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John Love Obituary
Love died Monday after a long battle with cancer, said Gerry Lightwine, pastor at La Vida Llena, an Albuquerque retirement home where Love lived.
As a 19-year-old member of the New Mexico Guard, Love was one of 75,000 Filipino and American soldiers who were taken captive by the Japanese in World War II when the U.S. forces surrendered in the province of Bataan and Corregidor Island in April 1942.
In all, tens of thousands of troops were forced to march to Japanese prison camps in what became known as the Bataan Death March. Many were denied food, water and medical care, and those who collapsed during the scorching journey through Philippine jungles were shot or bayoneted.
"I was one of the first 300 or 400 off the march to enter Camp O'Donnell, and they ( prisoners) began dying that same day," Love told the Albuquerque Journal in a 2009 interview. He estimated he carried more than 1,000 bodies to the graveyard.
For the remainder of the war, Love was forced to work in a Japanese copper mine until being liberated in 1945.
After the war, he enrolled at the University of New Mexico and graduated in 1950. He worked at Conoco Inc., for 35 years and lived in El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston and Arlington, Texas, with his wife, Laura Bernice Ellis, who died in 2000.
In 2009, Love joined a campaign with other Bataan Death March survivors to change the caption on one of the most famous photos in AP's library about the march. The photo, thought to be of the Bataan Death March, actually was an Allied POW burial detail.
Following a six-month investigation, The AP corrected the caption in 2010, 65 years after the image was first published. AP archivists confirmed Love's account of the burial detail at a prisoner-of-war c amp in the weeks that followed the Death March.
When Love learned of the caption revision in March 2010, he became emotional with a reporter.
"Son of a gun. Isn't that great?" Love said. "It brings tears to my eyes. It really does."
___
Follow Russell Contreras on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras
Copyright © 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
57 Entries
Richard Ciolfi Ciolfi
April 12, 2019
May you rest forever. You gave me life that other didn't have. It wasn't great but it was life! Did fined Love , and that was good. Thank YOU!
T D
August 17, 2014
Please visit JW.
ORG for comfort.
May 2, 2014
A great warrior has bravely fought his last fight. Thanks to you for what you did to preserve democracy in this world. He was sent here by God to fulfill his purpose. He fought a good fight. Hope to see him in the resurrection.
How you can show support
S M
May 1, 2014
A true American Hero. Thank you for your service, sir. My uncle also made the Bataan Death March, but died a POW about 6 months later. Being born a few years later, I never got to meet him. God bless you.
April 12, 2014
your a hero sir, as a person who has visited bataan, i realize how hard it was for you and the troops in the PI. the men who you helped buried,now welcome you home.
April 5, 2014
MAY THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF JOHN RECEIVE GOD'S BLESSINGS..MATT.5:4..HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO MOURN,SINCE THEY WILL BE COMFORTED....D
Michele
April 2, 2014
My thoughts and prayers are with the Love family. May God comfort and sustain you during this time of sadness. Psalms 55:22
March 29, 2014
Soon death will be no more
Cherry and Brenda
March 28, 2014
To the Love Family: Our deepest sympathy for the death of your father and friend. Though I agonize in search for words to ease your pain, I appear empty in thought and find myself in want. Sacrifices is a part of life, but Mr. Love was a man that was not shaken.--1 Thessalonian 3:3. His courage and endurance is a reflection of the qualities in which his family can take pride. Remembering Mr. John Love and the other Bataan Death March Victims with much respect, appreciation, and admiration!
March 28, 2014
I know you're saddened at this moment but with time will heal and your memories will bring you so much joy.
John DiSerio
March 27, 2014
My deepest sympathy to Mr Love's family. Your father was a war hero. My Dad was also in the Bataan Death March and was one of your father's comrades. That was a terrible experience they went through. Rest in peace Mr. Love.
Most sincerely,
John DiSerio
March 26, 2014
To the Love family,our whole family is saddened at your loss of Mr. Love. Our dad was also on Bataan when it fell and spend 42 months in a prison camp also. Rest in peace now Mr.Love.
March 26, 2014
My condolences to the family,
Soon under God's kingdom all suffering and death itself will be no more.
In the mean time may the God of all comfort be with you.
March 26, 2014
Sorry for your loss. May you find comfort in the Hearer of prayer at this time. Psalm 65:2
T. P.
March 25, 2014
I am so very sorry for your loss. John may be gone, but he will not be forgotten. (Malachi 3:16)
Frosty7530
March 24, 2014
To Mr. Love's family; Thank you for contributing this story. My father was also a survivor of March of Bataan and 2+ yrs of being POW. I know I speak for other families of Bataan survivors, in expressing my gratitude for all you and Mr. Love have done to preserve the memory and history of this event; we must never forget what our ancestors have endured to preserve our freedom and precious American Way of Life.
Patti R
March 24, 2014
Rest in peace you brave man. My thoughts and prayers go out to John's family and friends.
March 24, 2014
Celebrating a life well lived. We will cherish the memories forever.
Kevin Rogers
March 24, 2014
Thank You Mr. Love for your service to this great country. It is people like you who gave us the freedoms we take for granted today, RIP Mr LOVE.
March 24, 2014
My condolences to the Love Family and friends and words of comforting know that under God's kingdom government, there will not be any war (Isaiah 2:4) and death, pain and sorrow will be things of the past ~ Lwd
Harry Simpson
March 23, 2014
Rest John, until you hear at dawn,
the low, clear reveille of God.
Thank you for your service to this nation.
Kit Sober
March 23, 2014
Many thanks.
michelle plakas-kaiser
March 23, 2014
rip
March 23, 2014
I'm so sorry for your loss. I know god will help you through all these difficult times. Psalms 46:1
Ron Wurtz
March 23, 2014
You Mr. Love are a true hero!!! Rest in peace.
Don
March 23, 2014
Thank You for your service. Sorry you had to go through all that pain and suffering. RIP sir
Shan Kelley
March 23, 2014
Land of the free because of the brave. Thank you for our country's freedom. God bless you Mr. Love.
GinGer Caccavale
March 23, 2014
Rest in PEACE Mr. Love. I salute you for your courage and you service to this country.
GinGer
David Nielsen
March 23, 2014
Mr. Love,
Thank you for your service and the difficulties you went through as a POW to our Country. You and the men and women who serviced with you will always be remembered as "The Greatest Generation Ever." If it hadn't been for you and your comrades fighting for this Country we would have lost our freedom that we deem so precious.
Bill Rodick
March 23, 2014
Another shining example of "America's Greatest Generation". Thank you sir!
March 23, 2014
May all of you be comforted knowing that God cares for you. He will open his hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Psalm 145:16
Rose Schuldt
March 23, 2014
Thank you Sir, for your Heroism .... R.I.P.
Jane Dowling
March 23, 2014
God bless you and your loved ones ~ Rest in peace.
Mike Casey
March 23, 2014
Mr. Love,
Thank you for your service and sacrifice for our Country. I can't even imagine the Hell that you had to endure as a prisoner of the Japanese. And to your family and loved ones, I wish to extend my deepest sympathy.
G J.
March 23, 2014
I'm so sorry for your loss. Please accept my condolences. May the peace of God be with you all in this time of sorrow. Rom 15:33.
Mary
March 23, 2014
God Bless You! Thank you for serving our country. I hope our family's and education system never forget any of our veterans.
March 23, 2014
Death of a love one is the hardest things we can go through, because we are never prepared for it so please find comfort in knowing sickness, pain and death will one day be no more for this has been promised to us. Please except my deep condolences.
March 23, 2014
May our heavenly father be with the friends and family of Mr. Love. May his fond memories stay close to your hearts Psalms 65:8. LD
joaquim-redeemer-r barbosa
March 23, 2014
condolences
Bankston
March 23, 2014
May the God of all comfort be with the family during this difficult time.
steve poole
March 23, 2014
GOD bless and rest in peace, you deserve it.
March 23, 2014
Can any of us even imagine what this man went through at such a young age. When you look up the word "Courage" I am sure you will see his face,
A grateful American
JONATHAN PEISER
March 23, 2014
MR LOVE YOU ARE A TRUE AMERICAN HERO. REST IN PEACE.
March 22, 2014
Thank you for your service soildier ! I appreciate you. RIP .
joaquim-redeemer r barbosa
March 22, 2014
condolences-sempe-fi
Mark & Eunice Haney
March 22, 2014
Our country remains free because of brave soldiers like yourself. God Bless and rest in peace sir
james townsend
March 22, 2014
God bless you sir.
Stephanie James
March 22, 2014
Mr. Love,
Thank you for your service to the United States of America. Freedom is not free!
March 22, 2014
We've lost a great man... none of us can even imagine what he went through. As a fellow veteran, I salute him. Colleen Abrams, Mt. Shasta, Ca.
F DeMarco
March 22, 2014
Your sacrifice will never be forgotten as the surviving son of another POW.Rest in peace.
March 22, 2014
Rest in peace great solider
Luke
March 22, 2014
God bless you for all you have done. At home now with Our Lord Jesus Christ..........again, Thank You
Marian Smith
March 22, 2014
To John Love
Who went beyond the measure of courage and endurance.
Sympathy to his family.
March 22, 2014
Thank you RIP... A.M.M. Virginia Beach,VA
Charles Redmond
March 22, 2014
RIP. Rest easy Soldier.
Scott Chamberland
March 22, 2014
Rest in Peace
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