Jack Ethridge Jennings was born on April 8, 1916 to John and Goldie Jennings, who lived in Glassport, Pennsylvania, At some point, Jack moved to Chester County for a short time.

Jack enlisted in the Army, and was assigned to Company D, 11th Infantry National Guard. He later requested, and was granted a transfer to the Army Air Corps.

During the attack on Pearl Harbor, Jack was in the Philippines. He fought in the historic retreat of General Douglas MacArthur, and was among the Americans who surrendered on the Bataan Peninsula or the Island of Corregidor. He surrendered and was help prisoner by the Japanese n 1942 and was heard on a prison war radio broadcast. He most likely was in the horrific Bataan Death March where hundreds of American prisoners and thousands of Filipino prisoners died during the 60-mile trek.  

Private Jack Eldridge Jennings died non-battle on June 11, 1943 in a Japanese prisoner of war camp at Cabanatuan. His parents were informed he was missing, but did not know until months later that he died. 

Credits

Research by Don Wambold, WCMSC