Carroll F. Spindler grew up at 317 South Kansas St. in Edwardsville IL., son of Mr. Frank & Mrs. Marie Spindler. Carroll spent his youth in town, attended local public schools and graduated from Edwardsville High School Class of 1935. His father died of Spanish Flu in 1918. After working a short while at the Granite City Steel Foundry, Carroll joined the Army Air Force and was sent to Chanute Field, Rantoul, IL to be trained as radio operator. Sergeant Carroll F. Spindler was sent to Nichol's Field at Manilla, Philippines in 1941 and was later tranferred to Clark Air Base just before the Japanese attack on December 8,1941. Sgt. Spindler was listed as missing after the fall of Bataan and Corregidor. It was a year later that it was officially reported that he had been captured by the invading Japanese Army and was held as a prisoner-of-war. He was imprisoned at the infamous Puerto Princesa Camp on Palawan Island with 150 other American soldiers, sailors and marines. When General MacArthur forces prepared to retake the island in December of 1944, the Japanese guards opened fire on the prisoners and massacred all but ten men. He is buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri and is survived by a brother Glenn and a sister Dorothy Marie Solter. Sergeant Carroll F. Spindler was 26 years, 10 months and 2 days of age.
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