Evening star., 1945-09-26
szsassss .sssss asess ss
Gen. King Cites Death March,
Urqes Stern Control of japan

had no news of the world. Until we
left Mulkszak. we had news
courtesy of the Japanese-in an
English-language newspaper printed
by the enemy. This neWs-made
our bitterness and hatred all the
stronger.
This bitterness and hatred has
reached maximum proportions to-
day. l am back home safe, but how
can forget these people? How can
forget my men at Bataan?
I think my personal surrender of
the troops at Bataan was my
punishment. I feel 1 must apologize
over and over from the bottom of
my heart that was about the best
treated war prisoner the Japs ever
had. But despite the anguish and
torture my men suffered in those
dark days when they made such a
heroic stand, and later on the march
of death, l. too, suffered. l suf-
fered the greatest humiliation an
America Army officer can have
personal surrender to a victorious
enemy.
Rode in Jeep.
AS I rode in an Army jeep on that
memorial day of April 9, 1912, l
thought of another general, Gen
Robert E. Lee. Seventy-seven years
previously-on April 9, 1865-the
great Confederate leader had to sur
render to Gen. U. S. Grant at Ap-
pomattox. AS he prepared to go,
he said: There is nothing left for
me to do but go to see Gen. Grant
and l would rather die thousand
deaths"
A thousand deaths would have
been better than to have taken the
order from the japanese commander
at Bataan. Lieut.. Gen. Masaharu
Homma, to come forward and meet
him. An Army man dies inside
when orders like that come. 1t was
bitter but inevitable defeat. My
men were exhausted by short ra-
tions, by disease and constant battle
with a foe who outnumbered us by
five, six, seven or even eight to one
There was gloom and an obvious
feeling of depression in the air.
Fresh Japs had been rushed
against men without sleep. ridden
by fatigue, cut off from reinforce
ments. worn from the epic of
Bataan
I sent forward my chief of artil-
lery, Col. E. c. Williams, under a
white flag to make an appointment
to see the japanese commander for
formal surrender. Col. Williams
returned to our lines with the word
that the commanding general should
come forward. That was when I
would rather have died a thousand
deaths.
Homma Sends Officer.
With my two aides, Maj A. C..
Tisdelle and Maj. w. c. Cochran, l
rode in an American jeep on which
futtered the white flag of surrender
toward the japanese field head
quarters. Gen. Homma, to whom
l was to offer formal surrender,
sent staff officer to represent him.
This was another humiliating and
CALLING note in this battle hymn of
death which was to come to soldiers
broken in body and spirit, but hold
ing on TO life as long as possible.
AS was their custom, the Japa-
nese surrender talks were made
through an interpreter and. might
add, a very poor one For three
days after that. We were held at
Balanga where we were questioned,
still through an interpreter, by
Japanese intelligence officers.
/ do not know what my men
thought when they began their
I can well imagine, how
ever. They could not see me, as 1
was held by the japanese in room
with shutters pulled close. But
through the Stats l could see the
remnants Of beaxsp yet proud lot
of men as they began their march
of death. I saw them every day and
every night during my three years
as prisoner. prayed for them and
their families back in the States
I prayed that 1 would live to get
back with them to share with them
the bitter memories of one of the
worst defeats in American military
history.
Japs Gloried in Torture.
We had received permission to
kill our men rather than have them
buried alive as they fell exhausted
on the death march from fatigue
and malnutrition. Death in this in
stance was far better than a linger-
ing living death accentuated by a
fanatical enemy who gloried in tor
ture. The japanese left them to die
on the roadside or they buried them
alive, and in some instances forced
the Americans to bury their buddieS
their own flesh and blood, good
American flesh and blood destroyed
in savage style by the enemy. We
burned ollr records and after that