My interest in Palawan originated years ago while writing another POW story, Presumed Lost, but uncovering fresh material on this story proved to be a true collaborative effort. I am indebted to many people who helped me unearth some of the lesser-known events from this dark chapter of World War II history.
I first must offer thanks to the families of the men interned in Puerto Princesa Camp 10-A who allowed me to understand more about who their fathers, brothers, and uncles were by sharing stories, letters, diaries, photos, and newspaper clippings. This group includes Nita Smith Alexander, Kathy McDole Parkins, Glenda McDole Johnson, Kathy Pacheco Martinez, David Martinez, Lorna Nielsen Murray, Florentino Pacheco, Juanita Pacheco, Joe Balchus, Maureen Barta, Joseph P. Barta, Jack and Felice Koblos, Janet Cevering, Janet Dorman, Jacqueline Elliott, Linda Yale, David Wright, Sharon Spears, Lynhon Stout, Etta Hooker, Georgianne Burlage, Jennifer Meixner, Milton Bell, Raymond Stillwell, and Albert Mango.
Mary Anne Mayor Ancheta, Robert Mayor, Joanne Rae Ramirez, Jennifer Ancheta, Higinio “Buddy” Mendoza, and Bart Duff helped me understand the crucial role played by the Filipinos of Palawan in aiding the American POWs who escaped before and during the massacre.
Many of the details of Palawan Camp 10-A came from the war crimes trials documents, eyewitness depositions, and military documentation compiled to help prosecute those who carried out the massacre. Friend and fellow author James Scott, with whom I’ve exchanged military research for years, shared a number of Palawan files he had previously gathered. Independent researcher Susan Strange was invaluable in tracking down numerous other requested National Archives documents and proved to possess an uncanny ability to snoop out long-forgotten files in non-indexed boxes. Some of the more valuable documents accessed for this project simply would not have been unearthed without her assistance.
I must thank researcher Jaclyn Ostrowski for her perseverance in navigating unforeseen challenges at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis until the military papers of survivor Tommie Daniels—damaged by the 1973 fire that destroyed more than sixteen million military files—were finally procured. Further information on Daniels’s postwar life came from Jeanette Johnson-McCoy and sources provided by Pam Hill of the Titus County, Texas Historical Preservation Society. Thanks also to Washington researcher Tim Frank; Megan Harris of the Veterans History Project, Library of Congress, who went above and beyond to assist with Palawan-related memoirs; Leslie Ann Murray of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines; Jim Morriss for his tireless genealogical sleuthing, which helped put me in contact with many of the Palawan Massacre survivors’ families; Colonel Don Patton of the WWII History Round Table; and James Zobel at the MacArthur Memorial for his assistance in tracking down E&E reports and other documents related to the Palawan survivors.
I truly appreciate the support of my wife and kids during my many long nights spent poring through documents. My agent, Jim Donovan, was crucial in offering editorial assistance and critical advice on this project, helping to trim the story into a narrative with pace and purpose. My editor at Caliber, Brent Howard, believed from the start that this story needed to be told, and was equally effective in suggesting ways to keep the manuscript on target.
Finally, I wish to remember all the American and Filipino service personnel who endured the Second World War in POW camps throughout the Philippines. Many never came home, and those who did often returned with emotional scars that would not completely heal. No one in this country should forget the sacrifices made by so many, including those who were not fortunate enough to escape from the Palawan Massacre in December 1944. To these veterans, this book is dedicated.
APPENDIX A
VICTIMS OF THE PALAWAN MASSACRE, DECEMBER 14, 1944
BRANCH
NAME
RANK
HOMETOWN/NEXT OF KIN HOME
USMC
Adams, Jewett Franklin
T/Sgt
San Diego, CA
USMC
Adkins, Robert Arthur
Corp
Portland, OR
Army
Anderson, Robert Sterling
Pvt
Harper, WA
Army
Araujo, Henry Hernandez
Sgt
Denver, CO
Army
Arispe, Heraclio Solie
Pfc
Corpus Christi, TX
USMC
Arnoldy, Arthur Anton
Corp
Tipton, KS
Army
Bailey, Homer Ray
Pfc
Ardmore, OK
Army
Baker, Herbert
Pvt
Roxbury, MA
Army
Bancroft, Everett Richard Jr.
Pfc
Canon City, CO
Navy
Barnes, Carl Ellis
WT2c
Bakersfield, CA
Navy
Barnes, Darrell Leroy
AOM3c
Bayonne, NJ
Army
Bartle, Charles Warren
Sgt
Evansville, IN
Army
Beason, Benjamin Franklin
T/Sgt
Canyon, TX
Navy
Blackburn, Wilbur Burdett
TM2c
Wichita, KS
Army
Bouchey, Mason “J”
Pfc
Saginaw, MI
Army
Brown, William Theodore
Pfc
Antioch, CA
Army
Bruni, Fred Tobias
Capt
Janesville, WI
Navy
Buchanan, Vernon Edward
F1c
Turner, KS
Army
Burnett, Douglas
Cpl
La Grande, OR
USMC
Caldwell, Sammy Lee
Pfc
San Angelo, TX
Army
Carter, Casey
Pvt
Paris, TX
Army
Childers, Roy Raymond
Pvt
Loami, IL
Army
Choate, James Louis
Pvt
Madisonville, KY
Navy
Cook, Harry W.
Aerog1c
San Roque, Cavite, PI
Army
Crandell, Earl Jesse
Pvt
Holdenville, OK
Army
Cravens, William Thomas
Pvt
Port Royal, KY
Army
Cullins, Franklin Ashley
Pvt
Monette, AR
Army
Czajkowski, John
Pvt
Nichols, WI
Army
Diaz, John Francisco
Pfc
Osage, IA
Army
Dutton, Glen Albert
Cpl
Clovis, NM
Army
Elix, Clayton Emmett
Pfc
Pueblo, CO
Army
Evans, Erving August
Cpl
Huron, SD
Army
Eyre, George Robert
Pfc
Marion, OH
Army
Fletcher, Houston Everett
Pfc
Oklahoma City, OK
USMC
Fryar, William Ferson
Pfc
Apollo, PA
Army
Gee, Jessie Roy
Cpl
Yuba City, CA
Navy
Gillespie, Bill Edward
S1c
Dallas, TX
Army
Giuffreda, Mike Paul
Pvt
San Jose, CA
USMC
Glacken, Joe Charles Jr.
Pfc
St. Louis, MO
Army
Glover, Sammy
Pfc
Daisetta, TX
Army
Goodykoontz, Richard Eugene
Pvt
Marion, IN
USMC
Grahnert, James Dewey
Cpl
Vancouver, WA
Navy
Hale, Waldo Stedem
S1c
Saybrook, IL
USMC
Hammock, William Lester
Sgt
Dermott, AK
Army
Hamric, Dane Hampton
Cpl
Widen, WV
USMC
Hansen, Kenneth Russell
Pfc
San Luis Obispo, CA
Army
Harbin, Lenton Roger
S/Sgt
Shreveport, LA
Navy
Harris, John Soloman
TM2c
Monticello, GA
Army
Hawkins, Douglas Forrest
Pvt
Coeburn, VA
USMC
Henderson, Clifford Marlin
Pfc
Levi, WV
Army
Henderson, Joseph Patrick
Pvt
Los Angeles, CA
Army
Hicks, Roy Joseph
Pfc
Rantoul, IL
Army
Hinkle, Miner Columbus
Pvt
Ada, OK
Army
Hubbard, Hugh Boyd
Pvt
Yarnell, AZ
Army
Hubbard, Robert Lee
Cpl
Yarnell, AZ
USMC
Hughes, John “F” Jr.
P/Sgt
Gate City, VA
Army
Huston, Thomas Virgle
Pvt
Modesto, CA
Army
Hutchinson, Fred Wallace
Pfc
Los Angeles, CA
Army
Jacobson, Charles Donald
Pfc
Denver, CO
USMC
Johnson, Aubrey Peyton
Pfc
West Monroe, LA
USMC
Joyner, Earl Ezell
Pfc
Goshen Springs, MS
Army
Kazlauskas, Joseph Richard
Pvt
Lowell, MA
USMC
Kernes, Richard Wilfred
Pfc
Madrid, IA
Army
King, Harold Wayne
Pvt
Topeka, KS
Navy
Knight, Henry Carlisle
Lt Cdr
Long Beach, CA
Army
Koerner, Richard Aloysius
S/Sgt
Ellis, KS
USMC
Kozuch, Stephen Thaddeus
Pfc
Chicago, IL
Navy
La Mountain, Arthur Lawrence
S1c
Millers Falls, MA
Army
Lampshire, Leo Nick
Sgt
Lansdowne, PA
Army
Lewis, Kenneth Leaman
Pfc
Taunton, MA
Army
Lindsay, Forest Edison
Pfc
Vale, NC
USMC
Lindsey, Kenneth Clyde
Pfc
Gillette, WY
Army
Lyons, John Aloysius
Pvt
Army
Mango, Carl Louis
1Lt
Erie, PA
Army
Manzi, George Vicente
S/Sgt
Bridgeport, CT
USMC
Martyn, Donald Joseph
Pfc
North Hollywood, CA
Army
Mascarenas, Jose Thomas
Pvt
Penasco, NM
Army
McAnany, Richard Emmett
Tec4
Ecorse, MI
Army
McElveen, William Muton
Pvt
New Orleans, LA
Navy
McNally, Theodore
CMM
Kansas City, MO
Army
Million, Joe Baxter
S/Sgt
Harrodsburg, KY
Army
Moffatt, Fred Vincent
Pvt
Moline, IL
Army
Moore, Roger Garland
Sgt
Monroe, LA
USMC
Morris, “E” “C”
Pfc
Jacksboro, TX
USMC
Morris, Orland Otis
Cpl
Warren, ID
AAF
Mullins, Raymond Vincent
S/Sgt
Punta Gorda, FL
Army
Newell, Frank Robert
Pvt
North Tonawanda, NY
Army
Noel, Harry
Pvt
Chicago, IL
Army
Novak, Ernest Julian
Pvt
Watsonville, CA
Army
Otero, Trinidad Fidel
Pvt
Willard, NM
Army
Pitts, James “A”
Pfc
Winter Garden, FL
USMC
Price, Dillard
Pfc
Magnolia, AK
Army
Rankin, Homer Franklin
Cpl
Freeport, KS
USMC
Ray, Daniel Woodrow
Pfc
Austin, TX
Army
Rea, Chester Bentley
Pfc
Ithaca, NY
Army
Rector, Vernon William
Pfc
Phoenix, AZ
Army
Rhoades, Arthur Wayne
Pvt
Fort Wayne, IN
USMC
Rigas, Peter Tom