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One of the most interesting items on display in the Legal Center and School is a canteen that belonged to Colonel (COL) Thomas A. Lynch, a Philippine Division judge advocate who was taken prisoner by the Japanese in 1942.
The canteen is a remarkable piece of our Regiment's history. Lynch carried it from the time he was captured until he was liberated from a prisoner of war (POW) camp in August 1945. There is little doubt that the canteen was critical to Tom Lynch's survival as a POW and arguably was his most valuable possession since nothing was more important in a POW camp than having readily available clean water to drink. But what makes the canteen so interesting is that Lynch (or more likely a fellow POW with some artistic talent) engraved it with the names and dates of every location in which Lynch spent any time from December 1941 through June 1943, including POW camps in which he been held captive. This Lore of the Corps article is about that canteen, and the details engraved upon its surface.
As an article about COL Lynch has already appeared in the pages of The Army Lawyer, only a very brief recap of his career is necessary.1 Born in Chicago, Illinois on March 2, 1882, Thomas Austin "Tom" Lynch graduated from high school at age 19. He seems to have worked in Chicago as an office clerk for the Chicago and New Hampshire Railroad before enlisting in the 17th Infantry Regiment on March 28, 1904. After a short period of service in Cuba, he sailed with his unit to the Philippines. Lynch subsequently served as a private, corporal, sergeant and first sergeant in Company "F" of that Regular Army unit.
After being promoted to major (MAJ) on July 1, 1920, Lynch continued to work as an Army lawyer. He wore the crossed quill-and-sword insignia on his collar and served as a "Law Member"5 at general courts-martial convened in the Philippines. Lynch also performed duties as a trial counsel Tom Lynch was a talented Soldier of proven ability. He not only participated in campaigns against Filipino insurgents on Mindanao in 1904-1905 (his records reflect one year, seven months of "combat" duty)2 but his superiors were sufficiently impressed...