MSgt. Frank Lovato

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Frank passed away at the Albuquerque VA Medical Center. He was predeceased by parents WWI Army veteran Atanacio Lovato and Anita Sanchez.

Frank was survived by children: Francisco Lovato, Marie Lovato, Debbie Humphreys, and Patrick Lovato; 16 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren, including Disney acting and singing star Demi Lovato.

Frank was named after his famous maternal grandfather, Congressman Francisco Perea who was a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln. Frank joined the New Mexico National Guard while in high school and received training at Fort Bliss, Texas prior to being activated in January 1941. His unit was designated the 200th Coast Artillery and was shipped to Fort Stotsenberg-Clark Air Field, Philippine Islands in September 1941 to shore up the joint American-Filipino forces of General Douglas MacArthur. Imperial Japanese began their invasion on 8 Dec 1941. Frank was among the very first Americans to engage the Japanese land invasion forces on the beach at Lingayen Gulf. He and his American-Filipino, 27 man mechanized-artillery, halftrack battery sunk over 30 Japanese landing craft and later destroyed four enemy tanks.

On 9 Apr 1942, American and Filipino forces making a last stand on the Bataan Peninsula were compelled to surrender. Frank survived the Bataan Death March, POW camps, "Hell Ships," and "Slave Camps". While in a POW camp near Nagasaki, Japan, he witnessed the flash and sound of the last bomb dropped in WWII. He was liberated from Fukuoka POW Camp #1, Kashii (Pine Tree Camp), Kyushu Island, Japan where he was used as slave labor. Frank returned home, received his promised field promotion and started a family.

He continued to serve and was among the first Army Sergeants to join the newly formed Air Force, fulfilling his promise to see that the conditions that led to the fall of the Philippines would never happen again. Frank lived in his home in Albuquerque for 60 years, helping others less fortunate than himself, surrounded by great grandchildren and enjoying local sports and veteran events.