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diff --git a/old/blbro10.txt b/old/blbro10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..41fb0d7 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/blbro10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5784 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Blood Brothers, by Colonel Eugene C. Jacobs + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: Blood Brothers + +Author: Colonel Eugene C. Jacobs + +Release Date: July, 2005 [EBook #8423] +** This is a COPYRIGHTED Project Gutenberg eBook, Details Below ** +** Please follow the copyright guidelines in this file. ** + +Copyright (C) 1985 by Colonel Eugene C. Jacobs. + +[This file was first posted on July 9, 2003] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: Latin1 + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, BLOOD BROTHERS *** + + + + +Copyright (C) 1985 by Colonel Eugene C. Jacobs. + + + + +(Note: Project Gutenberg's .zip includes the images from the book.) + + + BLOOD BROTHERS + + A Medic's Sketch Book + + By + + Colonel Eugene C. Jacobs + + + + Edited by Sam Rohlfing, + + Vero Beach, Florida + + + + A Hearthstone Book + + + Carlton Press, Inc. New York, N.Y. + + DEDICATION + + + To my wife, Judy, a beautiful person. + + + +Limited Edition + + +© 1985 by Colonel Eugene C. Jacobs + +ALL RIGHTS RESERVED + +Manufactured in the United States of America + +ISBN 0-8062-2300-6 + + PREFACE* + + +The purpose of Blood Brothers is to acquaint the reader with a series +of harrowing incidents experienced by the isolated U.S. Armed Forces +in the Far East during World War II. + + We might well be voicing the words of Saint Paul which were +recorded in his Second Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter I) verse 8: + +"For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which +came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above +strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life!" + +Of his First Guerrilla Regiment, General Douglas MacArthur stated that +"He had acquired a force behind the Japanese lines that would have a +far reaching effect on the war in the days to come"; that it had kept +"Freedom's Flames burning brightly throughout the Philippines"; that +it had produced a "human drama with few parallels in military +history"; and later, during the landing in Lingayen Gulf, had +"accomplished the purposes of practically a front line division." + +MacArthur further stated that "the courageous and splendid resistance +maintained by you and your command filled me with pride and +satisfaction." + +Of the Hell Ship Oryoku Maru, Gen. James O. Gillespie stated "it was +probably the most horrible story of suffering endured by prisoners of +war during World War II." + +Gen. John Beall further stated, "You say a lot of things that need to +be said, lest the United States forgets the horrors of the way the +Japanese treated our prisoners." + +In writing Blood Brothers, I found it necessary to resort to frequent +flashbacks; and to keep the reader aware of the history taking place +around the world, I tried to make reference to these events as they +happened, even when they were merely rumors. + + This story has not been pleasant to write; I'm glad it is finally +finished. + +In Blood Brothers, there are no heroes. The survivors of the +Philippines arrived home in 1945, quietly and without recognition, to +be admitted to hospitals near their homes. + +With winners and heroes everywhere, there was no time for "Losers." + + +Eugene C. Jacobs + +"Our senses can grasp nothing that is extreme! Too much noise deafens +us! Too much light blinds us! Too far or too near prevents our seeing! +Too long or too short is beyond understanding! Too much truth stuns +us!" + +Blaise Pascal + + +*General Harold K. Johnson, a former Chief of Staff of the United +States Army, had been a former Japanese prisoner-of-war, had +experienced each and every event as it happened to other P.O.W.s, and +had been an excellent friend through more than thirty years of Army +service; he had agreed to write this PREFACE; unfortunately, this was +followed by a long hospitalization ending in terminal cancer. + + + CONTENTS + + +I Bombs Fall on Camp John Hay, Rest + and Recreation Center, in the Philippines + +II The Orange Plan (WPOIII) + +III MacArthur's First Guerrilla Regiment + + Col. Warner Surrenders the 14th Infantry + + Japanese Prisoner of War Camp No.1, Cabanatuan + +IV Japanese Atrocities + +V Americans + +VI "Old" Bilibid Prison + +VII Japan Detail - Oriental Tour - Strictly Third Class + +X Japan + +XI Camp Hoten, Mukden, Manchuria + +XII Japan Surrenders + +XIII Start Home + +XIV The Good Old U.S.A + +XV Borrowed Time + +Appendix + +Acknowledgments + + *MY SKETCHES + + +During the first few weeks of our incarceration in Japanese +Prisoner-of-War Camp No.1 in the Philippines, 1,500 (25% of our 6,000 +captives) died of starvation, malnutrition, various vitamin +deficiencies, malaria, diphtheria and various wounds that would not +heal. I knew that within another 6 to 8 months, we would all be dead, +and there would be no record of it. There was no paper to keep any +record of events. + +Within a few weeks, I was able to obtain a" nickel school notebook. In +it, I drew many sketches, depicting the lifestyle in prison camp. + +Of course, I had to be secretive. There was a penalty for keeping +records in camp; if I'd been caught, I would have been beheaded. + +By the time we were being processed for transfer to Old Bilibid Prison +in late October 1944, I had made some 110 sketches. I rolled them up +and placed them in a Mason jar. I buried the jar at the east end of +building No. 12, planning to come back after the war and dig it up. + + + ... + +When the war was over, I was flown from Mukden, Manchuria to Kunming, +China and on to Manila, P.I., where I was housed in a tent at Reple +Depot # 29 south of the city. The next day I was flown in a Piper Cub +back to Cabanatuan to look for my drawings, landing at an airfield we +had built as prisoner-labor. A battalion of Engineers furnished a +bulldozer. + +The camp buildings were all gone. I figured out where building # 12 +had been. We dug for hours and found nothing. + +As fate would have it, one year after I returned to Active Duty at +Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington, D.C., I located my 110 +sketches at the Pentagon. MacArthur's Sixth Army Rangers had retrieved +the buried drawings when they liberated Camp #1 in late January 1945. + +All of my sketches had been carefully numbered, and marked on the back +"Unidentified Artist." I had been officially declared an artist. + + INTRODUCTION + + + + In Japanese prisoner of war camps, all prisoners were divided into +groups of ten, called "blood brothers." + + If anyone of the ten "blood brothers" made any attempt to escape, +the other nine would be punished "Sevelery!" + + Typical punishments: + + Tie the blood brothers to fence posts and require each passing +Japanese soldier to slap and kick them. + + More severe punishment required recruits to use the bound brothers +for bayonet practice. + + The most severe punishment required an officer to unsheathe his +samurai sword and behead the "brothers." + + My ten blood brothers, all Medical Officers of the Regular Army, +were: + + Lt. Col. William Draper North + + Major James Bahrenberg + +Wilbur Berry + +Wesley Bertz* + +Eugene Jacobs + +Emmert Lentz + +Steven Sitter + +Clarence Strand * + +Clarence White* + +Captain Robert Lewis + + +The blood brothers with the asterisk (*) were killed or died on "Hell +Ships" enroute to Japan. + +The other brothers survived the rigors of Bataan, the "Death March" +Japanese prison camps, labor details, the "farm," and "Hell Ships" to +return to the United States. Since the war, all have died, except the +author, who is anxious to tell his story before the first reunion of +the "brothers." + + STAFF Camp John Hay Baguio, Mountain Province, P.I. + + +Lt. Col. John P Horan, Commanding Officer + +Capt. Hubert (Sandy) Ketchum (Cav. Adjutant) + +Major Henderson Allen, (Q.M.C.) Supply + +Major James Blanning (Cav.) + +Major Ronald McDonald, Company A + +Captain Ralph Rumbold, Company B + +Captain Francis Fellows, Post Exchange Officer + +Captain Everett Warner, Provost Officer + +Captain Parker Calvert, + +Captain Eugene C. Jacobs, Post Surgeon and Hospital Commander + +Captain Ruby Bradley, A.N.C., Chief Nurse + +Lieut. Beatrice Chambers, A.N.C. + +Lieut. Clifford Simenson, Enlisted Men's Dormitories + +Lieut. Harold Everman, Signal Officer + +Lieut. Cowan, + +Lieut. Evans, + +Sgt. R.M. Trent + +Sgt. Bennet + +Sgt. King + +Sgt. Hayes + +Sgt. Beck + +Sgt. Farmer + +Sgt. Sibert + +Sgt. Adkins + + +Regret that I can not remember the names of some 200 others on duty at +Camp John Hay; they were all very dedicated personnel. + + Chapter I + + BOMBS FALL ON CAMP JOHN HAY, REST AND RECREATION CENTER IN THE + PHILIPPINES + + + The phone next to my bed was ringing with a great deal of +determination. Half-asleep, I raised the receiver: + +"WE ARE AT WAR WITH JAPAN! PEARL HARBOR IS BEING BOMBED! REPORT TO +HEADQUARTERS AT ONCE!" It was 0500 hours, December 8th, 1941. + +Hawaiian time, it was 1030 hours, December 7th. The bombing was still +going on, lasting from 0755 to 1050 hours. + +Greatly surprised and quite groggy, I tried to collect my thoughts +while getting into my freshly starched uniform, Medical Corps, U.S. +Army: "Knocking out the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor could clear the +way for Japan to conquer the Philippine Islands, without any outside +interference. Of all the Pacific territories of the United States, the +Japanese most wanted the Philippines. General MacArthur, as well as +the Japanese, believed that the Philippine Islands were the 'Key to +the Orient'; Japan would have to take the Philippines before +attempting to conquer any other countries in Southeast Asia. Some Navy +admirals had recently remarked that the 'Pacific Fleet belongs in San +Diego!' If the Japanese should sink one ship in Pearl Harbor (the +so-called Mouse Trap), they could bottle up the entire fleet. Now, +with the Pacific Fleet crippled, there could be no rescue attempt. For +several years we had been aware that in the event of an invasion, all +our defending military forces would hole-up on the Bataan Peninsula, +where supplies and equipment had previously been stored, until the +U.S. Navy, the most powerful in the world, could come to our rescue +(Orange Plan-WPO III). " + +By 0530 hours, I was standing in the office of Lt. Col. John Horan, +Post Commander of Camp John Hay, waiting for instructions. I was a +captain and a doctor, the C.O. of the thirty five bed station +hospital. + +Saluting the colonel, I was told to sit down and wait for further +instructions. It was dark and cold. Maps and orders were on the +colonel's dimly lighted desk. Other officers were beginning to arrive. + +Don Bell's voice blared forth from Radio KZRH in Manila: "Those dirty +little bastards have struck Pearl Harbor! Reports remain sketchy, but +there is no doubt! "Oh God!" Bell was actually crying, near hysteria, +as he continued: "The yellow-bellied Japs have hit our ships at +anchor!" + +Everyone was extremely excited; the air was becoming blue with +cigarette smoke. No one was talking; we were all intently +listening-for any late news. Several junior officers were openly +nipping on pocket flasks. I thought to myself, "This is one time when +I'm going to need all my marbles." We had recently returned two junior +officers for alcoholism; they couldn't cope with the tropics even in +peacetime. Or did they outsmart me and get back to the States to sit +out the war? + +No news was coming in; we were all anxious to get back to our units to +make necessary preparations for war, but had to await instructions. +For months we had anticipated war with Japan. We were the nearest U.S. +base to Japan, so were very sensitive to any war-like talk or +gestures. Actually, the thoughts of war hadn't bothered me too much; a +farmer had once told me, "If you are going to get kicked by a mule, it +is best to be close to the mule!" Over the last forty years, we knew +the Japanese had been preparing for war, taking scrap iron and raw +materials from the Philippines to Japan. Now, we had a strange feeling +that we might be getting some of these materials back in a more +sophisticated form. + +We had no idea how, when or where this war would begin in the +Philippines. The last place we expected it would happen was Camp John +Hay, a Rest and Recreation Center (R.&R.), offering a delightful +climate for military and naval personnel and their dependents on duty +in the Far East, desiring temporary relief from the intense heat and +humidity of the lowlands. + +Camp John Hay was pleasantly located one mile above sea level amongst +the pine trees of Mountain Province in Baguio, the summer capital of +the Philippines. It was only twenty miles from the beautiful white +sand beaches, the stately palms and the sweltering sun of Lingayen +Gulf. Camp Hay actually had no real military value. It had been set + +aside in 1903 as a recreation area by President Theodore Roosevelt, +and named after his Secretary of State, John Milton Hay. The same year +Roosevelt designated Baguio as the summer capital of the Philippines. + +In December, 1941, there were only two companies of the 43rd Infantry +of Philippine Scouts (P.S.), a housekeeping detachment, stationed +there. The camp had no fortifications and no large weapons, only a few +wooden barracks and some one hundred or so obsolete rifles of W. W. I. +vintage. There was one small salute cannon for raising and lowering +"Old Glory." + +Looking back several months to July, 1941, when General MacArthur was +appointed Commanding General of the U.S. Armed Forces in the Far East +(USAFFE), he recruited 110,000 young Filipinos for the Philippine Army +(P.A.). It would be many months before they could be trained as they +spoke some sixty dialects. They looked more like boy scouts than +soldiers with their fiber helmets, sport shirts and tennis shoes. + +About the same time, War Plan Rainbow 5 was adopted by Roosevelt's +Joint Army-Navy Board: first the Allies would conquer Germany and +Italy. As for Japan, the Allied strategy in the Far East was purely +defensive. MacArthur opposed the idea of the Philippines being +abandoned, but agreed with the plan "to defend all Philippine soil." +He told his officers: "The beaches must be defended at all costs; +prevent the enemy from making any landing!" + +We at Camp John Hay believed ourselves reasonably safe in this +mountain resort, even when war seemed imminent. President Manuel +Quezon also must have considered himself secure in Camp Hay as he was +in residence at the beautiful presidential mansion. + +Finally, Colonel Horan, standing tall behind his desk, announced: "I +have been unable to obtain any new information from USAFFE in Manila. +I understand the damage done to the Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor has +been extensive. Captain Warner (CO. of Military Police (M.P.): take +your M.P.s and any scouts that you need, round up all Japanese +civilians in the Baguio area, and bring them into camp! + + "Lieutenant Velasco: build an eight-foot fence around Barracks + +8 and 9; confine all Japanese internees there! + + "Other officers: acquaint your troops with the present war +situation, and War Plan Rainbow 5. Stay near your telephones!" + + At 0730 hours, with a lump in my throat and a complete loss + +of appetite, I tried to swallow a few bites of breakfast at the +Officers' Mess, overlooking the gorgeous valleys below. Everyone was +excited, wondering what the next news would be. Normally I would have +walked the few blocks from the hospital to the mess hall and back, +just for the exercise; this morning I drove my1936 Model A coupe. Time +might become very important at any moment. + + At 0800 hours I was in my office in the hospital, on a hill +overlooking Camp Hay, carefully studying my orders and maps. + +At 0805 hours our two Army nurses, Captain Ruby Bradley and Lieutenant +Beatrice Chambers, entered my office. I inquired, "Do you know that we +are at war with Japan?" + +Before either could answer, bombs were falling on all sides of the +hospital. "There they are!" I exclaimed. Not yet realizing how +dangerous the bombs could be, we casually walked to the windows and +watched the tremendous explosions moving across the camp-toward +headquarters-raising clouds of dust to the rooftops. The war arrived +at Camp John Hay at 0809 hours, Dec. 8, 1941. Between twenty and +twenty-five twin-engine bombers were overhead in a diamond formation. +Soon some 150 bombs of various sizes were bringing disability and +death to many of our soldiers-drilling on the parade ground-and to +their families in their small homes. It seemed unreal that Camp Hay +could be the first target of the Japanese bombers, actually starting +World War II in the Philippines. + +Where were our American planes? We probably did just what the Japanese +planned that we would. We called Clark Air Field-about one-hundred +miles to the southwest, and told them, "Camp John Hay is being bombed! +Get some fighters up here, and keep those bombers away!" + +We had no air-raid sirens, no machine guns, no anti-aircraft guns, +nothing to deter them. We were surprised by the air attack, and even +more by their accuracy. We heard the bombers were led by German +pilots-possibly the very ones we were playing golf with the previous +week. + +If the Japanese thought that they would catch our military and naval +officers on weekend leave at Camp Hay, they were fooled, as all +personnel had previously been restricted to their stations and ships +by a General Alert. Within thirty minutes, the U.S. fighters were +circling overhead looking for Jap planes. Finding none, they returned +to Clark Field just before noon to + +gas up and get lunch. Along with thirty-five U.S. bombers, the +fighters lined up on the runways, soon to be blasted by two waves of +50 heavy Japanese bombers. About the same time, Nichol's Field, Fort +McKinley and Cavite Naval Station were being heavily bombed. Nearly +half of the U.S. Army Air Corps planes were destroyed during the first +day of war, the day before Congress declared war. + +Wounded were now arriving at the hospital by every available vehicle. +It was a horrible scene, an unforgettable sight, as corridors quickly +filled with seriously wounded and dying soldiers, lying in puddles of +blood, moaning, groaning, screaming, and begging for mercy. + +Being the only Army doctor on Northern Luzon, I was to be tested as +never before in my life. I was a Regular Army professional soldier, +alone, and on my own. If we didn't act quickly, we would very soon +have many dead patients. I had seen many bad auto accidents, but never +anything like this. Shaking and woozy, I told myself, "This is no time +to 'chicken out.' God, give me strength!" + +Mustering my strongest voice, I screamed: "Everybody! Listen to me! +These patients are all bleeding. We've got to stop the bleeding +quickly - right now! Elevate extremities! Use anything you can get to +stop the bleeding! Tourniquets! Compression bandages! Hemostats! Even +your fingers, if they are clean! Bring all bad cases to the operating +room!" + +During the next thirty-two hours, our medical staff worked around the +clock, applying tourniquets and compression bandages, amputating arms +and legs (many dangling by only a few shreds of skin or tendons), +tying off bleeders, giving tetanus shots, laying the dead in the +garage for identification. As soon as we could get each patient +through his emergency, we sent him by ambulance to one of the civilian +hospitals in Baguio for definitive care, and a few miles distant from +any future bombing. + +I was very fortunate in obtaining Dr. Beulah Allen (the wife of our +Post Quartermaster, Lt. Col. Henderson Allen), a retired surgeon, to +assist me. She was a tower of strength. While Dr. Allen and I were +operating, Civil War General Sherman's remarks that "War is hell!" +kept haunting me. + +I was extremely proud of my medics; we took care of wounds, the likes +of which none of us had ever seen before! Periodically, a Jap plane +would drop a bomb or two-to let us know the war + +was still on. They did little damage. After we had our wounded taken +care of to the best of our ability, we dared to look outside to see +the thirty-foot craters and damaged buildings near the hospital. + +For the first time, I realized that I was frightened. I could have +been in one of those buildings, or walking across the areas where the +craters were. + +Dee. 9, 1941: At night our medical teams returned to their individual +quarters for their first rest since the bombing exhausted and giddy. I +turned on my little radio. Although the signal was badly jammed by the +Japanese as it had been for several months, I was able to make out +that Congress had declared war on Japan at 1610 hours on December 8, +1941, (0500 hours, Dec. 9 Philippine time). Now it was OK for us to +shoot back at the Japs! But with what? I also learned that the Japs +had landed large forces in French Indochina. + +I was quite sure that all commercial communications with the States +had been cut off, but I called the radio station to send a message to +my wife, Judy, a teacher at Holton Arms School in Washington, D.C., +that I was OK. + +Judy and I had arrived in Manila on July 20, 1940, after a delightful +trip from New York City through the Panama Canal on the U. S. Army +Transport Republic bound for San Francisco, and on the U.S.A.T. Grant +via Hawaii, Guam and Manila. We got to see two World's Fairs (New York +and San Francisco). It was really our honeymoon, as we had previously +been too poor to afford one. + +During the six weeks we were on the high seas, history had been taking +place. Hitler's armies had blitzkrieged through Holland, Belgium and +France; the British Army had a forced evacuation from Dunkirk in an +armada of small boats. Mussolini had declared war on Britain and +France (actually stabbing France in the back while she was on her +knees). Hitler's bombers were causing havoc in England, and his +submarines were sinking many Allied ships in the Atlantic. Tojo was +vigorously continuing his "undeclared wars" in Manchuria and China. +Churchill said, "We shall seek no terms; we shall ask no mercy." + +Roosevelt, preoccupied by presidential elections, was finally becoming +aware of Hitler's threat to democracy. He called up volunteers for the +Army; he further prepared for war by agreeing to transfer many planes, +tanks and some sixty reconditioned + +destroyers to Britain. + +Our ships bound for the Philippines had large U.S. flags painted on +each side lighted at night. We were wary of subs as they had been busy +in the Atlantic. We were beginning to get the feeling that maybe this +would not be the "happy honeymoon" that we had planned. And yet, war +seemed so very "far away." + +December 10, 1941: Several bombings with little damage, a few wounded. +We did our best to make them comfortable. We learned that President +Quezon had departed from Camp Hay soon after the first bombing for the +Malacanong Palace in Manila. The Japanese would probably spare the +palace for their own use. + +During free moments, of which there were very few, I instructed our +medics in first aid, litter drill over mountain trails, etc. I did all +of the things that I could think of in preparation for war: drew money +out of the bank; got some new field boots and field uniforms from the +clothing store, packed my bedding roll with soap, toothpaste, razor, +towels, etc., and put fresh medicines in my little black doctor's bag +given to me by Dr. Eugene Stafford, who had retired in Baguio after a +distinguished career at the Mayo Clinic. I moved my furniture to his +house for safekeeping until after the war. + +I had to go over to the Japanese barracks to inspect some two-hundred +internees (civilian prisoners). They had staked out a big Japanese +flag on the ground for planes to see, for their own protection. + +One of the Japanese prisoners was brought to me with a severe sore +throat. Examination showed a peritonsillar abscess. The treatment +would be to lance the abscess and let the pus out. He was the first +real live Jap that I had ever met face-to-face. I attempted to explain +his condition to him. I proceeded to cut his throat with a surgical +knife. He had considerable pain for an instant, then considerable +relief. I gave him an analgesic and a sedative. He seemed grateful, +shook my hand and said, "Arigato vely much!" as he bowed deeply and +departed for his bed. + +Some gold-mining engineers, friends of Col. Horan, built an "entrance +to a mine" some thirty feet back into a hillside in the center of camp +for an air-raid shelter. It proved to be very good, but we nearly +broke a leg each time we raced a bomb down the hill to the entrance. + +That night our radio told us that the Japs had made landings + +at Aparri, on the north coast of Luzon, and had actually landed two +thousand soldiers at Vigan on the northwest coast. It sounded like +they had landed without any resistance. These two cities were only two +or three marching days from Baguio. Was the Rainbow war plan not +working? + +News was received that Hong Kong and Wake Island had been captured. +Also, that the British battleships, HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of +Wales, had been easily sunk off the Malayan coast by Japanese planes. + +We heard many unusual noises about camp, especially at night, and saw +strange lights that we thought might be signals. We became suspicious +of everything that moved in camp, especially any moving troops, until +we were sure that they were ours. + +I couldn't sleep! As I lay in bed, I recalled how I'd been assigned to +Camp Hay from the Medical Regiment at Fort McKinley, near Manila. Col. +Wibb Cooper, the Philippine Dept. Surgeon, picked me out of some one +hundred medical officers because I had just enough time to do on my +tour in the Philippines, not too little, not too much medical training +and experience, just enough responsibility, personality, sociability, +etc. I was to be the only U.S. medical officer north of Fort +Stotsenberg one hundred miles to the southwest. I was to be the +nearest U.S. doctor to Japan. + +Camp Hay met all my expectations: delightful wooded areas, friendly +people, a fine, well-equipped station hospital and a well-trained +staff. I was invited to the Rotary Club for dinner with the American +operators of the nearby gold mines and lumber companies in the valleys +below. They all seemed anxious to know the only U.S. doctor. Retired +Major Emil Speth, the mayor of Baguio, took me in tow and saw that I +met everyone who was important. + +During three months prior to the war, General MacArthur, the +Commanding General of USAFFE, conducted a "War School' for his general +officers at Camp Hay. During the school period, I got to meet and +visit with most of the generals and their aides-either at the hospital +or the Officers' Mess. I was their "Medic!" + +Several weeks prior to the war, some British officers' wives from Hong +Kong arrived in Baguio, a supposedly safe place to sit out the war. +Our student generals seemed to think the "lady limeys" had been sent +over for their dining and dancing pleasure + +at the Pines Hotel. Camp Hay was almost a perfect setting almost too +good to be true except for one thing. In May, 1941, President +Roosevelt suddenly ended our honeymoon, sending all of the Army wives +back to the States. + +It was two very unhappy people standing on Pier Seven in Manila, +wondering if they would ever see each other again, if the U.S.A.T. +Washington could outmaneuver the subs in the Pacific, and if our U.S. +Army could survive a frontal attack by the Japanese. + +Roosevelt must have known the war was coming. In 1937 he branded the +Japanese as "aggressors" in their undeclared war in China and called +for quarantine against her. The Japanese answered him by sinking the +U.S.S. Panay and machine-gunning her crew. + +In the late '30s, with the world situation becoming increasingly +dangerous, Germany and Italy both arming in Europe, and Japan +increasing its manpower, Roosevelt wanted to cut the Regular Army by +51 %, the National Guard by 35% and the Reserves by 33% in order to +balance his budget. It seems he was rather naive, 'or possibly just +the politician worrying about reelection. + +Gen. MacArthur, who was Chief of Staff of the Army at the time, told +Roosevelt, "Mr. President, when the next war is lost, it will be +Roosevelt's War, not MacArthur's." Fortunately, MacArthur was able to +save the Army from the cuts. + +In Sept, 1940, Germany, Italy and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact. In +July, 1941, Roosevelt told Gen. Marshall to draw up war plans. With +his assistants, Gen. Wedemeyer and Gen. Gerow; they concluded that +Hitler was the enemy to be stopped Japan and Italy could come later. + +It was Roosevelt who said, "In politics, nothing happens by accident! +You can bet it was planned!" + +In July, 1941, Roosevelt again placed sanctions against Japan to keep +U. S. oil, scrap iron and raw materials from reaching her shores. He +issued several executive directives which made war between the U.S. +and Japan inevitable. He froze all assets in the U.S. He closed the +Panama Canal to Japanese shipping. + +In August, 1941, Roosevelt placed an embargo on all goods except food. +During the same month the United States cracked the Japanese code, +after which he knew what Tokyo was thinking, + +Japan reported that "Roosevelt's decisions had created a situation so +horribly strained that we cannot endure it much longer." + +Tojo immediately called another million reservists to the colors. + +John Costello, a British historian, said that Roosevelt received a +positive war warning on Nov. 26, and possibly as early as Nov. 6th +that war would break out on Dee. 7th. He stated, "Roosevelt was not +only expecting war, but knew exactly when it would break out." Even +with the Japanese Fleet approaching Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt issued +explicit orders to the military: "Do not initiate hostilities against +Japanese under any circumstances!" It now seems that Roosevelt not +only expected the "Day of Infamy," but needed it to get the support of +the American people, to get them sufficiently aroused to fight a war. +He also wanted to be sure that Japan would be branded "the aggressor." + +That night the radio announced that the "Japanese have marched from +Aparri (on the north coast of Luzon) to Tuguegarao and have activated +the airfield." Now we could expect more frequent bombing. + +"Tokyo Rose" was urging us to surrender, or, "Experience a certain +death!" She continued: "All American aid is going to Europe! America +is giving Lend-lease aid to Britain and to Russia, but there is none +for the Philippines." She was right! + +December 12, '41: Dr. Allen and I had a Filipino soldier's wife on the +operating table at 0800 hours ready for a sterilization operation. She +was thirty-four years old and had seventeen children. During her last +pregnancy, which she had delivered ten days before, she became greatly +swollen with edema (severe kidney disease). Another pregnancy would +probably kill her. + +Bomb began to fall. I shouted, "Everybody downstairs-under the +hospital!" After the" All Clear," we returned to the operating room to +find our patient had retrieved her clothing and departed for safer +areas. + + Again the wounded were coming in. This time we were ready + +for them. The operating room was all set up and ready to go. + + Radio from USAFFE: Capt. Eugene C Jacobs, M.C, promoted to Major. + + Heard that a strong Japanese force had landed at Legaspi +accompanied by a large naval escort. + + During the next ten days, while we treated our sick and wounded, +and buried our dead, nearly one-hundred various sized Japanese ships +were quietly assembling in the Lingayen Gulf, only twenty-five miles +from Baguio. We had neither airpower nor naval forces to deter them. +The Army Air Corps had been about + +75% destroyed, and Admiral Hart would not risk his small Asiatic Fleet +in battle; he took off for Australia. + +At dawn on the morning of Dec. 22, '41, some 60,000 veteran Nipponese +troops of Lt. Gen. Masahatu Homma's crack 14th Army from China swarmed +ashore between Vigan and Dagupun, twenty-five to fifty miles from +Baguio. + +Maj. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright had four divisions (11th, 21st, 31st, +and 1 10th) of the Philippine Army on the beaches to prevent a +landing. When the cruisers and destroyers opened fire with their big +guns, there was great confusion on the beaches; many recent recruits +buried their rifles in the sand, and took off for the mountains. "This +was not their kind of war!" + +Soon thousands of Japanese veterans, on bicycles, were pedaling south +on the highway bordering the South China Sea. Our Scouts picked off +hundreds of Japs as they rode by, but in a few hours were completely +out of ammunition. The Japs and their bicycles kept right on coming. + +Sporadic wounded were appearing at the hospital. Major Joe Ganahl, a +well known polo player, was one of these. He had been fighting a +rear-guard action with his big" 155s"-coming down from Vigan. He said, +"I'm going to have to destroy my 155s as they are trapped." When we +got his wounds dressed, he took off in his jeep down the road, looking +like the "Spirit of'76." + +We were beginning to note that the Japanese .25 caliber was not +causing near the tissue damage caused by the U.S. .30, .38 and .45 +cal. + +Frequently, when using the telephone, we could hear Japanese voices +using our lines. We could usually get them off by saying, "Moshi, +moshi! (hello) and sayonara (good-bye)." + +We transferred our few remaining patients to civilian hospitals in +Baguio and made preparations to move out. + +As the Japanese Imperial Army advanced up the mountains toward Baguio +on both roads, the Naguillian Trail, and the Kennon Road, our two +companies of the 43rd Philippine Scouts, outnumbered ten to one, were +becoming more and more desperate. We could hear the big explosions as +they blew bridges and oil tanks. + +Finally, we were aware of rifle fire-it sounded like corn popping. +Realizing that Camp Hay would soon be overrun by Japanese troops, we +prepared and loaded our equipment on hospital vehicles. We were not +anxious to be the first military + +unit in the Philippines to surrender. We were well informed as to the +Japanese cruelty and treachery in China; we didn't want any part of +it. + + + Chapter II + + THE ORANGE PLAN (WPO III) + + +Dee. 23, 1941 (my wedding anniversary): Finally, orders arrived from +USAFFE Headquarters in Manila: "ORANGE PLAN III IS NOW IN EFFECT! +EVACUATE CAMP JOHN HAY! PROCEED TO JOIN FIL-AMERICAN FORCES IN BATAAN! +MACARTHUR". + +The Japanese forces controlled both roads leading from Baguio to +Bataan. The only available exits from Baguio were over rugged +mountains, some a mile high. The nearest road leading to Bataan that +still might be open was through Balete Pass, fifty miles to the +southeast. + +I worried about feeding my medical detachment (two Army nurses and +thirty enlisted personnel) following along behind the companies of the +43rd Infantry of Scouts. I told Col. Horan that I would like my +detachment to be the "point" that would lead the way through to +Bataan. To my surprise, he seemed pleased and agreed. I told him, "I'm +ready to move out!" He answered, + +"OK!" + +Our medics quickly mounted hospital transportation and drove down the +southeast road into the valley, past the entrance to the Antomoc Gold +Mine and on to the end of the pavement. As we abandoned our vehicles, +we disabled them so the Japanese would be unable to use them. We then +placed our first-aid materials and my little medical bag on litters, +and started up the trail at a rather rapid pace. In the hot sun we +soon became exhausted and realized we would have to go slower and rest +frequently. + +About three hours up the trail, we came upon Associated Press +Correspondent Clark Lee trudging along. Resting with him on the path +for a few minutes, we swapped stories; he reported: "Lingayen city has +been bombed! Many Filipinos are fleeing south through the central +plains with all their belongings. I came up to Baguio yesterday; +soldiers had dynamite boxes ready to blow the bridges on the +Naguillian Trail. I saw Major Ganahl and asked him what happened to +our North Luzon Forces. Joe answered, 'Hell! We are the North Luzon +Forces!" + +We never saw Clark Lee again, but later learned that he found a +short-cut through St. Nicholas and Tayug to the central plain, where +he had a brush with the Japs on his way to Bataan. He proved an old +saying, "He travels fastest who travels alone!" He later wrote a very +interesting book about his experiences in the Philippines, "They Call +It Pacific." + +Our two nurses were having difficulty keeping up with the troops on +the steep and often narrow trails. Our equipment was becoming too +heavy to carry; little by little, it fell by the wayside: litters, gas +masks, helmets, pup tents, tarps, blankets, mosquito nets, etc. As we +moved up the mountains, we noticed natives using mirrors to signal +planes. We didn't know whether they were trying to blind the pilots or +wave them away. Two more fatiguing hours and we reached the large +Lusod Saw Mill, operated' by the American Jorgensen family. + +A soldier came running up the path; he shouted, "Col. Horan has had a +heart attack!" Back down the trail I went for about an hour, when I +found the colonel in agony beside the path. A quarter of morphine, a +swallow of whiskey and an hour's rest revived him enough to continue. + +The Jorgensen family were gracious hosts; they had apparently been +stocking up on food for several months, getting ready for this day. +They shared their Christmas dinner with us-our last warm meal. + +Because the mountains were so rugged, we decided that tile nurses +should remain with the Jorgensens to share their fate, along with +several American miners' wives, who were joining them-to sit out the +war. + +The Jorgensens still had telephone service to their friends in Baguio. +From them, we learned that many of the Japanese civilian prisoners, +whom we had interned at Camp John Hay, when liberated by the +Japanese-army, were putting on uniforms, private to colonel, and +joining the occupying forces. The invading army had government money, +already printed, when they arrived. When the Jap soldiers presented +their "play" money to the Filipinos in order to buy food, the natives +laughed and said, "No good in this country!" They soon learned that it +was backed up by the full faith of the Japanese bayonet. There were +many tales of Japanese treachery. + +Yet, the Japs pretended to be friendly to the Filipino. They would +say, "Look the color of our skin is the same! We promise + +you early liberation from the Americans, and in the near future, we +give your country independence." The Japs turned their hospitality and +hostility on and off like a faucet. + +The Japs insisted that the natives take off their big straw hats and +bow deeply each time they encountered a Japanese soldier. This was not +the Filipinos' idea of independence and freedom. They'd had it much +better with the Americans. We later learned that in most every barrio, +especially in Mindanao, a Japanese store owner put on a uniform, when +liberated, and took charge of the barrio. + +Christmas evening, we were informed that Manila had been declared an +"open city." U.S. troops were actively moving toward Bataan and +Corregidor. We also heard that seven thousand Jap forces had made a +landing at Lamon Bay, east of Manila. Major General George Parker's +South Luzon Forces were opposing the landing. It was estimated that +the Japanese had an invasion force of more than 150,000 men in the +Philippines. Rumors were that "Help is on the Way." + +Dec. 26, 1941: Telling the Jorgensens and their lady guests, "Many +thanks, and the best of luck," we hit the mountain trail, climbing +steep paths to high passes and then sliding down the other side. At +night we slept near streams and awakened soaked with dew. After +several hours of sunshine we would dry out. We quickly learned of some +new inconveniences: ants, spiders, tics, mosquitoes, and sunburn. We +were invited to sleep in native huts, but the smoke from their open +fires was so strong-burning our eyes-that we had to move outside. + +In three days we had reached a small village in the valley, Aritao. +Overhead a Japanese plane was observing our activities. We decided to +push on to Balete Pass, where we located a quaint hotel nestled in the +mountains. Here we could get food and lodging. Up to this time we had +been paying for any services received, but now with the money running +low, we realized we'd have to exist on the mercy of the natives. + +In the hotel we met the American owner of the Red Line Bus Co. of +Tuguegarao, who was taking his Filipino family to Manila in a big open +truck filled with his belongings. He had room for ten soldiers. + +Dec. 29, 1941: Early in the morning, our group, sitting amid the +baggage in the back of the Red Line truck, was cruising down the +highway toward San Jose. A car with a Jap flag on top passed us going +north. + +Shortly, the Jap car was back minus the Japanese flag on top. It came +to a screeching halt as our truck had the road blocked. For a few +seconds the Japs and our medics just stared at each other probably +expecting gunfire. Nothing happened! My unarmed medics had the Japs +surrounded! I had my .45 pistol, but knew if I reached for it, we'd +all be mowed down. Stepping forward, I motioned the Jap car into the +ditch and around the truck. They accepted the escape route; in a big +hurry, they were roaring down the road. + +We thanked the Red Line Bus family for the lift and instructed them, +"Turn around and get back up in the mountains. Best of luck!" + +My medics and I climbed down a steep bank to the east, crossed over a +wide, rocky, river bottom keeping our ten paces between men-and +entered a thick jungle. Within ten minutes, several Japanese tanks +rumbled to a stop on the road, where our truck had been parked, turned +their machine guns toward the jungles and sprayed the area. Bellies to +the earth, we waited and prayed as the bullets slashed through the +forests. We continued to hug the ground for several hours until we +were sure the Japs had departed. + +We moved deeper into the dense jungle, up an old trail. Suddenly, we +could hear crackling footsteps all around us we were surrounded! We +froze! I reached for my .45, hoping to get one of them before they got +us. Thirty pairs of eyes were focused on us. Large monkeys! As +startled as we were, they scampered off, chattering to themselves. I +examined my .45; the clip was gone; there was just one bullet left-the +one in the chamber. I would save that for myself if things got really +bad. + +We continued on up the trail to the top of a mountain, where we could +get a good view of the central plain below. San Jose was in flames. +Across the valley, Clark Field was burning fiercely; two large columns +of dense black smoke from oil fires. There were also fires at +Cabanatuan, Manila and Cavite. + +General Wainwright's withdrawing North Luzon Forces had blown many +bridges on their way south to Bataan. It was very evident that the +enemy occupied most of the central plain-and was apparently harassing +the natives. Many of the Filipino homes were in flames. + +Toward evening, we sent a disguised medic back down the trail to find +a Filipino home and make some arrangements to get + +food for the remnants of our detachment-five. We never saw the other +medics again. + +We could hear the big guns booming on Bataan and Corregidor, 125 miles +to the south. We located a hunter's lean-to and camped there for +several days. We grew accustomed to the many strange noises in the +jungles: birds, monkeys and many other animals, but were having +trouble with the ants, spiders and mosquitoes. Camping in the tropics +was quite different from camping in the States. In the Philippines +every square inch of soil has its menagerie of insects. One of the +things I feared the most was being eaten to death if I should be +unlucky enough to be wounded. + +Each night I thanked God for sparing my life. Our American medic, Al +Roholt, carried a pocket New Testament. Within several days each of us +had read through it. + +We quickly learned that we couldn't eke out an existence in the +jungle. There was too much competition. The birds and animals were +extremely mobile and agile, getting to any available food much quicker +than we could. + +The Japanese cavalry and infantry were making daily trips up and down +the highway. They entered houses along the road and slapped the +Filipinos, demanding, "Where are the Americans?" The natives remained +loyal and gave them no information. + +Peeking through the bushes at the Jap units going by, I began to +wonder why and how studying medicine had gotten me into such a mess. + +We had plenty of time to just sit and reflect: We knew the Japanese +had designs on U.S., British, French, and Dutch possessions in +Southeast Asia. We knew the War Plan Rainbow 5-assumed the Philippines +were defensible. We knew the Philippines were not scheduled for any +reinforcements, and that its early loss was expected both in the U.S. +and in Japan. + +It had become quite obvious that the Japs had made landings wherever +they chose, and were proceeding to Bataan with very little resistance. +We knew that Gen. MacArthur had from 12,000 to 15,000 American troops +and about the same number of well-trained Philippine Scouts (P.S.), +but the remaining 100,000 Philippine Army (P.A.) troops had less than +three months training, and their weapons were for the most part +obsolete (World War I vintage). + +We had lost much of our aggressive power before the U.S. (Congress) +declared war on Japan. We hoped that most of our + +troops could get through to Bataan. We could hear the big guns +rumbling on Bataan; we hoped they were ours, not the Japanese. + +The Japanese cavalry continued to move up and down the highway every +day-keeping it open for their purposes. Each squadron of cavalry had +several Filipina girls following along on horseback. Natives told us, +"Those young girls were seized from their homes along the highway by +the Japanese." Then the Filipino families moved their homes back into +the jungles from evacuation camps. + +The Red Line Bus family sent a guide down from the mountains to lead +us to their camp. As soon as it became dark, the five of us started to +work our way north, up the rocky river bottom, I in my shoes wrapped +in gunny sacks, the soles being completely worn out. + +In several hours we were in their evacuation camp. They seemed happy +to see us and we were delighted to see them. They lived in a large, +open shed in a camp containing one-hundred Filipino families. They +were quite well situated beside a small river; they had dug a well in +the river bank for their drinking water. They had their own flock of +chickens. We were lucky-we ate well for a few days. They had a small +radio, capable of getting news from Corregidor and San Francisco. From +it we learned that the Japs occupied Manila. + +Gen. Wainwright's troops were pouring into Bataan from the north, and +Gen. Parker's, from the south. They were trying to establish a +defensive line across the base of the peninsula. The Japs were putting +out much propaganda such as "Asia for Asiatics" (which really meant +"Asia for the Japanese"); and "The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity +Sphere." + +We began to hear new terminology from Bataan, such as SNAFU (Situation +Normal, All Fouled Up!). There seemed to have been many snafus. Our +pilots had received many planes from the States prior to the war that +needed Prestone in order to fly. Nowhere in the Philippines could they +find any Prestone. Some pilots had to fly planes that had Swedish +instruments. Four out of five hand grenades were failing to explode. +There was only one rammer rod for fifty-four tanks. + +The evacuation camp teniente (town lieutenant) kept me busy every day, +visiting the sick in camp. My medicines were rapidly being consumed. + +I finally located an old, smooth tire; I cut the rubber in the + +shape of the soles of my boots, and patiently sewed them to the +uppers; my boots were now good for another hundred miles. + +The news from Bataan was bleak: "Front line troops were having +difficulty getting any food. The rations had been cut in half because +of the thousands of refugee Filipinos fleeing to Bataan along with the +troops. Many soldiers were becoming so weak they could hardly hold +their rifles. Hospitals I and II were filled with sick and wounded. + +On Jan. 26, 1942 a communiqué from San Francisco was received on the +radio: "The first American convoy carrying U.S. troops has finally +arrived safely in Ireland." We in the Philippines were being +completely abandoned. However, it seemed that England would now be +able to fight to the "last American!'" + +Arrangements were being made by the teniente for a group of Filipinos +to go over the mountain to the east of us, to hunt and get food for +the camp. I was asked to go along. We started early the next morning. +At each little village we would come to, the teniente called out in a +loud voice: "Ahhhhhh-Pooooooo! Ahhhhhh-Poooooo!" letting the natives +know we were friendly. + +By evening we had reached the next valley, where I was informed it was +the place where Pres. Theodore Roosevelt and Governor General Leonard +Wood had hunted many years before. + +I remembered that Gen. Wood had visited our high school, Dr. Nicholas +Senn H.S., in Chicago in 1920 and talked to our ROTC classes. I was +greatly impressed. Gen. Wood was a doctor (Harvard), who had won the +Medal of Honor riding in Roosevelt's Rough Riders in Cuba. He then +became Gov. Gen of Cuba at the turn of the century and helped Major +Walter Reed conduct his great research, leading to the control of +yellow fever. Later he became the only American medical officer to +ever become the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. I'll never forget how +he limped into the auditorium. Rumor had it that he had a wooden leg. + +The Filipinos built a fire and soon had our evening meal ready. + +As we ate, we could hear deer barking in the mountains, sounding like +a dog barking. I had never before known that deer made any kind of a +noise. As night approached and a full moon appeared over the +mountains, each Filipino selected a suitable cobble stone for use as a +pillow. I was satisfied with my small bundle of clothing. + +Next morning we were up early, and in several hours had bagged a deer +and two wild boars. In the afternoon we hiked + +several miles to the southeast to a river near Carranglan, where the +teniente threw in a stick or dynamite to stun the fish. Then we all +jumped in to capture several of the stunned fish. Each time I came up +from a surface dive, all of the Filipinos were laughing. + +I asked the teniente, "What is so funny?" He replied, "It is your +butt, sir! None of us had ever seen a white butt before, sir!" I was +pleased to hear their laughter and was soon laughing myself. None of +us had had much to laugh at during the last couple months. + +The cargadors (baggage carriers) had quite a struggle carrying the +game and fish on their backs over the mountain. I was amazed at their +strength and endurance, hour after hour. + +We could hear the rumbling of the big guns on Bataan like distant +thunder. The evening radio reported a heavy artillery duel; also that +MacArthur had received an ultimatum from Gen. Homma, "Gen. MacArthur, +you are doomed! I order you to surrender!" + +The next day we learned from Filipinos coming down from the north that +"Guerrilla groups are forming in the Cagayan Valley!" + +Again we thanked the Red Line Bus Co. family for their hospitality and +courtesies. Traveling at night, because the Japanese occupied the +roads during the day, we were able to reach a small detachment of +soldiers guarding Balete Pass. We spent several hours, learning about +the troops at Bambang, Bayombong, Bagabag, and Jones. + +The following day we made the long, hot and dusty hike to Bambang, +where we found a platoon of soldiers; they had destroyed several large +bridges across the Magat River to keep the Japanese cavalry from +making their daily excursions. The soldiers informed us that Major +Warner was the C.O. of the Guerrillas. Warner and I had to make a +survey of Camp Hay after the first bombing, looking for "duds" (bombs +that didn't go off). We found one dud that had brass fins on it made +out of an old T Ford radiator. We could still see the Ford imprint on +it." + +After a good night's rest in a real bed, and a native breakfast, we +were off to Bagabag and Jones on the old dilapidated truck that must +have had 300,000 miles on it. We were soon passing through rice and +tobacco fields in the fertile Cagayan Valley. + + Chapter III + + MACARTHUR'S FIRST GUERRILLA REGIMENT + + +We arrived at Jones just before dark; it appeared to be a more +prosperous barrio than we had seen. There were many nipa shacks, some +on stilts and some on the ground. + +As we drove into headquarters area, we were greeted by Major Everett +Warner, the C.O., and Major Guillermo Nakar, the Executive Officer and +the C.O. of Headquarters Battalion. They both seemed pleased to have +an American medical officer in the regiment. I also met Captain Warren +Minton, C.O. of the 3rd Battalion, which included one squadron of +cavalry, and Captain Robert Arnold, in charge of communications. He +had brought a two-way radio from the northwest corner of Luzon, where +he was with the Air Warning Service. I was introduced to several other +American and Filipino officers, and then taken to the officers' mess +and fed. The regiment now numbered nearly 1500. + +For quarters, I was assigned a small tobacco warehouse, where Major +Nakar would be my roommate. He slept in a full-sized brass bed; I +slept on bales of tobacco, Tobaccolera, the worlds finest. I didn't +smoke, but knew that many soldiers on Bataan were dying for a smoke. + +Major Nakar was a short, "smiling roly-poly Filipino officer, who +looked about thirty-five, with a big black mustache, curved up at the +ends, a twinkle in his black eyes-set deep in a small chubby face. He +liked to lay, propped up in bed, and read books about great military +leaders such as Napoleon, and the Filipino patriot and idol, Jose +Rizal." With a chuckle, he liked to quote Confucius: "Make enemy think +you are far away when you are near! Make enemy think you are near when +you are far away!" + +About Nakar, Capt. Arnold remarked, "He means to get ahead!" After +knowing him for a few days, I began to get the feeling that he would +someday be President of the Philippines. I asked Major Nakar: "How +come this barrio seems to be named, 'Jones,' after an American? I +don't know of any other named for an American." + +He replied: + +"Dr. Jones was a professor from a California university. He came to +the Philippines many years ago to make some studies. He lived in this +vicinity for a long time. When he finished his work, he announced his +departure for the States. The local + +Ilongots, an uncivilized tribe of headhunters living in this area, +told Dr. Jones, 'We have come to like you and respect you. We do not +want you to go, but to stay here with us!' Jones explained that he +liked them and appreciated their hospitality, but he had finished his +work and must return home. + +"With chilling logic, the Ilongots cut off Jones' head so that his +spirit might always remain, and named the barrio after him, Jones." + +When I learned that "Christian heads" were at a premium, I always kept +my .45 and my newly acquired M-l rifle handy. + +Supply System: A supply system was organized. Owners of rice mills, +farmers and politicians were cooperative-furnishing food, clothing, +equipment and even one-hundred small Filipino ponies for our cavalry +squadron. For these, they were willing to accept IOU notes-hopefully +to be honored by the government after the war. + +Communications: A small nipa shack housed our two-way radio set up by +Captain Arnold. Contact was established with USAFFE HQ on Corregidor, +and a regular time set for transmission. News could be obtained +several times each day, making the shack a very popular place. A relay +telephone system using existing lines along the highway reached all +outposts. + +Air Strip: Troops with the help of civilian labor constructed an air +strip in the vicinity of Jones, adequate for light planes. It was +concealed by placing several portable buildings on it. On two +occasions a light plane from Bataan dropped boxes of medicine, +ammunition and shoes. This bolstered our morale more than our +warehouses. General MacArthur became intensely interested in his first +Guerrilla Regiment, probably because things were not going well on +Bataan. + +Medical Service: As former C.O. of the station hospital at Camp John +Hay, I became the Regimental Surgeon and organized a medical service +with one dental and four medical officers, all from the Philippine +Army, as my assistants. We had a dispensary at the Regimental HQ in +Jones and two small hospitals in abandoned schools in neighboring +barrios Minuri and Dibulwan hopefully out of bombing range. + +In the absence of a regular source of medical supplies, our treatment +was often quite primitive. We were able to get some medicines and +surgical instruments from local hospitals, but only after the Japanese +had raided them. Local physicians and civilians + +gave freely of their time and care. + +Since malaria was prevalent in the Cagayan Valley, our anti-malarial +drugs were quickly consumed. Under the guidance of native officers, +the bark of certain tall trees was gathered and boiled in water. The +resulting extraction caused cessation of active malaria symptoms for a +few days, and then had to be repeated. A similar potion was made from +the bark of guava bushes, and was reputed to relieve diarrhea. We were +fortunate that most Filipinos seemed to have considerable immunity +against tropical diseases; our morbidity rates were low. + +Our visits to the hospitals were frequently made on horseback. + +As I rode along the trails, little Filipinos, noting my King George V +beard, often amused me by doffing their big straw hats, bowing low and +saying, "Buenos Dias, Padre!" For security reasons, and to keep rumors +to a minimum, many of our trips were made after dark. + +When patrols were going our on the prowl, medical aid men went along, +carrying small amounts of medicines and bandages. Local physicians +were used whenever possible. Civilians were very good to our sick and +wounded, taking them into their homes and caring for them until they +could travel, in spite of threats by the Japs. + +Efforts were made to care for all sick and wounded civilians in our +areas of operation. This paid dividends in many ways. It was the +friendliness of the Filipinos that paved the way for MacArthur's +eventual invasion of Luzon. Most of the time there was no question of +loyalty among the Filipinos. + +Diet and Sanitation: Our diet was good-obtained from the fertile farms +and haciendas of the Cagayan Valley. When possible, water was obtained +from the deep wells in each barrio. Most Filipinos were familiar with +crude sand filter, made by digging shallow wells a few feet back on +river banks. + +Pit latrines were dug whenever troops remained in an area for more +than a few hours. We had no venereal problems. The majority of +Filipinos were good "family" people. + +Tuguegarao Air Field Raid: Captain Minton selected some of his +outstanding Scouts for his patrol. Under cover of darkness, Minton and +his men surrounded the Japanese barracks at the Tuguegarao Air Field, +killed some one-hundred Japanese soldiers as they emerged, and +destroyed two planes on the ground. + +MacArthur was delighted! He promptly decorated the patrol + +and promoted Majors Warner and Nakar to Lt. Cols. and Minton to Major. + +The following communiqué was quickly announced from Corregidor: "One +of General MacArthur's guerrilla bands, operating in the Cagayan +Valley in northern Luzon, scored a brilliant local success in a +surprise raid on a hostile airdrome at Tuguegarao. The Japanese were +taken completely by surprise and fled in confusion leaving 110 dead on +the field. Approximately three hundred others were put to flight. Our +losses were very light." + +MacArthur said, "If Bataan should fall, I'd consider joining the +guerrillas myself." + +Patrols: Our patrols and outposts harassed the enemy until they +withdrew from the Cagayan Valley late in March. One battalion pursued +the Japs to Balete Pass, where they set up defense positions. +Telephone and courier services were quickly established. + +The patrols continued to make raids on enemy held barrios. Normally +two soldiers (former townsmen when possible) entered the selected +barrio as civilians with produce to sell or trade. After making the +necessary observations as to the habits of the enemy, they would +leave. The following dawn, they would cut the telephone lines at each +end of town, and then attack the enemy barracks. Usually food, +supplies and equipment could be obtained, in addition to disrupting +Japanese activities. Any injured soldiers who' could not continue with +the raiding party were cared for by a local civilian family. + +Politicians: Riding our horses into town, Col. Nakar and I met +frequently with provincial governors, mayors and engineers to discuss +mutual problems. We helped them police their areas and they helped us +obtain supplies. When a politician became jittery, thinking of +possible punishments if he should be captured, we had to replace him +with a stable official. + +We were able to get permission from President Quezon on Corregidor to +print "emergency money" to pay the regiment and to purchase the +supplies. The actual printing of the money was done by the provincial +treasurer. + +In late February, 1942, President Roosevelt announced that there could +be no attempt to relieve the Philippines. Actually no reinforcements +had reached the Philippines since the first bombing. + +Roosevelt directed MacArthur to transfer his headquarters from +Corregidor to Australia. On March 11th, MacArthur and his family, and +some of his staff departed on P.T. boats. + +Spanish friends: On Sundays, when things became quiet, Guillermo Nakar +and I liked to ride our horses to a Spanish hacienda across the +Cagayan River to spend several hours "away" from the war. We crossed +the river in long bancas (dugout canoes) and swam our horses behind +us, at times fending off rather large crocodiles. + +Since Spain was a neutral country, the Japanese did not bother the +Spaniards very much, except indirectly. The Spaniards grew fine +fruits, vegetables and tobacco. They ate and lived well; Guillermo and +I enjoyed sharing a good meal with them. + +On my last visit to the hacienda, I gave the Spaniards my movie +camera, Hamilton watch, fountain pen, and a pearl ring I had bought +for Judy, for "safekeeping" until the war was over. + +About one year after the end of the war, I received them in poor +condition (being buried in the moist ground) from a Spanish priest, +who probably had had great difficulty in locating me; (he wanted money +to help him build a new church). + +14th Infantry, Philippine Army: On April 1, 1942, USAFFE HQ on +Corregidor seemed to have learned that guerrilla type warfare was not +in accord with the rules of land warfare. Our regiment received a new +title-we were the" 14th Infantry of the Philippine Army." Our regiment +now controlled the Cagayan Valley, from Tuguegarao in the north to +Balete Pass in the south, and from Kiangan in the west to Palanan and +Casiguran ports on the east coast. + +Bataan: The Bataan situation was becoming desperate; rations had been +cut a second time. Soldiers in foxholes were having trouble getting +food. The 26th Cavalry was eating its horses. The 65th Pack Train was +eating its mules. Other soldiers ate trapped dogs, monkeys, lizards; +in fact most anything they could catch. + +On Good Friday, 1942, General Homma opened up with his biggest +offensive-all his artillery supported by heavy bombing. + +The front line of General Lim's 41st Division was pulverized. Nearly +100,000 seasoned Jap troops were overrunning the cadaverous defenders +of the "American Way of Life." A few terrified and bedraggled remnants +of the native companies were managing to filter back. + +General Edward (Ned) King's 11th Division was too exhausted + +to plug holes in the 41st Division. The Japs were now penetrating in +large numbers. + +On April 8, Gen. King called all his officers together; he tried to +spare his starved, diseased, wounded, and exhausted troops such things +as marching to internment camps; he requested conditions of surrender: + +1. A four-hour armistice. + +2. Japanese forces to remain in present positions during armistice. + +3. Consideration be given for sick and wounded soldiers and civilians. + +4. That U.S. Army transportation be used to carry sick and wounded to +any internment camp that the Japanese General may direct. General +Homma's Chief of Staff shouted, "Yuo vill sullendah unconitionarry!" + + Bataan Falls: On April 9, 1942, starvation, disease and the +ubiquitous Japanese caused the collapse of Bataan. General King became +the first U.S. general ever forced to surrender his command to an +enemy. He referred to his "heroes of Bataan" as follows: "Courage is a +quality God has seen fit to dispense with utmost care. He limits it to +His special favorites. He knows they will reward Him well, using the +power with dignity, strength and distinction. The men of Bataan and +Corregidor were His chosen favorites. They walked through unbearable +hell and labored on-under conditions that history had never recorded. +When they were supposed to be dead, these men of honor rose again-to +battle a cruel enemy with this intangible weapon." + +"When history of the Second World War is fully written, Americans will +thrill to the story of the 'Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor!'" + +The fall of Bataan ended any possibility of getting supplies for the +14th Infantry; our patrols had only three rounds of ammunition per +man. We became quite depressed over the surrender of Bataan; we knew +many of our friends there must be dead, wounded or suffering from +starvation and many diseases. + +Shortly we received the following order from Corregidor: "CUT STRENGTH +OF 14TH INFANTRY TO 600! WAINWRIGHT." This was a big blow to the whole +regiment. + +Thousands of Japs were massed at Balete Pass and moving north into the +Cagayan Valley. Our patrols kept us posted. Col. Warner, becoming +frustrated and trying to determine what + +positive effort could be made toward winning the war by his remaining +troops, noted that the 14th Infantry held two valuable ports at +Casiguran and Palanan. He took Major Minton and some Scouts across the +Sierra Madre mountains to the Pacific coast to explore possibilities. +He considered finding or building a good pier for supplies to be +brought in; he looked for suitable beaches for landing craft in the +event of an invasion and as a last resort, boats that could carry +personnel to China. + +The Japanese troops were advancing on Echague, some fifteen miles from +Jones. Guillermo was fearful lest the Japanese locate the regimental +radio by triangulation of transmission waves. Guillermo and I, with +several Scouts, got into two bancas and worked our way up the Cagayan +River through a series of rapids to Pinippigan, where we spent the +night. The following day, with the barrio teniente, we looked for +places to hide the radio if it became necessary. + +When we returned to Jones, we discharged nine hundred soldiers, to be +sent home, to grease and hide their rifles, to hide their uniforms and +equipment, and to become civilian farmers. They soon earned the +reputation, "farmers daytime-soldiers nighttime." + +Corregidor, the "Rock": With the fall of Bataan, the Japanese moved +their heavy artillery right into the grounds of our Army hospitals on +Bataan-to concentrate their massive barrages on Corregidor-without +fear of retaliation from the big guns on Corregidor. The shelling and +bombing became relentless for several weeks. + +On May 5th, as the Japanese barges were approaching Corregidor, +General Wainwright offered to surrender to General Homma, who replied, +"Imperial Japanese Army and Navy are only prepared to accept surrender +of all American and Filipino troops in whole Archipelago - Homma." + +One of the last messages to come from Corregidor: "Major Eugene C. +Jacobs, M.C., transferred to command of Col. John Horan in Mountain +Province north of Baguio." + +I reasoned, "Maybe his heart is giving him trouble and he feels the +need of a doctor." My weight was down from 165 to 120 pounds. I had +had amoebic dysentery for several months and had lost considerable +strength. I didn't relish traveling some one hundred to 150 miles +through areas held by the Japanese, to learn that Col. Horan had +already surrendered to the Japanese. + + + +(Later I learned that this is exactly what happened. He surrendered on +May 14, 1942). + +Corregidor Falls: With the silencing of the big guns and the radio on +Corregidor on May 6th, we found ourselves unable to contact any ally. +In a matter of hours, we picked up the voice of General Wainwright +over the Japanese radio in Manila: "WE ARE 8,000 MILES FROM THE UNITED +STATES. THERE HAS BEEN AND WILL BE NO REINFORCEMENTS. FURTHER +RESISTANCE AND BLOODSHED ARE USELESS. + +I ORDER ALL FIL-AMERICAN FORCES IN THE PHILIPPINES TO LAY DOWN ARMS +AND TO SURRENDER! WAINWRIGHT." + +We were quite sure that Wainwright was being pressured by the Japanese +to make his broadcast. We questioned whether or not a captured general +still had the authority to issue orders to his former "unsurrendered" +command. + +Transfer to Mountain Province: Trying to be a good soldier, I prepared +to make my transfer to Col. Horan's Guerrilla Unit. I obtained a good +guide and a strong horse. I told the officers and men of the 14th +Infantry, "Good-bye and good luck." We started north. + + After several days on the trail, the guide and I reached a small +barrio east of Ilagan. Natives told us Ilagan was occupied by +Japanese. + +As I was bedding down in a small native shack, a Filipino quietly +crept up to my bed, and said, "Sir! I am an emissary from General +Aguinaldo in Palanan. Sir! General Aguinaldo wants to hide you from +the Japanese for the duration of the war." + +I was delighted; this seemed like the answer to a prayer. I had no +idea where Aguinaldo had ever heard of me, or why he was interested in +me. We did have one thing in common we were both doctors. I learned +several things about Aguinaldo: he had been mayor of a small barrio. +When the Americans took the Philippines from the Spanish in 1899, +Aguinaldo appointed himself the President of the Philippines and led +an insurgent army of 40,000 against the Americans and fought a long +and bloody war. + +Aguinaldo was finally captured in Palanan by Gen. Fred Funston; he was +brought to Manila as a prisoner, where he swore an oath of allegiance +to the United States and became a good friend. The Military Governor, +Gen. Arthur MacArthur, the + +father of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, treated Aguinaldo as an honored +guest in the Malacanong Palace in Manila. + +General Aguinaldo's emissary told me to meet him the following day at +a Spanish hacienda, the Buen-venida, near the barrio of San Mariano, +about thirty miles to the south. He would lead me over the Sierra +Madre Mountains to Palanan and General Aguinaldo. + +The next morning the guide and I started south-attempting to find the +designated hacienda. After riding all day, we finally arrived at a +hacienda, but not the Buen-venida. When I inquired as to the direction +to Buen-venida, the Spanish owner asked me: + +"Did you come to surrender?" I answered with a very positive, "No!" He +said, "Col. Warner and Major Minton are here with their staff-from +Palanan." I answered, "I would like to see them!" + +As I greeted Col. Warner and Major Minton, in walked another American +from a different direction. Lt. Col. Theodore Kalakuka, QMC, Gen +Wainwright's G-4 from Manila, saying, "I've been sent here by General +Wainwright." Ted had arrived in a Jap plane from Manila with a +Japanese pass. He continued, "He has ordered all Fil-American troops +to surrender. If any unit does not surrender, all of the captives on +Corregidor will be severely punished (probably slaughtered!)" For my +benefit, he continued, "There are thousands of Americans in internment +camps that are extremely sick and desperately in need of medical care. +Any American who does not surrender will be considered a deserter of +the United States Army!" (Several weeks later, Ted died of cerebral +malaria while looking for Americans who had not surrendered.) + +Col. Warner pointed out to our officers that "the Japanese have a +bounty on each of our heads. It is the beginning of the rainy season. +There is a great scarcity of food. The Japanese have warned the +Filipinos that anyone caught helping Americans would be executed. The +Filipinos can no longer afford to be friendly to Americans." + + Chapter IV + + COL. WARNER SURRENDERS THE 14th INFANTRY + + (June 20, 1942) + + +Col. Warner officially surrendered the 14th Inf. to the Japanese on +June 20th. The following day our group walked down to the river and +obtained a guide and several bancas. We spent the day coasting down +the river to Ilagan. On the way down, I decided that no American would +be killed by my .45; I dropped it in the river. + +In Ilagan, we hiked several blocks to a Japanese barracks, knocked on +the door and tried to explain to some ignorant soldiers that "we had +come to surrender!" We were about as welcome as a vacuum cleaner +salesman. With little planning we could have "wiped them out." We were +finally directed to an empty house across the street to spend the +night, sleeping on the floor. + +The next day we hired a Filipino caratella (pony cart) and rode about +fifty miles to Echague where we repeated the surrender process at a +cavalry barracks. Six of us Americans soon found ourselves sleeping on +the concrete floor of the guard house of the old Constabulary +Barracks, west of Echague. Our hosts were a squadron of Japanese +cavalry-probably the same squadron we used to watch going up and down +the highway. + +Echague was the town where Guillermo Nakar and I had frequent +conferences with the Governor and provincial officials. We were only +fifteen miles from the radio shack, where Nakar was persisting in his +efforts to contact Gen. MacArthur. + +I didn't get to Palanan to meet General Aguinaldo! I have often +wondered how different my life might have been-sitting out the war +with Aguinaldo. + +Guests of a Japanese Cavalry Squadron: For one month, we six Americans +were assigned to perform all of the unpleasant chores of the squadron, +pumping water by hand, preparing vegetables, burying garbage, etc. We +were pleased when we heard through the "bamboo telegraph" (rumors +whispered to us by the natives selling us bananas and coconut cookies) +that the government officials that we had appointed had been accepted +by the Japanese. We knew that they would maintain a certain loyalty to +the United States. + +The Japs called us "captives," not P.O.W.s. Each morning and each +evening, we had to stand formation with the squadron + +facing east repeating an allegiance to the Emperor (we substituted our +own words, which we deemed more appropriate). + +Nakar Successful: About the 4th of July, Col. Nakar succeeded in +contacting Australia. I quote from Gen. MacArthur's book, +Reminiscences: "After the fall of Corregidor and the Southern Islands, +organized resistance to the Japanese in the Philippines had supposedly +come to an end. In reality, it never ended. Unfortunately for some +time, I could learn nothing of these activities. A deep pall of +silence settled over the whole archipelago. + +"Two months after the fall of Manila Bay Defenses, a brief and +pathetic message from a weak sending station on Luzon was brought to +me. Short as it was, it lifted the curtain of silence and uncertainty, +and disclosed the start of a human drama with few parallels in +military history. The words of that message warmed my heart: 'YOUR +RETURN IS THE NIGHTLY SUBJECT OF PRAYER IN EVERY FILIPINO HOME! - +NAKAR.' + + "I had acquired a force behind the Japanese lines that would +have far-reaching effect on the war in the days to come. + +"Unhappily, the sender of that first message, Lt. Col. Guillermo +Nakar, a former battalion commander of the 14th Infantry of the +Philippine Forces, was caught by the Japanese, tortured and beheaded. +The word passed from island to island, and from barrio to barrio. From +Aparri in the north to Zamboango in the south the fire of resistance +to the invader spread. Whole divisions of Japanese troops that the +Emperor badly needed elsewhere, deployed against phantom units." + +Before Nakar's untimely capture, he had received the following +message: "THE COURAGEOUS AND SPLENDID RESISTANCE MAINTAINED BY YOU AND +YOUR COMMAND FILLS ME WITH PRIDE AND SATISFACTION - Stop. IT WILL BE +MY PRIVILEGE TO SEE THAT YOU AND YOUR OFFICERS AND MEN ARE PROPERLY +REWARDED AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME - Stop. MY AFFECTIONS AND BEST +WISHES. MACARTHUR." + +Within a few weeks we learned that an unfaithful Filipino had betrayed +Col. Nakar. The Nipponese had captured him and the regimental radio in +a mountain cave near Jones, and had taken him to the old Spanish Fort +Santiago in Manila where they threw him in a dungeon to face +starvation, thirst, water rats, the ingenious system of Japanese +questioning and torture by the Kempie Tai Qapanese Secret Police), and +finally beheading. + +Col. Nakar's short war was far from fruitless. His tender years did +not prevent him from becoming a "champion of liberty!" His message to +MacArthur actually signaled the end of Allied defeats and withdrawals, +and the beginning of an unbroken series of crushing defeats for the +Japanese Empire. It kept "Freedom's Flame" burning brightly throughout +the Philippines and gave the Filipinos the necessary strength and +courage to resist-and finally to defeat the invaders. Col. Nakar's +"Brief and pathetic message from the Cagayan Valley" gave MacArthur +the reassurance he needed: + + +To plan his aggressive warfare; + +To fulfill his pledge to the Filipino people: "I shall return!" + +and + +To know he had a friendly base from which to attack Japan. + + +MacArthur's First Guerrilla Regiment (later the 14th Inf.) had +produced a much needed diversion for the hard-pressed forces on Bataan +and Corregidor. Thirty months later, these same guerrillas of the 14th +Inf. played an important part under the brilliant leadership of Col. +Russell Volckmann in assisting MacArthur's invasion of Luzon at +Lingayen Gulf on January 9th, 1945. + +MacArthur stated, "The guerrillas had been busy ever since receiving +my orders 'to open up!' They cut telephone wires and otherwise +disrupted Japanese communications. They blew up bridges and mined +roads; they blocked supplies to the front lines; they smashed patrols +and burned ammunition dumps. Their shining bolos began to turn red. I +estimated that Col. Volckmann's northern Luzon guerrillas accomplished +the purposes of practically a front line division." + +(Still nine months later, these same guerrillas helped Col. Volckmann +at Kiangan-both defeat and capture Japan's distinguished General +Tomoyuki Yamashita, the "Tiger of Malaya." The Tiger was quite amazed +and chagrined to find his veteran troops both surrounded and beaten by +guerrillas in the northern Mountain Province. + +On September 2, 1945, General Yamashita surrendered to Col. Volckmann +at Kianhgan. The following day, Sept. 3rd, he surrendered to General +Wainwright at the High Commissioner's mansion at Camp John Hay, ending +World War II in the Philippine Islands. Yamashita was then taken to +Bilibid Prison + +in Manila to await war crime trials. + +In December, 1941, some of the newly recruited Filipino soldiers +'"broke and ran" for the mountains when the big guns were fired from +the cruisers and destroyers in Lingayen Bay, but in 1945, these same +Filipinos were ideally suited for guerrilla warfare; they thoroughly +enjoyed twisting the "Tail of the Tiger." "This was their kind of +war!" Actually Japan never conquered the Philippine Islands, nor did +they ever gain the friendship of the Filipinos. + +The Nipponese merely occupied some of the larger cities and controlled +the main roads for three years, during which time they established +much ill-will of the Filipinos, only serving to strengthen the +resistance movements. Who could have ever dreamed that World War II in +the Philippines would both begin and end at Camp John Hay, a Rest and +Recreation Center? + +Captives on the Move - July 20, 1942: Six of us the American captives, +guests of the Japanese cavalry squadron stationed in Echague +Constabulary Barracks in Isabella were placed aboard a charcoal +burning truck, with a half dozen Jap guards, bound for an internment +camp. + +When we reached Bambang, our truck stopped to pick up a junior +Japanese officer, who was being transferred to another area. The Nips +wanted to give him a big send-off; they had gathered and instructed a +group of Filipino children to express their great fondness for the +officer by waving Japanese flags, by shouting: "Banzai, Banzai, +Banzai!" and by presenting the officer with a small bouquet. + +The performance was quite dull, until one of the children discovered +the Americans in the back of the truck. The little faces brightened +and broke into smiles; "V" signs began to appear, followed by a chorus +of "Hello, Joe! Hello, Joe! Hello, Joe; Mabuhay, Joe!" The Japs were +plenty irked and hurried the truck down the highway. + +In the early afternoon we passed through the barrio where we had +encountered the Japanese Chevy and tanks seven months before. Shortly +we passed through San Jose and on to the central plains. + +About one mile before reaching the internment camp at Cabanatuan, we +suddenly became aware of a horrible, acrid stench, the smell of +disease, dysentery and death. + + Chapter V + + JAPANESE PRISONER OF WAR CAMP NO1, CABANATUAN + + +Toward evening we arrived at the gate-made of slender poles and barbed +wire-which I immediately recognized as one of the camps built prior to +the war to house a division of the Philippine Army. It was located on +several hundred acres of treeless wasteland (formerly rice paddies) +near the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains. It consisted of some +one hundred cantonment type barracks with walls of nipa and roofs of +swali and cogan grass. + +Within the barbed wire enclosure, many of the seven thousand +half-naked, starved bodies, the "captives," slowly milled about camp. +In the several guard towers along the fence, sentries closely +scrutinized their movements. The arrival of our old truck and its +handful of new captives were scarcely noted in camp. + +I made my "duty calls" on Col. D. J. Rutherford, C.A.C., + +Camp Commander, on Lt. Col. Leo Pacquet, Group II Commander, and Col. +Gillespie, Medical C. O. Group II Dispensary proved to be a small, +twenty by twenty foot grass shack. In one corner was my two-by six +foot bamboo slat bed for the next several months. + +Although my weight was down from 165 to 120 pounds because of amoebic +dysentery, I was still relatively active and in fair health. How lucky +I had been to have missed the starvation, the many diseases, the +battles and bombings on Bataan and Corregidor, and most of all, the +"Death March," which had taken so many thousands of lives, +"slaughtered by the Japs." + +"Thank you God!" became my frequent and fervent prayer. + +Shortages: The first shortage of which I became aware was water. The +deep well in camp required diesel fuel or coconut oil to run the +engine-to pump the water to a central water tower, from which it went +to one outlet in each group and each mess hall, and several outlets in +the hospital. Since fuel was always in short supply, there was usually +a shortage of water. By standing in line for an hour, I obtained my +first canteen of water (which could only be used for drinking). Baths +were obtained by standing under the eaves on rainy days. Fortunately +the rainy season was beginning. + +Chow: The evening meal was my introduction to the diet. I had been +warned that I would only need my canteen cup for dinner. After waiting +in a long line, I received one half cup of lugao (a thin watery rice +soup) and some foul tasting greens, a very skimpy meal compared to +those I enjoyed with the guerrillas chicken, eggs, pork, fruits, and +vegetables. + +As the days went by, the diet did not improve just lugao and greens +day after day. On a rare occasion a small amount of mongo beans or +corn might be added. + +About once a month, a carabao (water buffalo) was killed and added to +the soup for from 6,000 to 12,000 captives, after the Japs had removed +all of the choice cuts. We believed ourselves lucky when we could find +a shred or two of meat in the soup. + +Our captors reasoned that slow starvation would make us too weak to +resist authority or to attempt to escape. To further insure our +servility, the Japanese divided us into groups of ten "blood +brothers." If one attempted to escape, the other nine would be +severely punished. Recaptured escapees were paraded around camp by +American guards for twenty four hours and then used for bayonet +practice by the trainees and Koreans. + +First Night: During the first night in camp, I spent several hours +walking under the stars, just thinking. Life had been much better with +the guerrillas; I was free to go many places not occupied by the Japs. +I ate much better. + +But what was done was done! There was no question that the captives in +Cabanatuan P.O.W. Camp needed all of the medical care I could give +them. From that point of view, I reasoned that I was in the right +place. . + +I wondered if Judy could see the same stars that I could the hunter +and his two dogs, and the Southern Cross. When we lived in Garden +Court (near Nichol's Air Field), we used to delight in watching the +moon and the stars shimmering in Manila Bay. It seemed a lifetime ago. + +Apparitions: The next morning, some three hundred pathetic, +skeletonized human beings, Americans, lined up in front of Group II +Dispensary, all hoping for miracles. Several of the patients +recognized me from Manila, where I had treated them at Sternberg Army +Hospital, or the dispensaries of the 57th Infantry Regiment, or the +14th Engineer Regiment at Fort McKinley. + +With their shaven heads and their considerable weight losses, I had +great difficulty in recognizing them. These were the pitiful survivors +from Bataan and Corregidor, the "Battling Bastards of + +Bataan," and the remnants of the "Death March." One by one I listened +to their stories and tried to help them. + +Since there was very little medicine to give out, most of the therapy +had to be improvised. Those with dysentery were told to take a +teaspoon of charcoal from the mess hall stoves after each meal, and to +sleep on the right side so not to irritate the sigmoid colon. They +were to wash their hands after each trip to the latrine in spite of +water shortages. + +Malaria patients were given one quinine tablet after each chill hoping +to alleviate symptoms. There was never enough to attempt a cure. + +Both "wet" and "dry" beriberi cases were prevalent. There were no +vitamins to treat them. We tried to make yeast cultures; the process +was too slow, and we could never see that the cultures did any good. +Hundreds of beriberi cases died each month. + +Scurvy came on suddenly in large numbers of captives several times +each year. When we could persuade the Japs to obtain a lime or two for +each captive, the cures were remarkable. + +Nightly Toll: Each day we transferred the most seriously ill patients +to the hospital, where there were small amounts of extra food. In +spite of the daily transfers, each night several captives died in the +barracks. Many of the captives refused to go to the hospital seeing it +as the last stop before death. + +Mess Halls: There were eleven mess halls in camp-each with one or two +large concrete stoves at one end. Large iron caldrons held the rice or +soup to be cooked. During the rainy season, there were serious +problems getting the wood to burn. + +It often appeared that the mess crews were better fed than other +captives. The daily diet consisted of two hundred to four hundred +grams of a poor grade of rice, containing fine gravel and insects, +about one hundred grams of weeds (from carabao wallows), and, on a +rare occasion, ten grams of "one" of the following: sugar, coconut +oil, beans, camote (sweet potato), corn, or meat. The diet was usually +below eight-hundred calories daily, of which protein and fat were less +than fifty calories. + +Captives, who were able to earn a pittance by hard labor on labor +details or on the farm, could supplement their diet with an occasional +banana, egg, a few peanuts, or a few mongo beans. + +A few captives raised small gardens growing vegetables for their own +use. As they ripened, the produce had to be carefully watched to +prevent theft. Some captives trapped stray dogs, some ate lizards, +grasshoppers and even earthworms. + +With food from every available source, the daily diet rarely reached +one thousand calories. Fat and salt were almost never available. + +Slow Starvation: Starvation, the scourge of the Orient for centuries, +devastated the captives held by the Japanese; it was not a starvation +bred of poverty, but starvation bred of brutality, sadism and neglect. +Murder would have been more humane; execution more legal. A slow, +tortured death, however, was more in keeping with the desire of the +Japanese to make the "Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor pay dearly +for having challenged 'Dai Nippon." + +We were hearing so much about the "Death March" and "Camp O'Donnell," +I have decided to include several paragraphs on each: + +Bataan "Death March": The "Death March" began April 9th, when the +Japanese General Homma demanded that General King surrender his 80,000 +Fil-American forces on Bataan "Unconditionally." + +Since Gen. Homma's prizes, Corregidor and the Philippine Islands, +still lay before him, he had no time to worry about the captured +Fil-American forces. His shock troops, tanks, trucks, cars, cavalry, +artillery, and infantry occupied the only highway from Bataan to the +central plain. They were getting into position (on the grounds of +Hospitals I and II) to shell and bomb Corregidor into submission. "Why +the dirty bastards! They're using us as shields to fire on +Corregidor." + +At the same time, Japanese guards between Marivales and Limay were +rounding up the 80,000 hungry, sick, confused, and exhausted captives +to march them north on the same highway in groups of one hundred in +columns of four. + +Guards were continually barking orders: "Get on the highway! + +Hully! Hully! Hully! Kura! Stop! Get off the load! Speedo! Sona bitch! +Kura! Get on the highway! Stop!" They used their weapons to enforce +their directives. + +The "March" began at Marivales, proceeded "on foot" for about sixty +miles, then by box car for some twenty miles and finally another ten +miles "by foot" to Camp O'Donnell. "It was hot, hot, hot and dusty! +There was no food; there was no water!" Most captives did not have +canteens. Those who attempted to fill their canteens in the ditches +besides the road were frequently bayoneted; anyone who couldn't keep +up was slapped, clubbed or + +bayoneted in full view of the others. + +Heard along the march: "During the day, we had to travel along the +highway when it was not being used by heavy equipment going south." +"At night, we were placed in barbed wire enclosures; sometimes there +was water; more often there was none." "As the days passed, the stench +of death became very pronounced; bodies were laying along the highway +in all stages of decomposition swollen, bursting open, and covered by +thousands of maggots." + +The Korean guards were the most abusive. The Japs didn't trust them in +battle, so used them as service troops; the Koreans were anxious to +get blood on their bayonets; and then they thought they were veterans. + +"If you fell, you were dead!" + + "There were things you didn't want to see! There was the captive +that the Jap trucks and tanks had rolled over until he was just a flat +'silhouette' in the pavement." + +"The heat was terrible!" + +"The Jap kept poking me with his bayonet; fear gave me the strength to +go on." + + "To have a close friend a buddy to help you might be the difference +between survival and death." + +"As the days passed, the compounds holding captives at night became +filthy; sick and dying almost filled the areas. The dead were not +being buried. The terrible odor was sickening." + +"Sometimes when the compounds were crowded, they marched us all +night." + +"I had 10,000 teeny blisters on the bottom of my feet." + + "The compound was full of people a lot of dust, dirt and filth; I +just fell into the dirt and slept." + + "People were going crazy they were 'nuts!' sometimes talking to +themselves, sometimes screaming!" + + "We all had dysentery, and there was no water. Usually there was no +food." + + "We finally reached the train a few box cars with doors closed in +the hot sun they were stifling hot like a furnace." + + "We were jammed one hundred to a car standing room only. Men +fainted, but there was no place to fall down." + + "They didn't open the door until we reached the destination. + +The living and the dead just fell out." + + "Sit down and be counted!" + +"When we had reached Capas, it was pandemonium, Japs and captives all +milling around. They tried to count us as we rested." + + "Then we were told to line up-in columns of twos. We started the +march on a dirt road some six miles to Camp O'Donnell." + + "Some captives had marched all the way from Bataan close to one +hundred miles." + +"It wasn't the march that killed us; it was the continual delays along +the march the standing in place for two or three hours at a time +without food or water." + + "If you stepped out of line, you were apt to have a bayonet in +your gut." + +The exact number of dead from the "Death March" was probably known +only to God. The best estimates were anywhere from 12,000 to 17,000. + +Deaths at Cabanatuan: During the first eight months of camp, deaths +totaled 2,400. Some thirty to fifty skeletons, covered by leathery +skin, were buried in common graves each day. The Japs issued documents +certifying that each death was caused by malaria, beriberi, pellagra, +diphtheria, in fact, anything but the real cause starvation and +malnutrition. + + After the war, when the Graves Registration searched the Cabanatuan +cemeteries, they found and disinterred 2,637 bodies. + +Sanitation: From the beginning of camp, sanitation was a serious +problem. Flies, including the blue and green bottle types, were +present everywhere. Maggots thrived in the latrines, weakened the +walls, resulting in cave-ins, and sometimes engulfing the visitor. +Daily rains further weakened the walls. + +After several months some engineer officers, under the leadership of +Major Fred Saint of Elmhurst, Illinois, organized a sanitary detail, +and succeeded in building deep septic tank type latrines that would +not cave in. They applied lime daily to control flies and maggots. +Gradually they dug ditches along all walks and around all buildings in +order to promote draining and to prevent quagmires. + +Labor Details: The camp had not been in operation many days before the +Japanese requested that the American headquarters furnish labor +details of various sizes and types to work both inside and outside the +camp. Although an occasional detail would be commanded by a very cruel +Jap guard and unbelievable brutality followed, the men on some details +had reasonable guards, received extra food and remained relatively +healthy. + +Wood Detail: On good days, a firewood detail went to the forests to +get wood for the mess hall stoves. + +Rice Detail: One to three times each week, a rice detail composed of +from five to ten carabao carts, an American driver for each cart, and +several Jap guards, drove to market in the town of Cabanatuan to pick +up one hundred pound bags of rice for the mess halls. + +Outside Details: Details were taken to many places in the Philippines +to build and repair roads, bridges and airfields and to load and +unload ships in the port area of Manila. Several details of Americans +were taken to Bataan to make a Japanese movie, entitled Down with the +Stars and Stripes! Periodically, a detail was taken to Japan. + +The Farm: After several months of starvation, some hungry captives +suggested to the Japanese that a farm could supply extra food for the +captives and might reduce the high morbidity and mortality rates. + +The farm was started with a few farmers and expanded very rapidly. +Groups of one hundred men each were marched out of camp every morning +barefooted to spend the day on the farm. + +The farmers worked under many difficulties; the sun became very hot. +Farmers were not allowed to squat down or to bend the knees. They had +to work bent over from the waist. They received only a fifteen minute +yasume (rest period) in the morning and another in the afternoon. +There was much language confusion; much misunderstanding followed by +frequent slapping, kicking or beating. + +Nearly every day the Japanese insisted upon larger and larger details +insisted that more and more patients be returned to duty from the +hospital in order to work on the farm. The workers received a small +amount of extra food. + + Much to my surprise, many sick patients, that we thought were too +sick for duty, were becoming rather husky farmers. + +More to my surprise, the Jap guards soon found they could make extra +money by taking farm products to the market in Cabanatuan city, where +they were sold to the civilians. + +Camp Hospital: The hospital was first opened in June, 1942, by Col. +James Gillespie with the mess halls under Major Jim Rinaman. There +were sixty six officers and 183 enlisted men. By July 1st there were +2,300 patients and by August, 2,500. + + There were thirty wards (made to hold forty soldiers), often + +holding up to one hundred patients. There were upper and lower decks +made of bamboo slats. Each patient was allotted a two-by-six foot +space. Seriously ill were kept on the lower decks. + +By Dec. 1st, I had been appointed chief of the medical service; I +tried to see every patient each day. Since medicines were very scarce, +there was actually very little I could do, except give some hope of a +better tomorrow. + +Dire Economy: In the early days of the hospital, the Japanese issued a +few cartons of condensed milk that they had captured on Bataan for the +benefit of the seriously ill. Unfortunately, most of the recipients of +the extra milk proceeded to die in spite of the extra nourishment +taking the milk with them. We quickly learned a harsh but valuable +lesson: "Do not give extra nourishment to dying patients!" + +From then on, the extra food went only to patients who possessed the +possibility of recovering plus the will to live. + +Malaria: Fully 50% of the 2,400 patients had malaria. For many months +all we could do was to give one quinine tablet after each malaria +chill, hoping to make them more comfortable. But after the Japs +conquered the Dutch East Indies, we received 30,000 three grain +tablets of quinine. This allowed us to control most cases of malaria +and to cure some. + +Occasionally we saw a few cases of cerebral malaria; most of these +died in spite of quinine therapy. + +Multiple Diseases: Most patients had more than one disease, usually +multiple vitamin diseases. Many had lost from one third to one-half of +their body weight. Most everyone had either wet or dry beriberi, or a +few both. + +Beriberi: Wet beriberi cases were bloated with edema usually beginning +in the feet and gradually progressing upward to the head. A patient +with edema of the feet and legs, after lying in bed all night, +frequently found that the edema had spread to his chest and face in +the morning. + +After being up for several hours, the edema slowly returned to his +legs and feet. When the edema became extensive, the patient became +nearly helpless unable to get about. + +Tropical ulcers often developed in swollen legs, and continued to weep +as long as the edema existed. If the edema had been caused by salt +intake, it could be, controlled by eliminating salt, but for the most +part salt was not a factor, because we rarely had any salt in our +diet. + +Patients with dry beriberi were usually very thin. Their chief +complaint was lightning-like pains (neuralgia) in their legs and feet. +The only relief came from soaking their legs in buckets of cold water. +Many sat up all night trying to obtain some comfort. + +On a rare occasion a dry beriberi patient would develop edema in his +feet and legs; strange as it may seem, the edema seemed to relieve the +pains of the dry beriberi. + +Forty years later, some of the survivors still have leg pains in spite +of heavy vitamin therapy indicating permanent nerve damage. + +Beriberi Heart Disease: Beriberi heart disease was seen frequently, +and often resulted in sudden death. Like the legs and abdomen, the +heart became enlarged with edema; the beat became irregular. As some +patients lay down, their heart would stop beating, especially if lying +on the left side. + +If you could get to them in time to sit them up, or to massage their +heart, it was sometimes possible to get the heart started again. + +Sudden death at night was a rather frequent occurrence. Many American +trained cardiologists still consider beriberi heart disease as a +reversible condition, but some ex-P.O.W.s still have the same +irregularities. + +Pellagra: Pellagra was common, manifest by conjunctivitis, glossitis, +amblyopia, angular stomatitis, geographic tongues (often with deep +grooves and severe sensitivity), and scrotal dermatitis of varying +degrees including sloughing. There was increased pigmentation of the +skin sometimes patchy. + +Xerophthalmia: Xerophthalmia and optic atrophy were seen occasionally +and often left permanent damage to vision, and sometimes complete +blindness. + +Diphtheria: We had an epidemic of diphtheria some two hundred cases of +which 125 died before the Japs obtained a limited amount of antitoxin. +Most survivors had permanent residuals. + +Infectious Hepatitis: We had several epidemics of infectious +hepatitis, which seemed to be self-limited. At times it was difficult +to differentiate it from malaria with jaundice following Atabrine +therapy. + +In 1943, I had infectious hepatitis for about ten days and turned a +bright yellow accompanied by severe nausea and vomiting. Every time +someone would mention "food," I would run to + +the window and retch. It seemed this happened about every five minutes +during the day, as prisoners rarely talked about anything else. The +individual would apologize for mentioning food, but it would be only a +short time before it was the subject again. + +Scurvy: There were several widespread epidemics of scurvy; we could +stop these quickly if and when we could persuade the Japs to get a +lime or two for each captive. + +Diabetes Mellitus: When I entered camp, I was worried about diabetes +mellitus, because there was no insulin or other medicine available to +treat it. Ironically, starvation solved the problem. + +The blood sugar never got up high enough to produce any symptoms. + +Red Cross Packages: Just before Christmas in 1942, 1943 and + +1944, the laps issued one or two Red Cross food packages, each of +which contained seven pounds of food. After the package in 1942, the +camp mortality fell miraculously from forty deaths daily to one or two +a month. December 15, 1942, was the first day in camp in which there +was not a single death. + +Refeeding Gynecomastia: Three times during our thirty to thirty-six +months of incarceration at Cabanatuan and in Bilibid, following the +receipt of one, two or three Red Cross packages, making our diet +adequate for from one to six weeks, up to six hundred "refeeding" type +of breast swellings (gynecomastia) of various sizes appeared. + +After the food in the packages was consumed by the captives, and the +diet returned to the starvation-type, the captives with the swollen +breasts noticed that the breasts were slowly and gradually returning +to normal size. + +Again after liberation, when the diet returned to normal and remained +adequate, many hundreds of refeeding gynecomastia were seen, and +lasted from one to eight months, before disappearing. At times the +enlarged breasts were rather tender and even painful. + +Dysentery Section of Hospital: Fenced off from the hospital was a +quarantined area containing about ten wards-called the Dysentery +Section-under the supervision of a separate staff of medical officers +and corpsmen. + +There was a tremendous sanitary problem. Many of the patients were too +weak to leave their wards. Some "passed out" on their way to and from +the latrine. There was essentially no medicine for these debilitated +patients-unless they were lucky enough to + +have a friend in Manila and knew how to contact him via the +Underground. + +Zero Ward: In the Dysentery Section, there was a building that was +missed when the wards were numbered. Later, it was called "Zero Ward" +and served as a place to put the seriously ill, essentially dying +patients. It was an empty building with wooden floors, and usually +contained about thirty extremely ill patients naked lying on the +floor, frequently in their own vomitus and dysenteric stool. + +Their chances of survival were just about zero. Flies walked casually +over their leathery skin; rarely did a patient arouse himself +sufficiently to threaten a fly. Most of the patients did not want to +be disturbed, typically responding "Please leave me alone; I have +suffered enough! Just go away!" + +Exhausted and sick corpsmen moved slowly among the dying, trying to +keep them clean, and giving them food or medicine, when available. + +Operating Room: In the early days of the hospital, the Japanese +permitted several medical officers to return to Bataan to retrieve an +operating table, minimal surgical equipment and a field X-ray unit +from the abandoned U.s. Army hospital. + + Captives who had needed operations prior to the obtaining of the +surgical equipment were operated in Cabanatuan city by Japanese +doctors with 100% mortality. + + Our American surgeons said, "We can do better than that!" The +American surgeons had no mortality. + +A Camera: Ingenious Americans built a camera: they used X-ray film, +took pictures around the camp and developed the film in X-ray +solutions. They, of course, had to hide the camera and pictures when +Japs were in the area. + +A Radio: After hearing no news during the early months of the camp +some other clever Americans decided to build a radio. + +Several of the captives operated the electric generating and pumping +station. In the evening, when they suspected' the Japanese were +listening to their radios, they would run the voltage up high and +blowout the Jap radio sets. The following morning, the Japs would +bring their sets to the Americans and say: "You fix!" + +After a quick examination, the Americans would exclaim, "We must get +some new parts in Manila!" In Manila, they would get extra parts and +eventually built a radio-in the bottom of a canteen; in the upper half +was water that they could pour out, if the Japs became +suspicious. Gradually, the captives became very knowledgeable +concerning war activities; Jap guards contacted the Americans for the +latest news. + +Scuttlebutt (Rumors): The word "scuttlebutt" was an old Navy term +probably antedating the father of the U.S. Navy and his first ship, +the U.S.S. Alfred in 1775. The butt was a bucket or cask often placed +near the ship's ladder, where sailors congregated for a drink of fresh +water, and to exchange rumors. + +When the sailors joined the soldiers and airmen on Bataan, scuttlebutt +soon followed, and usually referred to: Long convoys filled with food, +vast supplies and equipment and loaded with troops-replacements-that +President Roosevelt kept assuring us were "On the way." The convoys +always proved to be phantom, or arrived safely in Ireland, Australia +or Africa, never in the Philippines. + +In the Cabanatuan P.O.W. Camp, rumors were always rampant, especially +in the evening when daily activities were finished. The scuttlebutt +often referred to big Allied victories, prisoner exchanges, ships +loaded with food, a new Ford for every prisoner, promotions, +decorations, etc., etc. + +They all proved to be figments of the imagination-just pure +scuttlebutt. + +Prisoner-of-War Status: About October of 1942, the Japanese removed +our status of "captive" (criminal awaiting trial) and designated us as +"prisoners-of-war!" We hoped that this meant that things would get +better. + +We began receiving pay-the same as the Japanese officers and soldiers +of the same rank. I quickly learned that after receiving my thirty yen +at the pay window, I had to move to the next window and deposit twenty +yen into Japanese Postal Savings. + +When I graduated from Prison Camp (Class of August, 1945), I had more +than 30,000 yen in Postal Savings. They have never offered me any +money, or a Toyota; in fact, they haven't even answered my mail. + +Post Cards: When we became prisoners-of-war, each prisoner received a +yellow, printed form post card. He could fill in the blank places, +sign it, and it would be sent home. + +"Major Eugene C. Jacobs + +I am interned at Philippine Military Camp No.1. + +My health is fair + +I am Uninjured + +Please take care of Insurance + + + + Love, Eugene C. Jacobs, 1897" + +We were allowed to send one post card every six months during +thirty-eight months. The last card was a fifty-word card. + +Mail: About the same number of times shipments of letters and packages +came into camp from the States. Censoring was extensive. I got one +letter that was completely cut out, except, "Dear Gene, +---------------------------------------------------------------------- +---------------------------------------------------------------------- +---------------------------------------------------------------------- +------- + +Love, Mother + + +Of course, these letters and packages were a Godsend. We passed the +letters around to all of our friends, hoping there might be something +of interest to them. We ate the cheese and malted milk in the +packages-even when they had maggots in them. It was a great boost to +our morale to know that someone loved us and was praying for our safe +return. + +Commissary: We were permitted to have a commissary; my ten yen each +month bought a can of salmon or condensed milk, several bananas, a cup +of mongo beans or peanuts. Once I was able to buy a live chicken and +have a Thanksgiving dinner. The commissary was operated by Lt. Col. +Harold K. Johnson (later to become the Chief of Staff of the U.S. +Army), Capt. Amos and Capt. Norton. Gradually inflation became so bad +that the Japanese pay become almost worthless. + +Chapel Service: We were permitted to go to church on Sundays. + +The sermons had to be censored on Saturdays; there was often a Jap +attending service-to keep the preachers honest. Lt. Col. Alfred +Oliver, U. S. Army, was chief of chaplains in the Philippines by +reason of seniority. + +Two protestant chaplains built their own chapels with scrap lumber and +prison labor. Capt. Frank Tiffany was a Presbyterian; I became an +elder in his chapel. Capt. Robert Taylor was a Baptist. I became a +deacon in his chapel. Other chaplains used mess halls, libraries and +even barracks to hold their services. + +Catholic chaplains were: Majors Stanley Reilly and Albert Braun, +Captains Richard Carberry, John McDonnell, Stober, Albert Talbot, Tom +Scenina, and Dugan, and Lieutenants McManus, James O'Brien, Mithias +Zerfas, John Wilson, Duffy, William Cummings, and John Curran. + +Protestant chaplains included: Majors John Borneman and Ralph Brown, +Captains Sam Donald, Leslie Zimmerman, Morris Day, Arthur Cleveland, +and Lieutenants Quinn, Herbert Trump and Ed Nagle (a missionary from +Baguio). + + Chaplains of unknown denomination: William Dawson, Joseph +Vanderheiden. + + Jewish cantor: Aaron Kliatchko. + +Christmas Midnight Mass and Easter Mass were very colorful events +attended by all healthy prisoners. On May 30th of each year +(Decoration Day), the Japanese allowed one thousand prisoners to visit +the cemetery. Chaplain Oliver led the services; Major Iwanaka Oapanese +Camp Commander) presented a large wreath. + +Chaplains took turns accompanying the Burial Detail from the morgue to +the cemetery nearly every day-giving graveside services. Chaplains' +visits to the wards of the hospital were much appreciated by the +patients-sick, depressed and underground dying. + +Underground: After being in camp for several months, I discovered that +some of the captives were leaving notes (addressed to friends in +Manila) on their beds. In some mysterious way, they were picked up and +delivered in Manila. In a couple weeks there would be an answer, also +left on the bed of the sender. + +Sometimes there would be money, medicine and even food. + +Looked like a good idea! I didn't inquire about the mechanics of the +Underground. In fact I didn't want to know. I had had amoebic +dysentery with bleeding for four months-with a loss of fifty pounds +weight. Here was a chance to get some medicine. + +I had a Spanish friend in Manila, the president of an insurance +company. When he had been in Baguio with his family prior to the war, +he brought his eight-year-old son to me because of a chronic stomach +ailment. I made the diagnosis of "peptic ulcer" and treated him with +good results. The family was quite pleased. + +So I wrote Jose Olbes a note explaining my predicament. + +Sure enough, in two weeks, on my bed was a note, carbazone (medicine) +and twenty pesos. In another two weeks I was feeling better and +gaining strength. I never inquired further about the Underground, +figuring that someday someone would get caught, and the penalty would +be severe. + +During the two years that the Underground operated, it undoubtedly +saved the lives of hundreds of prisoners. After the war was over, I +learned the mechanics of the operation: + +In the early days of the war, a 31st Infantry Sergeant John Phillips +married a Claire (?) on Bataan. Sgt. John survived Bataan and the +"Death March," but died on July 27, 1942 in the Japanese P.O.W. Camp +No.1 at Cabanatuan. + +A few weeks later his wife, Claire, received a note from Chaplain +Frank Tiffany in Cabanatuan, verifying that Sgt. John Phillips had +died of malaria, dysentery and starvation. Frank ended his note with, +"I beg you do not forget the ones that are left; they are dying by the +hundreds! God Bless You!" Everlasting (code name). To fill her +emptiness, Claire vowed revenge. Claire returned to Manila; she +obtained false Italian identification papers from the Japanese, +stating that she was born in Manila of Italian parents. + +Claire opened a nightclub, The Club Tsubaki (Camelia) and sang her +heart out every night to high-ranking Japanese officers, all the while +raising money to send to the sick and dying at Cabanatuan. + +When the Japanese officers became "high and loquacious," she pumped +them for information concerning the movements of Japanese ships and +troops, and forwarded this information to guerilla leaders. + +Claire assumed the code name of "High Pockets," because she kept her +valuables in her bra. Once every two weeks, High Pockets "baked +cookies!" (That is, collected notes, money and medicines from +prominent citizens in Manila: Juan Elizaldi, Judge Riveria, Lopes, Dr. +and Mrs. Romeo Atienza, Father Lopez, Judge Roxas, and many others.) + +A Filipina mestiza, Evangeline Neibert (code name, "Sassy Suzie"), +carried "the cookies" by train from Manila to the town of Cabanatuan, +where she delivered them to the market. + +Naomi Flores (code name, "Looter"), a brave Filipina, who had also +lost a husband in prison camp, obtained a Japanese license as a +vegetable peddler and worked in the Cabanatuan market. Naomi hid "the +cookies" in the bottom of rice sacks to be taken to camp. + +Once or twice a week, the "Rice Detail" from Camp #1, went to the +market in Cabanatuan to get some hundred pound sacks of rice for the +mess halls. + +In the mess halls, the notes were removed from the sacks of +rice, and delivered to one of the following: + +Captain (Chaplain) Frank Tiffany-"Everlasting" + +Lt. Col. Jack Schwartz, Hosp. C.O.-"Liver" + +Charles De Maio (U.S. Navy)-"WOP" + +Lt. Col. Mack (Inspector General)-"DITTO" + +Captain (Chaplain) Robert Taylor-"Chap BOB" + +Captain (Chaplain) John Wilson-"Left Field" + + +Helpers delivered "the cookies" to the beds of the senders of notes, +and picked up notes for future delivery in Manila. + +High Pockets also baked "cookies" and collected intelligence for the +guerrilla leader-Major John Boone (code name, "Compadre") for delivery +to MacArthur. + +The Underground continued for about two years. The Japanese became +suspicious when the prisoners were spending more money in the +commissary than they were being paid by the Japanese. + +May 3, 1944: Six carabao drivers were arrested on their return trip +from the market, and taken to jail in Cabanatuan city: Fred Threatt, +Sgt. S.H. Bish, St. Sgt. Virgil Burns, Pvt. Reed Philipps, Tysinger +and Rose. + +The Japs seized the rice sacks with the notes, money and medicines in +them. + +May 10, 1944: Capt. Pat Bynes, Lee Baldwin, Capt. Jack LeMire, Lt. Bob +Shirk, Sgt. Alexander, Walter Jasten, Bellew, and Cherokensky were +picked up by the Japanese Military Police-along with all their +belongings. That afternoon Gov. P.D. Rogers and Lt. Col. Mack were +nabbed. + + May 11, 1944: Sixteen Americans and eight Filipinos were taken +away in a truck. All had their hands tied behind them. + + May 12: Jack Shirk and Chaplain Tiffany were taken to Cabanatuan. + +May 16: Five carabao drivers were returned to camp. Several prisoners +were placed in "Sweat Boxes" in the middle of the field-on one meal +per day: Lt. Col. (Chaplain) Alfred Oliver, Lt. Col. Jack Schwartz, +Capt. (Chaplain) Bob Taylor, Col. Mack Rogers, Threatt, and Rex Aton. + +Almost three months later, on August 5th, the Japanese doctor (Isha) +came to me and said, "Come with me!" We walked out in the field to the +sweat boxes, specially to one containing Chaplain Oliver; it was about +three by three by five feet, too small to sit up-too short to lie down +without curling up. Isha seemed to speak English quite well. I was +surprised when he seemed to be rather friendly and told me: "I like +American music, especially 'Old Black Joe,' and 'Way Down upon the +Suwannee River,'" adding, "you must not speak to Col. Oliver. You +examine him, and then tell me the diagnosis and prognosis." + +I found the chaplain semiconscious with large bruises on the back of +his neck. I told Isha, "He has a fractured neck. He will die if we +leave him here; he must be taken to the hospital." Isha said "OK! You +take him to hospital!" + +Chaplain Oliver had married Judy and me at the Walter Reed Hospital +Chapel about six years before. We both had great affection for him and +his wife. It was very distressing to see him in this condition. He was +a big man, in spite of many months of starvation; I had an awful time +carrying him back to the hospital. (In spite of his broken neck-caused +by being hit with the butt of a Japanese rifle while being +interrogated regarding the Underground, he survived to return to the +United States and to be honored by the Supreme Council of Scottish +Rite Masons with the esteemed 33rd Degree.) I don't believe that +Chaplain Oliver ever had an active part in the Underground, but he was +suspect because he was senior chaplain in the Philippines. + +August 30, 1944: Again, the Japanese Isha came to get me: "Come with +me! We go to examine Chaplain Taylor, but you must not speak to him! +You tell me diagnosis and prognosis!" + + Being a deacon in his church, I had great respect for him. He +was very weak and obviously quite sick. + +"Doctor Isha, I do not know his diagnosis, but I do know if we leave +him here, he will die! He must be taken to the hospital." Isha +replied, "OK!" + +The next day Bob conveniently coughed up a twenty-inch worm, which I +could show to Isha. He seemed satisfied. I could breathe easier. (Bob +survived, in spite of wounds received on a "Hell Ship" to take Judy a +note that I wrote in Japan when I thought I was dying. He later +returned to active duty with the Air Force and eventually became a +major general and Chief of Chaplains.) He also was made a 33rd Degree +Mason. + +A third time the Japanese Isha came to get me to go out to the "sweat +boxes"-this time to examine Lt. Col. Jack Schwartz, Medical Corps and +Commander of the camp hospital. "You must not talk to Col. Schwartz! +You make diagnosis! Then you tell me!" This time I didn't have to talk +to Jack; he was talking to me in medical language. He had assumed the +typical position of + +"acute appendicitis." I examined Jack and reported to the Isha: "Col. +Schwartz has an acute appendicitis! He will die if we don't operate!" +Again Isha said "OK! You take him to hospital! You take out appendix +and show me!" + +We took Jack to the hospital and got the operating room ready. Col. +Bill North removed an appendix, which was quite normal. I couldn't +show it to the Isha! Fortunately for me, after viewing Jack's recent +incision, he seemed satisfied. (Col. Schwartz survived to return to +the States, to go back to active duty and eventually become a major +general, and to command Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco.) + +Claire Phillips: While the investigation of the underground was +proceeding in the Cabanatuan POW Camp, Claire Phillips (High Pockets) +was picked up by the Military Police in Manila. + +She was taken to the old Spanish Fort Santiago, thrown into a dungeon +and then cruelly interrogated by the Kempei Tai (Secret Police) to +make her talk. She was given the water treatment (a hose was put down +her throat, the water turned on-until she was suitably distended, and +then the interrogators jumped on her abdomen until she talked.) + +Claire would have probably been executed, but was spared death by the +sudden dropping of the atom bombs, followed by the quick conclusion of +the war. + +Cabanatuan Cats (Orchestra): Everything in camp was not always dire; +we had a few lighter moments. Several captives had been successful in +bringing their own musical instruments into camp. In the fall of 1942, +Capt. Lee Stevens, Army Transportation Corps, was able to obtain a +small piano from his home in Manila. + +Soon after, Father Bruddenbrook, a Belgian priest, acquired a +miniature piano and several instruments. + +P.F.C. (private first class) Johnny Kratz, a clerk on Corregidor, +organized an orchestra, the Cabanatuan Cats. The Japanese enjoyed +music and permitted the orchestra to practice several hours each week +and to give a concert on Wednesday evenings. The orchestra and singers +did much to raise the morale of the camp. + +Some of the musicians were from big-name bands. Eddie Booth and Pappy +Harris played pianos; Marshall on the saxophone and clarinet; Lt. +Claire Kuncl (57th Infantry) was tricky on the trombone; Lt. Larry +Parcher and Pvt. Salas played trumpets; Chester McClure and Sgt. +Melvin Reinhart played guitars; Red Kadolph beat the drums; and +Captain Joe Salee sang a beautiful + + +tenor. Butch Manke, Hank Ruhl, Chuck Kaelin and Louie Baller were +vocal soloists; and Sgt. Becher, Al Roholt, Hank Ruhl and Harry Mock +formed a barbershop quartet called the Four Bees. + +When the Cats played "Rhapsody in Blue," you could close your eyes and +imagine Paul Whiteman's complete ensemble performing on the stage-they +were that good. For a few brief moments, the horrors of reality +vanished. + +Because of the large number of prisoners from Texas and New Mexico, +"San Antonio Rose," "The Eyes of Texas," and "The Yellow Rose of +Texas" always received great applause. + +Nearly every ambulatory prisoner placed his blanket out in front of +the stage in the afternoon to reserve a seat for the eight o'clock +performance. As soon as the music began, many Jap guards gathered +around to listen. + +Favorite songs were: "Stardust," "Tennessee Waltz," "A Pretty Girl Is +Like a Melody," "Mood Indigo," "Deep Purple," "Sleepy Lagoon," +"Sentimental Journey," "Fascination," "Tenderly," "Sweet and Lovely," +"In My Solitude," and many others. A native song, "Planting Rice," was +popular. And once in a while, they even got away with "GOD BLESS +AMERICA!" of course without words. + +In October of 1944, the orchestra was ordered to Japan on a prison +ship; the ship was unmarked, and after a few days out, was sunk by an +American submarine. All members of the orchestra were lost! + +Stage Shows: The first few months of camp, we had so many captives +transferred to Group IV (the cemetery), that the future seemed very +bleak. To raise the camp morale, Lt. Col. O.O. (Zero) Wilson began a +variety program in Group I; Lt. Bill Burrell started a medicine show +in Group II and Captain Bleich initiated shows in Group III. + +In October, 1942, Col. Zero combined the shows into a central casting +office, and every Saturday night put on a super colossal by the +Cabanatuan Mighty Art Players. + +Some of the actors were: Al Manning, Robin Swann, a Britisher, Don +Childers, Ben Mossel, Bill Nealson, Robert Brownlee (a Negro and camp +favorite), Bill Burrell, Eddie McIntyre (female impersonator), and +many others. + + Some of the fifty-four productions were: Casey Jones, The Drun +kard, Gone with the Wind, Journey's End, Uncle Tom's Cabin, etc. + + Glee Club: Several times, Sgt. Clarence Sayre's Glee Club put + +on entertainment in the three groups and in the hospital: "The +Halleluiah Chorus" was among all time favorites. + +News Reels: On a rare occasion, when the Japs had a big victory to +gloat over, they would show the camp a news reel. The photography was +horrible. They had not yet achieved the American know-how in making +cameras, film, radios, televisions, automobiles, computers, etc. + +Library: Some two hundred books were collected from the barracks in +Group II. Records were kept on the back of labels off condensed milk +cans. Other groups started collecting books and the number reached +nine hundred including magazines. + +In November, 1942, a camp library was started by Lt. Col. Babcock, +assisted by Capt. Brunette and Lts. Trifilo and Edwards. Prisoner +details were sometimes able to obtain books or magazines on their +journeys. + +Classes: Captives were forbidden to gather in groups without special +permission. Classes were formed in many subjects: Japanese, German, +Spanish, Russian, and Tagalog (native Philippine language). There were +classes in astrology, banking, photography, history, cheese and wine +making, menus, diets, etc. One prisoner, almost blind, wrote a +cookbook. + +Games: Many games were played during off-duty hours: cribbage, +acey-ducey (U.S. Navy), chess, checkers, bridge, poker, and the like. +At times baseball and volleyball were attempted, but beriberi +definitely limited any enthusiasm and the games died out. + +Soochow, a Chinese bulldog and Marine mascot, gave much pleasure to +many prisoners-he thought he was an officer. + +Masons: In August, 1943, two Masons, Chap. John Borneman and Major +Howard Cavender (former manager of the Manila Hotel), were +instrumental in getting money, medicine and food from Masons in Manila +through the underground and donating it to prisoners. + +In a camp where competition for survival was becoming a serious +problem, where officer was stealing from officer, it was a real joy to +see the brotherly love of Masons for their fellow men. I decided that +someday I would be a Mason. + +The Morgue: It was only a short distance from Zero Ward to the morgue, +where bodies were accumulated, awaiting the daily trip to the +cemetery. + +The Cemetery (Group IV): Once each day, thirty to fifty + +captives formed lines at the morgue to carry the naked bodies on +window shutters to the cemetery, about one-half mile from camp. +Following a brief religious ceremony, the skeletonized bodies were +lowered into common graves. On rainy days the graves filled with +water; it became necessary to hold the bodies down the poles, while +dirt was shoveled on to them. Sometimes the rain would uncover an arm +or leg; then animals ate away the flesh. + + +BOOT HILL * + + +No monuments nor flowers there amid the fields of cane, + +No birds their song to fill the air, No trees to shield the rain. + + +We've watched these things through tear-dimmed eyes, + +We've felt a sense of shame, + +But now we see as time goes by, + +We are really not to blame. + + +No, it's surely not the best, + +No glory does it claim, + +It's just the place where we laid them to rest, + +Our friends who lost the game. + + + Chapter VI + + JAPANESE ATROCITIES + + +The Japanese were a proud people, regarding themselves as descendants +of the gods, a superior race, destined to bring light into a darkened +world. Should any wicked nation dare to impede or to obstruct their +Emperor in carrying out his celestial undertakings, Japan would +fight-by the command of the Japanese gods to reunite all nations under +the rule of the Japanese Emperor. + +The Imperial Rescript of the Emperor to his military powers included +the following statement: "Should any emergency arise, "Boot hills were +at Camps O'Donnell & Cabanatuan, written by Ed "Tommie" Thomas while +in the hospital at Cabanatuan with diphtheria. The burial details went +by the barracks each morning as he watched, wondering if he would be +on one of those litters the next morning. + +offer yourself courageously to the state, and thus regard to maintain +the prosperity of our Imperial Throne, Coeval with Heaven and Earth." + +As late as 1877, the ancient custom of making trophies of the heads of +the enemy soldiers was still in effect in Japan. + +Japan violated the Geneva Convention in 1931 when she invaded +Manchuria, and again in 1937 when she invaded China both without a +declaration of war. The world shouldn't have been surprised when the +Japanese bombers made their sudden attack on Pearl Harbor without a +declaration of War, further violating the Articles of Code 1929. +Actually, the Japanese had never approved the Geneva Convention, +either in theory or in practice, especially concerning P.O. W. s. + +To the Japanese, surrender was a violation of military morality. In +any defeat, a loyal Japanese soldier would commit hari kiri. + +Discipline in the Imperial Army was enforced by frequent slapping, +beating and kicking of junior officers and enlisted men for rather +minor offenses. For serious crimes, discipline was more complex. The +victim could be turned over to a Judo expert for suitable punishment. +He could be given the water treatment. He could be tied to a fence +post, and slapped beaten or kicked by each passing soldier. He could +be used for bayonet practice by recruits. Severe crimes called for an +officer to unsheathe his samurai sword and behead the criminal. The +head was displayed to others, tied to a bamboo pole, so the observer +would learn that crime does not pay. Enlisted men with little or no +rank, had no one to slap, beat or kick, so a captured enemy filled an +important gap in their system. In the minds of the Japanese, they +were. Not barbarians or savages, but merely loyal and patriotic +personnel administering a just punishment to those who dared to defy +authority, the Emperor or the Gods. + +Atrocities were committed on many work details, including the farm. +Some were for the punishment of rather minor rules and others were for +the amusement of the guards, who enjoyed watching the Americans +performing super Herculean tasks. + +Once a month, I had to carry hundred pound sacks of rice from the gate +to mess halls. This could have been easily accomplished by carts, but +the Japanese thought that the Americans should "pay the price!" As a +result I developed three hernias, which became a considerable handicap +in completing my tour with "the Sons of Heaven." + +The Japanese seemed very little concerned that more Americans and +Filipinos died as their prisoners, on the "Death March," in prison +camps, on labor details, hell ships, and working in coal mines and +munitions factories, than died at the hands of the Japanese on the +battlefields. Those of us, who were guests of the Nipponese Emperor, +have little doubt that some of the treachery was learned from the +German Kulture. + +We, who were captives and prisoners of the Japanese, will never be +able to forgive them, but knowing their background did help to explain +some of their vicious actions. However, it did not make their +barbarous, brutal, cruel savagery any easier to endure. + +Very few ex-P.O.W.s will ever drive Toyotas, Datsuns or Mazdas. + + + Chapter VII AMERICANS! + + +We kept getting reports on our little radio that MacArthur was winning +battles in many places, some of which we'd never heard of: + +March, 1944 - Palau; + +April - Hollandia; + +June - Saipan. + +In July, we heard that MacArthur met Roosevelt in Hawaii, and that he +was finally able to convince the President that it was necessary to +take the Philippines in order to have a base from which to attack +Japan. + + In August it was reported that 30,000 Japs had been killed don't +know where. . + + September 15, 1944: Two-hundred aircraft had bombed Cebu, Negros +and Panay. + + U.S. Navy Dive-Bombers! On Sept. 21-suddenly-out of a clear blue +sky-some thousand planes flew over camp from the east-they had to be +carrier planes. They continued west to an hour. Then the planes +returned coming down low over camp. + +We could make out U.S. Navy markings on them. The Jap guards were all +crouching down in foxholes. + +"Don't lose your head now! Don't show any emotion! The Nips are all +trigger-happy, just waiting for an incident to happen + +before shooting up the camp." + +A big Jap bomber tried to sneak off the local airfield that we had +built with prisoner labor. It was flying low-barely over the treetops. +A Navy dive bomber saw it, dropped down right over it and strafed it +with incendiaries. In seconds there was a big explosion and tremendous +orange flames as the bomber plowed into the ground. This was followed +by billows of black smoke lasting several hours. + +It was a great show! It was tough trying to repress our elation. There +was no food served that day - a typical Japanese reaction. + +We all believed that freedom must be close that the Americans would be +making landings soon. That night morale was high; the camp literally +buzzed with rumors. A few Navy planes appeared almost daily. + +October, 1944: MacArthur invaded Leyte producing 100,000 Japanese +casualties. The attitude of the Nip guards changed very markedly; they +lost the arrogance they had when they were winning the battles; some +became sadistic; some became friendly. + +A big Jap "shakedown." Every prisoner had to display all his +possessions. Japs picked up all mosquito netting and tropical helmets, +saying, "You vill not need these in Japan! You vill be sent to Japan!" + +The camp began to buzz with rumors again. U.S. Medical officers were +ordered to examine all prisoners to determine the ones well enough to +make a trip to Japan and the ones too disabled to travel. The Japanese +did not want any amoebic dysentery cases in Japan. Suddenly, there was +a new commodity "warm stools." Prisoners, who feared a "hell ship" +cruise to Japan, bartered for a "hot specimen" from a known amoebic to +present to the laboratory for examination hoping against hope, that it +would be "positive." + +Japan Detail: Before our Japan Detail departed for Manila, I asked +Major Stephen Sitter, the camp psychiatrist, "Why is it that very few +of the 12,000 prisoners spending time in the Cabanatuan camp ever made +any attempt to take their own lives when they were starving, suffering +from many diseases and were frequently in unpleasant and uncomfortable +situations?" + + He answered, "They were all too busy figuring out ways to survive; +they didn't have time to think about suicide." + + Between October 21 and 27, about 1600 prisoners, the Japan + +Detail, were loaded on trucks to be delivered to the old Spanish +prison in Manila-Bilibid. Before leaving, several of us prisoners +buried diaries, notes, sketches, etc., near the buildings in which we +lived, hoping to retrieve them after the war. My 110 sketches were +placed in a Mason jar and buried near Bldg. #12. On our way to Manila, +our truck had to stop frequently under big trees-to hide from the +numerous U.S. planes passing overhead. + +Cabanatuan Rescue: After the exodus of the Japan Detail (the so-called +healthy prisoners) in late October, there were only 511 unhealthy +prisoners remaining in camp. + +Things were rather quiet until about 2000 hours on January 30, 1945, +when sudden gunfire from outside the camp wiped out all of the +Japanese guards in the towers. It was MacArthur's 6th Ranger Battalion +under the command of Lt. Col. Henry Mucci - aided by guerrillas - +walking into camp. They quickly obtained carabao carts and sleds for +the bedridden prisoners. + +That evening 511 internees were moved many miles down the road to the +west in the moonlight with hardly a shot fired. Early the next morning +they arrived at a transportation center, where prisoners were placed +aboard trucks and ambulances and taken to Lingayen Gulf; then they +were transferred to planes and flown to Manila. After suffering from +more than three years of intentional neglect by the Japanese Imperial +Army, they were finally "free men." + +No prisoners were lost in the operation; there were two casualties +among the Rangers: Capt. James Fischer, the doctor, was killed by +mortar fire near the main gate of camp. Cpl. Sweezy died from wounds. + + + Chapter VIII + + "OLD" BILIBID PRISON + + + +Our trucks entered the main gate of Bilibid, where we dismounted and +walked to a large stone building in the back of the old prison. I was +assigned an area two by six feet in the middle of the hall on the +second floor. My bed was a blanket on the concrete floor. The windows +were all boarded-up. + +We were greeted by other prisoners: "American planes have been making +daily bombing raids on the port area only a few blocks away and on the +ships in the harbor - Manila Bay." We thought, "That's good! Maybe +they won't be able to get + +us out." + +"MacArthur must be getting close! When the air-raid alarms sounded, +the guards have been chasing all of the prisoners inside the +buildings." + +"We were able to find peepholes where we could watch the U.S. planes +dive down through heavy flak of anti-aircraft guns, to drop their +bombs on important targets." + +It was not long until we had a front seat to a bombing raid. + +We watched black smoke billowing up from burning oil tanks really a +great show! It was also quickly evident that slow starvation was the +daily pattern at Bilibid. The high walls made it impossible to get any +extra food. My weight was now 110 pounds. + +In November, I developed dengue, a mosquito-born disease called +"break-bone fever." It was properly named-felt .like every bone in my +body was breaking. For ten days I was in the prison hospital, +overlooking the main gate and Rizal Ave. I didn't care much whether I +lived or died - one chill after another. No appetite! I couldn't eat +the thin lugao they brought me. Lost weight and strength. I was in bad +shape to start a trip through MacArthur's blockade. + +About December 1st, I was pronounced well! I dragged myself back to +the big stone building and my area on the concrete floor. My bones +were getting very close to the concrete. + +Shortly, a typhoon arrived; the winds blew, the skies darkened and +heavy rains beat down-generally very unpleasant. No planes arrived to +make their daily attacks. + +In a few days, we began to hear ships' whistles and bells again. That +meant ships were moving in and out of Manila Bay, unmolested by bad +weather and U.S. planes. This was a bad omen! The Japs would probably +get us aboard a ship and on our way through MacArthur's blockade. + +Again, the Japanese ordered our medical officers to examine all +prisoners in Bilibid, to determine those healthy enough to complete +the trip to Japan, and those sick enough to remain behind the stone +walls-to be recaptured by MacArthur's troops in a few weeks. My better +sense told me it would be smarter to be sick and be rescued, but my +conscience kept telling me I should go along. + + Liberation of Bilibid Prison: MacArthur's invading forces landed on +the beaches of Lingayen Gulf on January 9th, 1945, with the aid of +Col. Russell Volkmann's Northern Luzon guerrillas Headquarters were +established in Dagupan. + +On February 4th, a flying column of the 1st Cav. Div. Under Brig. Gen. +William Chase entered Manila and relieved the prisoners from Bilibid. +As a soldier broke down a boarded-up window in the stone wall near +where Ted Winship was busy quanning (cooking), Ted asked, "Who are +you?" + + The soldier answered, "I'm Sgt. Jones! We've come to liberate you!" + + Ted countered with: "Where the hell have you been for three years?" + + + Chapter IX JAPAN DETAIL - ORIENTAL TOUR STRICTLY THIRD-CLASS! + + +In the fall of 1944, when MacArthur's forces were threatening to +retake the Philippines, the Japanese began to evacuate all healthy +prisoners of war to Japan, so that none could be liberated to assist +the invading army. The death of a prisoner by any means was considered +preferable to capture by the invading troops Japanese thinking). + +"Hell Ships": The "hell ship" journey began at old Bilibid Prison. + +December 13, 1944: Long before dawn, we were awakened by the ringing +of a large bell at the prison guardhouse. The day we had been dreading +for many months, had arrived; 1619 of us would depart from our +uncomfortable quarters and start a long journey to Japan. Thoughts of +riding on a prison ship filled us with apprehension; several prison +ships had already been sunk and many of our friends had been lost. + +We lifted our emaciated bodies from the concrete floor, showered and +shaved in the dark; we didn't know when we might experience such +luxury again. We put our few worldly but worthless possessions into +our packs. Breakfast was the usual half-cup of lugao. + +As the first light of day peeked over the high stone wall, we were +lined up with our baggage; we stood for hours as Col. Beecher, USMC, +our commanding officer, and a Japanese guard wandered through our +ranks-trying to get a head count. The guards, a rather ignorant group, +were completely puzzled by such a large number - 1619. Finally about +0800 hours, everything + +seemed to be ready. Shouting and waving disabled prisoners filled the +windows and doors as our long line moved slowly through the gate and +dawn Rizal Avenue. When the line was about was quickly reversed and +hurried back into the prison: "Kura! Hully, Hully! Speeda! Speeda!" + +We couldn't see any planes, but were kept in line far hours. Sweat +rolled freely dawn our faces and backs. Guards went among us, picking +up mosquito nets and tropical helmets: "Don't need in Japan!" + +At 1100 hours, the long line moved slowly out the gate. Rizal Avenue +was crowded with saber, gaping Filipinas not the, happy-go-lucky ones +we had known before the war. Occasionally when hidden from guards, +they would give us a "V" sign. We dared not acknowledge it. + +We could see "pity" on their faces as we passed dawn the streets, by +the Metropolitan Theater and over the Passig Bridge. The natives' +looked haggard and ragged. Most of them were on foot rather than +riding the usual caratellas or caramettas (pony carts). Many stores +were closed, boarded-up. Many homes showed signs of looting. Metal had +been removed from every available place-iron bars from windows, +manhole covers from streets taken to Japan far making armaments. + +We went the long way through Luneta Park; we saw artillery and +anti-aircraft positions there and in the streets. It appeared that the +Nips would put up a good fight to retain the Philippines. + +There were many ships in the bay-destroyers and cruisers as well as +transports. Same had been sunk; many were nearly submerged or listing +badly; yet others appeared to be unharmed. + +Tugs and tenders moved briskly about the bay; derricks strained aver +damaged vessels. All in all, there was entirely too much activity far +a supposedly blockaded port! + +There were many Japanese civilians, mostly women and children, milling +about Pier Seven. They were short and stocky, dark and expressionless. +Most of them were carrying cloth or straw bundles-their possessions. +They were being evacuated to Japan to avoid the battle far the +Philippines that everyone knew was coming. + +As we arrived on the pier, we were divided into groups of one hundred +and ordered to "Sit dawn and stay in place!" The floor was filthy, but +the rest was welcome. + +Oryoko Maru: By squirming around, I could read the name of + +the ship, Oryoku Maru, on the bow painted over with gray as was the +whole ship. There was nothing to mark it as a ship carrying prisoners. +Winches were working rapidly, raising American-made appliances and +cars to the deck. + +I discovered a water faucet nearby and eased over to it to fill my +canteen, only to be driven away by a jabbering guard. I was not +enthused about making a trip through MacArthur's blockade with an +empty canteen. However, I did get a good look at the ship. It was a +large, modern passenger liner with several big anti-aircraft guns on +the deck. The ship was not to be sunk without a good fight. + +Pier Seven showed much evidence of heavy bombing, but was still +definitely usable. Just before dark, prisoners began to climb the +ladders to the deck. The aft hold was loaded first 719 prisoners. +Next, the forward hold with 718 prisoners. + +Just as we, the remaining 182 prisoners were ordered into the second +hold (behind the forward hold), we were joined by seven additional +prisoners who had come from Fort McKinley, a few miles east of Manila. +Many others were on the way to join us, when their lead streetcar +conveniently left the tracks. + +Our group, now 189, was composed mostly of medics and civilians. The +ship's cabins, dining rooms and parlors were crowded with several +thousand women, children and elderly Japanese civilians. We dropped +our packs into the hold and quickly descended the long ladder into +darkness hurried by the grunting guards and their "vitamin sticks." + +There was not enough room for everyone to sit down. Our group of +medics crowded together in the center of the hold. The floor was +filthy, covered with horse manure. The stench burned our eyes; our +roof was the darkening sky. We were glad for its protection. The ship +was soon under way, moving smoothly and rapidly. + +We were divided into groups of twenty. A representative of each group +was sent above to get small amounts of fish, rice and water. Our +latrine was a five-gallon can in the center of the hold; it was soon +filled. + +Sleeping was difficult; we were awakened each time a neighbor would +move, because of cramps, numbed extremities or the urge to urinate. + +December 14, 1945: Thursday - We were awakened at the first sign of +daylight. Three of us who had shared an interest in + + +a can of Spam saved for several weeks from a Red Cross package-debated +whether or not to eat it. We decided to save it for a suitable +emergency. + +Our group representative went above to the kitchen for a bucket of +rice; he brought back bad news from the other holds which were more +crowded: "Some thirty prisoners had died from suffocation during the +night. Several, suffering from extreme thirst, had become crazed, +slashing and biting throats, arms and legs to 'suck' the blood. Some +men actually had to fight off their neighbors with a shoe or a club to +keep from getting murdered. Several frenzied prisoners tried to climb +the ladders and were immediately shot by the guards. Perhaps this was +a blessed relief from their tormentors." + +Our representative also told us, "We are in a convoy of some seven +ships, a cruiser, destroyers and transports, loaded with troops +(probably sick and wounded). We were moving north along the Zambales +coast at about twenty knots." + +About 0900 hours I heard planes; many of them; soon there were loud +blasts from the anti-aircraft guns on the deck above. The planes began +to dive. Faster and faster they whined. Then tremendous explosions! +They were attacking the other ships; they could knock us off at their +leisure. + +Then bullets and shrapnel slashed and rattled through our hold- as +several food carriers were coming down the ladder with buckets of +rice. + +One of these was my good friend, Chaplain Ed Nagel, a former +missionary in Baguio, shot through the thigh. With blood streaming +down his leg, he continued down the ladder carrying a bucket of rice. + +"U.S. Navy planes!" he shouted. + +There was no doubt now; our ship was the target, and we were sitting +on the bull's eye. + +Motors continued to accelerate-then terrific concussions; the ship +quivered and was actually bouncing in the water. The air was full of +bomb dust and chips of rust; it was becoming difficult to breathe. We +tried to move toward the side of the hold and huddled close together. +My heart was pounding like a trip hammer in my parched throat; my ears +were ringing and my eyes were popping. I completely forgot how hungry +I was. Each prisoner was conversing with his God. I had quick visions +of my family they'll never know what happened to me. There'll be + +no survivors to tell them. Will it ever stop?" + +Many men were bleeding badly! There was much confusion, much moving +around. Everyone was trying to get in a safer place, to get bandages, +to apply pressure to wounds it was hopeless; everything was covered +with dirt and dust. + +The planes were diving again, spraying their deadly missiles. (I have +neither the will nor the talent to describe the gory details.) "Would +this be the explosion that would blot out our existence?" Then it was +over! Complete silence! + +Stunned, we moved into the center of the hold to get better air to +breathe and to thank God for surviving. We bandaged the wounded and +moved them into positions of relative safety. + +But our quiet didn't last long! More planes! More anti-aircraft +blasts! More explosions! More concussions! More dust and dirt! + +As a doctor, I had seen many people die during the previous sixteen +years. I knew that nature was usually kind to dying persons, supplying +stupor and coma to ease any pain. But I wasn't ready to die-I wasn't +even forty, when life is supposed to begin. We had buckets of rice, +covered with dirt and rust chips, but no one could eat. + +Fifteen more times that day planes returned to attack our ship. Five +times the gun crews on the deck were annihilated and replaced with +fresh crews. There had been no lack of bravery on the deck. Officers +continued to wave their sabers at the pilots. During the last bombing, +fragments of rock flew into the hold; our ship had been beached on the +Zambales coast to prevent its sinking. + +As the sun went down, we could feel the ship backing off the shore. By +watching the shadows rotate around the mast, we could tell that we +were headed to the west, out to sea. We wondered if the ship was fit +for further voyage. + + Our food carriers, returning from the kitchen above, reported, + +"All the other ships in the convoy are gone-probably sunk." + + As we moved out to sea, we heard muffled explosions - depth charges +to keep submarines away. + +After several hours the engines stopped and we drifted gently for some +time, and then the anchors were dropped. We could hear small boats +coming alongside. Wounded passengers were being taken off in the +darkness. A Japanese officer took several American doctors up on deck +to help the wounded. On returning, they reported, "The decks, cabins +and dining rooms are littered with + +dead and dying. We had only candle light no medicines, no bandages. +Actually there was nothing we could do." + +That night held all of the horrors of the previous night: groaning, +cursing, praying, screaming, and shouting of the wounded and crazed: +"Don't touch me! Oh! God, NO! Keep away from me! Don't kill me! Give +us air! Let us out! We need water!" and on through the night. The +unloading continued through the night. No one slept. + +Dec. 15, 1944: The bright sunrise rekindled our apprehensions-" Are we +being left on board the ship to be bombed out of our miseries?" + + We didn't have to wait long planes again closer and closer. + + They were diving! This time there were no gun crews on deck! + +"Now they can come in close for the kill!" + +Deadly showers of bullets ricocheted through the hold. Tremendous +explosions shook the ship. Planked flooring off the hold fell into the +bilge, dropping many prisoners into the bottom of the ship; some were +hopelessly pinned down. + +I prayed to God and asked for mercy, but felt that I had a poor +connection! Maybe He wasn't listening! He probably .had more important +things to do! My feelings were of complete submission-"What will be, +will be!" + +Our doctors were frustrated! Wounds were covered with dirt blood +bubbling through the filth. No water available! We tore up clothing +for bandages, and hoped a miracle might help. + +Large fires were burning in the stern of the ship where a bomb had +made a direct hit. We couldn't understand why Admiral Halsey's pilots +had not been informed that American prisoners were aboard the Oryoku +Maru. + +It was disturbing to be bombed by our own Navy aviators "our friends." +Yet, I couldn't bear them any ill will. They obviously didn't know! + +Mr. Wata, the diminutive and deformed Japanese interpreter, appeared +at the top of the hold, and shouted down, "Abandon ship! Remove all +clothing! Wounded must come up first! All of you leave ship!" + +As the first fifty wounded reached the deck, back came the planes +strafing and bombing. Many of those reaching the deck were killed or +further wounded. In a few minutes we got a second opportunity to go up +the ladder. Knowing I would have to swim, + +I removed my shoes and outer clothing; I discarded them with my +medical bag and "our" precious can of Spam. The rungs of the ladder +were very sharp and painful to my bare feet. By the time I had reached +the deck I was exhausted. + +I was suddenly aware that three planes overhead were diving! I +believed I must get away from the ship and fast. I ran across the deck +toward the nearest shore and jumped off-just like in, the movies. Some +five decks below, I hit the water and descended about twenty feet; it +was a desperate struggle through oceans of green water to reach the +surface and God's good fresh air. + +The planes were pulling out of their dives-they had dropped nothing. +They had spotted the waving prisoners in the water, circled around, +dipped their wings, and disappeared. I saw a piece of bamboo floating +in the water, pushing it; I slowly paddled toward shore, about +one-half mile away. Lt. Toshino and Mr. Wata, still on the ship, were +shooting prisoners possibly the "coup de grace" rather freely. + +As we neared shore we were rounded up in a group in waist-deep water; +there we remained all day-shivering from cold and fright. + +We were in Subic Bay, a large and beautiful harbor, and the site of a +large U.S. Naval base (Olangapo). We were surrounded with the jungles +and mountains of Bataan. Cy Delong and I decided we would climb up on +the sea wall and rest. As we were sitting there watching the group in +the water nearby, a Jap guard came out of the woods behind us, his +bayonet dripping with blood; he raised his rifle and put a shot +straight through Cy's heart, his chest spouting blood. + + I wasted no time in jumping into the water and losing myself in the +group. + +Twice during the afternoon, Navy planes returned and bombed the ship +with incendiaries-producing intense fires and many explosions. + +Tennis Court: Toward evening, we were ordered to come ashore, each +four prisoners to carry a wounded man. Dripping wet, we were herded +through the forest for about one - half mile to a large tennis court +on the naval base. + +A count showed 1,340 survivors. We had lost 286 men. Again, there was +not enough room on the court for everyone to sit down. As the sun went +down it became very chilly. There was nothing to eat all day. + +Even though it was a great relief to be off the ill-fated Oryoku Maru, +nobody slept. The concrete surfaces became harder and harder as the +hours wore on. The mosquitoes became very enthusiastic about our bare +arms and legs. + +Dee. 16, 1944: The warmth of the sun felt good. We improvised a +hospital at one end of the court. We tore up clothing for bandages and +broke up pieces of wood for splints. Many prisoners had serious burns: +faces were swollen and blistered, eyes were closed by edema, and lips +were puffed and cracked. Men who had swallowed oil were retching and +vomiting. Some had inhaled fumes and were coughing uncontrollably. +Fortunately the open air therapy was good for burns. Many survivors +were covered with oil; a very real problem. + +My friend Ed, the chaplain, in spite of his painful wound, quickly +sized up the situation. He obtained a bar of soap, a safety razor and +some cloth and water. Ed spent the day washing faces and shaving +beards, trying to bring comfort to his patients. + + The pleasant sun of the morning turned into a blistering heat in +the afternoon; there was no shade. Again, no food! + +The Japs were jittery themselves; they were thoroughly unhappy over +the frequent bombings of the ship. We got blamed for the bombings, so +no food! + +The night was cold with occasional rain. Croupy coughs developed in +all sections of the court. I felt I was growing thinner by the hour; +my bony prominences were making an effort to poke through my skin. + +Prisoners were extremely restless and angry; they kept up a constant +chatter all night. The guards became very annoyed and threatened to +shoot into the court. "Be quiet! Ve vill shoot in the dalk!" + +Dee. 17, 1944: One sack of raw rice for 1340 prisoners-averaged out to +four teaspoons per person. The night was very cold. I couldn't get my +mind off the clothing, medical bag and Spam that I had abandoned on +the ship. Three patients died during the night. The count was now +1,337. + +Dee. 18th: Everyone had eye irritation; one sack of raw rice. A truck +load of worn-out Japanese summer underwear arrived. As usual there was +not enough to go around. Two died. The count was now 1,335. + +Dec. 19th: The Oryoku Maru rolled on its side and sunk out of sight, +ending the periodic explosions. One sack of rice, many croupy coughs. +Bitter cold night-prisoners can't sleep. Much chattering; guards +furious kept threatening to shoot. Two died. The count was now 1,333. + +Dec. 20th: A Marine officer's arm was becoming gangrenous; Lt. Col. +Jack Schwartz amputated the arm with only a jack knife and no +anesthetic. The marine lived only a few hours before giving his last +sigh of relief. One sack of rice. Three deaths. The count, 1,330. + +Thirty trucks arrived; 681 prisoners were put on the trucks bound for +the jail in San Fernando, Pampanga. Now there was more room to lie +down. No sleeping; many hacking coughs. + +Dec. 21st: The thirty trucks came back; our remaining group 648 - were +put aboard for the trip to San Fernando. I got a good look at the +Olongapo Naval Base as we passed through; it h d been completely +destroyed. One death today. The count - 1,329. + +A very hot and dusty trip. We were afraid the U.S. planes might +discover the large clouds of dust raised by our convoy. We arrived at +an empty theater, which offered cover and some protection from cold +and mosquitoes. + + Dec. 22, 1944: Received five sacks of cooked rice two cups each a +real treat. + + "They are probably fattening us up for who knows what!" + +Toward evening, Mr. Wata, the Jap interpreter, entered the theater and +inquired, "Who is too sick or too disabled to continue journey to +Japan?" + +He asked our medics to select fifteen disabled. We thought we were +doing the fifteen disabled a favor, and actually envied them. They +would be going back to Bilibid in Manila. + +Wata took the prisoners away in a truck supposedly to Bilibid. + +We learned that the Japs took the prisoners to the local cemetery, +forced them to dig their own graves, and then bayoneted them, so they +fell in the graves. A most miserable night. + +Dec. 24th: Sunday - About 0900 hours, we were marched down the street +barefooted and in rags to the railroad station. The Nips enjoyed +prodding and goading us especially in front of the Filipinos to show +the superiority of the yellow race. We arrived at a very badly damaged +station. There were ten + +small freight cars with an engine at each end standing on a siding; +131 prisoners were crowded into and on top of each car. There was +barely room to stand in the cars; it was stifling; it was difficult to +breathe the hot air; in fact there wasn't enough air to breathe. + +It took nearly eighteen hours to go the one hundred miles north to the +end of the line at San Fernando, La Union. On the way, I passed out. +When I came to, I found myself lying on the floor with prisoners +sitting on me. Fortunately I had found a crack in the floor through +which I could breathe. + +Dee. 25, 1944: Monday - We arrived at the station about 0300 hours +after much thirst, hunger and misery. There were several dead on the +floor of each car. We spent the remainder of the night on the gravel +terrace about the station. Most prisoners had dysentery, so the area +was soon filthy. + +As the sun rose, we were lined up and marched through the streets. +Japanese soldiers, hanging out many windows and doors, were laughing +and joking as they spotted us odd characters passing by. We were taken +to a school yard. The school house became our hospital. Every survivor +was extremely weak. We were given a half cup of cooked rice for our +Christmas dinner. + +About 2000 hours, as we were settling down for the night, we were +routed out for tenko (counting) - 1,308. + +We then marched several miles to the beach. No one volunteered to help +us medics carry the sick and wounded. We dug holes in the sand for +windbreaks, and huddled together for warmth. It was too cold to sleep! + +Dee. 26, 1944: About 0500 hours, we were divided into groups of one +hundred, and each prisoner issued a rice ball. As usual, there wasn't +enough to go around. + +Our groups were taken one at a time out into Lingayen Gulf to bathe. +It was very pleasant while it lasted. The beach soon became very hot. +We received three teaspoons of water to drink. Two died. The count - +1,306. + +Dee. 27, 1944: In a series of short marches, we crossed a small +peninsula to a pier. Six large transports were anchored in the gulf. +There were fourteen sunken vessels visible above water. + +Landing barges were bringing about fifty Japanese soldiers at a time +to the beach with many boxes of ammunition. The barges then came over +to our pier to take on some fifty prisoners. + +High waves made it very difficult to get on the barge; I had to jump +down about ten feet onto the bouncing front deck. I was surprised that +my "toothpick" legs didn't buckle under the jolt. We started out to a +transport with a No.2 on the stack, the Brazil Maru. An air raid +alarm sounded! + +In the confusion our landing craft was directed to an empty transport +marked No.1, the Enoura Maru. We were soon up the long ladder, and put +in the forward hold; then we were divided into groups of twenty. + +This time there was plenty of room and an abundance of fresh air, but +it was very cold. + +On the level above us were hundreds of sick and wounded Japanese +soldiers returning to Japan. They were dressed in army caps, long +white gowns, g-strings, and field shoes. No food; no water! But the +Jap soldiers were eating their regular meals three times daily. Steel +decks very hard! Unable to sleep. + +Dee. 28, 1944: Thursday-Under way at dawn! Again, no food; no water; +Jap patients getting three regular meals on time. A few prisoners were +trying to trade jewelry for food. Most of us had nothing to trade. +Manure and flies were very bad. + +When I attempted to stand, I blacked out. One died; we wrapped him in +a straw mat, had a brief religious ceremony, and then slid him over +the side. The count, (?) 1,305. + +Col. Harold Johnson, our C.O., prohibited all trading with the Japs! A +civilian gambler from Manila ignored his orders and obtained rice and +candy for his friends. Angry prisoners scattered the rice and candy +into the darkness. + +December 29, 1944: Raining. Prisoners fought each other, trying to get +their cups and mess gear under the drippings from the hatch covers to +catch a few drops. Two spoons of rice. + +1800 hours - Blasts of large guns on the deck. We crawled off the +wooden planks on to the steel deck. Depth charges were exploding on +each side of the ship for a thirty minute period. Then there was +enthusiastic clapping by the Japs on the upper deck. It was announced: +"Japanese Impeliar Navy has sunk Amelican submaline!" Banzai/ Banzai/ +Banzai/ + +At 2000 we dropped anchor. There was a full moon. Pens, rings and mess +gear were being traded for cigarettes or water. It was a very cold +night. + + Hips and spines were becoming extremely sore-attempting to poke +through the skin. + + December 30: The sea was very rough. Our empty ship, + +floating high, pitched and pounded. Half cup of rice; several spoons +of water. + +2000 hours - shelling and depth charges for half hour. During the +night a Japanese soldier fell from the upper deck into our hold killed +by the fall. This added much to the usual confusion. Intermittent +depth charges all night as our ship dashed and pounded across the open +sea toward Formosa. + + Dee. 31, 1944: Sunday-No food; half cup of water! Col. Johnson told +Mr. Wata: "If we don't get food, we will all die!" + + Mr. Wata responded: "Evelbody must die! This is no time for +sympathy!" + +The sea was very rough and very cold! During the night we entered a +land-locked harbor-Takao in Formosa. It was New Year's Eve! The old +bewhiskered rabbi and farmer, Aaron Kliatchko died. The count, (?) +1,304 + +Jan. 1, 1945: We dared to think that things might get better in +"forty-five." We began to hear, "Still alive in 'forty-five!'" Issued +five moldy "hardtack" type biscuits. + +The prisoners were now like animals in a cage begging for food and +cigarettes. The Japs couldn't understand how the Americans could +expend so much energy jumping for cigarettes, when they were +supposedly very weak. Three-quarters of a cup of water (a real treat). +Bitter cold. We were extremely hungry, thirsty and cold. Our bodies +were very sore and we were unable to sleep. + +Old John "The Thief," died. The count, (?) 1,303. + + Jan. 2, 1945: The harbor was surrounded by high, snow covered +mountains; we were in southern Formosa. The Japanese patients were +taken out of the holds; their areas were fumigated by American +soldiers-hoping to get something to eat in return for their work. + +Col. Johnson again requested food. Mr. Wata answered: "United States +submalines sink arr Japanese food ships! Vely solly!" + +Many prisoners continued to scramble around the hold grabbing for +cigarettes thrown down from the deck above; they were more addicted to +tobacco than food. Their prancing around made it more difficult for us +to convince the Japanese that we were hungry and thirsty. + +Received two-thirds cup of rice and one teaspoon of dried fish. No +water! A bitter cold night! Much coughing! Some prisoners were acting +crazy; doing weird and unpredictable things. An officer was assigned +to guard the stairway so none of these crazy + +persons would try to escape and cause an incident. + +Jan. 3rd, 1945: 0800-There was an air-raid alarm! It was followed by +rapid firing from the deck for about two hours; much running about on +the deck above. Several planes flew low over the harbor probably +observing. No food; no water! + +When I tried to stand, I blacked out! Many prisoners were coughing, +and suffering from cramps and dysentery. It was a very cold night. The +Japs worked all night loading the ship. + +Jan. 5: In the evening, as we were trying to get to sleep, several of +us were showered with 11 liquid, which tasted like battery acid. "What +were the Japs up to now?" The liquid proved to be the contents of a +latrine bucket; the prisoner, carrying the bucket to the deck, was so +weak, he spilled it. When we asked the guards for some sea water to +clean ourselves off, they just laughed. + + I volunteered to take guard duty at the stairway so I wouldn't +freeze to death. + +Jan. 6th: It was bitter cold! We were still barefooted and wearing the +summer clothing received at the Olongapo Naval Base in the +Philippines. The guards were shivering in spite of heavy overcoats. No +food; no water! + +We were taken up on deck, then down a long ladder to scows and moved +out into the harbor. Some prisoners were grabbing dirty and rotten +vegetables floating in the filthy water. Some even filled their +canteens with sea water. + +In a few minutes, our scow pulled up to transport No.2, the Brazil +Maru. We were soon up the ladder and put in the second hold with the +other prisoners - all 1,273 of us. We were told that there had been +thirty deaths on the Brazil Maru. We were divided into groups of +twenty. Again it was very crowded; much confusion, much cursing. + +Half cup of rice; a quarter cup of thin cabbage soup. A miserable +night. + +Jan. 7, 1945: We started a hospital on the upper deck and moved some +fifty dysentery cases into it. The Japs gave us some dysentery +medicine-looked like pellets of gunpowder. Flies were very bad. Four +died! Tenko (?) 1,262. + +Jan. 8th: Hatch covers were moved above us admitting dazzling light +and extreme cold. All prisoners were moved off from the lower deck; +about 473 into the forward hold, and about 789 on to the upper deck of +our hold; again it was very crowded. + +Thirty-seven English and Dutch prisoners were taken off the ship-to be +transferred to a P.O.W. camp in Formosa. + +Winches lowered many sacks of sugar into the lower hold. Mr. Wata +warned us, "If you touch any sugal, you vill be hollibly shot!" + +Jan. 9th, 1945: At daybreak, we heard many planes followed by +anti-aircraft fire in the distance. Very soon, planes were overhead! +There was panic in our hold. Men were trying to get off the wooden +planks on to the steel decks. A young captain stood up and shouted, +"Everybody stay put! You are as safe in one place as another!" + +A direct hit produced a blinding and deafening explosion nearby; a +tremendous orange flash followed by pandemonium. + +Hatch covers above came crashing down into the bilge, dropping many +prisoners thirty to forty feet below. There were screams, cries, +groans, and oaths! The air was filled with dust and dirt. Wounded were +soon being dragged into our improvised hospital; many with fractures, +shrapnel wounds, all covered with dirt. + +Just as we were getting the wounded cases moved into the hospital and +the dysentery cases out, back came the planes. When it was over we had +lost several of our doctors. Col. Riney Craig, Major Mack Williams and +I were the only doctors still active. We removed the clothing from +thirty dead to give to those still living. No food! No water! Open +hatches aggravated the bitter cold night. + +Jan. 10, 1945: We worked on the wounded all morning. In the afternoon +my attention was called to a shrapnel-made gash in the forward +bulkhead of our hold. I looked through into the forward hold and +witnessed the most horrible sight of my life. + +There were three hundred mangled Americans piled some three deep the +result of a direct bomb hit. At the sides of the hold, a few wounded +were sitting and standing dazed and motionless. The Japs had no +compassion at all they would not let us enter the forward hold to help +in any way. + +Jan. 11, 1945: Finally, two days after the bombing, several masked and +white robed Jap soldiers gallantly descended the ladders into our +hold, and painted mercurochrome on minor wounds. They would not look +at the serious wounds. + +The Japs wound not enter the forward hold. Only God knew what +suffering was going on there. Jap laborers pounded wooden + +[image018.jpg] + +wedges into the holes in the sides of the ship. Water in the forward +hole was up to the flooring. + + The night was bitter cold; my feet had lost all feeling. There were +endless groans and screams from the wounded and crazed. + +Jan. 12, 1945: Forty-five bodies in our hold were tied to lines to be +lifted to the deck. I can never forget the grotesque positions some of +the bodies assumed as they were raised. Then the winches lifted 150 +bodies out of the forward hold and placed them on a scow beside the +ship. + + One cup of rice! No water! Not even rice for the survivors in the +forward hold. + +Jan. 13, 1945: 150 more bodies winched out of the forward hold. We +heard that the dead were taken to a Chinese cemetery near the beach +and cremated. + +In the afternoon, our sick and wounded were raised on ropes. The rest +of us climbed the long ladders and sat on the deck waiting our turn to +get on a small platform to be lifted; twenty at a time; then dropped +at a dizzy speed to a small scow. + +There were many dead on the scow; among them, my old guerrilla +chieftain, Col. Everett Warner, of Pikesville, Md., who had died just +as he predicted, "Like a rat in a hole!" It made me ill to look at my +good friend his face was covered with large blood blisters but I +wanted that one last look. I had always had much respect for this +dedicated soldier, a Freedom Fighter! + +Enoura Maru: We were quickly taken over to the ship we had been on +earlier No. 1, the Enoura Maru and were soon pulling each other up the +long ladder. We were all placed in the same hold just aft the +superstructure. + +Ed Nagel, John Shock, Cary Smith, and Wade Cothran were crowded into a +very dirty bay with me; it was filled with coal dust. We huddled next +to the coal containers to preserve any warmth in our bodies. +One-quarter cup of rice; no water! + +Thirty bodies were quickly piled up by the stairs after being stripped +of their clothing to be used by the living. The count, (?) 924. + +Jan. 14, 1945: Sunday - At dawn, we moved out of the harbor in a +convoy of six or seven ships. Everyone had dysentery. The latrines +were two boxes hung over the side of the ship. Only two persons were +allowed on the deck at a time. Many were too weak to climb the stairs. +The floor soon became filthy, making walking in bare feet very +unpleasant. + +Our ship zigzagged generally north at a speed of about eight knots. +One-quarter cup of rice; no water! Another thirty prisoners died. +Toward evening, medics carried the bodies to the deck; after a short +service by the strongest chaplain, the bodies were slid into the sea. +The count, (?) 894. + +Jan. 15, 1945: The night had been extremely cold; I had lost all +feeling in my feet. I had no desire to freeze to death; in fact I had +volunteered for the Philippines because I enjoyed warm weather. We +were all becoming extremely dehydrated; urination became very painful. +One cup of rice; no water (4th day). The count, (?) 864. + +Jan. 16, 1945: Several inches of snow on the deck. Some men were +.going down into the hold to get sugar. It was very difficult to +swallow the sugar without water. + +Cursing and stealing were now a way of life. Anchored all night. The +count, (?) 834. + +Jan. 17, 1945: I was bitter cold; we were hibernating-huddled close +together-not moving any more than necessary; we were saving our +energy. One-quarter cup of rice; no water (6th day): Usual deaths. The +count, (?) 804. + +We were very discouraged; we believed the end could not be far away. +Anchored all night! + +Jan. 18, 1945: Very cold! The sea has turned muddy (? Yellow Sea). We +were passing many barren, mountainous islands to the starboard with an +occasional lighthouse. One-quarter cup of rice; twelve teaspoons of +water. Anchored at night. Thirty-two died. The count, (?) 772. + +Jan. 19, 1945: We were underway at dawn-for three hours then stopped! +We were alongside a large transport badly humped up amidships. It had +been torpedoed! Many Jap soldiers were standing on the deck in their +overcoats, shivering. + +We spent most of the day waiting while seamen attempted to get a cable +aboard the stricken vessel. Finally underway making only three knots. +One-half cup of rice; twelve spoons of water. Many have died. The +count, (?) 740. Anchored at night. Very cold! Brrrr! + + Jan. 20, 1945: Moving north all day very slowly. Major Kirchner, an +Army medic, died in the next bay (he had had a leg broken during the +bombing of January 9th). Thirty died. The count, (?) 710. + +January 21, 1945: Sea has turned green. Zigzagged generally + +north. The cable to the crippled vessel snapped; we drifted for hours +while seamen spliced it. One cup of rice; several spoons of water. +Usual dead. The count, (?) 680. + +Jan. 22, 1945: Monday - Moved north for ten hours towing our +albatross. Major Wade Cothran died in his sleep-next to me. I was able +to get his sweater, a big help in keeping the cold out. Usual deaths. +The count, (?) 650. + +Jan. 23, 1945: Extremely cold; had been snowing all night. Col. Shock, +Dental Officer, died in our bay. He had been very bitter. He thought +the doctors had not given him the proper care. He could not have been +more right! Other friends dying: Cmdr. Josses, USN medic, Maj. Horace +Greely, Capt Kornblum, Army dentist. The count, (?) 620. + +Jan. 24, 1945: Snowing and bitter cold. The ship was making very poor +time; life was slowly ebbing away. + +Jan. 25, 1945: Extremely cold! Col. Fred Saint of the Army Engineer +Corps died. He had been wounded in the Jan. 9th bombing. One-quarter +cup of rice; six spoons of water. + +Jan. 26, 1945: Coooold! Many have died! There were only three +chaplains alive of twenty-three starting the trip. The medical service +had completely evaporated. Major "Mac" Williams was the only medic +still on his feet. + +We passed another convoy going south. One-quarter cup of rice; no +water! The count, (?) 555. + +Jan. 27th: Anchored all day! Any chance of survival is slowly slipping +away. I was so weak, it was impossible to move around. Snow covered +islands around us were beautiful. One-quarter cup of rice; six spoons +of water. The count, (537). + +Jan. 28th: We were underway at dawn; many depth charges had been +dropped during the night. One-quarter cup of rice; no water! The +count, (?) 517. + + + Chapter X + + JAPAN! + + +Jan. 29, 1945: Anchored at dawn in the harbor of Moji on the most +southerly island of Japan, Kyushu. One-quarter cup of rice twice +during day; six teaspoons of water. The count, (?) 497. + +1129 had died since we departed from Manila on December 13th, 1944, an +average of twenty-four deaths each day; 463 had + +died since we left Takao Harbor on Formosa on Jan. 14, 1945, an +average of thirty deaths each day. + +Jan. 30, 1945: We were issued cotton army clothing and tennis shoes. A +senior Japanese officer boarded the ship after observing the +debilitated prisoners; lingering close to death; he slapped Lt. +Toshino and Mr. Wata. + +The surviving derelicts teetering between life and death, attempted to +climb the ladder to the snow covered deck of the Enoura Maru. + +As we debarked in six inches of snow and 20°F., masked Japanese +soldiers in white gowns sprayed us with a carbolic acid solution, +adding to our misery. + +Eventually, those prisoners who could still stand up were divided into +3 groups: + + +Group I: 100 prisoners to Camp 3 (Tobato). + +Group II: 192 prisoners to Camp 1 (Kashi). + +Group III: 95 prisoners to Camp 17 (Omuta). + +Group IV (the hospital group): 110 prisoners - unable to walk, sat or +lay in the snow all day. I tried to get a drink of water, but found +the faucets frozen. In desperation, I ate snow. + + +About 2100, five small charcoal-burning ambulances arrived. Twenty two +Americans were crowded into each ambulance. + + + Japanese Prisoner of War Hospital - Moji + +We turned into a gateway and were promptly challenged by a Jap sentry. +After several minutes of excited guttural grunts and groans, we moved +into the compound and were unloaded. Our new home was a low and flimsy +frame building without heat. Inside, we were assigned straw mats on +the floor, and were quickly under six cotton blankets and still cold. +Each received a small binto box containing rice and salty fish. I +tried to sleep, but couldn't. All of the events of the last seven +weeks were vividly going through my mind. + +Feb. 2, 45: My friend, Chaplain Ed Nagel, the missionary from Baguio, +died. He had gradually grown weaker following his wound in the thigh +on Dee. 14th, 1944 until he passed away in his sleep. I had just lost +my good "Buddy" he had been an excellent friend; I would miss Ed. + + Feb. 3, 45: Many patients were dying; the Japs told us they had +ordered Red Cross packages, but they never arrived. + + Joe Ganahl, the Northern Luzon Force, told me, "I feel as weak as a +kitten!" and proceeded to lay down and die. + + The food set-up was going from bad to worse. Half-cup of soup twice +daily. Wt. 80 lbs. + +Feb. 13, 45: Severe pains in my legs and feet. Could be beriberi, +vascular disease or frost bite, or all three. Believed gangrene was +setting in. + +Feb. 16,45: Awakened, no feeling in my feet at all. Believed the end +must be near. Wrote Judy a final note, telling her I loved her and +didn't want to leave her. I gave the note to Chaplain Taylor to be +delivered after the war. + +The following days were very painful. + +Mar. 1, 45: Loaded into charcoal-burning ambulances and taken to the +railroad station. Spent the day riding on coaches, arriving at our +destination about dark. + + + Fukuoka Camp #22 + + +Walked up a steep hill for half a mile, hanging heavily on an +agreeable Jap guard. Greeted by jolly Australian prisoners; their +language was very "bloody," but they were good guys, serving us hot +soup and Red Cross coffee, saved from their own rations. They got us +blankets and hot water bottles. + + Mar. 2, 45: The Aussies took us down to the Jap pool (a 15' x 15' +vat), and gave a hot bath-and washed our lousy clothes. + +Mar. 15, 45: Now only 34 of our original hospital group alive. Air +raids becoming very frequent, especially at night; there were sirens +in many directions. We could hear high-flying planes; in the distance +we could hear heavy bombing. Food was becoming very scarce. The 'In +Charge' came by and told me: "You have given up; you are yellow; get +up and walk around!" + +It made me mad probably just what I needed. + +April 1, 45: I seemed a little stronger; could take several steps, but +each step caused much "bloody" pain. The American patients + +are all confined to bed. wt. 90 lbs. + +Aussies give us our weekly baths, the highlight of each week. + + My skin was rough and scaly - pellagra; my feet were numb and +swollen - beriberi. I had lost much of my body hair. My beard, +normally heavy, was thin and silky - probably due to changes in the +sex hormones. + + April 10, 45: Air raids frequent and heavy; cities being badly +crippled. Everybody was jittery. The skimpy meals; very irregular. + +April 12, 45: With help of Dudley Wilkinson of Australia, I was +learning to walk, much like a baby. It caused much pain in every +muscle moved. Ten steps and I was exhausted. + +Apr. 25, 45: The 24 remaining patients and several guards were loaded +on a truck. We passed through beautiful mountain country; people were +working their small farms. Arrived at the Port of Fukuoka about noon. +Other groups of Americans were coming in; I could see Major John +Raulston and Lt. George Chamberlain. + +About dark each group was marched to a pier; waiting a couple hours we +boarded a rather streamlined 2 stack cruiser. I was carried one deck +below and laid on a mat. The warmth of the cabin was very welcome. +Major "Mac" Williams gave me an injection. Later, he told me he +thought I was dying. + + Major Tom Smothers, on the litter next to me, died. He was the +father of Tommy and Dick Smothers, the comedians. + + Apr. 26, 45: Arrived in Pusan, Korea in the afternoon. Carried +about a mile to a theater, where we spent the night. Tenko 334. + +Apr. 27, 45: About 0800, our group was marched (I was carried by a +British prisoner) to the rail station. We were soon aboard a second +class coach. + +Was given a binto box: rice and very salty fish, causing great thirst. +Chinese men were sleeping all over the coach: floor, seats and even +luggage racks. Korea was mountainous and beautiful; many trees and +plants were in bloom. + +Passed the Yalu River - very muddy as it flowed into the Yellow Sea. + +Apr. 29, 45: Arrived in Mukden, Manchuria (over a million population). +(The Manchu's once conquered and ruled the vast Chinese Empire, having +overthrown the Ming Dynasty and set up the Ch'ing Dynasty, from which +the name China evolved. During this period, the Great Wall was built). + + Chapter XI + + Camp Hoten, Mukden, Manchuria + + + +I was carried to the prison hospital. This was the Emperor of Japan's +birthday. We each received a cookie. At one end of the ward was a +large cylindrical Russian stove; we received one scuttle of coal per +day; when it was gone, we froze. + + Mukden was extremely cold; had only two seasons: winter and the +Fourth of July. Piled the blankets over my head and shivered. + +Another problem; the air was very dry; our noses became irritated and +uncomfortable. Old timers threw pails of water on the floors, putting +moisture back into the air. + +From the second floor, we could see over the high stone wall; we were +in a factory area. The healthy prisoners had to work in the +neighboring factories, making munitions, tools and rope. When they +would return each night, we got the latest rumors from the Chinese +workers: "Mussolini had been hung!" + + In Mukden we felt isolated from the rest of the world and even the +war; it wasn't all bad! + +Capt. Herbst of Canton, Ohio, our medic, and the Japanese doctor, Juro +Oki of Tokyo, got me small amounts of dysentery medicine. + +The first weeks in the hospital were spent hibernating, trying to gain +strength. I was extremely fortunate to have a good friend, Major +(Honest John) Raulston, from Richard City, Tennessee, who helped me in +many ways, while I was incapacitated. . + + May 7, 45: My weight was up to 100 lbs. Discharged from the +hospital. + + Major Stanley Hankins was American C.O. of the Camp, and Col. +Matsuda, the Japanese C.O. He ran one of the better camps. + + May 10, 45: My fortieth birthday; I was ready for "Life to Begin!" +Wt. 103 lbs. + + May 17, 45: Rumors that Germany had surrendered on May 7th; May 8th +called V.E. Day. + + May 20, 45: The generals and colonels formerly stationed in the +Philippines, arrived in camp from Sian, Manchuria. The generals +included Wainwright, King, Moore, Parker, Sharp and Jones as well as +Sir Arthur Percival from Singapore. The colonels were Selleck, Horan, +Balsa, Brauner, Aldridge, Cooper and Gillespie. All were optimistic, +believing they were on their way home. + + The following paragraphs were from Col. James Gillespie's Report of +World War II in the Far East: + + "As we marched into the Camp, many prisoners stood about with some +curiosity watching our arrival. + +"I happened to glance up at someone standing near the hospital. He was +literally skin and bones - extremely emaciated, with a pale face that +I knew I had seen before; his lower limbs were greatly swollen; as I +passed within three feet of him, his identity flashed into my mind. It +was Major Eugene Jacobs; he had served with me at the Sternberg Army +Hospital in Manila. + +"In a few days I was to hear from Jacobs, one of 300 survivors of the +Oryoku Maru, the most horrible story of suffering by prisoners during +World War II, in which 50% of the medical personnel serving in +Sternberg Hospital, and General Hospital No.2 on Bataan, were wiped +out from bombings and privations." + +Col. Gillespie became the new hospital commander. + + May 25, 45: Able to shuffle outside the building and sit in +the sunshine, visiting with Army friends - made sketches of several. +By moving to different of the camp, I made an accurate map of the +camp, as seen from the air. + +Jun. 1, 45: Had interesting visits with British, Australian and Dutch +prisoners; made sketches of several. Enjoyed trading U.S. Army buttons +for their Regimental buttons. Still very weak; called the "Walking +ghost!" Wt. 106 lbs. + +Jun. 15, 45: Rumors that MacArthur had taken Okinawa with big loss of +life. + +Jul. 1, 45: Spent much time sitting alone in the yard, soaking up the +sun and thinking of Judy-making plans for the "Peace" that seemed to +be coming. + +Aug. 9, 45: Rumors of a conference in Berlin: that an ultimatum given +to Japan. Air raid alarm during night; no bombing near by. + + Aug. 10, 45: Rumors the U.S. had dropped an Adam bomb on +Hiroshima on August 6th with much devastation. Rumors Russia had +declared war on Japan on August 8th; Russians were anxious to share +the Spoils of War. Planes overhead very active; no bombs. + + Aug. 12, 45: Japanese soldiers all wearing battle dress and +carrying packs on their backs. Camouflaged trucks and tanks on the +streets. + +Aug. 13, 45: Rumors that a second Adam bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, +and that Russia was invading Manchuria. + + Aug. 16,45: Rumors that Japan had surrendered on the 14th. + +Cooks are baking extra corn buns. + + Rumors that prisoners would be marched to Outer Mongolia (Gobi +Desert) to prevent recapture. "Big Deal!" + +A big bomber (B-29) flew over camp dropping parachutes just outside +camp. Six paratroopers (O.S.S.) led by an Army Medic, Major LaMar, +came into camp carrying parachutes, radios, first aid boxes, etc. They +went directly to the hospital, where they were secluded. Everyone +concluded the war must be over. It hadn't ended as we had expected. +Mukden was quiet; no shooting. + +Much excitement in camp; prisoners staying up after curfew, playing +poker and smoking away from ashtrays (a No No). The guards finally +admitted: "Waul is oval!" and later, "Ve aul tomadachi (friends) now!" + +Aug. 17, 45: About 0800, General Parker announced, "I am now in +command; an Armistice will be signed soon!" + +Aug. 18, 45: Col. Gillespie called me to the hospital. He said, "Gene, +you are the sickest doctor in camp. I am assigning you to go out on +the first plane with 31 of the sickest patients. + +I hope that some of you will survive to visit with your families. We +will give you what little medicine we have." + +I packed my few worthless possessions in a duffle bag, and then +obtained a small notebook and got the names and addresses of two +hundred prisoners' families, to be notified, when I reached the +States. + +About 1700, a U.S. bomber (B-24, Liberator) came low over camp, +dipping its large wings and dropping thousands of leaflets. It was +accompanied by many very fast Russian fighters (MIGs). + +About 1800, Russian troops arrived in the Prison compound. A 31 year +old general stood on a box, saying "Three weeks ago in Berlin, I saw +General Eisenhower and told him I would liberate the American +prisoners in Manchuria. You are now liberated!" Much cheering! + + + Chapter XII JAPAN SURRENDERS + + + +About 1900, Col. Masuda and the Jap guard marched on to the field and +officially laid their arms on the ground. Selected American prisoners +picked up the weapons, and marched the Japs to the Guardhouse. + + Now getting all we wanted to eat; some ate too much and got +sick. Told to be ready to leave tomorrow on a B-24. + + Aug. 22, 45: Flight cancelled! A drunk Russian guard had bayoneted +the tires of the U.S. plane. + +Much shooting outside the walls. The bodies of two Chinamen in black +shrouds were swinging gently in the breeze from tall factory chimneys. +It was OK for the Russians to loot, rape and plunder, but not for the +Chinese. + + + Chapter XIII + + START HOME + + + Aug. 24, 45: About 0800 we leave Camp Hoten Main Gate in a truck +and two cars, a doctor and his 31 patients. + + Saw many Russian soldiers and tanks passing through Mukden. + + About 1000 we took off in two B-24s (Liberators); ours was named +the" Homesick Angel." We sat in the bomb bays, eating C rations and K +rations, the greatest invention of the war. + + Passed over the Great Wall of China. + + +Sian, China + + + About 1600, landed at Sian - considered the cradle of Chinese +civilization and the first capital of China. + +The U.S. Flag flying over the base was a beautiful sight. Had a fine +American dinner and in the evening were shown a movie, "If I were in +Love!" Could hear shooting; the front line was near by. + + Aug. 25, 45: a great breakfast with real coffee. + + At 1000 boarded a C-17 plane and flew some 1000 miles over +beautiful mountainous country. + + +Kunming, China + + +Toward dark arrived at Kunming, the capital of Yunan Province and the +northern terminus of the Burtq a Road, some 6000 feet above sea level. + +Transferred to the 172nd General Hospital for a medical survey. Good +meals! Plenty of food! Soft sheets on the beds! Magazines to read! + +Went through many examinations. Had gained 11bs. in 10 days. Wt. 138 +lbs. + +Aug. 29, 45: Met Col. George Armstrong, the C.O. of the 172nd. I had +known George when we were captains at Walter Reed Army Hospital in the +early thirties. We had a very pleasant visit. (I felt very shabby in +the presence of George's "spit and polish." He later became the +Surgeon General of the Army). + + Aug. 30, 45: Discharged from the Hospital. Wrote to Judy, telling +her I would soon be coming home. + +Sep. 2, 45: Sunday-V.J. Day. Big Chinese parades; many dragons +occupying the streets; much noise, like the banging of pots and pans. + +It was very difficult for our ambulances to get through the streets to +the Kunming airport. + +Sept. 3, 45: We boarded a big Douglas C-54. About 2100 in a rain +storm, we took off into the Wild Black Yonder. When it would +lightning, we could see mountains on every side, the Himalaya Range. +We circled up and up, to get out of the cup. + +Sept. 4, 45: The Philippines! Near daybreak we came down low so we +could see the badly damaged barracks of Topside of Corregidor, and +soon landed at Nichol's Field-near my Garden Court home of 1940-41. +(Parangue). + +We were driven to 29th Reple Depot (a tent city in Los Banos. There +were letters from Judy, mother and sister Ruth, the first in many +months-all thrilled that I was coming home. It was good to learn that +things were normal back home. + + + Generals Liberated from Mukden. + + +While we were waiting transportation home, the generals were flown +from Mukden to Yokohama, Japan-to be greeted by General MacArthur. + +On September 2, 1945, on the deck of the U.S. Battleship Missouri in +Tokyo Bay, Generals Jonathan Wainwright and Sir Arthur Percival stood +behind General MacArthur as he accepted the Surrender of the Japanese +Empire. The following day, General Wainwright was flown to Baguio on +Northern Luzon, to accept the surrender of the Philippines from +Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita in the High Commissioner's Mansion +at Camp John Hay, ending World War II. + +Sept. 5, 45 - Wednesday: Many papers filled out. In the afternoon I +was taken for a ride through Manila. Many of the buildings along Taft +and Dewey Blvds. were in shambles. There were some two hundred damaged +ships in the harbor, many assuming bizarre positions. + +Sept. 6, 45 - Thursday: Mother's birthday and I had no way to +communicate with her. Edna Miller, a former school teacher at Brent +School in Baguio, near Camp John Hay, called. She and her boy friend, +Col. Jim Darrah, took me for a ride and dinner. Manila was a wreck! + +Sept. 7, 45: I was able to make arrangements to obtain a small Army +plane to fly back to Cabanatuan to look for the sketches I had buried +there. + +Sept. 8, 45: Lt. George Armstrong, from Utah, picked me up at 0800 and +flew me in a Piper Cub to Cabanatuan, landing on an airport we POWs +had built by hand - rock by rock (See poem, "The Pilot," by Gen. +Brougher). + +All of the prison camp buildings made of wood and swali were gone. I +found where building #12 had been and dug in the area I had buried the +drawings, but found nothing. The U.S. Army Engineers at the airport +furnished a bulldozer, and still we found nothing. Arrived back at +Reple Depot 29 about 1700 hours to find more letters from Judy, Mother +and Ruth. It was fun to get reacquainted with activities in the +States. + +Sept. 9 - Sunday: Lt. Col. Ryle Radke, a classmate at Army Medical +School, '36, came to the Reple Depot to take me to Manila, where we +had a pleasant day discussing war experiences. Back in Camp at 2300, +where I found orders promoting me to Lt. Col. as of August 20, 1945. + +Sept. 10, 45: Alerted at 0800. At 1130 hrs we left for Nichols Field, +and at 1445 we took off in a B-24 (Liberator) with bucket seats. Had a +very smooth flight through heavy rains; could see two complete +rainbows, one inside the other, as we looked down toward the earth. At +2230 we sat down on Guam; enjoyed a fine steak dinner. + +Sept. 11, 45: Arrived on Kwajalein, a large atoll in the Marshall +Group. Time was changed from 1000 hrs to noon. A Capt. Andrews, U.S.A. +Air Corps from Danville, Virginia, took us to dinner at the Officers' +Club and then for a ride around the island which was one half by two +miles. Nearly every barracks + +had its washing machine on the beach, powered by its own windmill, and +closely observed by goony birds. Departed at 1530. + +Sept. 11, '45: Arrived at Hickham Field in Hawaii about 0350; time +changed to 0650. Just had time for a shower and a good American +breakfast. Departed at 0930. + + + Chapter XIV + + THE GOOD OLD U.S.A. + + +Arrived at Hamilton Field, North of San Francisco, at 2130; time +changed to midnight. Had a fine steak dinner and off to bed. + +Sept. 12, '45: After breakfast we were transferred to the Letterman +General Hospital at the Presidio in San Francisco for a P.O.W. Survey. +About 1500, I was hurriedly routed out of my room and driven back to +Hamilton Field. Judy was arriving from Washington, D.C. on the first +Constellation ever to make a non-stop flight to the Pacific Coast; it +took eleven hours and one box lunch. + +At 1600, the big plane, carrying my precious cargo, gently sat down on +the runway. In a few minutes, I had my lovely wife, Judy, in my arms-a +moment that I prayed would never end. + +Vivian Raulston, John's wife, had come from Washington with Judy. I +was able to tell her that John wanted her to bake him some brownies. +John came home about three weeks later by ship. + +The Army took us to the Saint Francis Hotel, where they had made +reservations. The room, 1123, was beautiful, considering the price - +$6.50. Mr. London, the manager, brought fresh flowers frequently. + +Each day I had to return to Letterman Hospital for my survey. Wt. 140 +lbs. + +Judy came to the hospital each afternoon to take me to dinner. We +tried a different restaurant every evening: Lamps of China; Sam's Fish +House; Julian's Steak House; the Manger Upstairs; the Blue Fox; and +Alfred & Segunda. + +Many wives were coming to see me to get any possible information about +their husbands, sons and brothers. A few I knew: Illa Gillespie, +Tempie Williams, Jean Manning, and Crystal White. ' + +Sept. 13, '45: I spent the day in a telephone booth at the + +Hospital sending some two hundred messages to families of prisoners, +courtesy of the American Red Cross and the American Telephone Co. + +About a dozen generals arrived at the hospital from Manchuria; +immediately they wanted to know how I got Judy to the West Coast, when +they couldn't even get commercial travel. I had to let them guess. + +Actually, Vivian's sister, Vera, was the girl friend of Col. Dudley +Fay, the Chief of Army Air Transportation, and he had a son who had +been a prisoner of the Germans. He was sympathetic and repeatedly told +Vivian and Judy, "When your husbands, John and Gene, are liberated, +I'm going to see that you girls get a ride to the West Coast." So +Vivian and Judy arrived at Hamilton Field on time, but actually +without any official orders. Of course, I couldn't tell the generals +that; they would have court-martialed me. + +Sept. 15, 45: "Pappy Boynton" and his men arrived at the St. Francis. +I thanked God for that fearless aviator who had been awarded the Medal +of Honor. + +We were now getting daily calls from Colonels Dudley Fay and Larry +Smith in Washington, wanting to make arrangements to fly us to Walter +Reed Army Hospital. Our answers were always "NO!" Now we were in no +hurry! "We'll come by slow train with stops in Lincoln, Nebraska, and +River Forest, Illinois, to see our families." + +Sept. 17, 45: We started east in our bedroom aboard the Union Pacific, +through the gorgeous Rocky Mountains. When the train stopped at +stations, I was amazed to see husky young women, balancing themselves +along the tops of freight cars, brake persons, no less. It had taken +many dedicated people, doing many strange and often hazardous jobs, to +bring the war to an end. I felt grateful to each and every one of +them. + +We spent a couple of happy days with Judy's family in Lincoln and two +more in River Forest, before proceeding on to Washington, where I +became a patient on Wards 1 and 4 at Walter Reed General Hospital. + +Judy lived in an efficiency apartment at 906 at 2000 Connecticut Ave., +near Holton Arms School, where she taught during the war. + +About the second week we were in Washington, one of Judy's teacher +friends, Peggy Snow, arranged for us to get invitations + +to her father's cocktail party for the top brass in Washington. +General Snow, the Chief of Engineers in the Army, sat me in the center +of the party, where I was a curiosity and subject to much questioning. +Many important persons came to look me over and ask, "Are you having +any difficulty adjusting?" My answer was always the same, "If somebody +gave you a Lincoln car, would you have trouble adjusting?" + +General Leslie Groves, the "Father of the Atomic Bomb," asked me, +"What did you think of the, Atomic bombs we dropped on Japan?" I +answered, "General, by dropping the bombs, you saved thousands of +American lives that would have been lost if the U.S. had been forced +to invade Japan. Also, you saved thousands of P.O.W.s lives; we could +not have endured many more months of captivity. Actually I'm sorry you +didn't drop more bombs on Japan!" + +"Colonel, we only had two bombs and we dropped them both!" + + "Thank you, sir! You saved my life! I am very grateful to you and +the brave crews that dropped the bombs!" The general look relieved. + +"Colonel, I'm happy you are back; this country owes you and your +friends a great debt. You gave us what we needed most, TIME." + +Washington was overrun with military personnel. To me the amazing +thing was the youth of the officers; generals in their forties and +thirties; colonels in their thirties and twenties. I wasn't jealous! I +thanked God for each of them. They had done a bang-up job. + +Two months passed at Walter Reed. I wasn't dying as predicted in +Manchuria. In fact I was getting better, gaining strength and weight +each week. I was able to walk several city blocks at a time. + + + Chapter XV BORROWED TIME + + +Mar. 17, 46: The Chief of Medicine, Col. Charles Mueller, decided that +I was ready to try active duty; he found a job for me on the Medical +Service. How great it was to be a halfway normal person again! + +I moved in with Judy in her cozy little efficiency apartment; it was +actually all that we needed; it had a nice view of Rock Creek Park and +the Shoreham Hotel. + +Visiting patients in the many scattered wards at WRGH was difficult; I +often felt that the patient I was treating was healthier than I was, +but I thanked my lucky stars just to be alive and perking. I really +had all in this world that I had ever hoped to have. + +The Surgeon General, Gen. Raymond Bliss, assigned me to a "Refresher +Course" in Internal Medicine at George Washington University Hospital. + +Lt. Col. Charles Gingles and I were to share cars to travel across +town. One day while riding to work with him, I thought he would drop +his teeth, when I told him that "Judy is pregnant." He couldn't +believe it. + +Apr. 8, 47: Dr. Preston Haynes delivered a beautiful baby boy for Judy +at Columbia Hospital, and would take no pay; he was "my kind of +doctor." We named our healthy son: Eugene Coryell Jacobs, II and +called him "Little Bit!" + +Fall of 1947: Little Bit was baptized at the Chapel of Walter Reed +Medical Center by Chaplain (Col.) Alfred Oliver, who had married Judy +and me there ten years previously. Little Bit was frightened by the +large collar the chaplain wore for his broken neck. (The Japs hit him +with the butt of a rifle in the back of his neck, trying to get him to +tell who was operating "the underground mail" in Cabanatuan P.O.W. +Camp) + +Summer of 1953: While enjoying a very pleasant tour of duty as Area +Command Surgeon in Salzburg, Austria, we took a two-week vacation to +visit beautiful Copenhagen, Denmark. + +While visiting the Royal Copenhagen China Shop about ten one morning, +the clerks drew down all the shades in the store windows. + +A clerk sidled up to us and whispered, "The King and Queen are in the +store, shopping for wedding presents." Gene II, aged six, and having +no inhibitions, pointed his finger directly at the fine looking +gentleman, dressed in a perfectly proper business suit, and asked in a +booming voice, "Is that the king?" There was a long startled silence! + +Jul. 1956: Our little family was returning from a very pleasant +three-year tour in Austria and Germany on the U.S.S. United States, +enjoying first class accommodations, when nine-year-old Gene II came +up missing. We searched the ship from bridge to the engine room where +we found Gene consulting with the chief engineer as to "whether or not +the United States could make forty-five knots." + +Apr. 1957: The State of Virginia was celebrating the 350th Anniversary +of the landing of Captain John Smith at Jamestown. Governor Winthrop +Rockefeller was to host Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. The U.S. +Army at Fort Monroe (Continental Army Command) was assigned to care +for all the details. + +Being Post Surgeon and Hospital Commander at Fort Monroe, I was to be +the Queen's personal physician for twenty-four hours. I was to be in +an ambulance at the end of the runway when the Royal party landed at +Patrick Henry Field in Williamsburg. + +I asked Gene II if he would like to ride in the ambulance with me. +"Sure!" he said. + +Plane time was getting close, and no Gene. He was located in the +tower, helping to direct the royal plane to a safe landing. He wanted +me to come up in the tower to meet his new friends, but I had to +remain in calling distance of the queen. + +1960-65: Secretary of the Army's Office: As President of the Army's +Disability Review Board became a pioneer in determining that tobacco +"IS HAZARDOUS TO THE HEALTH." Had difficulty in convincing the Surgeon +General of the U.S. Public Health Service (a smoker). + +May 31, '65: Gene II graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy in +Wayne, Pennsylvania. It also happened that I had reached the age of +sixty and this was my last day in the Army. + +Gen. Milton Baker, the Academy Superintendent, invited me to review +the graduating parade in his box. + + I was retired as physically fit since I hadn't missed a day due to +illness since returning to duty in March of 1946. + +Jun. 30, '70: Finished my very pleasant five-year contract at the +Student Health Service of the University of Maryland in College Park. +We retired to Florida. + +This found Lt. Eugene C. Jacobs II on duty with the Armor Corps of the +U.S. Army at Fort Ord, California, where he met and married Mary +Frances Kanne, a dietician. + +Christmas, 1982: Judy and I drove to St. Louis to spend a white +Christmas with Capt. Gene II and Mary and their two beautiful +children, Alexander Coryell Jacobs (four) and Lindsay Jaudon Jacobs +(two). + +One night Gene II asked me to attend a lodge meeting with him. Imagine +my surprise and thrill to help raise my own son to be a Master Mason. +Also while in St. Louis, Gene II borrowed a uniform for me to wear +(first time in sixteen years) to swear + +Mary into the Army as a Captain in the Women's Medical Specialist +Corps as a dietician. + +Aug. 9, 84; Major Gene II and Captain Mary from Headquarters in St. +Louis arrived at the summer home of Colonel Jacobs on Coryell Island +(Cedarville) in Northern Michigan to present Colonel Jacobs with his +fourth Bronze Star Medal - promised to the members of MacArthur's +First Guerrilla Regiment by General MacArthur in June, 1942. See +photo! + +The Jacobs family remains a very proud Army family, having had a +representative in every war since the American Revolution. Even little +Alex is a proud G.I. Joe with a complete field uniform. + +(Lindsay is a Smurf.) The Jacobs family thinks we have a great country +that is worth fighting for, a great U.S. Army that can fight with the +best when they have proper intelligence and equipment. May our Army +always be strong, and our country, free! "'Peace is our profession." + +What greater satisfaction is there for grandparents than to see their +children and grandchildren turning out right? Thank you, Lord, for all +of our blessings! + + THE PILOT* + + by Gen. William Brougher + + in the Long Dark Road + + +"What did you do in the war, Grand Dad?" + + His little grand son said. + +A pilot bold was I, my lad," + + The old man hung his head, + +A pilot for a plane, my lad," + + (The old P. W. lied) + +"Was yours a P-thirty-eight, Granddad?" + + He hears the old man sob: + +"The lowest plane of all, my lad, + + A tough 'P.W.' job." + +"And did you shoot some Nips, Grand Dad? + + And chase them from the air?" + +"My specialty was 'transport,' lad; + + I'd pile it here and pile it there." + +"Had you a. brave co-pilot, too?" + + He hears the bright boy ask. + +"A chaplain, named Ed Nagel, + + He helped me swing the task." + +"It's grand you were a pilot, Grand Dad!" + + The old man starts to whittle: + +"Well, not so grand, perhaps, my lad + + But the extra rice helped a little." + + + POSTSCRIPTS + + +Dr. Jacobs - Colonel Jacobs - Professor Jacobs - has given far beyond +what most are ever asked to give... to his country and to the sick. +Yet, he can look back over his life with equanimity... he is glad to +be alive, and very glad to be living in this quiet, lovely city. + + + Sam Rohlfing, Editor + + +"In building an airport for the Japanese, we carried stones and dirt +in a straw basket, and piled it here and piled it there, as directed, +for which we received a small amount of extra rice. We called +ourselves "pilots!" + + Letter from Dr. John Beall + + + Dr. John A. Beall Jr. + + 120 Brandywine Trail + + Carrollton, Georgia 30117 + + + April 23, 1983 + + +Dear Gene: + +Thank you very much for sending me the two articles "From Guerilla to +POW in the Philippines" and "Diary of a Hell-Ship Journey." They were +terrific and say a lot of things that need to be said, less the US +forgets the horrors of the way the Japanese treated our prisoners. As +you know I fought the war in the European Theater and we had an easy +time of it, compared to your experiences. I don't know whether I would +have had the fortitude to hang in there and continue to help the +others, treat their ills and wounds the way you did. Ruth tells me you +are writing a book on the subject and I look forward to reading it. + +Time goes by so fast and it is hard to realize that none of the top +command of the Army and only a handful of others in the service saw +service in World War II. We have a yearly course on the" History of +World War II" as West Georgia College and the ignorance of students on +the sacrifices so many made is astounding! We need to keep reminding +them, that the quality of life they know was paid for dearly by +soldiers like you who gave so much for their country. + +I was particularly interested in this subject since right after VE Day +I commanded 14 POW camps for General Patton in Bavaria. When he gave +me the job I complained that I knew nothing about treatment of paws +and he replied, "You should treat them the way you would like to be +treated if you were a POW." That became our philosophy and we worked +our tails off day and night to treat them fairly, keep them warm and +well fed and provide necessary medical treatment. I can truthfully say +we had very few instances of complaint nor have any surfaced since the +war. + + + Sincerely + + + "Tige" Beall + + APPENDIX: LESSONS LEARNED ON LUZON + + "In war there is no substitute for Victory!" + + Douglas MacArthur + + +We were amazed to discover how well-informed the Japanese pilots and +invading forces were, as to our beaches, bays, terrain, and especially +our military bases. Their geodetic maps were more accurate than ours. + +We were amazed to find Japanese fishermen's nets-in the shapes of +arrows-pointing directly to our naval bases at Olongapo and Cavite, to +Clark and Nichols Airfields, and to Fort McKinley. + +We were amazed as to the accuracy of Japanese intelligence, learned +through houseboys, maids, store owners, fishermen, salesmen, etc. - +ALL Spies! + +We learned it was senseless to fight a war that you are unable to win, +unless the delaying action could permit an Allied victory elsewhere. + + We learned it was hopeless to fight a well-armed major power with +equipment and weapons left over from the last war. + + We learned it was best to be mobile when fighting an immovable +force; you might live to fight another day. + +We learned that guerrillas in the proper environment and in +cooperation with friendly natives can harass an enemy for many months +and gain much valuable time and information. + +We learned that a fledgling Fil-American force on Bataan and +Corregidor could sustain the most crushing campaigns of the mightiest +army in the Far East for months, before being starved into submission. + +Perhaps, if there had been more Bataans, the course of World War II +might have been altered. + + + Eugene C. Jacobs + + + + Three Great Things Necessary for Survival + + In a Prisoner-of-War Camp. + + +FAITH IN THE GOOD LORD! + +A WILL TO LIVE! + +A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR! + +Two doctors helped me achieve these: "Grandma" Jim Bruce-for good +advice. Major Edwin Kagy, who after working all day on the Seriously +Ill wards, came back at night to sing popular songs with his terrific +tenor voice. + + +Louis J. Voras "Medic." + +Field Hospital # 2 on Bataan, + +later Hospital at Cabanatuan. + + +"My men and I were the victims of short sightedness at home, of blind +trust in the respectability of scheming aggressors. The price of our +unpreparedness for World War II was staggering to the imagination. + +"The price of unpreparedness for a World War III would be death to +millions of us, and the disappearance from the earth of its greatest +nation." + +General Jonathan M. Wainwright, 1946 + + + ACKNOWLEDGMENTS + + +I owe a great deal to my family. For nearly four years, they didn't +know my whereabouts, nor whether I was alive or dead. I regret each +and every heartache I caused them, and I appreciate all of their +prayers. + +I am especially indebted to my precious Judy for being the perfect +wife during the most trying times, and for being very understanding +during the forty years I have been assembling material for Blood +Brothers. + +I feel very kindly toward Colonel "Honest John" Raulston for his +generous help when I was totally incapacitated in Camp Hoten, +Manchuria. + +I thank General "BOB" Taylor for his spiritual guidance and friendship +while "the going was rough." + +I thank General Harold K. (Johnny) Johnson, the Army Chief of Staff, +for 25 years of inspiration and friendship as one of the Army's +outstanding officers. Johnny, I appreciate your offer to write the +"Preface for Blood Brothers," and the chapter on "Lessons Learned on +Luzon;" you would have done it much better than I, but your long +hospitalization and transfer to "Boot Hill" interfered. I'll miss your +cheerful counsel. Johnny. + +I thank General Aubrey Newman, war and Olympic hero, who thought I ran +a "Happy" Hospital, and who insisted that I continue working on Blood +Brothers, when it would have been much easier to quit. + + I thank Stan and Peg Sommers, authors of the "Japanese Story," and +their friendship to me and some thousands of Ex P.O.W.s. + + I thank my Masonic Brethren, who believe in these United States and +its Constitution, which has made it great. + +I thank Sandra Rohlfing, Assistant Editor of the Vero Beach Press +Journal, for her many hours of editing Blood Brothers and for her good +advice. + + I thank Don Knox, author of "The Death March" for friendly +advice. He used my sketches. + +I thank Peter Collins, Art Editor of Time-Life Series on World War II, +for his visit to Vero Beach, and for the time he spent going over the +material for Blood Brothers. He used my photographs. + + I thank all those good people who have made my life worth living +since "The War." + + I thank the "Good Lord" for forty wonderful years of "Borrowed +Time." It's fun to still be alive in eighty-five! + + +THE LEGACY OF WORLD WAR II TO OUR CHILDREN + + +In his book, "The Second World War," Sir Winston Churchill called +World War II, "The Unnecessary War," stating that "Hitler could have +been stopped in 1935, in 1936 and even in 1939, if two Western +democracies had not been too timorous (afraid) and too stupid to +react." + + At that time, the political leaders of the Western democracies +were: + + +Franklin Roosevelt + +Joseph Stalin + +Winston Churchill + +Charles De Gaulle + +The awesome results of that fear and stupidity were: + +22 million persons - killed + +34 million persons - wounded + +142 thousands Americans - captured + +$240 billion in property - damaged at a cost exceeding $1 trillion, + +"ALL UNNECESSARILY!" + +The legacy of World War II (by fear and stupidity) left to our +children was a National debt exceeding $250 billion, a debt that may +not be paid during this century. + +Thank God we have a president and administration that understands the +Russians. They will soon learn to understand the Japanese. No one will +ever understand the Middle East. + + INDEX + + + +A Aguinaldo, Gen. Emilio, 37-39 + +Aldridge, Col., 104 + +Allen, Dr, Beulah, 13-18 + +Allen, Lt. Col. Henderson, 13 + +Aparri, 16-18, 40 + +Armstrong, Gen. George, 110-113 + +Arnold, Cape Robert, 29-30 + +Atom Bomb, 107-116 + +Atrocities, Japanese, 47, 73-76 + +Australia, 34 + +B Babcock, Col., 72 + +Baguio, Summer Capital, 10-19 + +Bahrenberg, Maj. James, 7 + +Balsam, Col., 104 + +Balete Pass, 22, 32-35, 118 + +Bambang, 28-42 + +Bataan, 7-28, 34-43, 119, 122 + +Bauer, Louie, 71 + +Beall, Gen. John, 3, 120-121 + +Becher, Wes, Sgt., 71 + +Beebe, Gen., 104 + +Beecher, Col., 49, 81-90 + +Bell, Don, Radio KZRH, 10 + +Beriberi, 49, 56-60 + +Berry, Maj. Wilbur, 7 + +Bertz, Maj. Wesley, 7 + +Bilibid Prison, 6, 41, 69-89 + +Bliss, Gen. Raymond, 117 + +Borneman, Maj. John, 63-64, 72 + +Boone, Maj. John, 67 + +Boothe, Eddie, 70-71 + +Boynton, Col. "Pappy", 115 + +Bluemel, Gen. Clifford, 104 + +Bradley, Capt. Ruby, ANC, 12-22 + +Brazil Maru, 42-96 + +Brownlee, Bill, 74 + +Britain, 14-15 + +Brown, Maj. Ralph, 72 + +Brougher, Gen. Wm., 104-119 + +Buddy System, 94, 102 + +Burma Road, 110 + +Burrell, Bill, 71 + +C Cabanatuan Cats (Band), 70-71 + +Cabanatuan City, 23, 60-67 + +Cabanatuan Camp (POW), 6, 42-78, 113 + +Cagayan Valley, 28-39, 41 + +Camp O'Donnell, 51-53 + +Cargadors, 28 + +Carberry, Chap. Richard, 63 + +Casiguran, 34-36 + +Cavender, Maj. Howard, 72 + +Cavalry, 26th, 29, 118 + +Cavite, 13, 23, 116, 123 + +Cebu, 76 + +Cemetery (Group IV), 53-73 + +Chamberlain, Lt. George, 103 + +Chambers, Lt. Beatrice 12-22 + +Chapels, 50-63 + +Chase, Gen. Wm., 81-82 + +Childers, Cape Don, 71-72 + +Chloa, 4, 14, 19-20, 36, 74, 103-110 + +Churchill, Sir Winston, 14, 124 + +Clark Field, 12-23, 116-117, 122 + +Cleveland, Cape Arthur, 64 + +Cooper, Col. Wibb, 16, 104 + +Costello, John, 18 + +Cothran, Maj. Wade. 97-100 + +Craig, Lt. Col. Riney, 25-43, 95 + +Corregidor, 22-26, 30-41, 51,122 + +D + +Dagupan,. 19, 82 + +Day, Capt. Morris, 64 + +"Day of Infamy," 18 + +Dawson, Rev. Wm., 64 + +DEATH MARCH 41-53, 76 + +Deficiencies, 39, 115 + +DeMaio, Charles (WOP), 67 + +Dibulwan, 30 + +Donald, Maj. Sam, 63 + +Drake, Gen. CC, 104 + +Duffy, Chap., 63 + +Dugan, Chap., 63 + +Dunkirk, 14 + +Dutch East Indies, 56-58 + +E + +Echague, 29-36, 38-39, 42 + +Eisenhower, Gen. Dwight, 108 + +Elizabeth, Queen, 118 + +Elizaldi, Juan, 65 + +Ellis, Lt. Jack, 117 + +Enoura Maru, 97 -10 1 + + +F FARM, THE, 55 + +Fay, Col. Dudley, 115 + +Fisher, Capt. James, 78 + +Flores, Naiomi (Looter), 65 + +Ft. McKinley, 13-16, + +Ft. Santiago, 40 + +Ft. Stotsenberg, 16 + +France, 14 + +Fukuoka, 102-103 + +Funk, Gen., 104 + +Funston, Gen. Frederick, 37 + +G Ganahl, Maj. Josepf, 19-20, 94, 102 + +Geneva Convention, 74 + +Germany, 10 + +Gerow, Gen., 17 + +Gillespie, Col., 3-99, 102-108 + +Gingles, Col. Charles, 117 + +Gloria, Senor (Tiente), 26-38 + +Groups I, II, III, IV, 40-72 + +Groves, Gen. Leslie, 114-116 + +H Halsey, Adm. Wm., 86-88 + +Hankins, Maj. Stanley, 104 + +Hart, Adm. Thomas, 19 + +Hawaii, 3-68, 74 + +Hay, Camp John, 3-10, 21, 116-118 + +Hay, John, Sec of State, 11 + +HELL SHIPS, 3, 69-107 + +Herbst, Maj. Mark, 104 + +Hirohito, Emperor, 73, 104 + +Hiroshima, 107 + +Hitler, Adolph, 14-17 + +Homma, Gen. Masahuru, 12-19, + +28-35, 51 + +Horan, Lt. Col. John, 3-20, 31-37,104 + +Hoten, Camp, 105-114, 123 + +Hull, Sec of State, 10 + +I + +Ilagan, 37 + +Ilongots, 30-31 + +Imperial Rescript, 66 + +Italy, 17 + +Iwanaka, Maj. (Camp C.O.), 64 + +J Jacobs, Alexander C., 118-119 + +Jacobs II, Maj. Eugene, 67, 118-119 + +Jacobs, Judy, 2, 26-61, 102-107,118-119 + +Jacobs, Lindsay, 118-119 + +Jacobs, Capt. Mary, 118-119 + +Japan, 3-124 + +Joint Army-Navy Board, 11 + +Jones, Dr., 23-30 + +Jones, Gen. Albert, 104 + +Jones, Isabella 28-36 + +Johnson, Gen. Harold, 3, 53-63, 84-94, 121-124 + +Jorgenson Family, 20-24 + +K + +Kadolph, Red, 70-71 + +Kaelin, Chuck, 70-71 + +Kagy, Maj. Edwin, 123 + +Kalakuka, Ltc Theodore, 38 + +Kempie Tai (Secret Police), 40-70 + +Kiangan, 34-35, 41 + +King, Gen. Edward (Ned), 34-35, 41, 51, 104 + +Kliatchko, Aaron, 64, 93 + +Korea, 103 + +Kratz, Johnny, 70-71 + +Kuncl, Lt. Claire, 70-71 + +L Lamar, Maj. (O.C.S.), 108 + +Lee, Clark (Assoc. Press), 20-21 + +Lend-Lease, 18 + +Lentz, Maj. Emmert, 7 + +Lewis, Maj. Robert, 7 + +Leyte, 77 + +Liles, Capt., 118 + +Lim, Gen., 34 + +Lingayen Gulf, 3-18, 34-41, 79 + +Lough, Gen. M.S., 104 + +Lugao, 40-70 + +Lusod Sawmill, 21 + +Luzon, 13-24, 31-41, 116 + +M + +MacArthur, Gen. Arthur, 37-38 + +MacArthur, Gen. Douglas 3-124 + +MacArthur's 1st Guerrilla Regt. 3, 5, 27-41 + +Mack, Lt. Co!. (Ditto), 67 + +Malacafiong Palace, 15-38 + +Manchuria, 7, 14, 100 + +Manke (soloist), 71 + +Marshall, Gen. George, 17, 108 + +Marshall (saxophone), 70-71 + +Masons, 72, 118 + +Matsuda, Col. Camp C.O., 108 + +McBride, Gen., 104 + +McClure, Chester, 70-71 + +McDonald, Maj., 71 + +McIntyre, Eddie, 71 + +Miller, Edna, 113 + +Minton, Maj. Warren, 29-38 + +Missouri (Battleship), III + +Mock, Harry, 71 + +Moore, Gen. George, 104 + +Mucci, Capt. Harry, 78 + +Mueller, Col. Charles, 116 + +Mukden, Manchuria, 6, 103-110 + +Mussolini, 7, 104 + +N Nagasaki, 107 + +Nagel, Lt. Ed, 64-88, 102-120 + +Nakar, Lt. Col. Guillermo, 29-40 + +Nealson, Bill, 71 + + Neibert, Evangeline (Sassy Suzie), 65 + + Noble, Maj. Arthur, 114 + + Nogi, Lt. N. (Isha), 40, 65-72 + + North, Lt. Wm., 7-70 + +O O'Brien, Lt. James, 63 + + O'Donnell, Camp, 51-53,73 + + Oki, Juro (Isha), 104 + + Olangapo, Naval Base, 87-94 + + Oliver, Lt. Col. Alfred, 63-124 + + Orange Plan (W.P.O. III), 9, 20-24 + + Oryoko Maru, 3, 83-107 + +P Pacific Fleet, 3-4, 9 + + Palanan, 34-39 + + Panama Canal, 17 + + Panay, U.S.S., 17 + + Paranaque, 10 + + Parcher, Lt. Harry, 70 + + Parker, Gen. George, 104-108 + + Pearl Harbor, 3-10, 18, 94 + + Percival, Sir. Gen. A.E., 100-112 + + Peterson, Maj. Arthur, 72 + + Philip, Prince, 113 + + Philippine Army, 3-19 + + Philippine Defense Plan, 3-15 + + Philippine Islands, 3-124 + + Philippine Scours, 3-69, 115 + + Phillips, Claire (High Pockets), 65-70 + + Phillips, Sgt. John, 65 + + Pier Seven 7, 10, 65-70, 82-83 + + Port Area, 7, 70-71 + + Pusan, 103 + +Q Quezon, Pres. Manuel, 15, 28, 32 + +R Radke, Lt. Col. Ryle, 113 + + Rainbow War Plan (WPO V), 11-29 35, 37, 41, 104, 112, 123 + + Red Cross, 58, 84-86, 102, 115 Red Line Bus Co., 17-27 + + Reed, Maj. Walter, 27 + + Reilly, Maj. Stanley 63 + + Reinhart, Sgt. .Melvin, 63 + + Rinaman, Maj. James, 55 + + Rizal Ave., 83 + + Rockefeller, Gov W., 115 + + Rogers, Gov. P.D., 67 + + Roosevelt, Pres. Franklin, 17-18 + + Roosevelt, Pres. Theodore, 11, 27, 71 + + Ruel Hank (soloist), 70-71 + + Russia, 107 + +S Saint, Lt. Col. Fred, 53, 91, 100 + + Saipan, 76 + + Salas, Pvt. (trumpet), 70 + + Salee, Capt. Joe (soloist), 70 + +San Fernando, LaUnion, 14, 90 + +San Fernando, Pampanga, 79, 91 + +San Francisco, 26-27, 98, 114 + +San Jose, 22-23 + + Schwartz, Lt. Cot Jack, 70, 89-90 + + Scuttlebutt, 62 + + Seals, Gen., 104 + + Sharp, Gen, 104 + + Shirogo (worker), 94-96 + + Sitter, Maj. Steve, 7, 77 + + Sketches, 6, 78 + + Smothers, Maj. Tom, 103 + + Speth, Maj. Emil, 16 + + Stafford, Dr. Eugene, 15 + + Stevens, Capt. Lee, 70 + + Strand, Maj. Clarence, 7 + + Swann, Lt. Robin (Br.), 71 + + Suchow (4th Marine mascot), 72 + +T Taylor, Capt. Robert, 63-67, 102, 123 + +Tiffany, Capt. Frank (Everlasting), 63-67 + + Tojo, Hideki, 10 + + "Tokyo Rose", 18 + + Toshino, Lt., 101 + + Tuguegarao, 11, 12, 34 + +U Underground, 60-67, 70, 117 + + USAFFE, 11-20, 29-34 + +V Vigan, 16-19, 117 + +Volckmann, Col. Russell, 41, 79 + +W Wainwright, Gen. Jonathan, 19, 23, + + Warner, Lt. Col. Everett, 11-32, 89-98 + + Wata, Mr. (Jap Interpreter), 86 + + Weaver, Gen. James, 104 + + White, Maj. Clarence, 7 + + Williams, Maj. Mac, 95-103 + + Wilson, Col. Ovid 0, 71, 92 + + Wood, Gen. Leonard, 27 + +Y Yellow Sea, 99 + +Z Zambales Coast, 84-86 + + Zerfas, Lt. Mathias, 63 + + Zero Ward; 59-60, 73 + + Zimmerman, Capt. 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