Blood Brothers: A Medic's Sketch Book Part 10

Our American surgeons said, "We can do better than that!" The American surgeons had no mortality.

A Camera: Ingenious Americans built a camera: they used X-ray film, took pictures around the camp and developed the film in X-ray solutions. They, of course, had to hide the camera and pictures when j.a.ps were in the area.

A Radio: After hearing no news during the early months of the camp some other clever Americans decided to build a radio.

Several of the captives operated the electric generating and pumping station. In the evening, when they suspected' the j.a.panese were listening to their radios, they would run the voltage up high and blowout the j.a.p radio sets. The following morning, the j.a.ps would bring their sets to the Americans and say: "You fix!"

After a quick examination, the Americans would exclaim, "We must get some new parts in Manila!" In Manila, they would get extra parts and eventually built a radio-in the bottom of a canteen; in the upper half was water that they could pour out, if the j.a.ps became suspicious. Gradually, the captives became very knowledgeable concerning war activities; j.a.p guards contacted the Americans for the latest news.

Scuttleb.u.t.t (Rumors): The word "scuttleb.u.t.t" was an old Navy term probably antedating the father of the U.S. Navy and his first s.h.i.+p, the U.S.S. Alfred in 1775. The b.u.t.t was a bucket or cask often placed near the s.h.i.+p's ladder, where sailors congregated for a drink of fresh water, and to exchange rumors.

When the sailors joined the soldiers and airmen on Bataan, scuttleb.u.t.t soon followed, and usually referred to: Long convoys filled with food, vast supplies and equipment and loaded with troops-replacements-that President Roosevelt kept a.s.suring us were "On the way." The convoys always proved to be phantom, or arrived safely in Ireland, Australia or Africa, never in the Philippines.

In the Cabanatuan P.O.W. Camp, rumors were always rampant, especially in the evening when daily activities were finished. The scuttleb.u.t.t often referred to big Allied victories, prisoner exchanges, s.h.i.+ps loaded with food, a new Ford for every prisoner, promotions, decorations, etc., etc.

They all proved to be figments of the imagination-just pure scuttleb.u.t.t.

Prisoner-of-War Status: About October of 1942, the j.a.panese removed our status of "captive" (criminal awaiting trial) and designated us as "prisoners-of-war!" We hoped that this meant that things would get better.

We began receiving pay-the same as the j.a.panese officers and soldiers of the same rank. I quickly learned that after receiving my thirty yen at the pay window, I had to move to the next window and deposit twenty yen into j.a.panese Postal Savings.

When I graduated from Prison Camp (Cla.s.s of August, 1945), I had more than 30,000 yen in Postal Savings. They have never offered me any money, or a Toyota; in fact, they haven't even answered my mail.

Post Cards: When we became prisoners-of-war, each prisoner received a yellow, printed form post card. He could fill in the blank places, sign it, and it would be sent home.

"Major Eugene C. Jacobs

I am interned at Philippine Military Camp No.1.

My health is fair

I am Uninjured

Please take care of Insurance

Love, Eugene C. Jacobs, 1897"

We were allowed to send one post card every six months during thirty-eight months. The last card was a fifty-word card.

Mail: About the same number of times s.h.i.+pments of letters and packages came into camp from the States. Censoring was extensive. I got one letter that was completely cut out, except, "Dear Gene, ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -------

Love, Mother

Of course, these letters and packages were a G.o.dsend. We pa.s.sed the letters around to all of our friends, hoping there might be something of interest to them. We ate the cheese and malted milk in the packages-even when they had maggots in them. It was a great boost to our morale to know that someone loved us and was praying for our safe return.

Commissary: We were permitted to have a commissary; my ten yen each month bought a can of salmon or condensed milk, several bananas, a cup of mongo beans or peanuts. Once I was able to buy a live chicken and have a Thanksgiving dinner. The commissary was operated by Lt. Col.

Harold K. Johnson (later to become the Chief of Staff of the U.S.

Army), Capt. Amos and Capt. Norton. Gradually inflation became so bad that the j.a.panese pay become almost worthless.

Chapel Service: We were permitted to go to church on Sundays.

The sermons had to be censored on Sat.u.r.days; there was often a j.a.p attending service-to keep the preachers honest. Lt. Col. Alfred Oliver, U. S. Army, was chief of chaplains in the Philippines by reason of seniority.

Two protestant chaplains built their own chapels with sc.r.a.p lumber and prison labor. Capt. Frank Tiffany was a Presbyterian; I became an elder in his chapel. Capt. Robert Taylor was a Baptist. I became a deacon in his chapel. Other chaplains used mess halls, libraries and even barracks to hold their services.

Catholic chaplains were: Majors Stanley Reilly and Albert Braun, Captains Richard Carberry, John McDonnell, Stober, Albert Talbot, Tom Scenina, and Dugan, and Lieutenants McMa.n.u.s, James...o...b..ien, Mithias Zerfas, John Wilson, Duffy, William c.u.mmings, and John Curran.

Protestant chaplains included: Majors John Borneman and Ralph Brown, Captains Sam Donald, Leslie Zimmerman, Morris Day, Arthur Cleveland, and Lieutenants Quinn, Herbert Trump and Ed Nagle (a missionary from Baguio).

Chaplains of unknown denomination: William Dawson, Joseph Vanderheiden.

Jewish cantor: Aaron Kliatchko.

Christmas Midnight Ma.s.s and Easter Ma.s.s were very colorful events attended by all healthy prisoners. On May 30th of each year (Decoration Day), the j.a.panese allowed one thousand prisoners to visit the cemetery. Chaplain Oliver led the services; Major Iwanaka Oapanese Camp Commander) presented a large wreath.

Chaplains took turns accompanying the Burial Detail from the morgue to the cemetery nearly every day-giving graveside services. Chaplains'

visits to the wards of the hospital were much appreciated by the patients-sick, depressed and underground dying.

Underground: After being in camp for several months, I discovered that some of the captives were leaving notes (addressed to friends in Manila) on their beds. In some mysterious way, they were picked up and delivered in Manila. In a couple weeks there would be an answer, also left on the bed of the sender.

Sometimes there would be money, medicine and even food.

Looked like a good idea! I didn't inquire about the mechanics of the Underground. In fact I didn't want to know. I had had amoebic dysentery with bleeding for four months-with a loss of fifty pounds weight. Here was a chance to get some medicine.

I had a Spanish friend in Manila, the president of an insurance company. When he had been in Baguio with his family prior to the war, he brought his eight-year-old son to me because of a chronic stomach ailment. I made the diagnosis of "peptic ulcer" and treated him with good results. The family was quite pleased.

So I wrote Jose Olbes a note explaining my predicament.

Sure enough, in two weeks, on my bed was a note, carbazone (medicine) and twenty pesos. In another two weeks I was feeling better and gaining strength. I never inquired further about the Underground, figuring that someday someone would get caught, and the penalty would be severe.

During the two years that the Underground operated, it undoubtedly saved the lives of hundreds of prisoners. After the war was over, I learned the mechanics of the operation:

In the early days of the war, a 31st Infantry Sergeant John Phillips married a Claire (?) on Bataan. Sgt. John survived Bataan and the "Death March," but died on July 27, 1942 in the j.a.panese P.O.W. Camp No.1 at Cabanatuan.

A few weeks later his wife, Claire, received a note from Chaplain Frank Tiffany in Cabanatuan, verifying that Sgt. John Phillips had died of malaria, dysentery and starvation. Frank ended his note with, "I beg you do not forget the ones that are left; they are dying by the hundreds! G.o.d Bless You!" Everlasting (code name). To fill her emptiness, Claire vowed revenge. Claire returned to Manila; she obtained false Italian identification papers from the j.a.panese, stating that she was born in Manila of Italian parents.

Claire opened a nightclub, The Club Tsubaki (Camelia) and sang her heart out every night to high-ranking j.a.panese officers, all the while raising money to send to the sick and dying at Cabanatuan.

When the j.a.panese officers became "high and loquacious," she pumped them for information concerning the movements of j.a.panese s.h.i.+ps and troops, and forwarded this information to guerilla leaders.

Claire a.s.sumed the code name of "High Pockets," because she kept her valuables in her bra. Once every two weeks, High Pockets "baked cookies!" (That is, collected notes, money and medicines from prominent citizens in Manila: Juan Elizaldi, Judge Riveria, Lopes, Dr.

and Mrs. Romeo Atienza, Father Lopez, Judge Roxas, and many others.)

A Filipina mestiza, Evangeline Neibert (code name, "Sa.s.sy Suzie"), carried "the cookies" by train from Manila to the town of Cabanatuan, where she delivered them to the market.