Carson man to get medals back

Thursday, May 15, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Bowler, 74 and battling cancer, fought 52 years for the captaincy the military took from him after the Japanese surrendered in 1945.

U.S. Sen. Harry Reid announced Wednesday that the Army will recognize Bowler's rank of captain and award him the decorations for bravery and patriotism, including two Bronze Star medals and a Prisoner of War medal.

Reid, D-Nev., plans to present Bowler with his medals during a special ceremony this spring.

"I'm so relieved," Bowler said. "I wondered whether I'd ever get it."

"He didn't think it would ever happen," said his wife, Rose. "But there's a twinkle in his eye that wasn't there before."

Born in the Philippines to an American father and Filipina mother, Bowler fought for the United States in the Pacific theater.

Fluent in many island dialects, his language and leadership skills were considered so crucial to his unit, the 31st Infantry, that he was promoted from sergeant to captain.

In 1942, Bowler and his brother, Frank, were among 70,000 American and Filipino soldiers captured by the Japanese and forced to walk more than 60 miles from one camp to another. As many as 10,000 soldiers died during the march.

On Jan. 1, 1943, Bowler and his brother escaped and joined the Filipino guerrilla forces. But when peace was declared, the Army inexplicably stripped him of his battlefield captaincy.