Joseph Dutch Bowers (December 13, 1896 â April 27, 1936) was the first man to attempt an escape from Alcatraz prison.oseph Bowers was by all accounts a desperado and loner, unable to come to terms with the conditions of Alcatraz.
However, the National Archives notes with some relief that millions of documents were lent to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) before the fire occurred, so at least those military records werenât destroyed. How VA Uses The 1973 Fire As An Excuse. An issue that comes up â much too frequently â is VAâs claim that a Veteranâs records were destroyed in the 1973 NPRC fire. VA Regional Offices often deny benefits claims by explaining â[t]hey could not obtain the records, and ...
1 Two children of Civil War veterans received pensions from V.A. of $876 annually. 2  One of the children, a man, died last August at the age of 93.  Last verified Civil War veteran died in 1951, meaning their fathers would have to be well into their 70s or 80s.