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By JOE SIMNACHER Staff Writer jsimnacher@dallasnews.com
Published February 26, 2009
Arthur Campbell survived the Bataan Death March and
serving as a human guinea pig during his 3 1/2 years as a prisoner of
war.
His nickname, Lu, was short for Lucifer and was
given to him by his Japanese captors when he didn't die after being
strung up for three days in prison.
Although he battled health problems the rest of his
life, the decorated veteran went on to have a family and a career. In
1975, he retired to Rockwall, where he was known for his skills as a
handyman and for his hobby: painting in watercolors and oil.
Mr. Campbell, 89, died Feb. 18 at his daughter's
home in Rockwall of complications of his many medical conditions.
Services will be at 11 a.m. March 7 at Rest Haven
Funeral Home's Rockwall Chapel. His ashes will be buried at 10:30 a.m.
March 9 in Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.
Mr. Campbell suffered from nightmares for years
after his POW experience, said his daughter, Shelda Upshaw of Fort
Worth.
"He could be a little quick-tempered, but he loved
kids," Mrs. Upshaw said.
Mr. Campbell played Santa at Christmas and was a
clown for children's birthday parties and restaurant openings.
"He was kind of a two-sided coin, but a lot of it
was that post-traumatic[stress disorder] from the war," his daughter
said. "He was tortured – I mean tortured."
Mr. Campbell was born in Rigby, Idaho. When he was
17, he lied about his age to join the Army and escape the hard times of
the Great Depression.
In 2003, he told The Dallas Morning News he joined
the Army to get something to eat.
"I laugh now, too, but it was tough on the farm in
1936, and the jackrabbits were getting pretty scarce," he said.
Mr. Campbell served in the cavalry and as an
investigator for the adjutant general's office before being assigned to
the Philippines with the Army Air Forces.
He saw intense fighting in the Philippines and
received a Purple Heart on three occasions, along with a Silver Star and
a Bronze Star for his service.
His unit was captured in April 1942 and imprisoned,
first in Cabanatuan in the Philippines, and later at Mukden prison in
Manchuria.
In Manchuria, Mr. Campbell was singled out as a
troublemaker and assigned to a special unit that the Japanese used for
medical experiments.
Mr. Campbell weighed 94 pounds when he was rescued
by the Soviets who liberated the POW camp.
He lived much of his civilian life in El Centro,
Calif., where he owned and operated an auto-repair shop. He became an
early dealer for after-market auto air conditioners and later was a
manager for a J.C. Penney Co. auto center.
Mr. Campbell was a member of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints but also attended Presbyterian Church of
Rockwall with his wife, Frances Campbell, who died in 2005.
In addition to his daughter, Mr. Campbell is
survived by another daughter, Elizabeth Gascoigne of Rockwall; a son,
Art Campbell of Rowlett; two brothers, Tom Campbell and Ken Campbell,
both of Idaho Falls, Idaho; six grandchildren; and four
great-grandchildren.
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