The next time you feel any guilt at all about the internment
of Japanese-Americans civilians in America during the Second World War, read
this book. Or just look up the history about Los Banos, and then see if you
feel the same.
While the American run camps for the Japanese-Americans resembled
small towns; complete with high schools, ball teams, elected representatives
and even ice cream along with 3 full meals a day; the American civilians in the
Philippines were faring far worse; denied access to even the wild fruits and
vegetables which grew just outside the fence while the Americans starved,
looking at the very food which could have saved their lives.
Fans of prolific non-fiction author Bruce Henderson (count
me among them) will dive headfirst into his newest book, which was released
this past spring. His style of writing, simple and to the point; coupled with
his knack for ferreting out all the smallest minutiae of the topic on which he
is writing; serve well to keep the reader riveted.
In this history of the rescue of the American, British and
Dutch civilian prisoners (there were actually 7 other nationalities represented
in the camps population) he uses both of these skills to tell not only the
story of the prisoners and how they got there, but also the story of the
formation of the American Paratroopers who rescued them in the end.
In the midst of all the suffering and misery there were
stories that need to be remembered; if only to underscore the tenacity of the
human spirit. Just as in everyday life, when all is normal, there were
individuals who stood out among the rest. Jerry Sams was one of those. He had
a knack for mechanics and radios. As a result he lived in comparative “luxury”
in the camp. He had a hot plate, a refrigerator and his carpentry skills made
it possible for him to transform his small cubicle into a more habitable place.
His saga is also the story of Margaret Sherk, an American
woman with a son, whose husband was imprisoned separately from her. She and
Jerry Sams fell in love and had a daughter together in the camp. This is one of
the most interesting parts of the book, as it sheds light on a subject not
often addressed in war memoirs about POW’s. What happens to the relationships
between husbands and wives separated for long periods of time; and how do they
cope with the unexpected circumstances of that separation?
This is also the story of a group of Paratroopers from the
511th who fought from Thanksgiving to Christmas morning 1944 behind enemy
lines. On the way back to camp, after having no regular meals for 31 days, and
precious little sleep, they realize its Christmas. After 31 days of non-stop
killing someone begins singing “Come All Ye Faithful” in a small voice. Within
moments the entire platoon was singing as they trudged through the mud,
carrying their wounded. Many of these men would suffer for the rest of their
lives with flashbacks and nightmares; which we now call PTSD. One of these men
found a unique way to cope with his demons. He wrote short stories. That man
was Private Rodman Serling. He would go on to great fame as the creator of the
television series “The Twilight Zone.”
And somehow, the author has even managed to recount the history of the advance mission
conducted by Paratroopers in retaking the Philippines and fulfilling General
MacArthur’s promise of “I shall return.” There are heroes of all shapes and
sizes in this quickly read and highly informative book.
For the story of how
well we treated our Civilian internees in America you can do no better than to
read “Last Train to Crystal City” by Jan Jarboe Russel, but be prepared; the
author likens us to the barbarians which the Japanese and Germans really were.
