Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-11-16

ice cream appetite on record. Any
way, he ate enough that night to
founder himself.
The next morning, August %,
appeared at reveille for the raising
Of The Flag on new pole being
put into operation that day. It was
blood-tingling sight for all of us,
for it was the first American flag
we had seen since the last one came
down on Corregidor. The Flag is
a stirring emblem at any time but
you can imagine our own emotions
as we stood there and saw it for
the first time in 80 months.
After a breakfast of real eggs the
camp commander took me on a
short inspection tour which opened
my eyes to the enormous strides our
country had made during my long
years of Imprisonment. The SIM
plest things were foreign to me
new small arms, the shape of the
helmets, new uniforms, new planes,
cars, new and at first incompre-
hensible terms, such as CT, to de-
scribe an American soldier.
We were in Chungking by 100
that afternoon. 1t. Gen. Wedemeyer
greeted us most cordially at the
short, colorful Chungking airstrip
and took Gems. Moore, Jones, Beebe
and me to fine quarters in his home
where he saw to it that we had
luxurious baths and replaced some
OF our ScarecroWish clothing with
his own fine uniforms. Another
marvel he had was a radioed photo
OF my wife on which was a note
In Adele's handwriting.
Receives DISC.
That afternoon I ACCOMPANIED
Gen Wedemeyer to his headquar-
tiers. held q brief press conference,
sent on q radio to my wife and
then one to the adjutant general
repoFtiag officially my return and
that of the other American officers
with me- Late in the day I re-
ceiyed from Wedemeyer-in
deeply moving ceremony-the Dis
tinguished Service Cross which had
been awarded to me by Gen. Mac
Arthur on January 80, 1912, for
services performed in the North
Luzon campaign.
In the evening after a dinner
that was hard to believe, even
though it was spread there before
me, went back to Wedemeyer's
Office and made my first broadcast
to the United States. I said SUBJ
stantially what I had told the re-
porters earlier in the day:
well, here I am, looking pretty
old, but, I assure you, feeling 20
years younger than I did 10 DAYS
ago.
Il imagine most of you know that
because of circumstances over which
1 had no control, and in order to
avoid what would have been a far
greater disaster, I was forced on
May 6, 1912. to tender to 1t. Gen.
Homma the surrender of my forces
in the Philippines.
MY gallant troops had perhaps
made defense against more over
whelming odds and under more
disadvantageous circumstances than
troops of the American Army had
been confronted with in the history
Of that Army.
Accepted Disaster.
II had little direct contact with
my country or official agencies
thereof for over three years. But
such contact here and there as II
had caused me to believe that the
administration and the War De-
partment and the American people
had accepted my dire disaster with
the forebearance and generosity
which are perhaps unique in the ex-
perience of any defeated comman-
der"
That night was another still
hard-to-believe encounter with
clean sheets and bedsprings. In the
morning I attended to a pile of
paper work and then called on Gen.
eralissimo Chang Kai-shek at his
residence 10 miles down the
Yangtze..
After another perfect day in
Chungking. part of which spent
with my old and dear friend, Maj.
Gen. Pat Hurley, took off on Aug
ust 80 in 1t. Gen. Stratemeyer's
specially rebuilt Bit for Manila
accompanied by Beebe, Pugh, Dooley
and Sergt. Carroll, the survivors OF
the party which accompanied me
to the surrender to Homnla. Gen.
Percival also accompanied me. Our
schedule called for us to stop of
Sharing Food R