We believed ourselves lucky when we could find
a shred or two of meat in the soup.
Our captors reasoned that slow starvation would make us too weak to
resist authority or to attempt to escape. To further insure our
servility, the Japanese divided us into groups of ten "blood
brothers." If one attempted to escape, the other nine would be
severely punished. Recaptured escapees were paraded around camp by
American guards for twenty four hours and then used for bayonet
practice by the trainees and Koreans.
First Night: During the first night in camp, I spent several hours
walking under the stars, just thinking. Life had been much better with
the guerrillas; I was free to go many places not occupied by the Japs.
I ate much better.
But what was done was done! There was no question that the captives in
Cabanatuan P.O.W. Camp needed all of the medical care I could give
them. From that point of view, I reasoned that I was in the right
place. .
I wondered if Judy could see the same stars that I could the hunter
and his two dogs, and the Southern Cross. When we lived in Garden
Court (near Nichol's Air Field), we used to delight in watching the
moon and the stars shimmering in Manila Bay.
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