KVUE: Daughter of Late World War II POW Receives Her Father’s Medals

by ANDREW CHUNG / KVUE News

When Linda Hutson looks at photos of her late dad, Army Corporal William Earl Shults, the memories are there.

"I just thought my daddy was a skinny kid. I didn't know he had been in a prison camp when some of these pictures were made, just months before," Linda said.

Corporal Shults was in that prison camp following the infamous Bataan Death March.

The memories were too painful and traumatic for him to share. "I never ever remember my dad speaking about it. I do remember my mother saying, 'Go back to bed. He's having a nightmare about the war'," she added.

Linda wanted to find out more about her dad, who died in 1998.

"People in my days, before the Internet, never had computers and we didn't have the money to hire a high-priced genealogist to study your family," Linda says.

Linda's home is in essence a treasure trove of history. She is kept photos and other reminders of her father so people will remember the sacrifices he made for our country.

A trip to the public library and some help from relatives shed light on Corporal Shults. He was a P.O.W. who was part of the Bataan Death March.

"They would make American soldiers, in order to live, just to be able to keep marching, they'd make you cut the head off of your fellow soldier who went down," said Linda of her dad's Japanese captors.

Thousands died. Corporal Shults survived.

Further research by Linda revealed her dad received numerous military honors, and only now is Corporal William Earl Shults getting the recognition he deserves.

"She had requested these medals from our office for the first time just a few months ago and so we were fortunate to able to get them rather speedily. I think she had some of the medals in the past but over time he may not have been awarded all the medals," says U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett, who presented Shults' eight medals to Linda, including the Purple Heart.

Linda wants people to remember the past. "We need to know who we come from. We need to know where we've been. We need to know that we are not a free nation automatically. We need to know that people have suffered mightily," she said.

Finally knowing her dad's heroic past brings her closure.