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Posted on 02/23/2010 10:45:48 AM PST by NYer
WOW
That was inspirational...
My mom and dad were at Los Banos. There are a couple of great books on the camp and its liberation, one written from more of a military point of view, one from an internees point of view. Ping me if you want titles and such.
Are you familiar with it?
Of possible interest to your list.
Aperfect example of what the power of faith and the power of the U.S. Military can do when meshed together.
amazing story, amazing faith, and our amazing American GI
Rod Serling was one of those paratroopers..
A demo specialist, winner of the purple heart.
Sure am. I have 6 books that deal in somewhat with Los Banos. “Deliverance at Los Banos” is another good one. Here is one coming out in September:
http://www.amazon.com/Los-Banos-Prison-Camp-Raid/dp/1849080755/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266952598&sr=1-2
Great story. My Dad was stationed near there about a year later.
Small world story: I ride the bus to work with an attorney. After talking for a couple of months, we found out his father drove one of the trucks in the convoy who ferried the internees, including my mom and dad, from the landing spot on Laguna de Bay to their new digs closer to Manila.
In addition to my parents having met at Santo Tomas and ending confinement at Los Banos, my grandfather was on the Bataan Death March. The very best book I’ve read about the Death March (and I have about a dozen) is a new book “Tears in the Darkness” by Michael and Elizabeth Norman. It is a fantastic book.
For Santo Tomas, where the rest of my family was for the duration of the war, “The Santo Tomas Story” by A. V. H Hartendorp is the best. It is out of print, but 6 used copies are currently available on Amazon. My uncle has numerous mentions in the book for his building of a radio in camp. There is no shortage of books about Santo Tomas.
“Ghost Soldiers” by Hampton Sides is a very good book about the rescue from Cabanatuan. After being on the Death March, grandpa was at Cabanatuan until two weeks before the raid described in the book, ending the war in Bilibid in Manila. This book discusses a lot about the Death March and Camp O’Donnell as well.
Thank you for sharing those amazing family stories. The WWII generation was the best!
I was just going to post that...thanks for sparing me the trouble :-)
Years ago when I was a young nurse.. Our Diabetes educator had been a child in the Philippines.. Her parents were protestant Missionaries.
They were interned by the Japanese.
Staggering history made by your family.
Grandpa was 60 years old when he survived the Death March. Being in the Army from 1903 to 1912 and the Marines from 1912 to 1924, he first tried to re-enlist with the leathernecks. Told he was too old by the Marines in Manila, he went back to the officer he has served under in Bataan in 1907, setting up artillery emplacements for the Coastal Artillery Corps. Then he was Lt. Douglas MacArthur. Now General MacArthur made him a Captain and grandpa blew up bridges behind “Dugout Doug” as he retreated onto Bataan.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andyairriess/2621304069/sizes/l/in/set-72157605881670468/
Grandpa died in 1957.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andyairriess/2621305797/sizes/o/in/set-72157605881670468/
Remarkable for any one to have survived and him especially due to his age.
He sounds a remarkable man...His loyalty to his wife is humbling.
Thanks for sharing the story of your family .
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