Ep. 7 A Pacific POW
From The Buried in Michigan Podcast · 00:21:07
Show by The Buried in Michigan Podcast
In this episode of Buried in Michigan, we uncover the tragic story of Orien Wetzel, a young sailor from the Spring Arbor area whose life was forever changed by World War II.Orien served aboard the USS Bittern in the Philippines when the ship was sunk in Manila Harbor in December 1941. His story, however, didn’t end with the sinking. After the fall of the Philippines, Orien was captured by Japanese forces and became a prisoner of war.What followed was years of brutal captivity, illness, and unimaginable conditions. Orien ultimately died of dysentery in a Japanese prison camp, thousands of miles from the Michigan community he called home.In this episode, we follow Orien’s life from his roots in Michigan to his service in the Pacific, the sinking of the Bittern, his capture, and his final days as a POW. His story is a sobering reminder that behind every name on a cemetery headstone is a life, a family, and a story that deserves to be remembered.
More episodes of The Buried in Michigan Podcast
More episodes
- Ep. 6 Not Your Typical Civil War Veteran
- Ep. 5 The Lost Village of Falling Waters
- Ep. 4 Pandemonium at The Palmer Mausoleum
- Ep. 3 The Life of Hermit: The Story of David Duncan
- Ep. 2 With Honesty He Lived, For Honesty He Was Taken? Senator Warren Hooper
- Ep. 1 The Halsted Mausoleum Mystery (Horton, MI)
- Episode 3 Teaser
- Episode 1 Teaser
- Episode 2 Teaser
- Welcome to The Buried in Michigan Podcast
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