The Daily Alaska Empire

JUNEAU MAN MEMBER OF 'HONOR COMPANY' AT JAP SURRENDER

WITH THE 40TH INFANTRY DIVISION IN THE PHILIPPINES

Private Edwin Johns, rifleman, of Juneau, Alaska, was a member of the "Honor Company" of the 40th Infantry Division which provided a guard at preliminary negotiations August 28 for surrender of 1700 Japanese troops and civilians on Panay Island.

The "Honor Company" was Company I of the 160th Infantry Regiment. Commanded by Lt. Norman F. Pcwell, 9031 Fort Hamilton Pkway, Brocklyn, N. Y., Company I numbers among its heroes Congressional Medal of Honor winner Lt. John Sjogren of Rockford, Mich.

The meeting took place in the historic churchyard of Maasin where three years ago an American-Filipino force laid down its arms when the Japs seized Panay.

Col. Raymond G. Stanton of 4607 Connecticut Ave., Washington, D. C. Regimental commander, reversed the tables when he personally dictated unconditional surrender terms to envoys of Lt. Col. Ryoichi Tozuka, the commander of Imperial Japanese forces on Panay. The Jap commander sent a part of well-armed officers and men carrying white flags to Maasin. They returned to Tozuka headquarters the same day.

Terms ordered surrender of all Japanese personnel by September 6.

Two groups of Japs still remain in the mountains of central Panay where they fled when American troops landed March 19.

Frightened Filipino civilians in the Maasin area flocked ahead of the Japs as they came down a mountain trail for the negotiations. The Filipinos later returned to their homes, assured that surrender was being arranged.