My Dad was in the Army Air Corp with General MacArthur first on New Guinea and then the invasion of Luzon.
He was there on the beach when Doug walked across the water and said “I have returned”.
He returned from Luzon on a hospital ship. He suffered a bullet wound to the head and abdomen. He also had all his upper teeth knocked out by the butt end of a Japanese rifle.
His quote: “Don’t ever trust a Jap, they are sneaky Bastards”
The difference between the Japanese culture and ours/European is that the Japanese believed it was dishonorable to be captured alive. They believed in that you should fight to the death. Hence, they did not treat US/British prisoners well IF they surrendered.
WOW! What a story. Thank you so much for sharing. Your father was a genuine hero and I can not thank him, as well as you and his entire family, for his dedication and sacrifice.