Glenn Newell, No. 40, left center; Emmett Newell, No. 71, bottom right; and Charlie Mellor, No. 79, top right, were civilian employees of the Boise-based Morrison-Knudsen Company when they were taken prisoner by Japanese forces on Wake Island in December 1941. Their families, which live in North Idaho, met for the first time Tuesday to share their stories.
January 11, 2023
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Shared links to the past
Families discover connections between loved ones held as WWII POWs
The world is much smaller than many people realize. Ron and Betty Mills, who live at Wellspring Assisted Living in Hayden, and Verda Newell, a resident of another assisted living residence in Coeur d'Alene, are complete strangers who recently discovered their families are linked in history. It all started with the serendipitous work of a local public historian who uncovered the connections.