Share this memorial using social media sites or email. is also featured. Past Addresses: See available information. On their twenty-seventh day adrift, the three men were strafed several times by a Japanese bomber, which left dozens of bullet holes in the life rafts (they would later be told by the Japanese that this was impossible, as it was a violation of their military code of honor). The Japanese saw an American Olympian as a valuable asset. pictures and interview clips of the real On occasion, the waves would toss small fish into their raft. drinking and discovering Christ, the February, a special trailer for Inmate Name: Russell Allen Phillips: Inmate Id #3536017: Gender: Male: Current Facility: West Virginia Division of Corrections (WV DOC) Current Location: Charleston, West Virginia: Time Left For Release: 1740 : Release Date: 2023-09-25 : Phone Number: We caught sea birds and a couple of small fish, recalled Phillips, whoworked for Allis-Chalmers after the war and retired from teaching in the LaPorte school district. He requested to meet with Mutsuhiro Watanabe (aka "The Bird"), but his former tormentor declined the meeting. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Allen would lead and the men would sing along with him. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. This differs from the movie, in which Watanabe continues to beat Louis after the beam falls. There is a problem with your email/password. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Discount, Discount Code It explained why he wasn't beheaded on "Execution Island" and why he was sent to Omori under the ruthless guard Mutsuhiro "The Bird" Watanabe. However, there is plenty of documentation and forensic evidence to back up the movie. Now, here I'm an athlete, I remember myself when I was a powerful, physical athlete, and now I'm just skin and bone and a skeleton, that's all, and that brought tears to my eyes." Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. -CBS Sports Coming from a wealthy Japanese family of high pedigree, Corporal Watanabe, who had a privileged upbringing, felt humiliated and disgraced when his application to become an officer was rejected. Russell Allen "Phil" Phillips Timeline & Summary BACK NEXT Phil meets Louie and they become pilot and bombardier, respectively, of the Super Man, a B-24 bomber. A system error has occurred. The amazing tale of survival is told in Zamperini's memoir 'Devil At My Heels', and in Laura Hillenbrand's #1 bestseller "Unbroken".Much of this bio was provided by findagrave member B24CoPilotNiece, U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. It was a Japanese patrol ship. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? After holding the beam aloft for 37 minutes, Watanabe charged Louis and punched him in the stomach. Please try again later. The men smacked the sharks away with oars or their bare hands. It just seemed like that line would never end." They used the albatrosses natural desire to roost after eating to their advantage. 2, 2014 at age 97. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Russell Phillips (62938403)? Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. When the sharks swam up for a closer look, Zamperini would grab one of the pilot fish and they would be able to eat that day. Russell Allen Phillips, 47, of Newaygo, passed away on April 26, 2022 in East Grand Rapids, Michigan. Adapted from Laura Hillenbrand's book of The book and now the movie are changing that.. Being separated from Cecy proved something to Phil, he needed to marry this woman.So on May 1, 1942, Cecys 21st birthday, he told her just that and sent her a check to buy the engagement ring. I thought you might like to see a memorial for 1LT Russell Allen Phil Phillips I found on Findagrave.com. After drifting more than 2,000 miles and washing up on the Marshall Islands, Phillips and Zamperini were captured by the Japanese and imprisoned for two years. This account has been disabled. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. A Japanese KI-21 Sally bomber had spotted them and decided to utilize the raft as a target for practice. They had no food. He met (his wife) Cecy in Terre Haute before the war and they became engaged before he went off, longtime family friend Claudia Williams told The Times. He would keep his ordeal private. The late Russell Allen Phillips, a World War II pilot and longtime LaPorte resident, spent nearly two months eating raw albatrosses and seagulls that happened to land on a tiny life raft that. Russell enjoyed escaping to the open road on his Harley, refurbishing his El Camino but mostly lending a helping hand to . But small pilot fish and shark was not the only source of meat for the men. This is a carousel with slides. Eight of the 11-member crew died on impact. Search above to list available cemeteries. "Phil", as he was called in the war, sitting in Superman's cockpit. Every morning we woke up and we expected, well this is the day, this is the day they're going to kill us. Phil died on December 18, 1998. http://www3.ag.purdue.edu/Connections/NOW/Pages/Unbroken_Phillips.aspx, https://www.pinterest.com/pin/65865213272446111/, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=62938403. -Unbroken book, Yes. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Their unbelievable but true-life tale hit movie theaters nationwide on Christmas. They rose from their seats and waved their shirts and shouted. In their new location the two experienced kindness and sympathy. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Learn more about merges. surviving at sea, and becoming a POW. Sorry! or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. The three men had two rafts between them, six bars of chocolate (each meant to last a week and fortified with vitamins, minerals and protein), and eight half-pint tins of water. -Unbroken book, Yes. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Olympian/POW recalls meeting Adolf Hitler, cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. So this one, we devoured it like a hot fudge sundae, you know, it was just delicious" (CBN). September 20, 1997 he married Brook in Newaygo. You know, and here you are 65 pounds, you got constant diarrhea, your starved, they throw a rice ball, they don't give it to ya. Less than two minutes elapsed and the Green Hornet tumbled left wing and nose first into the ocean. GREAT NEWS! He went to California in 1954 when Zamperini was featured on the This Is Your Life television show, and he visited Zamperini in California in the 1990s. Dive deeper into the Unbroken true story with the interviews below, including a candid Louis Zamperini interview and a short documentary that features the rare Mutsuhiro Watanabe interview. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. -Unbroken book, Yes. Russell Allen Phillips's Personal Information & Public Records . Instead, they used it as bait to catch small fish. After three weeks, Allens bandages were removed and he did more around the raft. She just had that feeling., He was quiet and reserved, said Jerry Williams, who taught with Phillips. Mutsuhiro Watanabe interview (aka "The "Because of my own personal feelings, I treated the prisoners strictly as enemies of Japan. Try again. This one, the Green Hornet, was used on the daily vegetable runs between the air base and Hawaii. "From the sky a thousand feet up, a raft looks like a whitecap, and they didn't see us." Phil Russell Allen Phillips, known as Phil, is Louie's companion throughout his war experiences. Please reset your password. The Allen, as friends and colleagues knew him in his hometown of La Porte, Indiana, graduated from La Porte High School in 1934 and earned a degree in forestry from Purdue University. The beam fell and struck Louis in the head, momentarily knocking him out. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Zamperini dressed Allens wounds and rowed the small raft after a second one that was drifting in the currents nearby. August 1, 1916 marked the beginning Phils life. Though all three men had lost so much weightZamperini figured they were all less than 75 poundsit was Mac that seemed to be affected the most. While attending Purdue, Phil's parents moved to Terre Haute which just happened to be where Cecile "Cecy" Perry had recently moved to with her family. Unbroken is the story of Zamperini, who was Phillips best friend and bunkmate. was a self employed builder. Japanese prison guard Mutsuhiro Watanabe (aka "The Bird") would beat a POW for hours and then moments later he would hug him and give the POW beer, handfuls of candy, and cigarettes. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. a movie to be released in 2015 based on the book will feature James Franco as Louie Zamperini and Matt Damon as . In researching the Unbroken true story, we learned that Hitler reached from his box and shook Louie's hand, saying something in German. ", Yes. Along with two The Unbroken movie true story verifies that they were taken to the atoll of Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. This is your Louie talking. Russell Allen "Phil" Phillips. But each time theyd try to cast for fish, the sharks tailing them would steal the hooks and bait leaving them with nothing. According to the Unbroken movie true story, the men first killed an albatross that landed on the raft. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! While POWs, they endured torture, lack of food and medical care, and multiple hardships.After they were repatriated, Russell Allen Phillips married his hometown sweetheart Cecile Cecy' Perry, and they had two children, a boy and a girl.Louis Zamperini met and married Cynthia Applewhite, and they had two children. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Eight of the 11-member crew died on impact. Years later, his daughter would remark that her father was a quiet, modest man who didnt talk much about his experiences in the war. 1st LT USAAF WWIIS/N 1508239511th BG, 42nd B SqPilot and 1st Lt. Russell Allen Phillips was born in 1916 in Greencastle, Indiana and grew up in La Porte, Indiana. Yes. Yes. "Pete told me I had to quit drinking and smoking if I wanted to do well," Louis told Running Times Magazine, "and that I had to run, run, run." Academy Award-winner Angelina Jolie directed Unbroken, an adaptation of Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrands New York Times No. You're signed up for the American Outdoor Guide Boundless newsletter. Family members linked to this person will appear here. After drifting more than 2,000 miles and washing up on the Marshall Islands, Phillips and Zamperini were captured by the Japanese and imprisoned for two years. Weve updated the security on the site. difficulties and went down over the To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. The whole time three things kept Phil going and sane, the stories the three would tell to each other, the songs they would sing, and the promise of marriage he made Cecy. Known to perch atop the masts of sailing ships in the middle ocean, an albatross will use anything they can to rest. It wasn't until Mr. Burns started talking with Cecile Phillips, Russell's wife, that the remarkable story came out. He goes by "Phillips" and is in love with a girl named Cecy from back home. After a bombing raid on Nauru, Allen earned special distinction awards for piloting his crippled B-24 home despite missing one rudder, having the hydraulic system completely shot away, and nearly 600 bullets holes tearing through the plane his crew nicknamed Superman. "When they first put us in a cell, I just looked down at my knees, my bones, and my skin, and I just started crying. We caught rainwater. However, in that case, Lomax's tormentor had already spent years atoning for his actions. The guards mocked Louie and his own frailty scared him. Phillips, who was an educator in LaPorte for decades before dying in 1998, and bombardier Louis Zamperini, survived a number of combat missions, including one where nearly 600 rounds riddled their plane. Only at the end of his life, in 1998, does he speak openly of his own war experiences. Allen, as friends and colleagues knew him in his hometown of La Porte, Indiana, graduated from La Porte High School in 1934 and earned a degree in forestry from Purdue University. the same name and directed by Angelina We caught a shark and tore it up and ate the liver out of it. After the Nauru raid and with Superman out for repairs, Allens beleaguered crew was settling in for some rest when news came in of a B-25 going down somewhere in the Pacific 200 miles north of Palmyra. It is believed that this was part of the reason for his cruelty. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? prisoner-of-war camp. Some, because of his injuries in the crash, were not. Now, the Green Hornet, a plane that could barely get airborne with all four engines, was flying with two engines on the right side only. The fateful crash took place during a search and rescue mission when the bomber's engines failed. The camp accountant, Yuicho Hatto, stated that Watanabe was a sexual sadist who freely admitted that beating prisoners satisfied his sexual desires. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Mix that in with the fear, hunger, and dehydration, he was a goner. There was a problem getting your location. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. -Unbroken book As the book states, "Watanabe beat POWs every day, fracturing their windpipes, rupturing their eardrums, shattering their teeth, tearing one man's ear half off, leaving men unconscious. No. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. In addition to Zamperini, pilot Russell Allen "Phil" Phillips and tail gunner Francis "Mac" McNamara survived the crash. "We were reluctant to take it, but they said it passed inspection and it should be alright." He married Doris Laurene Franklin on 10 February 1945, in Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. Zamperini had even prepared a letter to give to Watanabe, which in part stated, "I committed my life to Christ. On May 27, 1943, while on a search mission for a lost aircraft and crew, the bomber succumbed to its mechanical woes. Love replaced the hate I had for you. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Academy Award-winner Angelina Jolie directed "Unbroken," an adaptation of "Seabiscuit" author Laura Hillenbrand's New York Times No. When we all came home, we got together again.. Age 50s Russell Allen Phillips Poplar Bluff, MO View Full Report May Go By Used To Live In Related To Rusell Phillips Louie's message is read near verbatim in the movie by actor Jack O'Connell, "Hello mother and father, relatives and friends. What was assumed to be a couple days at sea and then rescue was quietly accepted as a longer stay at sea. Louis Zamperini features the rare The sharks slapped the rafts with their tails, rammed into them, splashed water onto the men, and even jumped at them. He was clubbed in the head for winning but said it was worth it. Just before he went into a violent rage, his right eyelid would sag. "Just Living The Dream." Louis Zamperini later carried the Olympic torch at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California and in 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Louis Zamperini died on July On the rare occasion that a small three- to four-foot shark would swim by, the men worked together to wrestle it into the raft. The two of them quickly became close friends. Its two left engines cut out, and it crashed into the Pacific Ocean 850 miles south of Oahu, Hawaii, killing eight of the eleven men on board. Domhall Gleeson, the son of Golden Globe-nominated Irish actor Brendan Gleeson, plays Phillips in the movie. He was also introduced to a group of American and Australian POWs, who were obeying the Japanese and working as propagandists. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? The salt water helped, too.. Zamperini quickly gathered one of the ejected life rafts and got both Allen and McNamara out of the water. He first meets Louie at a training base in Washington state. After the war Phil went home to Indiana where he finally was able to marry and raise a family with Cecy. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Try again later. Russell Allen Phillips, age 52, of Plainfield, died unexpectedly on June 11, 2014. He took my undershirt and held it on there all night long. "The plane was used for salvaging parts from it," Louie said in a CBN interview. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Quickly, without warning, the number one engine (left outboard) sputtered, shook violently, and died. Contact us -CBN, After his plane went down in the Pacific Ocean on May 27, 1943, the real Louis Zamperini spent 47 days stranded at sea on the life raft. They cut it open but the stench was so bad they couldn't get the meat into their mouths without gagging. Christ said, 'Forgive your enemies and pray for them.'" Phillips was a LaPorte High School and Purdue University graduate who went on to become a lieutenant and pilot in the Army Air Corps. Zamperini and his story are Oops, something didn't work. Williams first learned what his friend had really suffered through by reading "Unbroken," which Hillenbrand based partly on Phillips's war letters in addition to interviews with Zamperini and many other sources. Verify and try again. Yes. cemeteries found in La Porte, La Porte County, Indiana, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. We have set your language to Beside him was his tail gunner Francis McNamara. Working as a farm hand for Madden Farms, as a mechanic for Plainfield Trucking and then spreading his wings wider, he hit the road as a truck driver. In 1934 Phil graduated from LaPorte High School, and finished all forms of school in 1940. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. was born on February 5, 1975 to Orville and Nancy (Boynton) Phillips in Fremont,. Research genealogy for Russell Allen Phillips of Gibson, Indiana, USA, as well as other members of the Phillips family, on Ancestry. He is next taken to the Ofuna POW camp, along with Louie. He started smoking at age five, picking up discarded cigarette butts while walking to kindergarten. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. held in an internment camp until the end Phil was fully prepared to marry Cecy as soon as possible, but that would have been at Ephrata, Washington which Phil saw as an unacceptable location for their wedding. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. "The book and now the movie are changing that.". Like in the movie, Fitzgerald never gave up any information. He enlisted in the Air Corps at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana on November 7, 1941. He was born on June 5, 1962 in Wild Rose to Gene and Betty (Baker) Phillips. Instead of rescue, they were greeted with bullets. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Overnight I became fanatical. Olympian and war hero Louis "Louie" He graduated from Newaygo High School in 1993. He enlisted in the Air Corps at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana on. Two years later, Russell Allen Phillips returned to his hometown and became the schoolteacher he had told Zamperini and Mac he would be. Some of his early antics included jumping from the caboose of a train when his family was on their way to California. Phil is well respected for his character and for his piloting skills. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. The men spent days wrestling the raft in storms and ocean swells of over 25 feet and they spent days in the doldrums, drifting on water as smooth as glass with vibrant sunrises and sunsets and the colorful albatrosses coloring the sky above them. Later, Phil and Louie are both members of the Green Hornet crew that suffers an anticipated crash. Leikness & Stahl Funeral Home, Plainfield is assisting the family with arrangements. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Russell Allen Phillips, known as Phil, is Louies companion throughout his war experiences. Louie was then asked to do a second broadcast. on 50-99 accounts. for a customized plan. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. View the profiles of people named Russell Allen Phillips. "But he was the one who put the plane down in the water. One of the survivors of the plane crash, he remains confident and good-spirited on the raft. Williams first learned what his friend had really suffered through by reading Unbroken. He couldnt put the book down. Unbroken aired, which splices creating and saving your own notes as you read. ), just before reaching an atoll in the Marshall Islands. Aboard was a new engineer Supermans regular engineer was injured over Nauruwho rushed to the cockpit and attempted to feather engine number one, or turn the blades of the dead engine edges to the wind to help reduce drag. Three feet beneath their raft, swimming with seven-foot sharks, the men watched as their raft was strafed with bullets. Make sure that the file is a photo. LAPORTE A LaPorte schoolteacher couldnt stomach chicken ever again, but that was one of the few telltale signs that suggested what he had endured. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. They were too far away to be certain and theyd have to survive a stormy night and hope their raft wasnt blown away from land. We had the sharks and whatnot to contend with, too. In the movie, Louie (Jack O'Connell) notices that Commander John Fitzgerald's fingernails had been torn off. Phil is well respected for his character and for his piloting skills. Watanabe would then cry and promise to never mistreat another prisoner. Phil is like the Ginger Rogers to Louie's Fred Astaire.He has to go through everything Louie does (being shot at, lost at sea for forty-six days, imprisoned in Japanese POW camps) but backwards and in heels.Okay, no heels, but he is the pilot of both the Super Man and the Green Hornet, and he feels a lot of guilt for . Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? "She knew his plane crashed, but always felt he was still alive. They had drifted approximately 2,000 miles. The following spring a Japanese civilian was brought in and Louie beat him as his fellow captives cheered. This aircraft was assigned to the 11th Bombardment Group, 42nd Bombardment Squadron. He was born there April 1, 1916, while the Rev. Louie's interaction with Hitler is not shown in the movie. On the 32nd day at sea, Allen and Zamperini noticed that Mac wasnt as active. 0-663341, who died in the service of his country in the Central Pacific Area, May 28, 1944. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request.

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