Evening star., 1945-11-03
(Tpenty-eighth OF a Series.J
BY GEN. JONATHAN M
WAINWRIGHT.

WAINWRIGHT.
Our days at Tarlac Prison Camp
wandered abysmally into August
1912. On the seventh Of that month
we received one of our rare visits
from the Jap lieutenant in nominal
charge Of our camp. He confronted
US during our evening roll call, ac-
cepted our salutes or bows, and,
using Col. Robert Hoffman as an in
terpreter, told us that we would
leave Tarlac and be sent either to
Formosa or Japan proper within the
next few days.
1 walked alone through the little
prison yard that night, feeling bluer
than had felt throughout my cap
tivity. was positive that Gen.
Macarthur would lead men back to
the Philippines as soon as he hu
manly could, and liberate us. I had
even put down a date of liberation
In my diary: +" by December
81, 1943." That was almost II
months away, at this time, but at
least 1t was a date and I made my
self believe in it, though I had no
word from the outside world as to
the progress of the war either in
Europe or the Pacific. But, as /
say, 1t was date . flimsy. but
something to hold to, something to
pin my faith to. One grasps at
such straws.
Sentences Being Lengthened.
But now we had been told that we
were being sent to Formosa or Jap
an. We were being moved away
from the direction in which cur
troops must one day come. Our
sentences were being heightened IN
definitely. I talked this over with
Brig. Gen. Lewis Beebe that night,
and he felt the same wave Of friis-
tration which had settled over me:
In our last days at Tarlac we
bought everything we could find to
buy, no knowing what kind OF con-
ditions we would face at our new
prison camp. Our haul consisted
mainly of Filipino cigarettes and
carahao soap.
Two days before we left Tarlac
we were warned that we could take
only such baggage as we could carry.
We packed as many Of our needed
effects as we could in our bags, or
wrapped them in bundles and put
the meager excess in Col. Johnny
Pugh's foot locker, community
carry-al.
But the Japs have a characteristic
which prompts them to make you
prepare yourself for one thing and
then instruct you differently. After
we had carefully sorted and packed
our belongings and were certain
from lifting them many times that
We would be able to carry them
1--WE were prepared, If necessary, to
abandon Push's trunk we were
told that we could take as much
as we wanted to take for trucks
would be provided.
Fed Early Breakfast.
We we're fed very early break
fast on the morning of August IL,
1912. after which we were made
to clean and polish the barracks,
latrine and yard. At about am,
when this task was completed, We
were formed in a column Of fours,
burdened down with more than we
had planned to carry on our backs,
and marched to the Tarlac railroad
station.
We were probably a pathetic
looking lot: hardly a Bataan Death
March but certainly a Parade of the
VanquiShed. Because Of the weights
on our backs it was impossible to
present any military bearing, any
vestige of our remaining dignity as
Ioficers and men.
So we just sllmped along the road
toward the station. And then a re-
|markable thing happened to US.
Hsuntingly, unbelievably, we be-
came aware that some one was
whistling whistling '"The Star
Spangled Banner"
I looked at the faces of the men
around me in the line of march.
They too had heard and were find
ing it stirring incongruity in this
setting. But none was whistling.
And then we discovered the
whistler. 1t was a ragged little
Filipino boy 10 pr II years old,
standing at the side Of the road.
The Jap guard walked menacingly
close to the kid but he never missed
a note, never faltered, until the
whole line had passed.
think we must have walked a
little straighter, little brisker the
rest Of the way TO the railroad sta
ton.
Saw Former Employe.
We were aboard the train and en-
route to Manila before an, chug-
ging through land SO familiar that
we expected momentarily to recog-
nize friends. And, indeed, we did.
The train paused at q little station
named Dao, which Is Just 5 miles
east of my old Fort Stotsenburg.
And there on the platform MAJ.
Gen. Edward r. King and I saw q
Filipino lad who had worked for
us. He was the son Of a cook.
Both father and son were working
for me the day the Jap bombcrs
came over Stotsenburg and bombed
nearby Clark Field. Both, inciden-
tally ned out the back door Of my
house that day. leaving only good
old Felenon San Pedro to bring me
the beer ordered during the raid.
They did not return for two days
after the raid.
But l WAS glad to see the lad.
and 80 was Gen. King. King gene
ercusly took Ill the Philippine
mcney he had d his pockets and