That was truly a tragedy of epic proportions. As far as I’m concerned, the Japanese did not receive nearly a harsh enough punishment for their depravity. I was unaware of many of your casualties statistics and I am blown away by them. I encourage the people who think that dropping the bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima was some sort of evil undertaking, to read this book and envision one of their family members having to go through this hell on earth. I will pick up the book as I already have tears in my eyes.
There was a standing order that if Japan was invaded all the prisoners would be murdered. And in fact in one camp, they were murdered as a dry run. So, only by dropping the bomb, did we save my father’s life and the rest of the pows
It was the right thing to do. I just think that many of the top officers that were giving those orders should’ve been shot immediately after their capture. Along with many who carried them out.
Growing up in Winterset, Iowa, my elementary school art teacher was Donald H. Thomas. He was a Bataan Death March survivor. He would tell his story to the community every Memorial Day weekend just before school let out. He told how they were moved from camp to camp leaving others behind to be executed. He shared one thing that stuck with me all these years. There was a prisoner who had managed to hide (all or part) of an American flag inside the lining of his shirt. Don shared that on one occasion he happened to see it. From that point on, every time they moved camps, Don would elect to follow that prisoner - come what may. He strongly credited this to his survival.
Thank you, Andy for telling the story that needed to be told. Blessings to your Father, and the many servicemen who suffered terribly under the captivity of the Japanese criminals responsible for this atrocity. Many of which were never held accountable for their war crimes. Today, we hear of “reparations” for many groups claiming various grievances. Why this group of GI’s never received compensation from companies who used slave labor, such as Mitsubishi, is astonishing.
As I told you Andy, during our conversation about this atrocity, my Mother’s First Cousin (my Second Cousin), Carlos McDermott, barely survived the Death March only to be nearly killed in a “Hell Ship” when a submarine from the US Navy, unknowingly torpedoed the ship he was held captive in. Carlos barely survived this ordeal, weighing and looking like a human skeleton, jaundiced from Hepatitis upon his subsequent rescue and return to the US. He returned as a hero to his hometown of San Diego, Tx. where he ran a successful Maytag appliance center for many years until his death. He recorded his entire nightmare on a cassette tape which he played for me several years ago.
Controversy remains over this war crime, not only for the criminals who escaped justice, but for the manner in which Douglass MacArthur escaped from the Philippines by way of PT Boat, leaving General Jonathan Wainwright to be severely tortured by his Japanese captors.
Coincidentally, I will be traveling to Saipan next month to see my Daughter, who works as a law clerk for the CNMI (Commonwealth of Northern Marianna Islands) which is a US Territory. I will be exploring the many battle sites and caves where much of the fighting occurred and where my Father served and almost killed during the battle. Will also be traveling to Tinean Island, where Dad was during the loading of the atomic bomb onto the Enola Gay. I will finish my journey traveling to Tokyo, to see the modern and successful society Japan has become.
Thank you Andy for your father’s history. We are so grateful and honored for his huge sacrifice to our country. I just pray the youth of this fine country learn and understand the horrific consequences of socialistic and communistic tyrannies before our midterms and the next major election so sanity prevails rather than a risk of a rise amongst these nutcakes that profess opening our borders again to the flood of criminals, doing away with police and ICE and then all the social free handouts that can’t possibly be paid for with our 32 Trillion dollar national debt and Social Security all “earned” through payroll deductions becoming insolvent by 2030.
Yea my WHITE PRIVELEGED ancestors fought and died. Served in 5 wars and even our families suffered in many ways. These illegal immigrants need to go back and fight to build their own country. Not take advantage. Fail to assimilate and try to change our country!!!
Give them all a copy of George Washington' biography on the way out the door, to use as a road map and fight for their own country where they are legal citizens.
God bless your dad, Andy. My mom was Red Cross in the Philippines and had horror stories to tell. My dad flew the European theater. When I was a kid I read a book on the "death march" and it forever touched me. Too bad our younger generation is woefully informed about our history of sacrifice... that allows them to live in freedom.
Don Peterson, Lt. US Navy, survived the march. He was a friend of our family. He and his family lived off of upper Ontare. He dug a swimming pool in his back yard where his kids and our family would swim. (Lt. W. Wenz flew a full tour in the "Slot" and was being trained for the home island invasion)
As an adult and US Army veteran, I once asked why Mr. Peterson never went in the pool. The answer; that on the Bataan Death March, and subsequent prisoner of war, he and other surviving officers were repeatedly tortured by the Japanese. One of the tortures was putting bamboo shoots under the skin and in the muscles of their legs. The scares left in his legs were serious and he never wanted people to see them. Or how it made walking difficult.
The UCSB ROTC, does a full pack Bataan march to commemorate the march and treatment.
Visited the honored US military historic site Corrigador a few years ago and looked out across the waters to Baatan. So horrid and remote from humanity in memories, yet now only a stone's throw from civilization. WWII scars run deep and the stories need retelling constantly. Thank you.
Magnificent memorial in Nagasaki closely surrounded by urban apartments with balconies and fully grown trees, overlooking this ground zero memorial. Whip lash - since both the tragic and the rehabilitation stories took place during many of our own War Baby lifetimes.
Japan chooses to remember these sites today as anti-war testaments for their own future generations. And they do choose to remember, in hopes for a better future for everyone; while not entirely erasing their own culpability. Very large memorial on Okinawa with markers with names for all who lost their lives in WWII - both Japanese and Allied forces. All of Iwo Jima remains off limits except for a small military installation, again as a sacred ground island memorial.
More than I can say for our new crop of US immigrants" calling this World War Eleven, or a day when some people did something.
Forgotten history which is retold is of current value in the voting box. Just as you have reminded us of your father's sacrifices and those of others the current generation of disrupters are unaware of events. I would hope that this would be a good use of AI to bring together proper perspective of history. It does have the ability to put it into context better than present politicians and historians with political objectives. Just as the Smithsonian has been overtaken by 'people with a view' we can't let that view erase real history. Many who were tortured and ultimately died wrote about this and other events. May their words and deeds never be forgotten.
Wow, that sounds Iike what we do to other sentient beings every day, without a shred of pity or remorse.
Dr. AIbert Schweitzer -
"We must fight against the unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. They suffer as much as we do. True humanity does not allow us to impose such sufferings on them. It is our duty to make the whole world recognize it.
"UNTIL WE EXTEND THE CIRCLE OF COMPASSION TO AII LIVING THINGS, HUMANITY WILL NOT FIND PEACE."
That was truly a tragedy of epic proportions. As far as I’m concerned, the Japanese did not receive nearly a harsh enough punishment for their depravity. I was unaware of many of your casualties statistics and I am blown away by them. I encourage the people who think that dropping the bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima was some sort of evil undertaking, to read this book and envision one of their family members having to go through this hell on earth. I will pick up the book as I already have tears in my eyes.
There was a standing order that if Japan was invaded all the prisoners would be murdered. And in fact in one camp, they were murdered as a dry run. So, only by dropping the bomb, did we save my father’s life and the rest of the pows
It was the right thing to do. I just think that many of the top officers that were giving those orders should’ve been shot immediately after their capture. Along with many who carried them out.
Growing up in Winterset, Iowa, my elementary school art teacher was Donald H. Thomas. He was a Bataan Death March survivor. He would tell his story to the community every Memorial Day weekend just before school let out. He told how they were moved from camp to camp leaving others behind to be executed. He shared one thing that stuck with me all these years. There was a prisoner who had managed to hide (all or part) of an American flag inside the lining of his shirt. Don shared that on one occasion he happened to see it. From that point on, every time they moved camps, Don would elect to follow that prisoner - come what may. He strongly credited this to his survival.
Thank you, Andy for telling the story that needed to be told. Blessings to your Father, and the many servicemen who suffered terribly under the captivity of the Japanese criminals responsible for this atrocity. Many of which were never held accountable for their war crimes. Today, we hear of “reparations” for many groups claiming various grievances. Why this group of GI’s never received compensation from companies who used slave labor, such as Mitsubishi, is astonishing.
As I told you Andy, during our conversation about this atrocity, my Mother’s First Cousin (my Second Cousin), Carlos McDermott, barely survived the Death March only to be nearly killed in a “Hell Ship” when a submarine from the US Navy, unknowingly torpedoed the ship he was held captive in. Carlos barely survived this ordeal, weighing and looking like a human skeleton, jaundiced from Hepatitis upon his subsequent rescue and return to the US. He returned as a hero to his hometown of San Diego, Tx. where he ran a successful Maytag appliance center for many years until his death. He recorded his entire nightmare on a cassette tape which he played for me several years ago.
Controversy remains over this war crime, not only for the criminals who escaped justice, but for the manner in which Douglass MacArthur escaped from the Philippines by way of PT Boat, leaving General Jonathan Wainwright to be severely tortured by his Japanese captors.
Coincidentally, I will be traveling to Saipan next month to see my Daughter, who works as a law clerk for the CNMI (Commonwealth of Northern Marianna Islands) which is a US Territory. I will be exploring the many battle sites and caves where much of the fighting occurred and where my Father served and almost killed during the battle. Will also be traveling to Tinean Island, where Dad was during the loading of the atomic bomb onto the Enola Gay. I will finish my journey traveling to Tokyo, to see the modern and successful society Japan has become.
Check out this video, "the great raid trailer"https://share.google/iz0rLfMW2FQq8oMif
Thank you Andy for your father’s history. We are so grateful and honored for his huge sacrifice to our country. I just pray the youth of this fine country learn and understand the horrific consequences of socialistic and communistic tyrannies before our midterms and the next major election so sanity prevails rather than a risk of a rise amongst these nutcakes that profess opening our borders again to the flood of criminals, doing away with police and ICE and then all the social free handouts that can’t possibly be paid for with our 32 Trillion dollar national debt and Social Security all “earned” through payroll deductions becoming insolvent by 2030.
Yea my WHITE PRIVELEGED ancestors fought and died. Served in 5 wars and even our families suffered in many ways. These illegal immigrants need to go back and fight to build their own country. Not take advantage. Fail to assimilate and try to change our country!!!
Give them all a copy of George Washington' biography on the way out the door, to use as a road map and fight for their own country where they are legal citizens.
God bless your dad, Andy. My mom was Red Cross in the Philippines and had horror stories to tell. My dad flew the European theater. When I was a kid I read a book on the "death march" and it forever touched me. Too bad our younger generation is woefully informed about our history of sacrifice... that allows them to live in freedom.
Don Peterson, Lt. US Navy, survived the march. He was a friend of our family. He and his family lived off of upper Ontare. He dug a swimming pool in his back yard where his kids and our family would swim. (Lt. W. Wenz flew a full tour in the "Slot" and was being trained for the home island invasion)
As an adult and US Army veteran, I once asked why Mr. Peterson never went in the pool. The answer; that on the Bataan Death March, and subsequent prisoner of war, he and other surviving officers were repeatedly tortured by the Japanese. One of the tortures was putting bamboo shoots under the skin and in the muscles of their legs. The scares left in his legs were serious and he never wanted people to see them. Or how it made walking difficult.
The UCSB ROTC, does a full pack Bataan march to commemorate the march and treatment.
Visited the honored US military historic site Corrigador a few years ago and looked out across the waters to Baatan. So horrid and remote from humanity in memories, yet now only a stone's throw from civilization. WWII scars run deep and the stories need retelling constantly. Thank you.
Magnificent memorial in Nagasaki closely surrounded by urban apartments with balconies and fully grown trees, overlooking this ground zero memorial. Whip lash - since both the tragic and the rehabilitation stories took place during many of our own War Baby lifetimes.
Japan chooses to remember these sites today as anti-war testaments for their own future generations. And they do choose to remember, in hopes for a better future for everyone; while not entirely erasing their own culpability. Very large memorial on Okinawa with markers with names for all who lost their lives in WWII - both Japanese and Allied forces. All of Iwo Jima remains off limits except for a small military installation, again as a sacred ground island memorial.
More than I can say for our new crop of US immigrants" calling this World War Eleven, or a day when some people did something.
Forgotten history which is retold is of current value in the voting box. Just as you have reminded us of your father's sacrifices and those of others the current generation of disrupters are unaware of events. I would hope that this would be a good use of AI to bring together proper perspective of history. It does have the ability to put it into context better than present politicians and historians with political objectives. Just as the Smithsonian has been overtaken by 'people with a view' we can't let that view erase real history. Many who were tortured and ultimately died wrote about this and other events. May their words and deeds never be forgotten.
What a great reminder of a time when everyone supported our war effort and revered these great men who served our country.
Wow, that sounds Iike what we do to other sentient beings every day, without a shred of pity or remorse.
Dr. AIbert Schweitzer -
"We must fight against the unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. They suffer as much as we do. True humanity does not allow us to impose such sufferings on them. It is our duty to make the whole world recognize it.
"UNTIL WE EXTEND THE CIRCLE OF COMPASSION TO AII LIVING THINGS, HUMANITY WILL NOT FIND PEACE."