Evening star., 1945-11-18

A # int prefer
After we wer
sSsh' "ainwrsh. seated, the
took their places on the foldinI
chairs and stools opposite us.
Yamashita, the so-called "Tige
Of Maiaya," was man as large a
my old opponent Homma and lit
tie f1eshier. He had been hidini
out in the mountains to the west o
Cagayan Valley and had beel
brought in the day before by a de
tachment of American troops. Hi
beribboned uniform was dirty ant
impressed. Gen. Percival staret
impassively, at him, masking what
ever emotion he felt over witnessing
the unconditional surrender of tn,
man who had SO aggressively forced
the same thing on Percival at Sin
gapore in February, 1912.
Gen. Leavey conducted the briei
ceremony. The Japs signed ane
then Gen. Leavey affixed his sigma.
ture for the United States, handing
one of his two signing pens to me
He then announced that the Japs
having unconditionally surrendered
would be removed under guard a:
prisoners of war.
Large MP Takes Over.
Immediately a large and capable
looking MP major came in with
three or four muscular enlisted men
He walked up to Yamashita
punched an extended index finger
into the Jap generals shoulder anc
motioned him out of the room like
an umpire thumbing a player out
of ball game He was to be taken
to Bilibid Prison to await trial as a
war criminal
Yamashita suddenly wept. as he
walked away I got up from the
table and strolled out of the room
with Gen. Styer.
General" I asked him, "this
might seem little strange, coming
from me, but I hope Yamashita is
shown the courtesy due his rank, in
the matter of personal accommoda-
tions, housing and food"
He'll be given everything he's en-
titled to under the Geneva Conven-
tion,"' Gen. Styer assured me. I'VE
don't want to be guilty of treating
any one as the Japs treated you and
your men"
I few back to Manila that after
noon and through the evening I was
visited by number of old friends
had not seen in years. =
That same day I saw what was
to me one of the most astonishing
sights of my twoscore of years in
the Army. Into my line of vision
at the airfeld walked a very pretty
young lady.
Sees His First WAC.
well, I'll be damned, / must
have muttered, for an officer next
to me asked me what the matter
was. I walked over to her. She
had on what was obviously the fem
mime version of an Army uniform
She even saluted me.
I beg your pardon" I said, "but
-. but what are you?"
She seemed a little startled.
Why. I'm a WAC, SIR
"A what?s
"A WAC,s she insisted.
Il thanked her and came back to
the officer.
What the devil is a wack?" I
asked him.
was still catching up with the
war. -
The next day, September 4, I
lunched with Mrs. Macarthur at
the generals residence in the Santa
Mesa region of Manila, alona with
Beebe, Pugh and Dooley.
Many warm friends were at Mich
OILS Field the next morning to see
us of. Capt. Perkins lifted the big
C-54 into the air at 8 o'clock and
headed straight east over Lapune
Bay. AS we drew of from the
eastern shore of Luzon I felt a sud-
den sadness, for though the Philip
pines had been the scene of my own
and my country's most humiliatinp
experience, I am very attached to
the islands. I felt that would
never see them again.
Fly to Guam.
We flew through perfect weather
TO Guam, whose development since
first saw it in 1908, and last saw it
IN 1910. was hard to believe. 1t.
Gen. Barney Giles of the Goth Air
Force, took us in hand that evening
and showed us our first B-29.
We left Guam in the morning and
new to Kwajalein, where the Navy
treated us handsomely, and then
new on all that night and until
noon the next day to Honolulu,
where an old comrade, 1t. Gen.
Robert G. Richardson, was waiting
for me at Hickam Field.
He had a luncheon ready, and
some great news. While we were
eating he took radio message from
his pocket from the adjutant GEN.
eral Of the Army, and told me had
been promoted to the grade of full
general. With big smile he pro-
duced eight silver stars from his
pocket and pinned them on my
shoulders. The promotion was
wholly unexpected, a very wonderful
thing for President Truman to do.
when one considers that / spent by
far the greater part Of tte war in
prison camps.
We were Gen. Richardson's guests
IN Hawaii until Friday night, Sep
tember Z, when we took OF for San
Francisco. It was cloudy as we
approached the city. But at II am,
September 8, the clouds opened and
there below us was the Golden Gate
Bridge and the green mountains to
the north Of the bay home, and
there never was ! finer word.
Telephones to Wife.
A large delegation met us at
Hamilton Field. the Mayor, several
generals and my sister, Mrs. Fred
erick Mears of Seattle, and my boy,
whom ! had missed so very much.
With my boy and my sister in the
car with me we whisked through the
Presidio and into the city to the
.Et. Francis Hotel, where heart
warming crowd had gathered. !