27 Jun 1941, he enlisted.

15 Jul 1941, Hank left San Francisco on the S.S. President Coolidge, a troop transport in route to Honolulu, Hawaii and then on to the Manila Bay in the Philippine Islands (P.I.). He sent a post card from San Francisco to Pete & Helen Sammons.

21 Jul 1941 Hank left Honolulu, Hawaii and then on to the Philippine Islands. He sent a post card from Honolulu to Pete & Helen.

3 Aug 1941 Hank arrived in the Philippine Islands and sent an eight page letter to Pete & Helen.

17 Sep 1941 Hank sent a five page letter to Pete & Helen from Clark Field Philippine Islands

22 Nov 1941, Hank sent a four page letter to Pete & Helen from Clark Field Philippine Islands (P.I.)

8 Dec 1941, the Japanese attacked the Philippine Islands including Clark Field. Information from Wikipedia.

22 Dec 1941, the main Japanese attacked, 43,000+. The combined US and Philippine military forces pulled into the Bataan Peninsula for a defensive stand. General Douglas MacArthur was commander of the forces. Information from Wikipedia. Hank would have been in those forces. The fighting continued for over three months.

20 Mar 1942, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered General Douglas MacArthur to Australia. Information from Wikipedia.

23 Mar 1942, Maj. Gen. Jonathan Mayhew "Skinny" Wainwright IV became commander of forces on the Bataan Peninsula. Information from Wikipedia.

8 Apr 1942, Main forces on the Bataan Peninsula surrendered. Wainwright moved to Corregidor. Information from Wikipedia.

9 Apr 1942, The Bataan Death March from Bataan Peninsula to Camp O'Donnell POW camp started. The distance he had to walk could have been 65 miles to the train depot where they were loaded into rail cars and then taken to Camp O'Donnell. Hank would have been in that march. Thus he was a Prisoner of War (POW) from that date until his death 2 Jun 1942, 56 days.

7 May1942, Wainwright ordered surrender of Corregidor. The soldiers that were unaccounted for were listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Hank was listed as MIA.

2 Jun 1942, Hank died due to malaria in the Camp O’Donnell Prisoner of War Camp and was buried in the cemetery there in Plot L Row 14 Grave 9.

24 Jun 1942, War Department (W. D.) Circular 204 was passed that said military personal that were unaccounted for would receive advancement as if normal conditions existed. Therefore Hank was advanced retroactively on 2/1/1942 to Specialist Second Class, and on 6/1/1942 to Technician Fourth Class.

27 May 1944 The War Department sent Mrs. Anna Sammons who lived in Currie, Minnesota the following notice. John H Sammons, ASN 39009586, based on the document FINDING OF DEATH OF MISSING PERSON. That document is the result of Public Law 490--77th Cong., of March 7, 1942. At that time it was determined that Hank who enlisted 27 Jun 1941 died 8 May 1944. That also meant he was in the service 2 years 10 months 15 days. Later on it was determined that information was incorrect.

7 Jul 1944, Mrs. Anna Sammons received a Purple Heart Citation from President Roosevelt stating that this order had been conferred on her son, (John) Henry, for the services to his country on Bataan.

4 Sep 1945 War Department sent Mrs. Anna Sammons, whose address was Box 12, Currie, Minnesota the document NON-BATTLE CASUALTY REPORT. It stated John H Sammons, ASN 39009586, actually died 2 Jun 1942.

2 May 1947 Mrs. Anna Sammons received a letter telling her Hank’s remains had been moved from POW Camp O’Donnell Cemetery to Manila #2 military cemetery.

Sometime between 11 Dec 1944 & 6 Aug 1946, Leslie Sammons, visited Hank’s grave. Les was in the Army between those two dates, and the following article was in the Tracy Headlight Herald after his visit.

Pvt. L. H. Sammons Finds Brothers's Grave Small confort it is for bereaved parents when they receive mesages of sympathy form commanding officers, as final word is sent verfiying the fact that a son has paid the supreme sacrifice. it is beyond the power of any offical to do more in the time of war. Mrs. Anna Sammons of Tracy, received a letter from her son, Pvt. Leslie Sammons, stationed on Luzon, P.I., giving her the conforting assurance that he had found the grave of his brother, John Henry Sammons, who lost his life in the invasion of the Philippine islands. In connection with the letter Leslie sent a five stanza poem he had written, entitled "A Bare White Cross," which he had dedicated to the memory of his brother, and other sons, husbands, and brothers of countless families over the country

In 2016, Lilly Ann Sammons, Les’ widow, knew nothing about the poem. It must have been Manila #2 temporary military cemetery that Les visited John Henry Sammons grave.

Between 2 May 1947 and 15 Aug 1949 The Quartermaster General department contacted Mrs. Anna Sammons, got her permission and then moved Hank’s remains to Fort McKinley, U. S. Military Cemetery. She received a letter stating his final resting place was Plot D, Row 12 Grave 126.

On 8 Dec 1960 Fort McKinley, U.S. Military Cemetery was renamed Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.