Posted on 12/11/2016 10:18:39 PM PST by GreyHoundSailor
Alistair Urquhart was a Gordon Highlander, who aged 22 was captured by the Japanese in Singapore without firing a shot. What followed was a story of almost unimaginable suffering, stoicism, mental fortitude and endurance; he survived the ruthless regime that the Japanese Imperial Army imposed upon Allied PoWs working on the Burma-Siam Railway, the so-called Death Railway, survived being torpedoed while aboard the brutal Japanese “hellships” and the Nagasaki atomic bomb detonation.
He was one of the forgotten army, the men who endured years of suffering in Japanese PoW camps and after more than 60 years he broke his silence with his memoir, The Forgotten Highlander, in 2010.
(Excerpt) Read more at scotsman.com ...
There are men, and then there are men.
In fact, they revile it, and wish to wipe it out of existence. It appears that the only leaders — in the West anyway — are Putin and DJT.
What hell he went through. For sure he’s in heaven now. RIP Highlander.
From the Greatest Generation to the wallflowers of Generation Snowflake.
Scotland Forever
Let’s not brush over Zamporini’s battle with PTSD and alcoholism. He pulled it together—and probably would have saved many torturous days, weeks, and years had the condition been treated.
He might not have complained, but he did not come out of his experience, shake it off, and move on.
Astonishing story of endurance - I recommend FReepers read the whole article.
What an incredible ordeal - and an amazing story.
I just ordered his book off eBay. Hardcover, lightly ‘used’, $18.62 including shipping.
Nine more copies available if anyone is interested.
It is infuriating that the Japanese never really paid a price for how they treated POW’s. We let them slide, much to our eternal disgrace.
To me, it is that he had to fight it to get by it which was one of the more compelling parts of the book that they left out of the movie.
His reluctance to attend the revival meetings, his waking up straddling his pregnant wife with his hands around her neck...and his eventual return to Japan.
All stunning, but ignored and the movie suffered.
Thanks, WayneS, I am going to check it out.
I suspect men like this don’t consider themselves extraordinary.
It’s good for the world that WE do.
Zamporini didn’t really pull it together, at least on his own. He was basically an alcoholic and losing everything including his wife, who decided to leave him. She then got saved at a Billy Graham crusade in LA. She returned and managed to get Louie to go under protest. He had the classic born again experience & gave his life to Christ. Spent the rest of it working with troubled kids.
The movie ignores this aspect of his life. The book delves into it as you cannot adequately explain the rest of his life without addressing it.
It’s also on Amazon. Just bought a used hardcopy for $12.85 shipped
In addition to “River Kwai” there was an Australian TV miniseries in the 80’s called “A Town Like Alice” that covered this general subject.It was five of six hours long and told an excellent story of Japanese atrocities.I have a copy on laserdic and,IIRC,it’s on youtube.IMO it’s well worth the time.
RIP.
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