Evening star., 1942-06-16

defense line, but a counter-attack
closed the gap and trapped advanc-
ing Jap forces. Apparently hard
hit by the Yank fighters, the Japs
tried only light attacks" the next
day.
ALL am writing this at the
HP'" Club Delmonte planta-
tion on Mindanao. I spent a pleas
ant evening Thursday talking with
Ed about old times. called Johnny
and Tom and said good-by to the
general. Mr.. Day, Joe Moore, Bill
Cummings, Weinert and myself took
off in an old Navy duck amphibian
at $3.50 Friday morning. Bill was
the pilot and took OF after three
tries.
We arrived at Cebu after four
miserably cold hours Had break
fast and lunch at Col. Cooks house !.
Wonderful meals. Saw q little
civilization for a change At $50
pm. we took of for Delmonte but
turned back when we were 80 min
uteS away from Delmonte because
of the weather. was exhausted
but not too tired to drink a glass
of beer and eat some ham and eggs
at restaurant before going to
bed.
woke at am, took off at
5:45 am, arriving at Delmonte at
7:45. Shortly after dawn we sighted
Jap plane and were mighty glad
he didn't see us. This place is
heaven after Bataan-plenty of good
food and pineapple in all forms.
The officer at Delmonte men,
toned making me a material officer,
but don't like it. I want some ac-
tion. am sick of sitting on the
ground. I spent miserable night
last night-not enough blankets My
digestion is of, too-it's not used
to good food in sufficient quantities.
Gn Bataan the Yanks were max
ing their last desperate stand
against overwhelming Jap forces
They managed to sink several barges
of a huge Jap feet attempting to
land on the east coast of the pen
insula. Jap bombers pounded Cor
regidor almost continuously.
A:I7 am still at Delmonte.
April Haven't done much ex-
cept eat and sleep since my arrival
May get on the ferry business TO
Bataan. I am certainly not going
to sit here and vegetate.
This place is really wonderful.
The air is comparatively dry and
cool and there are no jungles Just
pineapple fields as far as you can
see. Everything Is so peaceful here,
some people don't seem to realize
there's war on.
With this April 7 entry, 1t. Tom
Gerrity's chronicle of the PHILIPPINE
war ends. The same day he wrote
everything is so peaceful here" the
Japs were pushing slowly ahead in
Bataan. Two days later, Washing
ton announced the peninsula had
fallen.
Seriously i'll with another attack
OF dengue fever. 1t. Gerrity waited
in Mindanso, praing he might be
taken south where he would be
given a plane and once more al
lowed to fight the Japs in the one
way he believed they could be
beaten.
On April IL an expedition Of 10
medium American bombers and
three United States flying fortresses
arrived at Delmonte. 1t was led oy
Brig. Gen. Ralph Royce of Hancock,
Mich; Lit. Col. John Hubert Davies
of Piedmont, Calf, and Capt. Frank
P. Bostrom of Bangor, Me. 1t. Ger
rity tottered down the landing field
Me did The medium bombers
were from his old outfit, were flown
by his old buddies. Tom Gerrity was
home" at last.
Two days later he left the Philip
pines as cc-pilot on a bomber with
his old friend James B. MacFee,
pilot When I saw Mac and the
rest Of the boys at Mindanao." Ger
rity said later, "it was the happiest
moment of my life"
Today Chicagoan Tom Gerrity Is
stationed at a United States air
base somewhere In Australia" He
has gained back most of the IS
pounds he lost in Bataan. He has
enough to eat, good place to sleep
and, above all, planes to fly. Like
every other Yank In Australia, Tom
Gerrity is going back to Bataan.
Copyright, 1912. by the Chicago Times,
Inc Repr ooro ton in whole or in part pro-
hibited)
THE END.