By librojeem

June 2, 2010 11:35 AM | Link to this

“Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath” starts out with apparent ambition to be the definitive work, bringing together the stories of many American survivors of the Battle of Bataan and the Death March as well as some of the Japanese soldiers who were involved. After a while the book begins to focus more narrowly on the experiences of Ben Steele. As such it becomes, as one critic noted, “a” story of Bataan and the aftermath rather than “the” story. While more comprehensive than (the many) books by survivors, it lacks their immediacy. The authors’ distance from events is further evidenced by their obvious sympathy for Japanese General Homma, an attitude which would have been nearly inconceivable by any American at that time.

By TRS

June 22, 2009 3:50 PM | Link to this

Most combat vets didn’t discuss their experiences; yet, in the company of fellow vets some were more open. Alot of WWII units, and subsequently Korea and some Viet Nam as well, continued to get together after the war and some still do to this day (one WWII guy has never missed a reunion in 43 years). I belong to a combined USAF unit that was active in WWII, Viet Nam and the current conflict in Afganistan. We had a reunion last year in AZ and many discussed told their stories, some pretty hair raising. Some in the unit didn’t experience direct combat like the infantry and Marines did, but there were a number of pilots who had been shot down and captured and all knew people who didn’t come back as did I. One pilot who had had been shot down said it was the only place he felt everybody understood what he went through. As for My Dad, he was WWII Coast Guard and was about to ship out to Europe to “drive” one of the landing craft for D-Day; however, something went wrong with his vision in one eye and ultimately he lost sight; thus, he didn’t go. Seems that in those days the military assigned doctors on an as needed basis and not by specialty. Dad’s eye doctor was a podiatrist and by the time they got him to a specialist the vision could not be restored.

By edo

June 22, 2009 11:33 AM | Link to this

we got cigarettes in the 60’s as well… in boot camp the smokers got an extra break, so after a few days everyone was smoking… regarding your dad’s lack of sharing war time experiences, that confirms one of my theorys; the more action you saw the less you talk about it… two of my childhood friends were medics in Viet Nam and I’ve never heard a thing about their experience… I was, and still am, one of the luckiest of my generation… remember? we saved the world, didn’t we?… hello?

By vick

June 22, 2009 10:18 AM | Link to this

Edo, my dad rarely talked about the war. After he suffered a stroke he talked about it a little bit more but it was a very emotional thing for him to talk about. He took a lot of photos of Nagasaki. One of my brothers has them now. The one thing that I remember is that his unit was eating farm produce from the blast area. The fallout from the bomb and the radiation dangers were not that well known yet and his commanding officers didn’t warn them about any potential dangers. It was a new world after those bombs were dropped. Meanwhile, the Japanese who survived the blasts began to show the effects of radiation sickness. My dad never talked about how radiation might have impacted his health. He died when he was 70. Back in those days the rations they got contained lots of cigarettes. My dad didn’t smoke until he joined the USMC. Those 2 packs of Winstons a day that he smoked after his time in the service were probably as lethal for him as any radiation exposure might have been. Bullets were more immediate. He never got hit by gunfire but the tobacco industry scored a bullseye on him and on thousands of others who served. The tobacco lobby was very powerful and those US Senators from states like Kentucky and North Carolina made sure our boys had plenty of smokes for those intervals of boredom that ensued following the violence that was unleashed on those godforsaken Pacific atolls…

By edo

June 22, 2009 9:22 AM | Link to this

My father was also in Nagasaki, with the Army Occupation forces… sadly he died in 1952, when I was four, so I never knew the man… but I’ve always been curious about the time line… wasn’t the ground still “hot” when your dad was there and did those Marines have health problems later?… I have some photos that my dad sent to my mom at that time and a few letters, which I discovered when my mom passed a few years ago… his letters sound alot like mine when I was in the Marines in the sixties… homesick and bored… thanks for sharing, Vick

By librojeem

June 22, 2009 8:45 AM | Link to this

The many books about Japan’s surprise attack on the Philippines (hours after Pearl Harbor), the fall of Manila, the siege of Bataan, General MacArthur’s escape by submarine to Australia, the capitulation of Corregidor, the Bataan Death March, prisoners of war and guerilla resistance could fill several shelves. This book looks like it may be the definitive work.

By irishguy

June 21, 2009 10:52 PM | Link to this

Semper Fi, Vick

By Raoul

June 21, 2009 8:02 PM | Link to this

Thanks Vick. Reminds me of my dad and Grandpa. They served in WWII and WWI resectively also. My Dad was blind in one eye and memorized the eye chart to get accepted. He was in the Navy and landed on Okinawa on DD plus 3. He was not in combat, but got shot at plenty of times. My Grandfather enlisted for the War to End All Wars simpley because he had no family and believed he was therefore more expendable than others. Wow, what men they were. I miss them both dearly. Thanks again.

By TRS

June 21, 2009 3:12 PM | Link to this

Agree with lmj - Nicely said Vick.

By lmj

June 21, 2009 2:21 PM | Link to this

Very nice, Vick.