I found this book at the small time thrift store where I live. I am revolted by what I am reading, but cannot put it down.
It sheds light on McArthur the egotist and narcissistic. It also enlightens on what the GIs thought of “I shall return”. They mocked him. He had a tendency not to believe his intelligence officers but to believe what he wanted to believe. Dedicated and professional, but flawed in some ways. Japanese had banished their best general to Manchuria due to rivalry, and assigned him to defend Philippines after it was a lost cause.
Japanese soldiers were mostly beasts; stealing and raping whenever it suited them. Played sadistic games for their own entertainment.
The fight to take and saved the wrecked electrical plant was a total exercise in futility. Did not make strategic sense for taking a worthless objective.
I know we had internees who were in dire straits due to cruel starvation by the Japanese, but couldn’t this somehow have been avoided? Probably not. This is what our GIs would have faced had they invaded Japan!
Amazing GI soldiers!
I felt the same way reading this book. I was revolted but fascinated at the same time. Hard to read in places.