A Day Late

About two years ago I bought my Dad a book for Christmas called Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides. I’d heard good things about the book and since I’ve always been interested in World War II history I decided to buy a copy for myself at the same time. I tucked it in my book case and finally got around to reading it a few months ago.

In the initial phase of World War II the Japanese Army launched an invasion of the Philippines. The American and British forces abandoned there were forced to make a stand against an overwhelming army, without hope of reinforcement, resupply or even evacuation. For those that survived, the next few years brought torture, starvation and suffering. The captured soldiers endured an agonizing march to the various Japanese prison camps, a march which came to be known as the Bataan Death March.

A few years after the march, those that survived the torture and starvation were left with a new dilemna. The Allied armies had landed in the Philippines and were quickly pushing the Japanese forces back. The tables had turned and the Japanese army was facing a similar situation that the prisoners faced years earlier. The prisoners could only wonder what the retreating Japanese forces would do with them? In a few camps, near the front, orders had already been given and were carried out to execute all the prisoners.

The Allied forces heard rumors of the executions and had to quickly develop a plan to handle the situation. Ghost Soldiers relates the story of “121 hand selected troops from the elite U.S. Army 6th Ranger Battalion”, sent behind enemy lines to liberate a prison camp near Cabanatuan. In addition to giving a minute by minute account of the mission, the book also tells the story of the 513 allied POW’s imprisoned near Cabanatuan, some of whom were the last survivors of the Bataan Death March.

Once I started reading the book I honestly found it hard to put down. The author was excellent at telling the story of the imprisoned soldiers and their would be rescuers. Using first hand accounts the author painted a vivid picture of the suffereing prisoners and their anxious rescuers. I recommend it not only because it’s well written but because story of the sacrifice and suffering of these men is one that should never be forgotten. I think the author said it best:

“It was often said after the war that all the men of Bataan could well expect to go to heaven because they’d already served their time in hell. These men suffered enough for a hundred lifetimes, and no one in this country should be allowed to forget it.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 30th, 2003 at 7:01 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.