ALTON BOY LOST IN ACTION AT MANILA
Leo Mack in Hdqs. Squadron Nichols Field Killed in Action Dec. 12—Parents Notified
Leo Mack, Alton boy who enlisted in the Army in 1939, was killed in action on December 12th in the Philippines, according to a telegram received here Tuesday morning from his father, A. J. (Tony) Mack, former proprietor of the O.K. Cafe in Alton, now at Graceville, Minn., in the hotel business. The telegram was received about ten o’clock by Ivo Schroeder and as the news quickly spread the whole community was shocked and saddened and filled with sympathy for the bereaved parents, brother and sister—Mr. and Mrs. Mack, Margaret and Frank, now all residing at Graceville. Leo grew up in Alton, graduating from the Alton high school with the class of 1939, one of the largest classes ever to graduate and numbering 26, of whom several are serving with the Army. He was a popular athlete, played guard on the Alton High basketball team and served as catcher on the American Legion Junior league baseball team for several years. In the fall of 1939 he enlisted for ground training in the Army Air Corps, together with a classmate, Douglas Allen – now at Hickham Field, Hawaii. He was sent to Moffet Field, Calif., for basic training and was attached to headquarters company there. He went to the Philippines over a year before his tragic passing during the opening days of hostilities with Japan. He was with Headquarters Squadron, Nichols Field, P. I., was doing well, happy and cheerful in the service, his mother lately wrote friends here. He told his parents he was planning on re-enlisting when his term of enlistment ended, often adding what may have been a prophetic intuition—“if the Japs don’t get me.”
This letter was written only a few days before the war in the East began. Friends here believe he was not yet 21 years old.
The Democrat joins the hundreds of friends in extending heartfelt sympathy to the Mack family, so long popular and successful hosts of the cafe and hotel here.
Source: Alton Democrat, January 2, 1942
Leo Mack, Alton boy who enlisted in the Army in 1939, was killed in action on December 12th in the Philippines, according to a telegram received here Tuesday morning from his father, A. P. (Tony) Mack, former proprietor of the O.K. Cafe in Alton now at Graceville, Minn., in the hotel business.
Source: Sioux Center News, January 8, 1942
Alton Boy’s Mother First In This War To Get “Gold Star”
Pvt. Leo A. Mack First To Be Killed In New Fighting
By Cong. Vincent F. Harrington
Iowa’s first gold star in World War II goes to Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Mack, of Alton, the parents of Leo A. Mack, who was killed in action on December 12, while serving with the army of General Douglas MacArthur in the Philippines. It is reported that Leo Mack lost his life at the same time that Captain Collin Kelly was killed dive-bombing a Japanese battleship. Iowa should and will honor the memory of Private Mack in the same manner that nation is now heroizing Captain Kelly.
The greatest deeds of valor in any war are performed by privates. Outstanding hero of World War I was a Tennessee hillbilly, Sergeant Alvin York. In this connection, it is gratifying to note that both Army and Navy have been quick to detect, recognize and reward individual instances of bravery in the present war, whether performed by privates or generals.
Source: LeMars Globe-Post, January 26, 1942
Mrs. Mack Gets Letter From Corregidor, P.I.
[Mrs. A. J. Mack received a letter from the Philippines written by a friend of her son Leo, confirming his death and making clear his great popularity with the men of his Air Corps outfit. She sends the text of the letter, with other comments.]
Feb. 3, 1942
Dear Mrs. Mack: Seeing Leo was one of my best friends here in the Islands I’d like to express my deepest sympathy in his untimely death. He was one of the most happy-go-lucky fellows I have ever met and was liked by everyone he came in contact with. I can truthfully say that every man in the outfit mourned his passing from our midst. I also wish to inform you that he had some money saved in the Harbor Branch bank, San Francisco. I don’t think he ever told you about this, as he was saving it for clothes when he returned....
Source: Alton Democrat, April 10, 1942
[Reproduces the text of General George C. Marshall’s letter, a standard letter of sympathy, then goes on to say:]
A letter from Mrs. A. J. Mack to friends here tells of a letter she received from a nurse who escaped from Corregidor before it fell, telling of the courage of the handful of soldiers at Clark Field on Dec. 8th, when the Field was attacked by the Japs. Leo Mack was among that number, and although the nurse did not know him personally, she wrote that she would never forget the bravery of that little group. They had nothing to fight with but machine guns, pistols and rifles, and with death raining from 10,000 feet in the air, it was but a few minutes and everyone was trying to rescue the dead and wounded. There was no fighting in the Islands on the 12th, said the nurse, who believed Leo was wounded on the 8th and died on the 12th. He was buried with others of his squadron in the Army military cemetery at Ft. Stoltenberg, on the western edge of Clark Field.
Source: Alton Democrat, August 7, 1942
NURSE REVEALS STORY OF LEO MACK’S DEATH AT CLARK FIELD, P.I.
Florence MacDonald “Angel of Mercy” To Alton Boy
Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Mack, former Alton citizens now living at Graceville, Minn., have finally learned full details of the death of their son, Pvt. Leo Mack, last December. By writing to all of the five nurses who out of 85 nurses on Corregidor Island made their escape in a submarine to Australia, Mrs. Mack discovered the nurse, Captain MacDonald, who had attended her son when he was brought in unconscious, after being hit by an American plane amid the smoke and dust of the Japanese attack on Clark Field. He was one of four men of his squadron waiting on the field for their plane to be brought up to take them on an assignment. Only one of the four escaped being hit by the plane. . . .
From the letters received the Mack family have assembled the following account of Leo’s service to his country; and on account of the historic value we have persuaded them to permit their publication. . . .
To the friends of Leo Mack. It is such a short time ago, that we all remember well, he graduated from H.S. And on his 18th birthday, that Sept. 1939, he enlisted in the air corps, was sent to Moffet Field, Calif. There he received his basic training and learned the first lessons of military discipline, a hard lesson for a small town boy to accept graciously. English was a stumbling block for him in school and at this time he writes “Am glad I’m good in mathematics, as all the English I need is Yes sir and No sir.” Within six months he was sent to the Philippine Islands. . . .
Early in May he reached Nichols Field at Manila and spent two uneventful years there. His letters, to us at home, were always cheerful. . . .
Last Sept. he wrote . . . “I could get a promotion, but I am not going to take it, as it means a lot more work, not much more pay, and besides I would have to move. . . .”
In Nov. 1941 he tried to prepare us for trouble saying “One of these days the Japs are coming over here, but don’t worry—General MacArthur, the nest general in the world is here and he will take care of those rats.” A card dated Nov. 27, 1941 informed us he had been moved to Clark Field—Third Pursuit Squadron. This is the last direct contact we had with Leo. On New Year’s Day a terse telegram from the Gov’t—“Leo Mack killed in action in P.I.” A month later a short letter smuggled out of Corregidor by Harry Darraugh (now a Jap prisoner) expressed his sympathy, telling us of their friendship on the Island, and how badly his fellow fighters hated to see Leo taken from them. [Soon afterwards, the papers contained the names and address of five nurses who had escaped from Bataan, and the Macks wrote to them. The first answer was from a nurse who did not know Leo.] “But I will never forget that little handful of men there on Clark Field that day, when the Japs 10,000 feet in the air rained death and destruction on them. Our boys with nothing but rifles, machine guns and pistols which were useless at that height; forgetting their personal safety, they gathered our dead and wounded into trucks under terrific bombing”. . . . [Captain Florence MacDonald did remember him. He and three others] “were waiting on Clark Field for a mission, when a run-a-way plane, ploughing thru the smoke, dust and flying debris, hit three of the men. . . . The ambulance immediately brought the other three to the hospital and when I noted how badly they were hurt, I asked if any were Catholics. The driver said “Yes Mack is” then I noticed the little (St. Anthony) medal he wore, so I called Father Duffy, who arrived in a few minutes, gave him conditional absolution and the last Rites of the Church. But I do not know if he recognized Leo or not, he looked so different all dust and grime; and a badly fractured skull. This was about 11 A.M. and he died at 1 P.M. with out regaining consciousness. . . . His grave is in consecrated ground, well marked in the Fort Stotsenburg Cemetery—and let me plead for you to leave his body with his buddies. That is a tropical country, he was not embalmed. . . .” [A letter from Nurse Dorothea Engel further describes the destruction of Clark Field, but with no further reference to Pvt. Mack.]
[Accompanying this article is a photo of Leo Mack, noting that his picture was used in a double page ad promoting the sale of war bonds, and citing a brief note of condolence to the Macks by Eleanor Roosevelt.]
Source: Alton Democrat, October 23, 1942
Mrs. A. J. Mack writes friends here that her son Leo is to receive the “Purple Heart” medal, and that the family will receive the reward on April 10th. From his commanding officer, now in the United States. Mr. and Mrs. Mack have learned more of the sad circumstances of their son’s death on the third day of the Japanese attacks on Clark Field, north of Manila in December, 1941.
With five or six other soldiers and officers the Alton boy was working on some damaged planes under cover of trees which had been camouflaged to protect them from the Japs. These men were trying to get the planes in shape for a mission, when a damaged fighter plane landed, hit one of the large craters made by Jap bombs, ground-looped into the trees where the men were working, killing four outright and fatally injuring Leo Mack, Lt. Glen Alders and a sergeant. In the April issue of “Readers Digest” under the title “Queens Die Proudly” is the tragic story of the struggle of the few men on Clark Field after the first attack which destroyed nearly all the U.S. bombers and fighters. . . .
Source: Alton Democrat, April 2, 1943
War Dept. Corrects Former Record Of Pfc. Leo Mack, Killed in Action
Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Mack, former Altonites now at Alhambra, Calif., have had an official correction from the War Department which entirely changes the record of their son Leo’s death. He was reported killed accidently when hit by a run-away U.S. plane Dec. 12 on Clark Field, P.I. while working just off the field to repair a damaged plane. The correction from the War Department on Dec. 16 states that “an authentic report now received reveals the exact date of the death of Leo Mack, PFC 3rd Pursuit, Air Corps, was killed in action Dec. 8, 1941 at Iba Field, Zenibales, P.I. and all War Dep’t. records have been amended accordingly. He was originally interred at Fort McKinley, Luzon, P.I. but was recently moved to a more suitable site, where constant care of the graves is maintained by our Forces there. His remains are now interred in Plot 2, Row 10, Grave 1297 in the U.S. Armed Forces Cemetery, Manila No. 2, located within the city limits of Manila, P.I.” . . . . [Robert Rosenthal, another member of the 3rd Pursuit Squadron, visited Leo’s sister Margaret about a year ago and told her that he was on duty with Leo in the supply room that night, and that Leo was killed instantly at 12:20 A.M. by a direct bomb hit.] He said that undoubtedly the nurse, Miss MacDonald really thought it was Leo Mack she wrote the family about, but in the confusion over there she did not know that the planes had been secretly flown out of Clark Field on Dec. 5 and only the officers knew their destination was Iba Field, a small training field 20 miles from Clark Field. Their hope was that the Japs would not discover their move, but Iba instead of Clark Field got the initial blow and all fighter planes were destroyed.Source: Alton Democrat, January 2, 1947
