A2 Monday, November 8, 2021 — DAILY REPUBLIC
Sheldon’s book ‘...The Secretary of War Shares Your Grief...’
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track, basketball), ifelong Fairfielder Warren pursued the C. Sheldon’s dramatic arts, was book “...The in the science and Secretary of War math clubs and Shares Your Grief: was the president The Brief Exisof the student tence of Captain body his senior Milton Jerome year, 1934. Sheldon,” pubHe went to UC Tony Wade lished in 2000, is a Back in the day Davis and later detailed account of transferred to UC the life of Warren ShelBerkeley where he don’s first cousin once graduated with a bacheremoved (Jerome was the lor’s degree in letters and son of Warren’s science (military science, grand-uncle). political science and How “...The Secretary history) in 1939. He joined of War Shares Your the Army that same year. Grief...” came to be is The letters that Jerome nearly as interesting as sent to his parents over the almost 400-page book the years showed that he itself. In the foreword, was open to discussing Warren Sheldon talks nearly anything with about his earliest remem- them – finances, girls, brances of Jerome and future plans and more. that would be when the In March 19, 1940, he Japanese bombed Pearl responded to a letter from Harbor. Years after his his folks about flooding in first cousin had died, Fairfield. Texas Street Warren asked Jerome’s was underwater and so mother what had hapwere Missouri, Delaware, pened. Jerome’s mother, Broadway, Ohio and E. Ruth Sheldon, for Illinois streets. Jerome whom the elementary wrote, “I kept listening to school on Woolner Avenue the news reports to see if is named, answered, but the town had been swept not in great detail. out to sea.” Ruth Sheldon died in In the Oct. 10, 1940, 1975 and Warren’s family Solano Republican inherited a military newspaper (predecessor footlocker that used to to the Daily Republic), an belong to Jerome. Warren article read: “Lieutenant Sheldon’s mother died in Jerome Sheldon of the 1997 and in January United States Army left 1999 Warren and his yesterday with his brother went through the company for the Philipfootlocker. It was pines where he will crammed tight with remain for two years.” photographs, letters, Before he left, he documents, a machete, a visited home and made a nightstick and newspapoint to see his friends the per clippings. Collas in Suisun City. Once they examined Jerome was a good friend the material in the of Primo Colla. footlocker, they knew it In the Philippines, was a story that needed to Jerome was assigned to be told and the job fell to Gen. Douglas MacArWarren. In the book’s thur’s staff about two preface he describes the months before the finished product as “the Japanese attack on Pearl reconstructed story of a Harbor in young man cut down in December 1941. his prime.” Now, the details of what Jerome’s father, Roy C. happened to Jerome, and Sheldon, was a fourth many other servicemen, generation resident of are not preserved in the Suisun Valley. Roy’s letters, but military great-grandfather, Jasper historians have covered it Saxton Sheldon, came in numerous books over from Ohio in 1849 looking the years. Warren Sheldon for gold. The real fortune quotes extensively from he found was in growing the book “Surrender and fruit in the fertile Survival” by E. Bartlett Suisun Valley. Kerr and the details are Roy and Ruth’s only grisly, grim and inhuchild Milton Jerome mane. An overview is that Sheldon was born Sept. 22, MacArthur offered to take 1916, in Oakland. In Jerome Sheldon with him 1922 they bought a house to Australia, but he on Texas Street where declined in favor of going The Oil Connection is now to the Bataan Peninsula to located. Back then it was fight with his old outfit. outside the Fairfield city Jerome was captured limits. Jerome attended by the Japanese army and San Rafael Military became a prisoner of war. Academy and graduated Back in Fairfield, after from the eighth grade in receiving word of his 1930. He then attended capture, Roy Sheldon Armijo High School. raised an American flag in He appeared to have front of his Texas Street been a well-rounded house and vowed not to student at Armijo as he take it down until Jerome played sports (football, came home. David Weir,
Courtesy photos
The cover of Warren C. Sheldon’s book “...The Secretary of War Shares Your Grief...”, left, and Milton Jerome Sheldon’s 1934 Armijo High senior picture. publisher of the Solano Republican and proud World War I veteran, took issue with Roy since flags were supposed to come down at sundown. Angry words and letters were exchanged between the two. Jerome was captured with general officers and was fortunate as he rode with them to Camp O’Donnell and avoided the physical perils of the now infamous Bataan Death March. However, Jerome ended up in a group of 462 officers and men at the Umeda Bunsho Prisoner of War Camp near Osaka, Japan. Soon he was suffering from dysentery, colitis, malaria and malnutrition. He was placed in an area of the camp known as the hospital, but it was without beds or medicine. From the book: “The men were generally dressed in tropical clothing and they were in Japan with winter coming on. No one had coats and the buildings were not heated. Meals consisted of rice and turnips.” Jerome contracted terminal pneumonia and died Dec. 15, 1942. His posthumous Silver Star medal citation read: “For gallantry in action on Bataan, Philippine Islands, on April 9, 1942. Captain Sheldon, as acting aide to the Chief of Staff, Luzon Force, remained on duty with total disregard for his own personal safety answering telephone calls and delivering messages and orders while the entire area of the Command Post, Luzon Force was swept by exploding shells and small arms ammunition from a burning ordnance magazine in the immediate proximity. For a greater part of the time he
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was the only available messenger for delivering messages to the various staff sections.” A Buddhist priest took it upon himself to cremate the remains of the Allied servicemen in the Osaka POW camps. He created an altar to their memory, kept the cremated remains near the altar and prayed for the repose of their souls twice daily. The 13th Armored Tank Division from Camp Beale, California, welded a framed picture of Jerome Sheldon on the steel side of a tank, which was then named “Fairfield” in his honor. Jerome’s funeral back home took place Oct. 31, 1948. Warren Sheldon, then 12 years old, was in attendance. It was held at Hansen Funeral Home in Suisun City across from
the VFW building. Armed guards stood by Jerome’s urn. After the services, the procession proceeded up Main Street in Suisun, which turned into Union Avenue in Fairfield and made its way to the Suisun-Fairfield Cemetery. Highway 40, now Interstate 80, went down Texas Street in those days and the procession crossed it at the courthouse. Sacramento to Oakland traffic was blocked for miles in both directions. The book details the aftermath of Jerome’s death as Roy Sheldon battled the War Department over a life insurance claim for Jerome which was finally paid – a decade later. Roy died shortly afterward. Warren Sheldon
interviewed people who knew Jerome and who lived through the wretchedness of the POW camps. He also visited the United States Monument to World War II in the Pacific. On polished red marble an engraved poem reads: “Sleep My Sons, your duty done For Freedom’s light has come. Sleep in the silent depths of the sea Or in your bed of hallowed sod Until you hear at dawn The low clear reveille of God.” Reach Fairfield humor columnist, accidental local historian and author of The History Press book “Growing Up In Fairfield, California” Tony Wade at toekneeweighed @gmail.com.
