Blood Brothers by Eugene C. Jacobs (i can read book club TXT) 📕

“Sweat Boxes” in the middle of the field-on one meal per day: Lt. Col. (Chaplain) Alfred Oliver, Lt. Col. Jack Schwartz, Capt. (Chaplain) Bob Taylor, Col. Mack Rogers, Threatt, and Rex Aton.

Almost three months later, on August 5th, the Japanese doctor (Isha) came to me and said, “Come with me!” We walked out in the field to the sweat boxes, specially to one containing Chaplain Oliver; it was about three by three by five feet, too small to sit up-too short to lie down without curling up. Isha seemed to speak English quite well. I was surprised when he seemed to be rather friendly and told me: “I like American music, especially ‘Old Black Joe,’ and ‘Way Down upon the Suwannee River,’” adding, “you must not speak to Col. Oliver. You examine him, and then tell me the diagnosis and prognosis.”

I found the chaplain semiconscious with large bruises on the back of his neck. I told Isha, “He has a fractured neck. He will die if we leave him here; he must be taken to the hospital.” Isha said “OK! You take him to hospital!”

Chaplain Oliver had married Judy and me at the Walter Reed Hospital Chapel about six years before. We both had great affection for him and his wife. It was very distressing to see him in this condition. He was a big man, in spite of many months of starvation; I had an awful time carrying him back to the hospital. (In spite of his broken neck-caused by being hit with the butt of a Japanese rifle while being interrogated regarding the Underground, he survived to return to the United States and to be honored by the Supreme Council of Scottish Rite Masons with the esteemed 33rd Degree.) I don’t believe that Chaplain Oliver ever had an active part in the Underground, but he was suspect because he was senior chaplain in the Philippines.

August 30, 1944: Again, the Japanese Isha came to get me: “Come with me! We go to examine Chaplain Taylor, but you must not speak to him! You tell me diagnosis and prognosis!”

Being a deacon in his church, I had great respect for him. He was very weak and obviously quite sick.

“Doctor Isha, I do not know his diagnosis, but I do know if we leave him here, he will die! He must be taken to the hospital.” Isha replied, “OK!”

The next day Bob conveniently coughed up a twenty-inch worm, which I could show to Isha. He seemed satisfied. I could breathe easier. (Bob survived, in spite of wounds received on a “Hell Ship” to take Judy a note that I wrote in Japan when I thought I was dying. He later returned to active duty with the Air Force and eventually became a major general and Chief of Chaplains.) He also was made a 33rd Degree Mason.

A third time the Japanese Isha came to get me to go out to the “sweat boxes”-this time to examine Lt. Col. Jack Schwartz, Medical Corps and Commander of the camp hospital. “You must not talk to Col. Schwartz! You make diagnosis! Then you tell me!” This time I didn’t have to talk to Jack; he was talking to me in medical language. He had assumed the typical position of

“acute appendicitis.” I examined Jack and reported to the Isha: “Col. Schwartz has an acute appendicitis! He will die if we don’t operate!” Again Isha said “OK! You take him to hospital! You take out appendix and show me!”

We took Jack to the hospital and got the operating room ready. Col. Bill North removed an appendix, which was quite normal. I couldn’t show it to the Isha! Fortunately for me, after viewing Jack’s recent incision, he seemed satisfied. (Col. Schwartz survived to return to the States, to go back to active duty and eventually become a major general, and to command Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco.)

Claire Phillips: While the investigation of the underground was proceeding in the Cabanatuan POW Camp, Claire Phillips (High Pockets) was picked up by the Military Police in Manila.

She was taken to the old Spanish Fort Santiago, thrown into a dungeon and then cruelly interrogated by the Kempei Tai (Secret Police) to make her talk. She was given the water treatment (a hose was put down her throat, the water turned on-until she was suitably distended, and then the interrogators jumped on her abdomen until she talked.)

Claire would have probably been executed, but was spared death by the sudden dropping of the atom bombs, followed by the quick conclusion of the war.

Cabanatuan Cats (Orchestra): Everything in camp was not always dire; we had a few lighter moments. Several captives had been successful in bringing their own musical instruments into camp. In the fall of 1942, Capt. Lee Stevens, Army Transportation Corps, was able to obtain a small piano from his home in Manila.

Soon after, Father Bruddenbrook, a Belgian priest, acquired a miniature piano and several instruments.

P.F.C. (private first class) Johnny Kratz, a clerk on Corregidor, organized an orchestra, the Cabanatuan Cats. The Japanese enjoyed music and permitted the orchestra to practice several hours each week and to give a concert on Wednesday evenings. The orchestra and singers did much to raise the morale of the camp.

Some of the musicians were from big-name bands. Eddie Booth and Pappy Harris played pianos; Marshall on the saxophone and clarinet; Lt. Claire Kuncl (57th Infantry) was tricky on the trombone; Lt. Larry Parcher and Pvt. Salas played trumpets; Chester McClure and Sgt. Melvin Reinhart played guitars; Red Kadolph beat the drums; and Captain Joe Salee sang a beautiful

 

tenor. Butch Manke, Hank Ruhl, Chuck Kaelin and Louie Baller were vocal soloists; and Sgt. Becher, Al Roholt, Hank Ruhl and Harry Mock formed a barbershop quartet called the Four Bees.

When the Cats played “Rhapsody in Blue,” you could close your eyes and imagine Paul Whiteman’s complete ensemble performing on the stage-they were that good. For a few brief moments, the horrors of reality vanished.

Because of the large number of prisoners from Texas and New Mexico, “San Antonio Rose,” “The Eyes of Texas,” and “The Yellow Rose of Texas” always received great applause.

Nearly every ambulatory prisoner placed his blanket out in front of the stage in the afternoon to reserve a seat for the eight o’clock performance. As soon as the music began, many Jap guards gathered around to listen.

Favorite songs were: “Stardust,” “Tennessee Waltz,” “A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody,” “Mood Indigo,” “Deep Purple,” “Sleepy Lagoon,” “Sentimental Journey,” “Fascination,” “Tenderly,” “Sweet and Lovely,” “In My Solitude,” and many others. A native song, “Planting Rice,” was popular. And once in a while, they even got away with “GOD BLESS AMERICA!” of course without words.

In October of 1944, the orchestra was ordered to Japan on a prison ship; the ship was unmarked, and after a few days out, was sunk by an American submarine. All members of the orchestra were lost!

Stage Shows: The first few months of camp, we had so many captives transferred to Group IV (the cemetery), that the future seemed very bleak. To raise the camp morale, Lt. Col. O.O. (Zero) Wilson began a variety program in Group I; Lt. Bill Burrell started a medicine show in Group II and Captain Bleich initiated shows in Group III.

In October, 1942, Col. Zero combined the shows into a central casting office, and every Saturday night put on a super colossal by the Cabanatuan Mighty Art Players.

Some of the actors were: Al Manning, Robin Swann, a Britisher, Don Childers, Ben Mossel, Bill Nealson, Robert Brownlee (a Negro and camp favorite), Bill Burrell, Eddie McIntyre (female impersonator), and many others.

Some of the fifty-four productions were: Casey Jones, The Drun kard, Gone with the Wind, Journey’s End, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, etc.

Glee Club: Several times, Sgt. Clarence Sayre’s Glee Club put

on entertainment in the three groups and in the hospital: “The Halleluiah Chorus” was among all time favorites.

News Reels: On a rare occasion, when the Japs had a big victory to gloat over, they would show the camp a news reel. The photography was horrible. They had not yet achieved the American know-how in making cameras, film, radios, televisions, automobiles, computers, etc.

Library: Some two hundred books were collected from the barracks in Group II. Records were kept on the back of labels off condensed milk cans. Other groups started collecting books and the number reached nine hundred including magazines.

In November, 1942, a camp library was started by Lt. Col. Babcock, assisted by Capt. Brunette and Lts. Trifilo and Edwards. Prisoner details were sometimes able to obtain books or magazines on their journeys.

Classes: Captives were forbidden to gather in groups without special permission. Classes were formed in many subjects: Japanese, German, Spanish, Russian, and Tagalog (native Philippine language). There were classes in astrology, banking, photography, history, cheese and wine making, menus, diets, etc. One prisoner, almost blind, wrote a cookbook.

Games: Many games were played during off-duty hours: cribbage, acey-ducey (U.S. Navy), chess, checkers, bridge, poker, and the like. At times baseball and volleyball were attempted, but beriberi definitely limited any enthusiasm and the games died out.

Soochow, a Chinese bulldog and Marine mascot, gave much pleasure to many prisoners-he thought he was an officer.

Masons: In August, 1943, two Masons, Chap. John Borneman and Major Howard Cavender (former manager of the Manila Hotel), were instrumental in getting money, medicine and food from Masons in Manila through the underground and donating it to prisoners.

In a camp where competition for survival was becoming a serious problem, where officer was stealing from officer, it was a real joy to see the brotherly love of Masons for their fellow men. I decided that someday I would be a Mason.

The Morgue: It was only a short distance from Zero Ward to the morgue, where bodies were accumulated, awaiting the daily trip to the cemetery.

The Cemetery (Group IV): Once each day, thirty to fifty

captives formed lines at the morgue to carry the naked bodies on window shutters to the cemetery, about one-half mile from camp. Following a brief religious ceremony, the skeletonized bodies were lowered into common graves. On rainy days the graves filled with water; it became necessary to hold the bodies down the poles, while dirt was shoveled on to them. Sometimes the rain would uncover an arm or leg; then animals ate away the flesh.

 

BOOT HILL *

 

No monuments nor flowers there amid the fields of cane,

No birds their song to fill the air, No trees to shield the rain.

 

We’ve watched these things through tear-dimmed eyes,

We’ve felt a sense of shame,

But now we see as time goes by,

We are really not to blame.

 

No, it’s surely not the best,

No glory does it claim,

It’s just the place where we laid them to rest,

Our friends who lost the game.