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

it here and pile it there.”

“Had you a. brave co-pilot, too?”

He hears the bright boy ask.

“A chaplain, named Ed Nagel,

He helped me swing the task.”

“It’s grand you were a pilot, Grand Dad!”

The old man starts to whittle:

“Well, not so grand, perhaps, my lad

But the extra rice helped a little.”

 

POSTSCRIPTS

 

Dr. Jacobs - Colonel Jacobs - Professor Jacobs - has given far beyond what most are ever asked to give… to his country and to the sick. Yet, he can look back over his life with equanimity… he is glad to be alive, and very glad to be living in this quiet, lovely city.

 

Sam Rohlfing, Editor

 

“In building an airport for the Japanese, we carried stones and dirt in a straw basket, and piled it here and piled it there, as directed, for which we received a small amount of extra rice. We called ourselves “pilots!”

Letter from Dr. John Beall

 

Dr. John A. Beall Jr.

120 Brandywine Trail

Carrollton, Georgia 30117

 

April 23, 1983

 

Dear Gene:

Thank you very much for sending me the two articles “From Guerilla to POW in the Philippines” and “Diary of a Hell-Ship Journey.” They were terrific and say a lot of things that need to be said, less the US forgets the horrors of the way the Japanese treated our prisoners. As you know I fought the war in the European Theater and we had an easy time of it, compared to your experiences. I don’t know whether I would have had the fortitude to hang in there and continue to help the others, treat their ills and wounds the way you did. Ruth tells me you are writing a book on the subject and I look forward to reading it.

Time goes by so fast and it is hard to realize that none of the top command of the Army and only a handful of others in the service saw service in World War II. We have a yearly course on the” History of World War II” as West Georgia College and the ignorance of students on the sacrifices so many made is astounding! We need to keep reminding them, that the quality of life they know was paid for dearly by soldiers like you who gave so much for their country.

I was particularly interested in this subject since right after VE Day I commanded 14 POW camps for General Patton in Bavaria. When he gave me the job I complained that I knew nothing about treatment of paws and he replied, “You should treat them the way you would like to be treated if you were a POW.” That became our philosophy and we worked our tails off day and night to treat them fairly, keep them warm and well fed and provide necessary medical treatment. I can truthfully say we had very few instances of complaint nor have any surfaced since the war.

 

Sincerely

 

“Tige” Beall

APPENDIX: LESSONS LEARNED ON LUZON

“In war there is no substitute for Victory!”

Douglas MacArthur

 

We were amazed to discover how well-informed the Japanese pilots and invading forces were, as to our beaches, bays, terrain, and especially our military bases. Their geodetic maps were more accurate than ours.

We were amazed to find Japanese fishermen’s nets-in the shapes of arrows-pointing directly to our naval bases at Olongapo and Cavite, to Clark and Nichols Airfields, and to Fort McKinley.

We were amazed as to the accuracy of Japanese intelligence, learned through houseboys, maids, store owners, fishermen, salesmen, etc. - ALL Spies!

We learned it was senseless to fight a war that you are unable to win, unless the delaying action could permit an Allied victory elsewhere.

We learned it was hopeless to fight a well-armed major power with equipment and weapons left over from the last war.

We learned it was best to be mobile when fighting an immovable force; you might live to fight another day.

We learned that guerrillas in the proper environment and in cooperation with friendly natives can harass an enemy for many months and gain much valuable time and information.

We learned that a fledgling Fil-American force on Bataan and Corregidor could sustain the most crushing campaigns of the mightiest army in the Far East for months, before being starved into submission.

Perhaps, if there had been more Bataans, the course of World War II might have been altered.

 

Eugene C. Jacobs

 

Three Great Things Necessary for Survival

In a Prisoner-of-War Camp.

 

FAITH IN THE GOOD LORD!

A WILL TO LIVE!

A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR!

Two doctors helped me achieve these: “Grandma” Jim Bruce-for good advice. Major Edwin Kagy, who after working all day on the Seriously Ill wards, came back at night to sing popular songs with his terrific tenor voice.

 

Louis J. Voras “Medic.”

Field Hospital # 2 on Bataan,

later Hospital at Cabanatuan.

 

“My men and I were the victims of short sightedness at home, of blind trust in the respectability of scheming aggressors. The price of our unpreparedness for World War II was staggering to the imagination.

“The price of unpreparedness for a World War III would be death to millions of us, and the disappearance from the earth of its greatest nation.”

General Jonathan M. Wainwright, 1946

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 

I owe a great deal to my family. For nearly four years, they didn’t know my whereabouts, nor whether I was alive or dead. I regret each and every heartache I caused them, and I appreciate all of their prayers.

I am especially indebted to my precious Judy for being the perfect wife during the most trying times, and for being very understanding during the forty years I have been assembling material for Blood Brothers.

I feel very kindly toward Colonel “Honest John” Raulston for his generous help when I was totally incapacitated in Camp Hoten, Manchuria.

I thank General “BOB” Taylor for his spiritual guidance and friendship while “the going was rough.”

I thank General Harold K. (Johnny) Johnson, the Army Chief of Staff, for 25 years of inspiration and friendship as one of the Army’s outstanding officers. Johnny, I appreciate your offer to write the “Preface for Blood Brothers,” and the chapter on “Lessons Learned on Luzon;” you would have done it much better than I, but your long hospitalization and transfer to “Boot Hill” interfered. I’ll miss your cheerful counsel. Johnny.

I thank General Aubrey Newman, war and Olympic hero, who thought I ran a “Happy” Hospital, and who insisted that I continue working on Blood Brothers, when it would have been much easier to quit.

I thank Stan and Peg Sommers, authors of the “Japanese Story,” and their friendship to me and some thousands of Ex P.O.W.s.

I thank my Masonic Brethren, who believe in these United States and its Constitution, which has made it great.

I thank Sandra Rohlfing, Assistant Editor of the Vero Beach Press Journal, for her many hours of editing Blood Brothers and for her good advice.

I thank Don Knox, author of “The Death March” for friendly advice. He used my sketches.

I thank Peter Collins, Art Editor of Time-Life Series on World War II, for his visit to Vero Beach, and for the time he spent going over the material for Blood Brothers. He used my photographs.

I thank all those good people who have made my life worth living since “The War.”

I thank the “Good Lord” for forty wonderful years of “Borrowed Time.” It’s fun to still be alive in eighty-five!

 

THE LEGACY OF WORLD WAR II TO OUR CHILDREN

 

In his book, “The Second World War,” Sir Winston Churchill called World War II, “The Unnecessary War,” stating that “Hitler could have been stopped in 1935, in 1936 and even in 1939, if two Western democracies had not been too timorous (afraid) and too stupid to react.”

At that time, the political leaders of the Western democracies were:

 

Franklin Roosevelt

Joseph Stalin

Winston Churchill

Charles De Gaulle

The awesome results of that fear and stupidity were:

22 million persons - killed

34 million persons - wounded

142 thousands Americans - captured

$240 billion in property - damaged at a cost exceeding $1 trillion,

“ALL UNNECESSARILY!”

The legacy of World War II (by fear and stupidity) left to our children was a National debt exceeding $250 billion, a debt that may not be paid during this century.

Thank God we have a president and administration that understands the Russians. They will soon learn to understand the Japanese. No one will ever understand the Middle East.

INDEX

 

A Aguinaldo, Gen. Emilio, 37-39

Aldridge, Col., 104

Allen, Dr, Beulah, 13-18

Allen, Lt. Col. Henderson, 13

Aparri, 16-18, 40

Armstrong, Gen. George, 110-113

Arnold, Cape Robert, 29-30

Atom Bomb, 107-116

Atrocities, Japanese, 47, 73-76

Australia, 34

B Babcock, Col., 72

Baguio, Summer Capital, 10-19

Bahrenberg, Maj. James, 7

Balsam, Col., 104

Balete Pass, 22, 32-35, 118

Bambang, 28-42

Bataan, 7-28, 34-43, 119, 122

Bauer, Louie, 71

Beall, Gen. John, 3, 120-121

Becher, Wes, Sgt., 71

Beebe, Gen., 104

Beecher, Col., 49, 81-90

Bell, Don, Radio KZRH, 10

Beriberi, 49, 56-60

Berry, Maj. Wilbur, 7

Bertz, Maj. Wesley, 7

Bilibid Prison, 6, 41, 69-89

Bliss, Gen. Raymond, 117

Borneman, Maj. John, 63-64, 72

Boone, Maj. John, 67

Boothe, Eddie, 70-71

Boynton, Col. “Pappy”, 115

Bluemel, Gen. Clifford, 104

Bradley, Capt. Ruby, ANC, 12-22

Brazil Maru, 42-96

Brownlee, Bill, 74

Britain, 14-15

Brown, Maj. Ralph, 72

Brougher, Gen. Wm., 104-119

Buddy System, 94, 102

Burma Road, 110

Burrell, Bill, 71

C Cabanatuan Cats (Band), 70-71

Cabanatuan City, 23, 60-67

Cabanatuan Camp (POW), 6, 42-78, 113

Cagayan Valley, 28-39, 41

Camp O’Donnell, 51-53

Cargadors, 28

Carberry, Chap. Richard, 63

Casiguran, 34-36

Cavender, Maj. Howard, 72

Cavalry, 26th, 29, 118

Cavite, 13, 23, 116, 123

Cebu, 76

Cemetery (Group IV), 53-73

Chamberlain, Lt. George, 103

Chambers, Lt. Beatrice 12-22

Chapels, 50-63

Chase, Gen. Wm., 81-82

Childers, Cape Don, 71-72

Chloa, 4, 14, 19-20, 36, 74, 103-110

Churchill, Sir Winston, 14, 124

Clark Field, 12-23, 116-117, 122

Cleveland, Cape Arthur, 64

Cooper, Col. Wibb, 16, 104

Costello, John, 18

Cothran, Maj. Wade. 97-100

Craig, Lt. Col. Riney, 25-43, 95

Corregidor, 22-26, 30-41, 51,122

D

Dagupan,. 19, 82

Day, Capt. Morris, 64

“Day of Infamy,” 18

Dawson, Rev. Wm., 64

DEATH MARCH 41-53, 76

Deficiencies, 39, 115

DeMaio, Charles (WOP), 67

Dibulwan, 30

Donald, Maj. Sam, 63

Drake, Gen. CC, 104

Duffy, Chap., 63

Dugan, Chap., 63

Dunkirk, 14

Dutch East Indies, 56-58

E

Echague, 29-36, 38-39, 42

Eisenhower, Gen. Dwight, 108

Elizabeth, Queen, 118

Elizaldi, Juan, 65

Ellis, Lt. Jack, 117

Enoura Maru, 97 -10 1

 

F FARM, THE, 55

Fay, Col. Dudley, 115

Fisher, Capt. James, 78

Flores, Naiomi (Looter), 65

Ft. McKinley, 13-16,

Ft. Santiago, 40

Ft. Stotsenberg, 16

France, 14

Fukuoka, 102-103

Funk, Gen., 104

Funston, Gen. Frederick, 37

G Ganahl, Maj. Josepf, 19-20, 94, 102

Geneva Convention, 74

Germany, 10

Gerow, Gen., 17

Gillespie, Col., 3-99, 102-108

Gingles, Col. Charles, 117

Gloria, Senor (Tiente), 26-38

Groups I, II, III, IV, 40-72

Groves, Gen. Leslie, 114-116

H Halsey, Adm. Wm., 86-88

Hankins, Maj. Stanley, 104

Hart, Adm. Thomas, 19

Hawaii, 3-68, 74

Hay, Camp John, 3-10, 21, 116-118

Hay, John, Sec of State, 11

HELL SHIPS, 3, 69-107

Herbst, Maj. Mark, 104

Hirohito, Emperor, 73, 104

Hiroshima, 107

Hitler, Adolph, 14-17

Homma, Gen. Masahuru, 12-19,

 

28-35, 51

 

Horan, Lt. Col. John, 3-20, 31-37,104

Hoten, Camp, 105-114, 123

Hull, Sec of State, 10

I

Ilagan, 37

Ilongots, 30-31

Imperial Rescript, 66

Italy, 17

Iwanaka, Maj. (Camp C.O.), 64

J Jacobs, Alexander C., 118-119

Jacobs II, Maj. Eugene, 67, 118-119

Jacobs, Judy, 2, 26-61, 102-107,118-119

Jacobs, Lindsay, 118-119

Jacobs, Capt. Mary, 118-119

Japan, 3-124

Joint Army-Navy Board, 11

Jones, Dr., 23-30

Jones, Gen. Albert, 104

Jones, Isabella 28-36

Johnson, Gen. Harold, 3, 53-63, 84-94, 121-124

Jorgenson Family,