"Rescue at Los Banos" by Bruce Henderson (2015)

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.

http://robertwilliamsofbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-train-to-crystal-city-by-jan-jarboe.html

"The Train to Crystal City" by Jan Jarboe Russell (2015) A Review/Commentary

This is a very well written book. It takes on a very emotional topic. Therefore, this is not an ordinary review. But before I begin I want to say that; with the exception of the chapters dealing with the treatment of the Internees in America; I found this book to be very informative. 

The American policy at the end of the Second World War in regards to Displaced Persons has not been explored enough by past authors. Ms. Russell has done an excellent job in reporting on that aspect of our history. The apologist’s portions of this book are what made it difficult for me to do a "straight" review of it, without commenting on that aspect of the work. 

Note:  This paragraph is from a Wikipedia page about the Santo Tomas Internment Camp in the Philippines.  It is important that you read this paragraph before reading this book.

“Santo Tomas Internment Camp was the largest of several camps in the Philippines in which the Japanese interned enemy civilians, mostly Americans, in World War II. The campus of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila was utilized for the camp which housed more than 4,000 internees from January 1942 until February 1945. Conditions for the internees deteriorated during the war and by the time of the liberation of the camp by the U.S. Army many of the internees were near death from lack of food.”

Contrast the former description of Santo Tomas with the conditions, as described by the author, of the conditions in the Crystal City Internment Camp;

“In Crystal City the weather was sultry and hot and life settled into endeavors at normalcy. Eb and his crew worked overtime to keep iceboxes full. At Federal High School, fourteen students in the freshman class organized the Service Club. They worked in the library, distributed school supplies, cleaned blackboards and repaired desks.”

In addition, I have searched high and low for the death rates due to starvation and disease related to poor health and sanitary conditions in the Internment Camps in the United States. I have come away from that search empty handed. It is important to know these things before reading this book.

The story of the American internment camps of World War Two was not something openly explored in school when I was a kid. We had heard about the Japanese camps; which seemed somehow acceptable on two levels. The first was obvious; the Japanese had attacked us. The second was a bit more subtle. They were Asian. They were different. So, we put them in internment camps; interrupting lives, and in a way betraying our own beliefs.

But there is more to that neatly filed away story; the story of the Germans and Italians who were rounded up as well; even though their homelands had not attacked us. Even though; in many cases; their homeland was the same as ours. In this finely written book author Jan Russell opens that old sore and takes us for a look inside a darker chapter of our own history not often lit.

To begin with, let us agree that the internment camps in the United States were not the type of camps used by any of our enemies during the war. These were, for the most part, well thought out places that were even built with the advice and council of some of the leading citizens of the ethnicities who would be living in them. They were equipped with schools, hospitals, beauty parlors and athletic facilities.

They grew their own food and used the surplus to supply the nation’s war effort. Photographs taken by the inmates themselves bear all this out. Dorothea Lange photographed the Japanese aliens at the point of embarkation in San Francisco. The guards do not have weapons trained on the women and children; or the men. This was not Germany. And, neither were we the Japanese.

The memory of the Black Tom explosion of 1916 during the 3 years prior to our entry into World War One was still fresh in the minds of most Americans. Even today it still stands as one of the biggest disasters in American history. The ships were being loaded with ammunition bound for England and France. That explosion was the work of saboteurs working for Germany.

The Zimmerman telegram was still also at the forefront of many people’s minds. That was the telegram between the Germans and the Mexicans exploring the possibility of having Mexico stage an incursion on our southern border; drawing our attention away from the War in Europe and leading the way for a possible German invasion. Mexico would receive the return of the territories lost in the War with Mexico in the 1840”s.

When the Second World War broke out in Europe in 1939, it was considered to be an extension of the First World War. The Treaty of Versailles had left Germany reeling under an agreement to pay back the damages the war had inflicted on the European continent. It was believed that such a hard treaty would make it financially impossible for Germany to ever re-arm herself for a war of aggression.

When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor prematurely, she awakened the United States to the dual dangers facing the world. One in the Pacific; the other across the Atlantic in Europe; where we had been supplying the British with the materials of war for about 2 years under the Lend-Lease program. 

 

The author concentrates on the memories of the children from several displaced families in making her case against the United States and the Internment program. Two particular examples offer an insight into the experiences of a German family; while the other is Japanese.  The German family was headed by Mathias Eiserloh, who was married and had 3 children. He appears to have been a hardworking man who was trying to build a life for his family here in America. He emigrated here from Germany to live in the Cleveland area, where his sister had already begun a family.

The FBI had begun an investigation of him in 1941 before the war began at Pearl Harbor. A co-worker had given his name to the FBI based on the hysteria of the times; news columnists were already talking about the presence of “Fifth Columnists” in America. Indeed, one of the best movies of the year was about that very subject. It was called “All Through the Night” and starred Humphrey Bogart.

But, beyond that hysteria there were some facts that are still troubling, and no doubt contributed to the FBI’s interest in Mathias. Prior to the attack on Pearl, as well as the actual implementation of any Internment plans. Mathias was a former German officer in World War one; and this new war was nothing but the unfinished business of the first one. In 1935 a German official had traveled to the home of Mathias and presented him with the Iron Cross; which he had earned in the war.

And, in addition to this, Mathias was a vocal Anti Semite who railed against Roosevelt because he was really a secret Jew named Rosenfeld. He also expressed his support for Germany as she advanced across Europe in the early days of the war. He was visibly; and vocally; pro-Nazi.  Not the best example to have used in trying to engender sympathy for the subject at hand. While none of these things justify the abuses of the laws which took place; they do help in seeing why he was under suspicion to begin with.

Another German internee was Fritz Kuhn, who was the head of the Nazi Party in the United States. With over 100,000 members, this group paraded in uniform in NYC, and had collected money which Kuhn presented to Adolph Hitler in a visit to Germany in 1936 Olympics. These are hardly the actions of an innocent immigrant; to be sure. 

Then there was also Karl Kolb, who organized the prisoners and had the American flag torn down in the cafeteria and inside the compound. Much to the credit of the American in charge of the camp, the flag was removed to placate the radical Germans.

Some of the other examples used by the author are of Japanese families, and Italians; all of which contained something that compromised their “innocence.” One Japanese man used as an example of our “barbarism” was a member of the Konkokyo Federation of North America, which was a Shinto cult. They believed in the dogma of the militant leaders in Japan who launched the attack on Pearl Harbor.

 

The author claims to have interviewed over 50 former internees in writing this book and I have no reason whatsoever to doubt that claim. What puzzles me is why she chose to use the examples she did; which did nothing to gain my empathy.

But the book does work very well on the level of giving a good insight into just how the various camps came about and how they were organized. Particularly of interest is the main camp; Crystal City; located in Texas. The history of the area, and the site itself, make this book worth reading for that alone. These portions of the book; those without an agenda; were a pleasure to read. And, the book is carefully researched and contains a good index of the author’s sources. I just have a problem with the revisionist history concerning the camps themselves.

As for the subtitle of this book; "FDR's Secret Prisoner Exchange"; Towards the end of the war and right after, some of the Internees were repatriated back to their homelands at the invitation of our government. But others, like Kolb, were sent whether they wanted to go or not.

The ones selected had all failed the test of democracy. Kuhn had even tried to blackmail Helena Rubinstein in 1939, just 3 years after giving Hitler that check. His ruse with Ms. Rubinstein was that she was to give him $5000,000 or her sister in Poland would be killed by the Nazi's. He was the leader of the American Bund at the time. He was arrested later for other crimes. He, along with other undesirables, was traded for American fighting men and barred from returning to the United States. Although the author may be troubled by this, I have no problem with it, whatsoever.

In short, while I agree that the steps taken to place Japanese, Italian and German immigrants in detention camps was not our finest hour; I do have to look at this subject in the context of the times in which it occurred. We were expecting war when the plans were formulated. And we had been viciously attacked when those plans were then put into motion.

Even as we buried our dead, we continued to do everything reasonable to protect ourselves and the immigrants. We continued the education of their children; and we saw to it that they were fed and clothed properly. We did all that we could to make life as normal as possible for the people who were related to the very people who were torturing and killing our sons and daughters in a bid for the conquest of the world.

The public sentiment in the hours after Pearl Harbor was attacked lent itself to vigilante actions. Conversely, there was also tremendous concern for the safety of the immigrants. It is always easy to play Monday morning quarterback; it requires little imagination to see the “could’ve; would’ve; should’ve” of history. But that’s all folly.

You see, in the end I just re-read the description of the Civilian Internment Camps run by the Japanese; and then I look at the Concentration Camps of the Nazi’s; and then comparing them to our own, I don’t feel bad about anything. As a matter of fact, I’m proud of the actions which my country took to save the world. 

Note: For a far more sympathetic picture of the Japanese Internment question, you could do no better than to see the film "Bad Day at Black Rock" with Spencer Tracy. Although it is fiction, it makes the same point as the author is trying to impart; in a far more sympathetic way.

Bert's Story

While reading the book “The Train to Crystal City”; which I will review here on Monday; I ran across a new character who had heretofore been unknown to me. That’s a long way of saying I never heard of him before. What a story! I mean both the book; as well as the story of this man named Bert.

While flying a P-38 over Germany during the war, Bert was shot down. As a result he lost his leg and was traded in a POW exchange with Germany in early 1945. I know, you’re saying “So what? A lot of guys were wounded, maimed and came home when the war was over.” And you’re right about that. But there’s something special about Bert’s story.

On August 4, 1945; only 7 months after being exchanged as a POW; Bert was home and working. He had mastered the art of walking on an artificial leg while a POW in Germany. So, when he came home he was quick to return to work. Actually, it was kind of an extension of his old job.

The night of August 4, 1945 saw the Washington Senators baseball team being soundly whipped by the Red Sox. In the 4^th inning the score was already 14-2. Bert was watching the game anxiously; he really loved the Senators and wanted the team to win. But things weren’t looking too good on that score.

While Bert probably wasn’t that surprised at the manager’s decision to put in a relief pitcher, he was surprised at the choice of the man who would be pitching. It would be Bert.

You see Bert was a pitcher before the war; and afterwards; in only 7 months’ time, he had become the Pitching Coach for the Washington Senator’s. And on the night of August 4, 1945, he made history; when he took the pitcher’s mound and became the first man with an artificial leg to pitch in a Major League Baseball game. You may know him as Bert Shepard.

"Mrs. Miniver" with Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon (1943)

I’ve been watching a lot of my favorite old films this past week; and realizing that here is yet another one I have never posted about before. Odd; considering that it is among my favorite films. Within just 3 years of her film debut in “Goodbye Mr. Chips”, Greer Garson was an established screen presence on both sides of the Atlantic. There was a down to earth quality about her that could not be ignored.

In this film, directed by William Wyler, Ms. Garson plays the role of Mrs. Miniver, who is married to a man named Clem, played by Walter Pidgeon. They are the picture of the rising middle class in England before the advent of the Second World War. If you are a fan of Downton Abbey then you are familiar with the changes taking place at the time of the First World War. By necessity, England was becoming fairly democratic, and the old guard was yielding territory to the new.

The Miniver’s have 3 children; two boys and one girl. The eldest is Vin; played by Richard Ney; who is a student at Oxford and home for a visit when the war breaks out. Since he is of age to serve, he enlists in the RAF and enlists at the outbreak of the war. The other 2 are just children.

They are also neighbors to the formidable Lady Beldon; played regally by Dame May Whitty; along with her granddaughter Carol; played by the lovely Teresa Wright. We first meet them when Carol comes over to ask Mrs. Miniver if she would consider coaxing the local stationmaster Mr. Ballard; played wonderfully by Henry Travers; to pull his new rose from the competition in the upcoming flower show sponsored by her grandmother. Lady Beldon has won the prize for best rose for as long as the contest has been around. She is old, and Carol argues that it would break the old lady’s heart to not win.

This sparks a spirited debate between Carol and Vin; in which the young man is rude in his presentation of his argument that this is a perfect example of what is wrong with the world. It smacks of the feudal system as far as he is concerned.  He storms off after having made quite an impression on Carol. The Miniver’s are embarrassed at their son’s outburst, but Carol is very gracious and you can see the beginnings of a romance budding from the episode.

By this time the war is on and bombs are falling in nearby towns and villages. The British are cornered at Dunkirk and all available boats are rounded up to evacuate the troops and bring them home. Mr. Miniver takes the family boat and joins the others for the daring rescue of several hundred thousand soldiers.

While he is gone Mrs. Miniver is walking in the garden when she spots a pair of boots sticking out from beneath the bushes. She realizes that it is the enemy pilot who was shot down the previous day and is still at large. He commands her to take him in the house and demands food; which she gives him; before he passes out form his injuries. When he comes to he realizes that she has called the police and that he is now a prisoner. She has taken his pistol while he was out. But before the police arrive he harangues her with the superiority of the Nazi’s over the British and she slaps him. This is one of the best film slaps ever; until Sidney Poitier does his bit in 1967’s “In the Heat of the Night.”

When her husband returns from Dunkirk she is silent about her own adventure with capturing the German pilot, until the maid spills the beans. Her husband; just back from his own brush with the war; is flabbergasted that his wife handled the situation alone so well. Now he challenges her to go meet Lady Beldon, who has arrived for a visit. That, he opines, will take real courage.

Lady Beldon is old school and likes it that way. She lords her position as the dowager of the town. She was married when she 16 years old to a man who went off to fight in the First World War and didn’t make it home. Now, when Carol and Vin are planning to marry, she is opposed to it for two reasons. The first is that Carol would be marrying beneath her station; which Mrs. Miniver ejects as foolish.

The old lady then objects on the grounds that the boy may never come home. Mrs. Miniver; in her inimitable way; convinces the older woman that it is best to have a snatch at happiness than not. After all, didn’t she marry at an even younger age? And, secondly, would she trade that love now, even years later, for anything else in the world? Lady Beldon caves in and declares that if Vin has any class at all, she now knows where he got it from. That is as close to a compliment as the old woman has ever come.

When the flower show comes up it is a true test of the changes the war is bringing to Britain. The old woman is adamant about winning and has stepped up her campaign to have Mr. Ballard pull his rose; which he has named the “Mrs. Miniver”; from the competition. He refuses. In his own way the old man is in love with Mrs. Miniver and this is his only way to show that. He is equally adamant about leaving the rose in the competition.

When the day arrives the judges judge and the old lady waits for the results she knows will be forthcoming. After all, this is her contest and always has been. She is the sponsor and feels she is entitled to win. But the judges have figured out a way to make her do what is right.

When Lady Beldon gets up to announce the winner, she has in her hands the judges written decision; which shows her in first place and the Miniver Rose by Mr. Ballard as second. To be sure she gets the message they place the two roses side by side where the audience can clearly see them. They then place the trophy behind the Miniver Rose; as if to underscore their true feelings.

Lady Beldon hasn’t got a chance. She can claim the prize or admit that the other rose is the better of the two. But will pride let her? In a wonderful scene, which always leaves me a bit teary eyed, she does the right thing and even manages to endear herself to the people of the town, while still holding on to her revered place in society. She is surprised that giving can bring so much joy to everyone; including herself.

There is one last dark chapter left in the film. That comes during an air raid when Carol is killed. Vin returns home and the family bury her. The next Sunday finds everyone at the bombed out church where the Vicar; played by Henry Wilcoxon is holding services under an open roof. The Miniver’s file in and fill their pew. But Lady Beldon; with all of her wealth; is accompanied by only a footman who covers her with a lap robe and then retreats to the rear of the church, leaving the old woman alone in her pew.

Vin cannot help but notice that with all her wealth she really has nothing. As the Vicar leads the congregation in a hymn Vin crosses the aisle and shares a hymn book with Lady Beldon and the two are almost united by their love of God, Country and the recently deceased Carol. Once again, this scene leaves me teary eyed as they two close the gap between the classes with their common grief.

This movie is a beautiful tribute to the changing of the guard in England after the war, as well as a salute to the perseverance and charm that have always managed to carry the British people through whatever crisis has beset them. And did I mention that it’s also a great movie?

"Railway Man" with Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman (2013)

In this based on the real life experiences of Eric Lomax; who was a Japanese POW working on the infamous Bridge on the river Kwai; Colin Firth plays the part of the troubled veteran who returns to England at the end of the war. Although the actual war has ended, Mr. Lomax must now begin the real battle faced by so many veterans of armed conflict; he has to remember how to live.

Eric Lomax was a victim of PSTD before it had the name. He was beaten, tortured and starved at the prison camp where he was forced to labor on the railway bridge. But even more than the physical torture, the thing that hurt him the most was the actions of one man; the Interpreter. This man had the power; by the way he translated a prisoner’s answers; to affect the prisoner’s treatment by their captives. A simple inflection of his voice could change the way a POW’s answers were received, and as a result influence the severity of punishment inflicted.

When he returns from the war he is united with his wife Patti, played by Nicole Kidman. She is supportive of her husband in every conceivable way, but only time and circumstances will ever help him. And that circumstance comes when Eric finds that his old nemesis, Nagase, played by Hiroyuki Sanada, is working as a tour guide at the very prison camp where he was interred. Through a series of events the two come face to face again in the very place where the atrocities of the past took place.

As the film cuts back and forth between the past and present, Eric is forced to relive the past while confronting the demons sowed by Nagase’s past treatment. He has the man in his power now. The question is; what will he do with it?

"Act of War" by Jack Cheevers (2013)

I was just a bit over 13 years old when the Pueblo was seized by the North Koreans on January 23, 1968. Coming, as it did, in the midst of the Vietnam War I couldn’t quite understand why we just didn’t run in and bomb the hell out of them and take our ship back. As I said, I was just 13 at the time.

Six months previous to this Israel had bombed the USS Liberty in the Mediterranean as she was off the coast of Israel during the 6 day War. The United States took no action beyond a diplomatic note critical of the Israeli action. 34 American sailors were killed and over 150 wounded. How much this contributed to North Korea’s decision to seize the Pueblo will never be known; but undoubtedly it was a factor in that decision.

Author Jack Cheevers has penned a memorable book, which is also the first; to take a broad look at the Pueblo incident, as it has come to be known. This book would have you on the edge of your seat even without the extensive examination of the different scenarios which may have been at play in this story.

The main question I have always had is why the Pueblo was loaded with so much classified information and secret publications, almost none of which involved her mission, when it was headed out on a very risky patrol to probe the North Korean system of defenses? The mission was deemed risky enough to have the Pueblo maintain a 13 mile limit from shore, rather than the 3 miles usually recognized by the United States. That alone should tip you that all is not as it seems to be.

There are actually 3 different scenarios which could explain the seizure of one of our ships; it sits today as a symbol of propaganda in North Korea; and its crew, all of whom suffered for 11 months in a North Korean prison. Torture was routine and medical care non-existent. The one crewman who was operated upon for wounds received when the North Koreans attacked Pueblo, was not given any anesthesia at all for the extensive procedures he underwent. Others were returned with untreated compound fractures, and Quartermaster Bernard Law lost most of his eyesight to the effects of malnutrition.

The first and most widely accepted scenario is that Pueblo was spying on North Korea; there is no real doubt about that; and was captured. This doesn’t add up because another U.S. Navy ship, the Banner, had been doing the same thing for a few years at the time. She had some close calls when the Koreans would come out and “charge” the Banner, only turning at the last possible moment to avoid a collision. 

But this begs the question of what would have made the Koreans deviate from such limited action when it came to the Pueblo? With the ship on radio silence for the 12 days previous to the seizure we will never know, independent of the Pueblo’s own logs, whether or not she did indeed violate territorial waters.

Scenario 2 is a bit more complicated. The night before her seizure the North Koreans had slipped in a group of military commandos to South Korea. Their target was the leader of South Korea, President Park. He was to be beheaded in his palace; the intent being to trigger new hostilities with South Korea while the United States was bogged down in Vietnam. With only 50,000 American troops in South Korea at the time, it was apparent that hostilities with the North would require the diversion of troops from Vietnam, which would have been very helpful to the North Vietnamese.

At the same time there were 50,000 South Korean soldiers fighting on our side in Vietnam. An incursion by the North would most likely require that those troops be returned to Seoul in order to defend the capitol. This would have a pronounced effect on the American efforts in that war. At the time President Johnson was asking for more troops from President Park. The raid on the Blue House threatened that effort.

Still, a third and more interesting approach to the Pueblo’s seizure involves the actions of a spy ring operating in the Pacific which was compromising our “key codes” and making it almost impossible for our B-52’s to hit any targets of real value in North Vietnam. That mystery was eventually solved with the arrest and conviction of Navy Radioman John A. Walker. Along with a nephew and at least one other person, the damage done by Walker is estimated to have prolonged the Vietnam War for enough time to cost over 20,000 American battle deaths. He is still currently serving out the rest of his life in prison.

This 3^rd scenario would have the Navy making the decision to have the Pueblo become expendable. To that end it was loaded with classified information and secret publications which had nothing to do with her mission and no means of destroying it all in a timely fashion. This could only have been the result of a decision to “reset” all of the codes while making the enemy think they had captured the current ones. Then, by a comparison of the information still being leaked; or not; they would be able to uncover the source of that leak. 

                    

Even if he had not ventured into any of the politics involved in the whole affair, Mr. Cheevers has captured all of the tension and uncertainty of Commander Bucher and his crew during the tedious and sometimes trying voyage en route to North Korea; as well as the capture of the Pueblo and her crew itself. 

But the real “meat” in this book is the story of the sufferings and deprivations experienced by the crew of the Pueblo and her Captain by the North Koreans. From mock executions, beatings and show trials; as well as forcing their captives to pose for propaganda photos and even films; the North Koreans exhibited for the world their true barbarity.

The next 11 months in captivity are chronicled in stark detail, with the author making use of information culled from interviews he conducted with Commander Bucher, and some of the crew members, about their imprisonment. Commander Bucher was often separated from his men; seeing them only sporadically; yet his concern for the crew is clearly visible. After they are moved to a different location for the remainder of their interment, he is even able to establish some semblance of a chain of command.

At the same time, the author fully summarizes the careful dance between Moscow and Washington as they each try to control their separate “puppets.” To lose that control would mean a showdown between superpowers, similar to the one that had taken place less than 5 years earlier over the missiles in Cuba. In some ways, North Korea was hoping for just that scenario to develop.

The actions; or inactions; of the other branches of the Armed Forces; as well as the decisions made by top Defense officials;  including President Johnson; are all examined here. The author never really points the finger at any one individual or group; but the information is all here for the reader to draw their own conclusion as to how this seizure could have taken place unavenged. Indeed, the American public was clamoring for action. And the South Koreans were understandably enraged to the point of going to war with North Korea again. Only the promise of more military aid; including ships; was able to deter President Park from leaving the UN coalition and declaring war on North Korea.

As you review the timing of the release of the Pueblo crew, you cannot help but make some comparison to the way the Iranian hostage crisis was used to influence an election. Remember that the back door diplomacy by Ronald Reagan kept those hostages captive until after Reagan was inaugurated; just as these men were held until after the Democrats had lost the election in November 1968. Richard Nixon was about to take mantle of leadership, promising to end the War in Vietnam and recognize China in the United Nations. A full examination of the Pueblo Incident would have to take that scenario into account.

Through skillful “negotiations” and some back channel diplomacy involving a group of neutral nations, talks were begun as early as one month after the Pueblo had been seized. The North Koreans used the time at the table to cajole and rant at the American negotiators, seeming to enjoy the embarrassment that they were causing the United States. With the War in Vietnam going at full tilt, and the Tet Offensive underway, the United States was in a precarious position in relation to ever getting the crew released alive, if at all.

Mr. Cheevers also takes the time to explore the backgrounds of each of the key players as the drama unfolds, which serves to lend a wider view of the whole affair. Fully explored are questions such as who was President Park and how did he come to power in South Korea? What were the thoughts and actions of the South Korean people in the wake of the attempted assassination of their President? How did the Soviets react, and what were the American people thinking?

The book is a wonderfully crafted look at not only the Pueblo Affair, but the entire region. It also examines how North Korea; with more than a little help from China and Russia; has managed to stay afloat in the midst of her economic difficulties, which at times have kept her from being able to sustain a viable economy, or even to feed her own people. There is much to be learned from this book and its author.

"The Flame Keepers" by Ned Handy (2004)

One of my favorite Christmas movies has always been “Stalag 17” with William Holden. Though not considered to be a holiday film by most, the film does take place the week before Christmas. I always felt it offered somewhat of a real life peek inside of a POW camp. And in some respects it did just that. But, overall no movie can ever really capture the horror of being a Prisoner of War. When that film was made into a TV comedy called “Hogan’s Hero’s”, the bar between reality and what these prisoners actually went through was further blurred.

Imagine my surprise at finding this book in the stacks at the Mooresville Public Library in North Carolina the other day. Written by Mr. Handy in 2004 this book sets the record straight once and for all about Stalag 17. It wasn’t just a Broadway play, or a Hollywood movie, or even a TV show. It was years of hell for the men who lived through it; a hell they would never forget; though some would push it back further in their subconscious, only to have it come back to the forefront and haunt them years after the fact. Such was the case with Mr. Handy.

The film, written for the screen by director Billy Wilder and Edwin Blum; was originally a play by Donald Bevan and Edmund Trzcinski. It is uncannily similar to this book. Where the film has a character named Animal, this book has one named Beast. There is also a fellow from Brooklyn and a few other recognizable characters who will remind you of the movie. This actually makes the whole thing immensely readable. It does not diminish, in any way, from the intensity of what Mr. Handy experienced. Rather, it heightens the experience as you have an immediate connection with the characters from having “seen” them before.

The men in Mr. Handy’s barracks decide to escape; and after obtaining permission from the barracks coordinator; actually dig a tunnel which connects to an abandoned storm drain. The book is an invaluable insight into what life was like for the thousands of Army Air Corp prisoners held by the Nazis all throughout the war.

The book is also an invaluable insight into the mind on one man; and those around him; and how they coped, or did not, with their long imprisonment. New ways to think and dream, as well as remember, become crucial to survival. The author makes this discovery early on in his ordeal, reinforcing the notion that the key to one’s freedom really does lie within.

Note: Mr. Handy, and his story, are featured in the Bonus Materials on the re-released version of the film "Stalag 17". I watched that part of the DVD for the first time last night after finishing this book.