The farm was started with a few farmers and expanded very rapidly.
Groups of one hundred men each were marched out of camp every morning
barefooted to spend the day on the farm.
The farmers worked under many difficulties; the sun became very hot.
Farmers were not allowed to squat down or to bend the knees. They had
to work bent over from the waist. They received only a fifteen minute
yasume (rest period) in the morning and another in the afternoon.
There was much language confusion; much misunderstanding followed by
frequent slapping, kicking or beating.
Nearly every day the Japanese insisted upon larger and larger details
insisted that more and more patients be returned to duty from the
hospital in order to work on the farm. The workers received a small
amount of extra food.
Much to my surprise, many sick patients, that we thought were too
sick for duty, were becoming rather husky farmers.
More to my surprise, the Jap guards soon found they could make extra
money by taking farm products to the market in Cabanatuan city, where
they were sold to the civilians.
Camp Hospital: The hospital was first opened in June, 1942, by Col.
Pages:
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94