed away in Florida on August 6, 2005.Collection
Harrodsburg TankersCreated By
dak@mcplib.infoCreate Date
July 30, 2024Updated By
dak@mcplib.infoUpdate Date
July 30, 2024
