He worked closely with Iris Chang to expose the full depth of Japanese atrocities. Learned quite a bit from him.
Posted on 09/28/2017 7:21:47 AM PDT by Thistooshallpass9
Great post!
I have read many accounts from former POWs that ALL say they continually fed their mind with things that were learned or memorized before being taken prisoner, and often, it was scripture that helped them, if not BROUGHT them through the ordeal.
Cast all your cares on Him
Cause He cares for you
He is our peace
—
Quite a story, thanks for posting it.
bttt
Thank you. I needed this today.
I had an in-law/uncle, who was on the Bataan Death March and the hell ships. I didn’t see him often enough to ever get information, and of course, we never asked. but I did pick up some interesting tips that he told his children
He said under pressure, some of the officers were heroic, a few were down right traitorous. like this group, they kept to discipline and military structure. He also said everyone formed into basic groups of 3.
2 could keep watch, while one stole some food or engaged in some activity the Japanese would punish. 3 men seemed to be the right size to collect information. 2 men could carry a third man, or do heavy work if needed. 2 men was not enough and 4 was too large. If someone died, groups would again reform with 3 as the core.
They should have just taken a knee in protest.
Same thing happened to Americans in the Philippines. Many died. The Japanese concentration camps are one of the little known aspects of WWII while the internement camps in the US still get attention. FWIW, the government shot down the lawsuit against the Japanese after the war. The pictures of the Americans show how emaciated they were. Fat chance the Japanese here came out that way. Another little known fact is Frank Buckles, the last surviving American veteran from WWI, was also incarcerated in the Philippines as a mariner. He saved many of the children from starving.
Thank you for this post.
He never bought a Japanese car or truck.
We had steak every Sunday night for dinner.
Article about him if you care to read it.
Just ... wow. What a story. God bless her, and her teachers.
I read the book “Unbroken” and the detail about the POW camps was amazing. After reading that book, I completely understood the need to drop not just one nuke, but TWO. The Japanese were no different than ISIS is today.
My Cousin, Robert Wygle was a mining engineer on the island of Mindoro when the war broke out. His wife and two children were captured by the Japanese and taken to San Tomas University for internment almost immediately.
Cousin Robert remained at large with the help of the Filipinos and after traveling at night and avoiding Japanese patrols, made his way by horseback and canoe to Luzon and then Manila and infiltrated the internment camp to join his family there.
They were interned with over a thousand others, crammed together in what shelter was available for almost four years and steadily starved. When MacArthur's forces finally arrived in 1945, they all had acute Beriberi and severely malnourished.
My Cousin Robert died early from the effects of his long starvation - he gave most of what food he had to his children. He was a hero.
He worked closely with Iris Chang to expose the full depth of Japanese atrocities. Learned quite a bit from him.
Thanks for that. God bless these men
Here is my in-law I spoke of
https://article.wn.com/view/2014/03/23/john_zale_x2019s_journey/
“I had an in-law/uncle, who was on the Bataan Death March and the hell ships”
I also had a friend who was a Bataan death march survivor. Unbelievable brutality. Wound up for the duration in a prison camp in Japan. Forced to work in coal mine. Couldnt take it so allowed a coal car to run over his foot. Used maggots on wounds for medical treatment. Down to 90 lbs at time of repatriation and a lifetime case of tropical sprue. He and others killed worst Japanese guards with bare hands.Had undying hatred toward Japanese, Ironically, his son married a Japanese woman. Lived to about 80.
I thought this was going to be about Songbird McCain.
That’s a good example of how some survived.
My Dad, a WW II vet, had a good friend who survived the Bataan Death March. He was a Postmaster in a small town near us. I asked my Dad what happened to Mr. -———’s fingers? He was missing two fingers on each hand.
He was in a Japanese work camp assigned to cut firewood for the Japanese Military camp stoves.
The Americans found out the exact dimensions of the Jap stoves and cut the wood about two inches too long so it wouldn’t fit in the stoves.
When they caught on, the Japs took hatchets and chopped off two fingers on each hand of the wood cutters.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.