Evening star., 1945-09-07
As Prisoners Of Japs
Brought Directly Back
ToU. 5. in NavyP|anes
Ey the Associated P.ess.


OAKLAND, Calf, Sept. 1.-Two
transport planes loaded with IS
thin and weary, but happy, sailors
and Marines, the first prisoners of
war from Japan to be flown directly
back to the United States by the
Navy Air Transport Service, landed
at Oakland Airport early today.
Two other MATS transports, carry
ing more liberated prisoners of war,
are due later today.
The C-54 transports picked up the
former prisoners at Guam and
brought them direct to the United
States via Honolulu, after other
MATS planes had carried them
from Tokyo Bay to the Marianas.
Waiting anxiously as the planes
completed the 8,000-mile flights
were relatives and friends of the
returning men, with whom they
held happy and fearful reunions.
Tells of Stealing Food.
Among the repatriates was Clay
ton o. Decker of Paonia, Colo, mo-
tor machinist's mate second class.
one of the nine survivors of the sub
marine Tang, sunk by one of its own
torpedoes between Formosa and
China last October Is.
Mr.. Decker told tale of cruel
treatment at the hands of japanese,
and also disclosed that he was sta
toned for time at the same camp
with Maj. Gregory Pappy) Boy
ington, 26-plane Marine aerial ace,
who is due tomorrow.
'Pappy and I made out pretty
WELL" he said. I'VE both were as
signed to the job of cutting wood for
the galley and we were pretty good
food stealers."
Mr.. Decker was met by his red
headed wife, Lucille, and 4-year -old
son, Harry Leroy, from whom he
had been separated for % months.
Mrs. Decker lives in San Francisco.
Picked Up BY Destroyer.
He was trapped in the forward
room of the Tang when one of it's
own torpedoes proved defective and
circled around, hitting the stern Of
the craft. Comdr. Richard H. OKane
of Durham, N. c., skipper of the sub,
was unable to prevent the freak
accident through evasive action.
Capt. O'Kane, who also escaped, will
return home in the next few days.
Thirty other men and I were up
forward" Mr.. Decker related. 81
thought I was the only one in that
section who got free, but 1 under
stand an officer and another en-
listed man also escaped 1 found a
hatch and reached the surface by
using Monson lung.
The few survivors and I were in
the water four and a half hours
when we were picked up by a Japa-
neSe destroyer. We we're forced to
strip and stay in the baking sun
for five days until we were blistered.
When We reached Formosa we were
paraded through a village clad only
in our shorts and blindfolded. The
natives yelled and cursed at us.
Then we were taken to Nagasaki
on Japan where we got a bowl of
rice, the only food given us outside
of two hardtacks a day.
Lie to Save Selves.
"At the torture camp of Ofuna we
were questioned and beaten. and
there we learned to lie so We could
save ourselves.
Mr.. Decker has one more year of
college work in entomology at Colo
RADIO State and thinks he will 90
back because Il know lots about
bugs now and might as we'll finish
the deal"
With him aboard the transport
plane were Pfc. Arthur D. Andrews,
Mount Carmel, ILL.,; Corpl. Thomas
=. Collins, Ozark, Ark; Pfc. o. C.
Gilbert, New Orleans; Corpl. Irwin
j. Engler, Underwood, N. OAK, and
Seamen Raymond J. Jakubielski,
Alexandria, La; Carlisle Herbert,
Ainsworth, Nebr.; Paul D. Town.
send, Mathews County. Va; Herbert
A. Breckenfeld, Winthrop Harbor,
Ill; j. F. Lack, South Bend, Ind. :;
Paul D. Russell. st. Louis; Glen E.
Michels, Viosa, Iowa, and Norman
A. Albertson. Edgewater -Muskegon,
Mich.
ALI but Decker were veterans
OF Wake, Corregidor and Guam.
They were to receive physical check
ups at the Oak Knoll Naval Hos
pital here, but appeared to be in