The Descendants of American Prisoners of War (DAPOW) is a hereditary society that honors the descendants of Americans who were captured and held as prisoners of war. The society encourages the preservation of documentary evidence of captivity, and it promotes public understanding of an aspect of wartime experience that is often difficult to reconstruct from standard service records alone.
War Service of Ralph Everett Rees
Ralph Everett Rees (26 June 1916, Loramie, Shelby County, Ohio – 23 April 2003, Maysville, Kentucky) served in the United States Army during the Second World War as a paratrooper assigned to a commando-type unit. His service placed him in the North African theater, where American forces were engaged in highly mobile operations against Axis troops during 1942–1943.
In the summer of 1943, Rees was reported missing in action following combat operations in North Africa. Contemporary newspaper accounts indicate that during these actions he was shot in the leg, after which he was captured by enemy forces and held as a prisoner of war. Initial War Department notifications to his family reflected the uncertainty common to such engagements, with Rees first listed as missing before his status became clear.
Subsequent reporting confirmed that Rees had survived his wounds and captivity. He was held as a prisoner of war for a period estimated to extend from approximately mid-July to early September 1943, after which he was released and transferred to a military hospital following his return to Allied control. Later newspaper articles reported that he had been located safely and was no longer listed among missing personnel.
Rees’s wartime experience encompasses several of the most difficult aspects of military service: front-line combat, combat injury, captivity as a prisoner of war, and recovery following release. His service record reflects the realities faced by American airborne and commando troops operating in North Africa, where rapid engagements and shifting lines frequently resulted in wounded soldiers being captured before evacuation could occur.
Additional memberships will be added as they are approved.