Survivor: Memoir of Defeat and Captivity, Bataan, 1942
Book Details
Author(s)Thomas R. Harrison
ISBN / ASINB00EZXOE3C
ISBN-13978B00EZXOE33
MarketplaceFrance 🇫🇷
Description
The personal memoirs of the author telling of the United States’ first major defeat in war—the loss of the Philippine Islands to Japan in the spring of 1942, and the captivity endured by the survivors of that battle.
Survivor tells the story of the losing campaign against the Japanese Army through the eyes of the author, one of the participants in that struggle, who fought in the battles until the surrender of Bataan in April of 1942. It describes in graphic detail the surrender, the “Death March†the prisoners of war were required to make out of the battle zone, and prison camp life in the Philippines and Japan. It is not a pretty tale, but will give insight into an aspect of American history already fading from memory, and speaks of the heroism, endurance and determination to survive of those who shared that unhappy experience.
After the Japanese began World War II with the United States by their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, their next major American Target was the Philippine Islands. Although defense preparations by the American-Filipino forces had begun, the state of readiness was far from ideal. The Philippine Army was barely inducted into service and their equipment consisted of out-of-date materiel left over from World War I. Some American units were in place, and a few others arrived in the Islands very shortly before hostilities commenced. This mixture had not had the time to gel into an effective fighting force before being forced into combat, and the results were inevitable.
The author’s family has published this electronic second edition after the author’s passing in August of 2013. They have included an afterword as well as several appendices describing Thomas’ life and military awards in greater detail.
Survivor tells the story of the losing campaign against the Japanese Army through the eyes of the author, one of the participants in that struggle, who fought in the battles until the surrender of Bataan in April of 1942. It describes in graphic detail the surrender, the “Death March†the prisoners of war were required to make out of the battle zone, and prison camp life in the Philippines and Japan. It is not a pretty tale, but will give insight into an aspect of American history already fading from memory, and speaks of the heroism, endurance and determination to survive of those who shared that unhappy experience.
After the Japanese began World War II with the United States by their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, their next major American Target was the Philippine Islands. Although defense preparations by the American-Filipino forces had begun, the state of readiness was far from ideal. The Philippine Army was barely inducted into service and their equipment consisted of out-of-date materiel left over from World War I. Some American units were in place, and a few others arrived in the Islands very shortly before hostilities commenced. This mixture had not had the time to gel into an effective fighting force before being forced into combat, and the results were inevitable.
The author’s family has published this electronic second edition after the author’s passing in August of 2013. They have included an afterword as well as several appendices describing Thomas’ life and military awards in greater detail.
