Felix J. McCool
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Felix James McCool (June 14, 1912 – December 27, 1972) was a
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
chief warrant officer 3. He is one of two Marines to be captured as a
prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
(POW) twice, the first during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, and the second during the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
. Spending more than six years total in captivity, McCool held the record as the longest-held Marine POW until surpassed by several other Marines during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
.


Early life and World War II

Felix J. McCool was born on June 14, 1912, in
Pawhuska, Oklahoma Pawhuska ( Osage: 𐓄𐓘𐓢𐓶𐓮𐓤𐓘, ''hpahúska'', lit.: ''White Hair''; Chiwere: ''Paháhga'') is a city in and the county seat of Osage County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,98 ...
. In 1934, he joined the
Oklahoma National Guard The Oklahoma National Guard, a division of the Oklahoma Military Department, is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It comprises both Army (OKARNG) and Air (OKANG) National Guard components. The Governo ...
. McCool enlisted into the Marine Corps as an
infantryman Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
in 1938 and was assigned to the
4th Marine Regiment The 4th Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. Based at Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan, it is part of the 3rd Marine Division of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. Mission 4th Marine Regiment conducts littoral ...
in
Shanghai, China Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
. In November 1941, the regiment was relocated to the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
.


Battle of the Philippines

In December 1941, the United States was drawn into
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and invaded the Philippines.
Sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
McCool took part in the fighting on Bataan before the regiment fell back to the island of
Corregidor Corregidor (, , ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of Cavite City and thus the province of Cavite. It is located west of Manila, the nation's capi ...
. On May 5, Japanese troops attacked Corregidor and captured the island the next day. Sergeant McCool was wounded during the battle and subsequently captured, along with the rest of the 4th Marine Regiment.


First experience as POW

The prisoners were held on Corregidor for the next several weeks, where they were placed on a starvation diet. They also were required to bow to any Japanese soldier they crossed paths with, and would be beaten for various reasons, sometimes for no apparent reason at all. On May 24, the prisoners were loaded onto landing barges and transported to
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
, where they were forced to march in a Japanese "
Victory Parade A victory parade is a parade held to celebrate a victory. Numerous military and sport victory parades have been held. Military victory parades Among the most famous parades are the victory parades celebrating the end of the First World War and ...
" through the city. Sergeant McCool and his fellow prisoners were tightly packed into cattle cars and shipped to various camps on the island. McCool's group arrived at a Japanese airfield where he performed forced labor. McCool worked several different jobs which enabled him to smuggle medical supplies in for sick prisoners. He did this despite routine beatings and the threat of being executed. McCool and some fellow prisoners also managed to
sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, government, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, demoralization (warfare), demoralization, destabilization, divide and rule, division, social disruption, disrupti ...
the runway, causing a Japanese plane to crash. McCool and many of his fellow prisoners were loaded onto a
hell ship A hell ship is a ship with extremely inhumane living conditions or with a reputation for cruelty among the crew. It now generally refers to the ships used by the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army to transport Allied prisoners of w ...
and transported to the Japanese island of
Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's Japanese archipelago, four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa Island, Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Ryukyu Islands, Islands ...
. They were taken to the prisoner of war camp
Fukuoka 17 Fukuoka #17 - Omuta, Branch Prisoner of War Camp was a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp located at the Mitsui Kozan Miike Kogyo-Sho coal mine and Mitsui Zinc Foundry in Shinminato-machi, Omuta-shi, Fukuoka-ken, Japan, during World War II. It was the ...
, where they were forced to work in the Mitsui Miike coal mine. McCool continued engaging in sabotage for the next 13 months, before the war ended and he was liberated on August 29, 1945, after more than three years in captivity.


Korean War


Battle of Chosin Reservoir

Upon returning to the United States, McCool decided to stay in the Marine Corps. By the start of the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
in 1950, McCool was promoted to
chief warrant officer Chief warrant officer is a senior warrant officer rank, used in many countries. Canadian Armed Forces In the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), a chief warrant officer or CWO is the most senior non-commissioned member (NCM) rank for army and air fo ...
and was assigned to the 1st Service Battalion,
1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine (military), Marine Division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine E ...
as a supply officer. During the
battle of Chosin Reservoir The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign or the Battle of Lake Changjin (), was an important battle in the Korean War. The name "Chosin" is derived from the Japanese pronunciation "''Chōshin'', instead of th ...
, McCool was attached to Task Force Drysdale, a composite force of
British Royal Marines The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a company strength sub-unit to the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG), landing craft cr ...
, US Marines, US Army soldiers, and South Korean troops. On November 29, 1950, the ill-fated task force fought its way through Chinese forces from Koto-ri to Hagaru-ri. Although the front of the convoy reached Hagaru-ri, the center was badly ambushed and cut off. Fighting in subzero temperatures throughout the night,
Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
John N. McLaughlin assumed command, and Chief Warrant Officer McCool and several other officers helped McLaughlin organize the remaining elements of the center of the convoy. After approximately 40 men had been killed and with very little
ammunition Ammunition, also known as ammo, is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. The term includes both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines), and the component parts of oth ...
remaining, McCool and 80 other survivors, half of whom were wounded, surrendered as prisoners of war in the early morning hours. Also captured in that same convoy was
Staff Sergeant Staff sergeant is a Military rank, rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. History of title In origin, certain senior sergeants were assigned to administr ...
Charles L. Harrison, who had also previously been held as a POW during World War II.


Second experience as POW

McCool and the other prisoners marched north for several weeks, usually at night and during blizzards in order to avoid detection from UN aircraft. Many of the prisoners suffered from
frostbite Frostbite is a skin injury that occurs when someone is exposed to extremely low temperatures, causing the freezing of the skin or other tissues, commonly affecting the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin areas. Most often, frostbite occ ...
and
malnourishment Malnutrition occurs when an organism gets too few or too many nutrients, resulting in health problems. Specifically, it is a deficiency, excess, or imbalance of energy, protein and other nutrients which adversely affects the body's tissues a ...
, and they were also randomly interrogated at times during their journey. On December 26, McCool and other officers arrived at
Kanggye Kanggye (; ) is the provincial capital of Chagang, North Korea and has a population of 251,971. Because of its strategic importance, derived from its topography, it has been of military interest from the time of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). H ...
, near the Chinese border. Several of the POWs died during the march and shortly after arriving in Kanggye. The Chinese put McCool and the other POWs through a rigorous
communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
indoctrination Indoctrination is the process of inculcating (teaching by repeated instruction) a person or people into an ideology, often avoiding critical analysis. It can refer to a general process of socialization. The term often implies forms of brainwas ...
program for eight weeks. In March, Warrant Officer McCool, Major McLaughlin, and several other Marine officers were moved to Camp 5, on a peninsula on the
Yalu River The Yalu River () or Amnok River () is a river on the border between China and North Korea. Together with the Tumen River to its east, and a small portion of Paektu Mountain, the Yalu forms the border between China and North Korea. Its valle ...
in Pyoktong. The conditions in Camp 5 were brutal, and many prisoners died from starvation and lack of medical care. McCool was one of the last prisoners to receive the
Sacrament of Penance The Sacrament of Penance (also commonly called the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession) is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church (known in Eastern Christianity as sacred mysteries), in which the faithful are absolved from si ...
from
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Emil J. Kapaun. Kapaun, an
Army Chaplain A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases, they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations. Although the term ''cha ...
, died shortly after and was posthumously awarded the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
. In November 1951, McCool and the other officers were transferred 10 miles east to Camp 2 in Pi-chong-ni, where he would remain for the rest of the war. At one point during his captivity, McCool spit out a window and accidentally hit a guard. He was punished by being sentenced to
solitary confinement Solitary confinement (also shortened to solitary) is a form of imprisonment in which an incarcerated person lives in a single Prison cell, cell with little or no contact with other people. It is a punitive tool used within the prison system to ...
in a hole three feet square by three and a half feet deep. Feces covered the floor of the hole, along with an abundant number of
lice Louse (: lice) is the common name for any member of the infraorder Phthiraptera, which contains nearly 5,000 species of wingless parasitic insects. Phthiraptera was previously recognized as an order, until a 2021 genetic study determined th ...
and
fleas Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, ar ...
, and spikes were put through the lid covering the hole, forcing McCool to sit in a hunched position. After 50 hours in confinement, McCool was taken to the camp headquarters where the Chinese demanded he confess to rape and pillaging. Refusing, he was sent back to the hole. McCool was offered words of encouragement from fellow prisoners 70 hours into his ordeal. McCool considered suicide, however, he ended up confessing that he cursed the North Koreans and hated the Chinese Communists. He refused to incriminate his fellow officers in crimes. After 80 hours, McCool was finally released from confinement and returned to the camp. Fellow prisoners gave McCool clean clothing and helped him wash himself. McCool was
repatriated Repatriation is the return of a thing or person to its or their country of origin, respectively. The term may refer to non-human entities, such as converting a foreign currency into the currency of one's own country, as well as the return of mi ...
on September 5, 1953 during
Operation Big Switch Operation Big Switch was the repatriation of all remaining prisoners of the Korean War. Ceasefire talks had been going on between the North Korean, Chinese and United Nations Command (UNC) forces since 1951, with the main point of contention bein ...
, after nearly three more years of captivity. McCool later reflected on both of his POW experiences, stating that he hated the Chinese much more than he hated the Japanese. He believed that while the Japanese were just as brutal as the Chinese, the Japanese had character and the Chinese had none.


Later career and life

Chief Warrant Officer 3 McCool retired from the Marines in 1960. He and his wife moved to
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, where he attended the
University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...
. McCool later became a teacher at Killian High School in
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
and wrote a book about his experiences, ''Let's Face It: Memoirs, Speeches and Writings of a Career Marine and Two-Time Prisoner of War''. Felix J. McCool died on December 27, 1972, in
Dade City, Florida Dade City, officially the City of Dade City, is a city in, and the county seat of Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is located in the Tampa Bay Area, northeast of Tampa, Florida, Tampa and southwest of Orlando, Florida, Orlando. The popu ...
. In 2015, McCool was inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame.


Awards and decorations


See also

* John C. Giraudo * Charles Lee Harrison *
Richard P. Keirn Richard Paul Keirn (29 July 1924 – 22 May 2000) was a colonel and fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. He was one of two United States service members to be a prisoner of war (POW) in both World War II and the Vietnam War and was the fi ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCool, Felix J. 1912 births 1972 deaths United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War American prisoners of war in World War II American prisoners of war in the Korean War Military personnel from Oklahoma Oklahoma National Guard personnel United States Marine Corps officers University of Miami alumni World War II prisoners of war held by Japan Korean War prisoners of war held by the People's Republic of China American people imprisoned in China