Mark Kelso Joins as Director of Descendant Affairs

The Hellships Memorial Foundation is honored to welcome Mark Kelso to its Board of Directors as Director of Descendant Affairs. As a descendant of a Hellship victim, Mark brings a deeply personal perspective to the Foundation's mission.

Mark holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Maritime Business Administration from Texas A&M University and a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from University of Houston-Clear Lake.

He will advise the Board on matters affecting Hellship descendants, foster relationships with families around the world, and help ensure that the voices and experiences of descendants remain central to our work in remembrance, education, and historical preservation.

Mark will also serve as the primary advisor to the Hellships Museum Project, helping guide the development of exhibits, interpretive themes, and descendant engagement to ensure that the museum authentically reflects the experiences, sacrifices, and enduring legacy of those who suffered aboard the Hellships and of the families who continue to preserve their memory.

Mark is the grandson of Lt. Walter A. Kelso, Jr. Lt. Kelso served in the ground echelon of the 19th Bomb Group Hq&Hq Squadron. Captured in May of 1942, Kelso was held at Malaybulay, Davao Penal Colony, Cabanatuan, and Bilibid.

Lt. Kelso left the Philippines in December of 1944 as a prisoner in the rear hold of the Oryoku Maru. He survived the bombing of the Oryoku Maru and was placed aboard the Enoura Maru. Kelso survived the bombing of the Enoura Maru and then moved to Brazil Maru arriving in Japan on January 29,1945. Lt. Kelso died at Kokura Military Hospital, Fukuoka POW Camp 22, Japan on February 4, 1945.

We are grateful for Mark's willingness to serve and look forward to the insight, compassion, and commitment he brings to the Foundation as we continue our mission to honor the past and educate future generations.