James J O'Donovan★ World War II Gold Star Veteran from New York
On October 18, 1942 Major O'Donovan was declared a casualty of World War II. ★ He served with honor in the United States Army. ★ He is remembered by the people of New York. ★ May his positive example inspire us. Working together towards peace, mutual respect, and equality for all.
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Our displayed data concerning the life and military history of James J O'Donovan is a work in progress. We've assembled a list of elements we are in the process of researching and reviewing. This profile was last edited on 2019-06-14 13:01:24.
Missing : Core Data
· Middle name· Birth date
· Enlistment type
· Date of tour or service
· Home or enlistment city
Missing : Supplemental Data
· Birth + childhood location· Educational background
· Marriage history
· Parents, family history
· Expanded references and citations
Service Details
| This Profile ID | 352427 |
| Service ID | O-294421 |
| Name | James J O'Donovan |
| From | Albany County, New York |
| Casualty Date | October 18, 1942 |
| War | World War II |
| Service Branch | Army |
| Rank | Major |
| Specialty | Executive Officer |
| Unit/Group | 31st Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion, Philippine Scouts |
| Casualty Type | Missing in action, Died of disease while prisoner of war |
| Location | Cabanatuan Prison Camp, Philippines |
| Burial | Tablets of the Missing Manila American Cemetery Manila, Philippines |
| Notable Awards |
★ Distinguished Service Cross
★ Prisoner of War Medal |
| Remembered | 
James J O'Donovan is buried or memorialized at Tablets of the Missing Manila American Cemetery Manila, Philippines. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location. |
Additional Details
Major James J O'Donovan entered the US Army from New York and was a battalion executive in the 31st Infantry Regiment in the Philippines during the Japanese invasion.He was wounded twice during the Battle of Bataan, and provided leadership for front-line defensive positions during a four-day battle at Abucay Hacienda, helping three depleted companies withdraw from the peninsula. After the American surrender in April, he was taken prisoner by the Japanese and forced on the Bataan Death March. Eventually, he was held at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp, where he died of beriberi on October 18, 1942 |
Commendations + Awards
Please note this might not be a complete or completely accurate accounting. For some awards we use probability factors based on known service details. Thanks for your understanding.
★ Distinguished Service Cross
★ Prisoner of War Medal
★ World War II Victory Medal
★ American Campaign Medal
★ Army Presidential Unit Citation
★ Army Good Conduct Medal
★ Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Notable Reference Sources
These are typically links to pages on external sites that have provided specific nodes of information. In most cases the information has some assurance of being crowd-sourced and vetted by a community of users.New York Gold Star Veterans Gallery
Honoring the men and women of New York who gave their all for their country. May their example of courage and sacrifice be our guide. To be strong and responsible in our lives as citizens of the world. 
Through honest daily actions, we honor them.
Through honest daily actions, we honor them.
New York was home to over 30,000 American Gold Star veterans from 4 wars of the 20th Century. Some significant statistics:
New York was home to over 30,000 American Gold Star veterans from 4 wars of the 20th Century. Some significant statistics:
• 4,941 World War I
• 23,272 World War II
• 513 Korean War
• 1,274 Vietnam War
• 102 Prisoners of war
• 2,142 Missing in action
• 1 D-Day Normandy casualties
• 15 Medal of Honor recipients
• 23,272 World War II
• 513 Korean War
• 1,274 Vietnam War
• 102 Prisoners of war
• 2,142 Missing in action
• 1 D-Day Normandy casualties
• 15 Medal of Honor recipients
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▼ Organizational Supporters - HonorStates.org and the National Unified Archive of American Gold Star Veterans is stringently curated. This attention to quality extends to our supporters program. We carefully research and screen prospective organizations we perceive as being suitably aligned with our mission
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Honor States Admin
Roy "Joker"
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▼ Primary Sources - These are repositories for artifacts, documents, diaries, manuscripts, and other information that serve as original and authoritative sources of information.
National Archives (NARA)
Library of Congress (LOC)
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)
Findagrave.com
Ancestry.com
Honoring our fallen. Together. Uniting us in meaningful common cause. When we work together to honor our Gold Star veterans, we heal our nation together. It's a team effort. Everyone's invited to join as a Citizen Historian and Guardian of Honor. - learn more
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