Evening star., 1944-02-11
TEN z,c4,Q zi5u % SbByE
Jops Refused to Allow Burial Of Men
Who Died in PestientioI Prison Comp
BY CONIDR MELVIN H MCCOY, U. s. N, and
1T. col. s. M MELLNIK, u s. A,
As Told to u.
Chapter W-Dead Unbured Days.

finally found that he could wriggle
out of his bonds.
At about noon Of the second day
he apparently became crazed by the
combination of heat, hunger and
thirst. He jerked out of his bonds
and ran to the stockade gate and
let himself in. Once inside his own
barracks he got some water and lay
down.
Despite the fact that this prisoner
voluntarily ran back inside the
prison stockade, the Japs made a
great commotion over a charge OF
attempted escape. At about S pm
we were herded into our barracks
under guard. The barracks were SO
flimsily constructed, however, that
it was impossible to prevent the
prisoners from seeing what went
on outside. Those prisoners who
were near enough thus could look
through the chinks in their bar
racks as the Japanese lined up the
five Americans and two Filipinos
and executed them by rifle fire.
1llCIc WIS llO Jlldl.
Comdr. Mccoy:
The problem of food always was
pressing one. For breakfast we
were rationed one mess kit of lugao,
thin concoction of rice and water.
At noon and at night we received
one mess kit of steamed white rice,
with about a half q canteen cup
of greenish colored soup, usually
with no substance in it. When
there was substance, it consisted
of camote tops. the leafy part of
the Philippine sweet potato. In the
five months the only piece of meat
I ever received was a half-inch
cube from a carabao which died
on the prison grounds.
Once the Japs gave us three
chickens and nine eggs for each
mess Of 500 men-doubtless so they
could claim in their propaganda
that we were fed on chickens ana
eggs. After my escape, and return
to the States, was shown Japanese
statements which de-
clared American prisoners OF war
in the Philippines are given the
same diet as that received by the
Japanese soldier.
Such a fare, to us, would have
seemed sheer luxury. For breakfast
the Japense soldier has a vitamin-
lied mush with his rice. At noon
he has fish. pork or chicken and
with his rice. At night
he has his biggest meal, and meat
Is always served with it.
Starved by Captors.
The diet we received at Caban-
tuan would not sustain normal life.
In June and July Of 1912 the
death rate Of Cabantuan was 80
Americans a day. Each morning
more bodies were brought out to
await burial. This sometimes was
matter of days. Not until late Au-
gust did the Japs finally consent to
let us mark our graves. and allow
our chaplains to hold burial serv-
ices.
1t. Comdr. A. E. Harris, U. S. N,
became critically Ill of malaria and
dietary complications. For four days
ne was unconscious, omitting an
occasional respiratory rattle which
could be heard throughout the en-
tire barracks. During those four
days we made every effort to have
him transferred to the hospital.
There were no medicines, but he at
least would have had the care OF
trained doctors and hospital corps
men. Permission to remove him
finally was obtained on the fourth
day, but he died while being taken
out Of the hospital gates. Such oc-
currences were not uncommon.
Our contact with japanese on
cials was carried on by the camp
commanders we ourselves had
chosen from our most able senior
officers. The job Of these camp of1i-
cials was hard and thankless one,
for the Japanese interpreters at the
camp headquarters, usually nom
combatants, weer particularly fond
Of slapping American prisoners on
the slightest provocation, or no
at all.
Tomorrow: Attempts to escape.
Copyright, 1914, by the Bell Syndicate,