Happy New Year circa 1973

As the time ticks closer to midnight and the new year looms ahead, I find myself so timid and somewhat afraid.

What I realized is I have never really celebrated on New Years Eve. Ok, just a few times.  Most always they were with my husband only or a few close friends. I can count the times on one hand.

When we were dating that first year, Jimmy had driven up for Christmas and New Years.  We were going to go to a club.
I had been busy sewing a cute velvet dress to wear.
Hours passes as I worked diligently to complete it and I felt worse and worse.

After finishing the hem, I hung it up and looked at it from across the room as I laid down on my bed feeling very tired.
"Pretty" I remember saying to myself.

The next thing you know,
I heard fireworks outside by some of our neighbors.
I thought that was odd to set them off too early.

I got up and ventured upstairs to the living room. Jimmy was asleep on the couch.  My parents  had gone out and the place was cold and dark.

I felt miserable with a sore throat and felt feverish.

I sat down on a chair across from the couch and watched the sparkles of the fireworks reach over the tips of the trees on the ridge. I watched him sleeping and dare not wake him up.

When I got up to go back to bed, he heard me and sat up.  "Happy New Year,  honey!", he told me.  "I was really dreading going out tonight so I'm glad we are home just you and me.  I know you don't feel well."  He got up made me some soup and gave me some aspirin.  Just a very normal loving thing to do.

I think about that night every year.  We didn't need a party.

That will not change.

Cathy
12.31.13

Pivotal Moment

"Yes, I'll ride with you!"
********************************
The day Jimmy found out his biopsy results and we saw the oncologist for the first time was a pivotal point.

We knew there was cancer in him but the extent of it's invasion was still unknown that morning.  We woke up and went to breakfast with our friends at the diner as usual.  Trying to keep as normal a routine as possible would prove to be the only way to survive day to day.

We held hands in the office waiting for Dr. A to enter the room.  Jimmy's hand was warm and felt strong in mine.
Dr. A. greeted us with his casual yet professional manner.  Always so impeccably dressed and kind.  Very genuine in his demeanor.  We were in that state of fear.  Kind of like when you were a kid and took a very hard test in school.  You were waiting for your grade thinking you may have passed but were unsure of yourself.
He reached inside a large envelope and put the PET scan films up on the light board.  Head to toe pictures of the inside of the body illuminated in dark gray and bright white.
Often you might wonder if they really know what they are looking at.  How can you tell one shadow or bright spot from another?  There were colored pictures printed out on the report form from the radiologist, too.
These looked like someone had melted bright colored crayons in yellow, red, green and blue all over the outline of a human shape.
Dr. A started explaining the scan and the report and pointing to various areas to show us.
Once done, he said
"Jimmy you have a very advanced cancer."

At that moment you are so numb that you feel paralyzed and deaf.
You have been given your test results and all the studying in the world would never have given you a passing grade.

"How long do I have?", I hear Jimmy ask.

Dr. A explains that some people with this cancer can survive.  The statistics say 30% survival at five years with chemo and radiation.

On a crisp, clear, blue day in January we learn that there is a 70% chance of a huge storm.

Dr. A. plans out his care strategy with us and wants things to be started right away.  He gives us till Monday to begin.

Nothing more has to be said.  We are stone silent as we walk back out through the lobby of people who have heard this before or will get similar news.  You make eye contact with a few and nod.  It is a slow treadmill of people with their caregivers coming and going. There is no need to rush.

Outside in the car it is a unwelcoming cold.   The radio plays a song heard a million other times and today I feel like the words
mean more.  The tune is sweeter.  I look down at my rings and turn the diamonds upright.  Out the window all the trees are bare.

In a few minutes we are on the highway.
"I want to stop at the Harley shop.  Want to go?"  He knows I'm no fan.
"Sure, honey", I say.
In my mind I tell myself that if Jimmy can get through this I will ride on the motorcycle to celebrate.  It's a goal to achieve.

Inside we wander around looking.  Everything is polished brightly and perfectly positioned one after the other.  Road toys.  Leather, tattooed men with beards and black with orange HD logo jackets.
I find myself talking to the salesman who sold him his bike.  Jimmy is in the restroom at the time.  I have met this man before and he is nice.
He asks me if I ride.  I tell him no, I really don't like motorcycles because of a childhood accident when I fell from a motor scooter and was severely hurt.
Then he asks about Jimmy.  He already knew about the cancer diagnosis since Jimmy had known this guy for a while.
When Jimmy joins us, we are talking casually and then he says, "So, Jimmy are you liking your bike?"
Jimmy just says he loves it but it probably won't be ridden much since he has to start his chemo on Monday.  The guy says
"Well you should get out there and ride today.  It's a beautiful bright, shiny day!"  I agree he should go for a ride when we get home.
What came next surprised even me.
Jimmy turned to me and said, "will you go?".
There was no other answer....
"Yes, I will ride with you!"

Cathy Windham
12/20/13

The Rings

The Rings

I find myself thinking that I
am changing in a very subtle way.
My rings are put away.
The circles of gold
hold years of our happiness
that travel round and round like a spiral.
Without you with me, the energy is interrupted.
The sparkle has dimmed.
The surface etched.
These symbols of our love
can not hold any more love from each other.

One day they will sparkle again and look like new.
Upon the finger of a loved one we knew.
Our stored energy and love will spark theirs and begin anew.

Letting them slip off my finger.
A tear slides down my cheek.
There will never be another that could ever make me feel so complete.

Cathy
12/04/13

Waiting

Sometimes I hate weekends
Alone at home I sit
Trying to do those things that I should
Wishing for an escape to commit

Before I know it, the day is gone
Behind the clouds the sun sits
I plan for the week ahead
Yet, I think I'm losing my wits

Solitary confinement is sad
It's up to me to move on
Memories keep holding me back
I'm so sad since you have gone

Cathy
11/17/13

Remember When: Time And Place

Remember When: Time And Place

Time And Place

I spend the days alone

It is a world unfamiliar to me

It's strange to go from one thing to another

Thinking in silence listening to the sea

I need to make a change 

Previous memories help guide me

The future still unknown and strange

What does it hold in store for me

I seek a style that is mine

Something fresh and totally new

My days become evenings of silence

I look through the sea glass of blue

Waves crash upon the crystal shore

Each grain a moment in time

Shifting sands move with the tide

Your love will always be mine

Cathy Windham

7/6/13

Remember When: The Latitude And Longitude Of Hell

Remember When: The Latitude And Longitude Of Hell

The Latitude And Longitude Of Hell

The Latitude and Longitude of Hell

By: Catherine Hewitt Windham

And so, when a story is told, it is never forgotten.

It becomes something else. A memory of who we were.

The hope of what we can become.

We can become what we aspire to be.  We can hold on to our past 

and know that is the life within us that makes us go on.

Life events can take a cruel turn.

War,  death and suffering of our ancestors will change the

soul of the survivor.  Characteristics that will sustain with time.

Never give up.  Never succumb to the force that weighs your spirit.

Horizons beyond horizons where the sun never sets are the focal point.

Step after step on the path of death will lead to the future.

********

This story is dedicated to my father,  Col. Walter John Hewitt US Army and to my mother, Nona Fay Syverson Hewitt.   Their fight together to survive and their dream of a better future for their children came true.

This is based on the real fact that my father was a Japanese P.O.W and survivor of the Bataan Death March.  My mother and sister were evacuated from the Philippines at the beginning of the war.  This underlying story is fiction with the exception of true testimonies that my father presented at the War Crimes Trial and the outcome based on his testimony.

********

Chapter 1

Capt. Walter John Hewitt USA gathered his wife and two year old daughter

into his arms and kissed them goodbye.  It was a hot and steamy night in Manila.

Sweat sprouted beads across his forehead and trickled down his checks and mingled

with their tears.  "Go, now!" "The truck is waiting to get you to the harbor."

Nona and Sandra had to be peeled out of his embrace and grabbed their small bag of belongings they packed to take aboard the ship.  "Just the essentials," Wally told her

as she pulled their things out of the bureau.  "I had the carved trunks we bought packed on the ship today and they will arrive when you do in San Francisco.  You'll need to arrange shipment to mom's house in St. Paul once you get there.  I have wired money ahead for you to the bank but here is all the cash I could get today for you to take."  He handed her one

hundred dollars.  "Don't let it out of your sight or your papers, Nona.  Keep them on your body at all times!"  "I love you," they all said one last time before the truck rolled away.

The base was in a scramble.  All officers were in a briefing with the General.  He stood in front of the room with a map of the Philippine Islands on an easel to the side.  Using a long

pointer, the General pointed to various positions on the map and called out each of the men's names to give them their assignment and those they would be in command of.

The goal was to push back the Japanese troops that had invaded the island while they waited for reinforcements from the US Navy that Gen. McArthur had promised when he announced "I shall return!"

Wally sat there in attention, but in the back of his mind he loathed Gen. McArthur for the pompous remark and what he knew would be a battle many would not survive.  They were being sacrificed and he felt it in his bones.  He would vow to do his duty.  More importantly, he would vow to himself to survive and prove he was the man he had promised his wife and child he would be.  It had been a few months since their departure with the other dependents aboard the last ship to leave Manila.  He got word of their safe arrival in San Francisco.  Now he could focus and make his way to freedom. 

Grabbing the keys to his car he drove to the base and poured gallons of

army brown paint all over it.  He then went out into the area adjacent to the airstrip.

Dirt, leaves and mud stuck to the tacky surface.  It was perfectly camouflaged.

He went to the barracks and packed supplies into the car tightly.  Canned food, water,

gasoline and ammunition as well as several firearms.  He grabbed his canteen that he

had scratched Hewitt on the surface of and filled it full of water before fastening it to his belt.  He threw his helmet on the seat beside him and headed out in a cloud of dust toward the other side of the base.  Soldiers were lining up their gear and gathering 

to go out into the jungle area.  Planes were heard in the distance getting closer and explosions could be felt as the ground trembled under their feet.  Several soldiers got into

the car with Wally.  They headed out along the caribou pathway that ran beside the rice paddies that dotted the area.  Eventually they came to the edge of the earthen dam and 

stopped.  Long stalks of banana trees were cut and thrown over the car totally covering

it from view.  They decided they could safely leave it there. The gas was drained from the tank and the battery detached and thrown into the water and covered with mud and debris.

The keys were thrown as far as he could into the middle of the paddy.  Everyone unloaded the supplies and they were carried into the jungle and hidden.  Each soldier took their turn as guard while the others slept or were on a scout of the area making plans for their next movement.

Crouching down Wally signaled for quiet.  Footsteps could be heard in the dark.  Slowly the sound got closer.  Reaching out, Wally grabbed the head of the Japanese soldier

as he approached and covered his mouth.  In one swift move, the blade of his knife slit his throat and his body fell silently to the ground.  The others quickly grabbed the man's knife, gun and bullets.  They all remained silent as they made their way back to their group and did not sleep.

In the morning, smoke could be seen on the horizon coming from the air strip.  Planes

flew overhead.  The convoy continued to bushwhack their way through the dense foliage.

The radioman picked up chatter of a surrender of US Forces!  "Shit," Wally said under his breath.  "We're all screwed.  But, I know of a village near here where I met some Filipinos

who will help us.  Who's with me to go?"  He and another guy headed out alone.

At the edge of he road they saw some workers out in the paddies leading the caribou with the yoke around his huge neck.  The horns were curved and head was hung low under the strain of the load.  A woman chewing and spitting into the mud stood up and moved closer to the edge of the underbrush.  Wally made a sound of a bird.  She looked up to make eye contact with him as he held his index finger up to his lips to signal her to be quiet and not talk.  He spoke in a hushed tone to her in Tagalog.  "Help us, we are under siege."  "Your

people are in danger of capture of the Japanese!"  "Go and warn the others and tell the oldest man to come here to see me at once!"  The woman looked at him in disbelief and nodded her head.  He had no way to know she understood him.

Several hours later, Wally sat on the jungle floor with a man of about his own age and much smaller.  He had only a few discolored teeth and wore a loin cloth.  He had managed to learn some broken English and with Wally's broken Tagalog they managed to communicate.

Together they planned how to hide in the village with the local people to help them.  The men

we're commissioned into the US Army under his authority to do so under the rules of war.

The women tended to their children and cooked as before sharing everything with them.  At night the soldiers guarded the village and others made their way further away to scout.  

On one occasion, a woman squatted to give birth and tried to muffle her screams by

biting onto a stick.  She was at the far edge of the rice paddy with no one there to help her.  When the body of the woman and her infant were found beheadded by one of the scouts, he reported to Wally that they needed to move immediately for better cover.

In small groups the men left the village and went into the cover of the jungle. The women and children stayed behind at the village.  Trucks and footsteps of marching men could be heard in the stillness of the night air.  Mosquitos swarmed and sucked the blood of life from them as they deposited the infestation of Malaria into their veins.  No one slept.

One of the Filipino men snuck back to the village to see his wife.  He had changed his mind about helping the Americans.  He wanted to take her to safety somewhere else.  As he creeped back into his home, a Japanese soldier stood up and quickly bayoneted him in the belly.  His intestines spilled out onto the earth floor and he fell in a thud.  His wife lay

over the straw pallet bed naked and blindly staring in the frozen look of death.  Her slit throat pooled blood above her shoulders and coagulated in her thick black hair.  The soldier

zipped up his pants and left the hut.  He struck a match and flicked it onto the bed before leaving and within minutes it was engulfed in flames.  Women in other huts screamed their last breathes and children lay dead in the dirt.  

Wally could smell the smoke as each hut went up in flames.  The slight breeze fanned the smoke toward them and allowed for a smoke screen to develop.  The men quickly made their way deeper into the jungle before stopping for rest.

They made their way to the other side of the island and to the cliff that overlooked the

bay.  A multitude of ships had gathered in port.  Ramps allowed Japanese troops to disembark and unload equipment.  Wally and the men vowed to fight long and hard and never give up.  They would each faithfully fight for freedom and for each other no matter the circumstances.  For to give up now would mean there was no future beyond the day in which they were in.  It was the only choice.  "To Hell with waiting for help," Wally said.  "We must do this our way or die right here, right now!"  he told them.  "Dig in, guys!" he ordered them.

Their group was surrounded.  To move would give their position away yet staying would mean certain death.  In unison they decided to move slowly by crawling over the embankment and into hiding in the long grasses that grew at the edge of the cliff.

Several Japanese spotted their movement and they charged toward them.  Wally and his men opened fire and bayoneted several others. They fought hand to hand and hurled men over the edge of the cliff to the jagged shore below.  Only a handful of them survived.  Wally was one of the lucky survivors.  Or was he?

******

Chapter 2

The next day he wondered.  There was fierce bombing on the island and many fires set in the villages.  Hoards of prisoners were gathered together and cramped into the boxcars of a train that led to their prison camp.  Packed like cattle waiting for slaughter, they waited in the blaring heat of the day and denied food and water.  Diarrhea flowed down their pant legs and caked onto their boots.  Sores erupted and refilled with pus from constant irritation from the infected mosquito bites and other wounds.  Men died by the hundreds daily.  Conditions at Camp O'Donnell became so appalling that it was eventually closed and what prisoners survived were moved to camp Cabanatuam.  

Conditions there were barely better than at camp O'Donnell.  

The principle diet was rice and occasionally supplemented with a native sweet potato called camote.  It was usually rotten.  Even more rarely, a piece of meat about one inch square was given to one out of four prisoners.  There was abundant food for the Japanese and available in the countryside but they were kept deliberately on a starvation diet.

Men waited in long lines to be allowed a sip of filthy polluted water.

Work details were assigned to clean up the camp and hospital grounds.  Over several months considerable improvements to the unsanitary conditions were made.  The long grass around the camp was cut back to control the mosquito population.  New latrine ditches were dug and old ones covered with lye and dirt.  Some of the sickest prisoners were given quinine.  Men who were on burial duty dragged themselves through their day like zombies.

 

On April 9, 1942 groups of one hundred men each were gathered.  Four across and twenty-five deep.  Japanese guards were stationed one on each side of the group.  They began the long anguishing walk from the camp to San Fernando located eighty miles away.

The journey took six days.  They walked all day in the blistering heat.  Men fainted and died

from the lack of nourishment.  If ones next step was to land upon a fallen soldier, then they had to step on his body or be killed for not doing so.  Remnants of unrecognizable decaying bodies littered the road.  Those that did not comply were bayoneted and thrown to the side

or left where they fell.  They just kept walking.  At night they were allowed to lie down in a field.  Many never arose in the morning.  

Some tried to make a break for freedom.  They were not able to get two steps away from the group.  There was no place to escape to.  There was no shade and, if there was, a Japanese guard found it when they were allowed to pause.  Guards hollered at and prodded

slow walkers.  A shuffle is all that they could do.  Along the way Filipinos tried to throw food at the soldiers.  The Japanese shot them.  No water was allowed although there were Artesian wells flowing everywhere.  Men ran toward the water they could smell 

and almost taste.  They were completely insane.  Not a drop passed their parched lips as they fell in the ditches dead.

When Wally closed his eyes, all he could see was Nona and Sandra waving goodbye on their last day together.  Nona's blonde curls and green eyes in contrast to Sandra's dark hair and green eyes.  She had his looks.  Hindsight is never good.  He would have never taken them to this God forsaken Hell had he known what was to happen this far from home.

Nona welcomed the adventure.  She was a farm girl from Ulen, Minnesota.  She grew up in a large family on a rural farm without a father figure for a good portion of her life.  When they married she said she could handle anything.  He believed she could and hoped and prayed for their safety constantly.

The first year in the Philippines was exciting.  They had been able to ship their car so were one of the fortunate few who had an opportunity to get out and explore the countryside.

The Filipino people were open and hospitable.  They invited them into their modest homes

and shared their meals with them.  They learned the culture and sampled exotic foods.

The landscape was lush and tropical and a beauty existed there neither of them had ever seen before.  It was a paradise.  Everywhere were beautiful birds and the clear aqua water of the Pacific.  Outside their quarters grew banana trees and fruit of all kinds.

Being an officer had it's merits.  He and Nona were given a furnished home and housekeeper.  It was a luxury that Nona thought was excessive and unnecessary but

she found it a huge help just the same.  She learned to cook some of the local dishes and

Wally would often bring fresh fish for her to expand her culinary skills.

Local artisans carved beautiful trunks out of teak wood.  Intricate floral designs flaunted their talent.  They couldn't resist them and bought four of the trunks and put them into the station wagon and on top.  Intricately carved ivory items were also marvelous.  

He often thought that if he could think of them and those first glorious months in this country he would be able to survive.  It worked like a vitamin on him.  Once he opened his eyes and resumed walking, he dreamed of the moment he could close his eyes and replenish his soul.

Wally was handed a stiff rice ball the size of a plumb.  Grain by grain he picked at it and chewed.  The starch mingled with his thick saliva and made a paste that coated his mouth

and alleviated the sores and temporarily eased the pain.  Savoring the moment he watched as some of the others put the entire wad in their mouths.  Some choked and vomited.

Men will eat anything when starving including their own emesis.  Today a beetle crawled past his boot.  Wally quickly squashed it between his teeth and enjoyed the wet on his tongue.

Every day was a blur of boots walking ahead of him and the smell of the dead that was pounded into the road.  Miles and miles of stench that hung in his nostrils until he thought

it not that unpleasant.  He used to only breathe through his mouth so he wouldn't smell the rot.  His tongue  became like leather as it cracked and bled.  Best to stop that and just get used to the smell.  By the last day of their horrific walk, he could actually stand to swallow.

Eighty miles in six days at a snails pace.  It was a memory Wally would never speak of to his family. No one would ever believe a human could do what he and the others just did.  History must never allow for something this atrocious to happen again.  He would make certain that if he survived this he would bring justice to those who did not live.  That they did not die in vain or were forgotten.  He began by memorizing names and their next of kin and home towns.  Everyone he had an opportunity to speak to he would ask the same information and imbed it in his memory.  Over and over he recited the information.  Daily the list grew longer.  Never forget, never give up, never!

******

Chapter 3

Nona and Sandra slept together aboard the ship.  They shared a space with several other

evacuees.  Mothers nursed their newborn babies and toddlers cried with hunger.  Nona

sat and rocked Sandra and combed her hair with her fingers.  She hummed a tune to lull her asleep then closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall behind her.  The sounds of the engine room on the other side of the steel wall reminded her that they were at least churning through the water.  

Aboard for days they were not allowed to wander around the ship very far and certainly not topside to breathe the fresh ocean breeze.  She longed to take a deep breathe of salty air.  She had saved the apples she was given that morning to share with Sandra when she woke from her nap.  Their ripe smell was making her stomach growl.

"I wonder how Wally is doing?"She thought. The thought that he was staying behind to fight made her sick.   She had overheard some of the crew saying that conditions in the Philippines were worsening each day.  All she could hope and pray for is that he would survive.  He was smart and strong.  Those two attributes would see him through.  She did not dare to think otherwise or cry in despair as many of the others were seen doing.

It served no purpose to go crazy in grief.  Even if she did not have Sandra to take care of

she would have made use of herself in some way or another.

Each day was a repeat of the one before.  At least they were fed and allowed to drink several times a day.  They were encouraged to do things together to occupy their time like sing or play games with the children.  Bathroom facilities were meager but adequate.

At last they were within sight of land!  The crew reported they would be pulling into port that afternoon.  Everyone needed to gather their belongings and when instructed, they could proceed up to the top deck.  

Nona held Sandra's hand and their suitcase as they climbed the steep ladders from deck to deck.  The fresh air hit them in the face like a fan at high speed.  Thunder clouds loomed

overhead and it began to rain in sheets that plastered their hair to their heads and clothing to their skinny bodies.  Nona lifted Sandra into her arms and managed to carry the suitcase with the other hand as they walked the narrow walkway to the pier.  Once there, she put her down and they scurried for shelter under the tents.  Long rows of tables with Army personnel on one side each with a typewriter greeted them.  "Papers and ID, please." the man asked.  Nona unfolded the forms and gave him the ID card.  He matched it against a long log of names listed on the manifest.  He then placed a red check mark next to their names.  "Thank you, Mrs. Hewitt.  We will send your husband a telegram of your safe arrival.  Here is the address you will use to write to him from now on.  Keep writing.  The men need encouragement and there is no guarantee they will receive them but you will have done your part" he told her.  "The bus is ready to take you to the barracks where you can stay until you can contact your family."

Nona and Sandra sat in the steamy bus soaking wet.  A hour later they arrived at the barracks that would house them.  Long buildings that were made of corrugated steel

and rounded.  Inside were cots from one end to the other.  They were led to their beds.

Nona helped Sandra out of her wet clothes and into a dry outfit then she changed, too.

For the time being they lay on the cots until they were told where they could get something to eat.  A man arrived and led the group to the mess hall.  They lined up and were given a metal tray with indentations for the meal to be served and a fork, knife and spoon.

Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy and corn were served on the trays.  A slice of white bread was placed on top.  Nona held both trays and made their way to the bench with Sandra.  Another man gave them each a glass of milk.  Nona and Sandra held hands with the others at the table and they prayed.  Her first bite was held on her tongue and savored.  Sandra sipped her milk and then tried the potatoes.  Once she got a taste, she ate everything.  At the door they were handed a piece of fruit.  Nona put it in her pocket

to have them eat later that evening.  They made their way back to their beds and slept

fully clothed until the next morning when they were awakened by the bugler.

The next morning the evacuees were examined by the doctors.  They were given soap

and sent to the showers first.  Afterwards, wrapped in towels they were examined and given any medication needed.  The doctor deemed them fit for travel.  Next they were led to a room where there were several people typing.  She sat down and dictated her note to be sent to her mother and mother-in-law of their safe arrival and information on where they would be staying until they could come home to Minnesota.

Chapter 4

The hold of the ship was like a hot cauldron of an oil tanker.  Thick fumes of fuel burned Wally's lungs as he struggled to breathe.  It was pitch black.  Men pressed up against him from all sides. It would have been impossible to sit or fall.  Trousers stuck together from human waste.

The ship heaved to it's side and there was chaos and crying by some.  One man prayed out loud for them to sink to the bottom of the sea.  Buckets of sea water were thrown over the men through the small hatch.  Those that were near the opening eagerly licked their lips and 

sucked moisture from their sleeves.  A few rice balls were thrown into the crowd of ravenous men.  Hands grabbed and shoved a few morsels into their mouths.  Day upon day

of rolling and heaving over the waves had many wishing they were dead.

Explosions from bombing and the jolt  afterwards confirmed their fears that they were

under attack by US forces not knowing that the Japanese Hell Ships cargo were their own 

comrades.  "How ironic", Wally thought.  To survive all this just to be killed by our own military.

He had heard they were going to Japan to be placed in POW camps.  He figured  they would be in for a very rough ordeal.  Japan was to the north of where they started.  The climate would be a harsh change from the tropical environment they just left.  Winter in Japan can be quite brutal.  Wally surmised he could withstand the conditions better than most because he grew up in Minnesota.  He knew what to do since a young age.  Somehow

everything he had experienced as a young boy and an Army Officer has paid off.  He

he was an Eagle Scout and after High School at the Military Academy he attended, Wally

hopped aboard trains and traveled west to work in the CCC better known as the Civilian Conservation Corps.  They helped build roads and bridges.  His skills were diverse.  

He was bright and graduated with honors from college and became an Officer.   Survival training was in his blood.  He reminded himself of his vow to survive and bring justice to all the others who died and who were tortured.

Arrival was at night.  A cold rain was falling as those that could still move found their way

to the deck.  They were tied together and led off the ship to a barbed wire enclosure.

Their names were written down.  Next Wally was pushed along with the others into groups

and forced to walk until they reached a larger camp.  Guard posts were at each corner and several long buildings were inside the barbed wire fencing.  They were told to stand  in the rain all night.  Wally was one of those still standing in the morning.  

The dead were heaped into a common grave.  Some of the guards urinated on the bodies.

Those left standing were ordered to shovel dirt over the bodies.

Wally soon realized he was the leading Army Officer of this crew.  He memorized their names, next of kin and home town information.  He recited this roster over and over every day.  After the war he wanted to recite each one out loud and have their families know they were brave men and had been loved and not forgotten.  Some said "to each his own" but Wally took it further.  He knew that by making this a personal mission it would help him beat the odds.

Work details were given.  The group was taken to the rock quarry.  All day they picked at the hard rock.  Large chunks were hauled to the train and loaded.  Other groups were taken into the coal mines.  Their efforts were rewarded by breathing in the coal dust and experiencing a shaft collapse and being crushed alive in the dark.  Every day began the same but ended differently for some.  Their body was wasted and strength exhausted.

Drawing their last breathe was the end to their misery and pain.  Some did not realize that moment was upon them as they worked and just crumbled in death a moment later.

During the long moments of silence when Wally was awake, just before sleeping and just as his eyes opened on a new day, he prayed.  "Dear Heavenly, Father watch over and protect us so that we will rejoice your name on Salvation Day!"  He repeated the Our Father over and over in his mind as he heaved his pick ax in the quarry.  "Deliver us from evil" echoed

with each bout of disease that spent him.

The winter was long and cold.  No extra clothing was given.  No protection from the winds and ice as it pelleted them.  No circulation in the blue fingers and toes.  One did not dare remove their boots.  Feet adhered to the socks and stuck to the worn leather.  

To be excused from work detail was only done if one were nearly dead.  On many an occasion Wally had fevers and pain from abcessed teeth.  He took his pick ax and managed to pry the infected tooth out of the socket and keep on working. 

They were allowed to congregate in small groups in the evening around a fire to warm themselves.  Whenever they could they would find a bug or some fresh shoots of grass and put them in their pocket.  Each of them saved one spoon of rice from their portion for the day and a minor amount of water.  These things were put together in a pot they were given

and cooked.  Each man was given a spoonful or two of the resulting soup.  These minor

acts of humanity among them ensured they would do anything for their brother.  What ever it took to survive and help each other they did.  

One morning there was an announcement that the camp Commander was missing his

pencil.  They were lined up and screamed at to confess who had stolen the pencil.

When no one responded, Wally was taken from the group and led to a solitary confinement

box and shoved inside.  The space was small.  There was only enough room inside for him to squat.  The next three days he was not fed or given water.  The sun scorched down on the metal roof of the enclosure.  When the door was opened and he was dragged out into the open courtyard he could barely see from the brightness of the light.  The Commander had

selected him on purpose because he was the highest ranking officer of the prisoners.

He was responsible.  He spit in Wally's face and pulled the pencil from his own shirt pocket and waved it triumphantly above his head.  He said that it had been a test of courage and honor.

Wally's group knew he already was the most honorable and courageous man they had ever met.

Soon after the group was moved to another camp.  They marched through the highlands

and into a camp smaller than the last one but had more prisoners.  The guards were

especially mean and gave frequent beatings for no reason to the new comers.  There

were no opportunities to cook their gruel together.  Once a day they received their ration

of rice and water.  Crates of fresh vegetables and fruit and a goat were delivered to the guard house. They could smell the cooking done for the camp Commander.  Men tried to grab bones that were tossed at them.  Not a morsel of meat could be picked from them.  Wally managed to open a long bone he caught.  Inside the soft marrow was sucked dry by everyone he passed it to.  

Chapter 5

Nona sat in the hanger at the factory along with the other women who were starting work that day.  She was going to be given special training on the wiring system to be installed in the bombers being built.  She had read in the local paper they needed women to work in these factory positions.  Her friend she had made on the voyage over let Nona and Sandra stay with them.  She would babysit Sandra while Nona worked her shift and then Nona would stay with the children during the night.  For months these Rosie The Riveters

cranked out the new aircraft as fast as they were contracted.  It was rewarding work helping the war effort.  Rationing of food and electricity and water made life challenging but it was something both women handled with ease.  Somehow they managed to keep their children fed and warm.  Each of them saved as much of their salary as possible and collected their husbands meager pay monthly.  

"I'm leaving in six months" Nona told her friend.  I need to get back home and help my family and they need to see Sandra, too.  

When the day arrived, Nona and Sandra packed heir things and boarded the train headed for home.  They made their way to their seats and handed the conductor their passes.  The trees flew past the windows and the sound of the wheels on the track hypnotized Nona while Sandra napped with her head in her lap.

She closed her eyes and leaned against the window frame.  Her mind went back to the day they said goodbye to Wally.  She was frightened but did not want to show her fear.  There was no other choice but to be strong willed.  Inside her stomach churned and she had trouble eating.  She couldn't afford any more weight loss.  Her dress hung from her shoulders like a loose sack.  Stress and anxiety kept her mind racing all day and even in her tossed sleep.  She woke up exhausted and the dark circles under her eyes against her otherwise pale complexion made her look like a refugee.  Anemia plagued her and she often felt sluggish.  Her dreams took her to happier places when she and Wally were married in Iowa before being stationed in Texas.  She remembers picking out and sewing the beautiful white brocade fabric for her wedding dress and royal blue velvet trimmed bolero jacket.  It fit her like a glove.  They went to the photographer just after the ceremony.  Wally looked dashing in his dress white Army uniform.

His dark wavy hair and mustache made him look like a movie star.  His strong arms circled her tiny waist as he picked her up and carried her over the threshold of their first quarters at Fort Sam Houston.  They were busy and happy newlyweds.  They went to the Officers Club and met with their friends that were working with Wally.  They danced and had good times.  Soon afterward, Nona realized she was pregnant and due in October of 1940.

By the spring of 41 they were stationed in the Philippines.  The voyage over was difficult with an infant but they were not worried.  There was help there not available in the States.  They could have a housekeeper and Nanny hired to help.  It would be an adventure neither of them would have dreamed would turn out the way it had.

Sandra squirmed and shifted her position.  "Mommy, I feel sick."  she managed to say before throwing up all over herself and Nona's lap.  Nona tried to get themselves cleaned up as best as possible but did not have access to their suitcase.  The smell made Nona nauseous, too.  Thankfully the conductor came with a rag and Nona was able to clean up the mess from the floor.  Sandra fell back asleep and Nona stroked her feverish brow and continued to worry.

The train pulled into the station in St. Paul, MN  at 2a.m.  Sandra was hot with fever and limp as a rag doll.  Nona carried her to a bench and then waited for her suitcase.  She waited and waited and none of the cases were her's that were placed on the platform.  When the compartment was empty the conductor told Nona to check the station in a few days to see if their bag had arrived.  It could have been left on the connector train in Kansas City.  She was grateful she had never let her papers, ID and money out of her grip.  She hailed a cab and was taken to her mother-in-law's home on Eustis St.  Nona and Sandra knocked on the door loudly.  Mrs. Hewitt pushed back the curtain over the window on the front door and unlocked the door for them.  She stood in disbelief with her mouth open as she looked them over from head to toe.  "I told you not to go off to the jungle with a baby!"  "Might as well come in!"  She climbed the stairs ahead of them and headed back to her bedroom and closed the door.  Nona took Sandra into the bathroom and they took a hot bath.  Nona washed out their dresses and hung them over the radiator to dry.  Both of them climbed into the bed together in their underwear and fell immediately to sleep. 

The next morning Sandra's fever had broken sometime during the night and the bed was wet from the sweat.  Nona stripped the bed linen.  She went to the bathroom and got their clothing which was not yet fully dry and put them on.

She headed down to the cellar to the wringer washer and put the sheets into the sudsy water.  Afterwards she took them out and hung them on the line.

Sandra sat in the kitchen.  Soon Mrs. Hewitt came down from upstairs in her bathrobe.  Her wild hair was under a hairnet. "What are your plans, Nona?" she asked cooly.  "What word have you had on Wally?"

Nona took a deep breathe and told her she had not heard from him since she had left.  There was scarce information on the fall of the Philippines and the soldiers left to defend themselves against insurmountable odds.  She could only hope for the best.  As far as her plans, she had to find work.  She was hoping to stay here with her and  get a job.  "Well, I suppose that will be ok for a little while.  You'll need to help pay for things anyway if that is going to be done.

Wally would insist on that.  Or, if you want, you and Sandra can stay out at the cottage at Turtle Lake for rent."  "A college educated Army officer goes off and marries the first farm girl he sees!  I'm just not happy about that at all, mind you." Mrs. Hewitt muttered under her breathe.  Nona heard every word.

"We'll stay out at the cabin.  Here is the first months rent in advance.  Wally would have insisted on that!"  After the sheets had dried, Nona remade the bed.  She and Sandra left the house and headed out to Turtle Lake by catching a ride with Wally's Uncle Breitschoff.  

Nona uncovered the furniture in the cabin and opened all the windows to air it out.  It was cold but the stale air needed exchanging.  Sandra helped gather some twigs to put in the pot belly stove in the kitchen.  It took several hours for Nona to get the place cleaned up and fit for them to stay in.  

No one had been out there in years since Mr. Hewitt died.  He and Wally built the cabin together when Wally was a teen.  It was very well constructed but not insulated in any way to shield from the harsh winter weather.  Nona thought it would be alright for a few months until she could save some money and get back home to Ulen in the Spring.  Sandra helped

but would often just stand still or sit down on the steps of the front porch and stare out at the lake.  Nona saw this from the window and came outside and sat down next to her.

"What's the matter?" Nona asked her.  Sandra shrugged her shoulders and started to cry.

It was the first time they had a meaningful moment to themselves since leaving the island.

Sandra had just turned three.  "Where is daddy?" she cried.  "Is he coming back?" she added.  Nona told her the truth.  "Daddy loves you very much.  He will come home when his work is done.  It is going to take a long time." she told her while putting her arm around Sandra's body and pulled her into her lap.  Together they sat for awhile and gazed out over the still  water and watched a flock of loons land on it's surface.  "Let's go in and have some soup."  Nona said and they both went in.  The fire in the pot belly stove was started and Nona shut all the windows.  Afterwards she and Sandra went to bed early cuddling under the old quilts.  Sleep came within minutes of them shutting heir eyes.

"Daddy, come home!" Sandra screamed out in her sleep.  Nona was startled awake by her cries.  "Shhh, honey, I am here.  Go to sleep, go to sleep, shhh." Nona said as she wiped away the tears from her own eyes.  Without Sandra to comfort and care for, she was certain she would have lost her mind in worry long before now.  "What if he's dead and never coming home to us?  What am I going to do, where will I go?"  Nona had never really thought like this before and wished she could stop the whirlwind in her mind from spinning out of control.   "I  will go into town today and drop Sandra off with her cousins to play and look for a job." Nona muttered in the dark. When she opened them again the sun was rising and the loons could be heard outside.  She rose and made some coffee.  Sitting in the rocker by the stove, she stoked the flames and she placed more wood inside and closed the hatch.  Sandra continued to sleep and she let her wake up on her own.  

Sandra was always excited to visit her cousins.  She went happily with them and her Aunt to the park nearby.  Nona headed to the square and entered the restaurant on the corner.

She met with the manager and was offered a job as a waitress on the weekends when they had the most diners.  That schedule suited Nona, too.  She did not want to burden anyone

with keeping Sandra during the week and her sister-in-law said it would be fine for her to stay with them the weekend while Nona worked.  The walk to and from the lake to the bus stop was getting harder with the severe winter they were experiencing.  Snow piled up

and the side roads were not passable.  Nona and Sandra trudged each weekend to the main road to get a ride into town.  " I might as well be in Ulen with mother rather than keep on doing this" Nona thought.  Months of this had taken a toll on them and she did not want to

ask if she could move back into Mrs. Hewitt's house in town.  Nona gave her notice to her job and worked her last weekend at the end of January.  She handed Mrs. Hewitt the money for rent and turned to hold Sandra's hand to help her into the taxi.  

The train ride north to Ulen took several hours and they settled into their seats.  Pastures

covered in a think blanket of snow could be seen for miles.  The terrain was flat as a pancake.  Long thin rows of trees separated farms from each other.  Cattle huddled

close to barns.  

Nona and Sandra stepped off the platform in town by the grain silo.  Her mother's house

was close to the tracks and only a short distance from the depot.  They held hands and

stepped cautiously through the frozen slush out onto the road.  

Nona and Sandra stood on the small porch of the tiny yellow house and rapped on the door.

Opening it she said "Mother? It's me, Nona and Sandra!"  Emily Syverson came through the kitchen and into the front room wiping her hands on her apron.  "Oh, my God!  Nona,

Sandra!" as she allowed herself to be hugged and kissed by them.  They all were crying with

happiness and so overwhelmed with the moment.  

"I can't believe it's you!  Just last night I had a dream you were coming!" Emily told her.  "Come sit down and tell me everything and start at the beginning!"  She reached over and grabbed another coffee cup for Nona and poured some milk for Sandra.  At first Nona just sat there holding her cup in her hands and looking at the dark brown fluid mingle with the milk she had added.  Swirls of pale cream collided with the coffee and then became a creamy tan color.  She took a sip and closed her eyes to taste and smell the aroma of home.

When she opened her eyes and looked over the brim of her cup she saw her mother it seems like for the first time in an eternity.  Her hair was gray and her tiny features were evident through her thin dress.  The skin on her hands was almost transparent and showed the veins.  "Mom are you ok, you're not sick are you?" Nona said as she reached out to touch her hand.  "No, I'm alright.  I had a little flu a few weeks ago but I'm ok now." she responded.

"Well good, the last thing you need is to get sick!"  "How is everyone?  I have not had the chance to write as I promised because I was either working or sleeping or taking care of Sandra's needs!  I'm sorry for worrying you, mother."  "Don't worry about that, Nona.  Everyone is doing well on their own and send me money to get by on.  It has been a tough

winter here.  I've not been able to go out much for the past few months because of blizzard after blizzard."  "Well, things will be easier on you now that I can be here to help you out!

I have missed you so much since we left a few years ago to leave for Iowa to get married on our way to Texas." Nona said.  "Did you ever get a photograph made on your wedding day?" Emily asked.  "Yes, we did but we couldn't wait for it before having to leave.  Then when we got orders to the Philippines it was forgotten about.  "You need to get the photo,

Nona.  If not for you, then at least for Sandra.  She is young and needs to see her daddy's face so she can talk to him."  "It's just been so hard on us, I suppose you are right and I will have to find out how much it will cost." Nona said.

Later that day she went into town and bought some supplies.  She stopped at the post office to send Wally a letter.  She had not heard from him at all since leaving.  The clerk

reassured her he would let her know right away of any letter from him.  

Nona got right down to business and was active in the ladies aide at their church.  She helped volunteer her help at the Viking Manor Nursing Home.  She always enjoyed visiting with the elderly people who lived there.  They played the piano and sang songs and played Whist.  She took Sandra along with her and the ladies and gentlemen loved to have her visit.  She allowed one lady to brush her beautiful dark curls for hours and tie ribbons in it.  A man read her stories.  It felt good to be home and productive again.  This is where she was loved and protected.

She found out that a 8x10 photograph of their wedding picture would cost $18.00.

She told her mother about it.  "I insist you get it, Nona.  I will help you pay for it." Emily

said.  "Ok" is all that Nona could whisper.  She sent the money the next day.  Within a few weeks the photo arrived in the mail.  It showed the two of them standing side by side.

Each of them looking happy yet formal.  They did not smile.  "I love it!" her mother said when she saw it for the first time.  "You did a beautiful job on the dress.  I hope you saved it!"

"Yes, I have it.  We bought some beautiful carved trunks in the Philippines and it is packed  in there.  I do not know when they will arrive but I have asked for them to be shipped here

as soon as possible." Nona said.  "It was a magical paradise, mother.  You wouldn't believe

how beautiful it was.  The flowers and the crystal blue Pacific Ocean were like a picture."

"Now, I'm sure it has been turned into a Hell for Wally and the other men!" she said while tears welled up in her eyes.  "I just can't stand to look at this photo and think he might never come home to us." Nona stammered.  "I'll put it by Sandra's bed then," her mother said as she took it into the other room and placed it in a frame which held another picture from long ago.  

Weeks and months passed and the snow melted.  Tulips peeked above the cold soil and daffodils bloomed.  Easter was next week.  Nona sewed Sandra and herself a new dress on her mother's old treadle machine.  She got up to answer a knock on the door.  "Telegram for Nona Hewitt" the courtier said.  "Yes, that is me" Nona said as she signed for the letter.

Hesitantly she went into the kitchen where there was better light and sat at the table.

Gently she opened the flap of the yellow envelope.  

Dear Nona:

I am alive and well taken care of.

Walt

Nona stared in disbelief and put her hand up to her heart.  She could feel it beating fast and her breathing had increased, too.  She felt faint.  She wondered why the print was noticeable bolder on the word "alive" and not on any of the other words.

"Honey, are you ok?" Emily asked her coming into the kitchen.  "Who was at the door?"

she asked.  Nona handed her the letter.  They both embraced and cried out loud.

It was the first time Nona had really let down and got it out of her system.  She began telling her mother of the hasty evacuation and transit back to America on the ship.  She told her about the factory job working on the planes and the awful cross country train trip with Sandra being sick.  She told her how horrid Mrs. Hewitt had been to her while there.

She also told her how wonderful it was to be safe at home with her now.  "I love you, mother!" Nona said.  "I love you, too dear" Her mother whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek.  

"Now then, we know he is OK!  That is wonderful!"  Let's get Sandra and go to the park and have a picnic!  They busied themselves putting things together in the basket and set out for the afternoon.

Chapter 6

Wally was handed a single thin piece of paper and told what to write.  He tried to give a message to Nona by pressing down harder with the pencil on the word "alive".  He thought she might notice it and realize that everything was not as great as he had to write.  The paper was sealed in an envelope and taken away.  He never knew if it was delivered but the act gave him some piece of mind for a moment.

Each day there were new arrivals and more deaths.  Bodies were carried to a common ditch and covered with soil.  Wally's list of names grew longer.  He kept busy going over them daily in his mind.  

At other times Wally taught the young men.  He had enjoyed college and was a math and science whiz.  He would go over algebra equations and geometry with them whenever given the opportunity.  They seemed to enjoy the diversion. At night they slept outdoors and he would point out the various star constellations above them.  "Capt., is there any way to know where we are in Japan?"one of the youngest prisoners asked. Wally said "Sure there is, we just have to figure out the latitude based on the North Star."  "How are you going to know that?" the young boy said.  "It's a bit complicated but I'll work on that one myself.  I'll know after all this Hell is over whether or not I was right."  "Now, who knows the periodic table?" Wally asked them as he changed the subject.  But, Wally never forgot that question

and studied the night sky and used a stick stuck in the ground in the day to study the shadow of the sun and how it fell on the ground.  

One afternoon the guard picked up the stick that was sticking out of the ground.  He demanded Wally tell him what it was for.  Wally tried to explain that he was using it to tell time.  The guard then beat him with the stick and threw him into the confinement box.

When he was released his knees were so stiff and painful he could barely stand up.  Many

of the men he had instructed were no longer in the camp.  One of the newcomers told him seven prisoners were taken from the camp and moved to another location.  Wally never saw them again or knew where they had been taken.  He hoped they had not been killed and decided never to take it upon himself to put anyone in danger again by his teaching lessons.

He practiced his French silently.  Elaborate math problems were solved in his head.  The names were an endless line of words across his brain like a ticker tape he was reading to himself.

Christmas came.  They were not sure it was the correct day but they were told they did not have to work on that day.  It snowed all day.  The men ate the snow to quench their thirst.

They were also given a piece of fruit.  Apples were hard and sour.  Every morsel was eaten.

Some of the men vomited afterwards.  Their stomachs were not accustomed to the fresh fiber.  Each man was given rice and tea.  The men prayed together and sang "Silent Night."

They slept peacefully for the first time.

1944 proved to be harder than the previous  two years of imprisonment.  The physical labor in the mines and quarries was grueling and long.  Sixteen hour days without rest.  Each day worse than the last.  Clothing was thread bare and severely soiled.

All men were ordered to strip naked.  Their clothes were burned.  Then they were led to the river to wash themselves in the cold water.  It felt like heaven to submerge their heads and wash the filth from their bodies.  The sores oozed and were swollen.  On the opposite shore they were given black pajamas to wear and woven flat sandals.  They also were given a straw circular hat with a pointed crown.  Now they all looked just like the civilian Japanese but were taller and had lighter hair and skin.  After that day, they were allowed to bathe 

only once more.  The group was moved to a camp higher in the hills and secluded among thick trees and underbrush.  In the new camp they were told they would work in the cobalt mine and at the furnaces that melted the alloy.   The area they were taken to to work was at a much higher elevation than the camp.  The soil was thin and rocky.  Sheer cliffs of rock jutted skyward.  Their uniform was inadequate to work in but they did as they were told.  From here one could see the sea and the waves crashing upon the rocky shores many miles away.  Further up the peaks were snow capped.  To try to escape from here would be a feat no one would survive.  Steep terrain with loose rocks under the straw sandals was treacherous.  One prisoner slipped and fell to his death over the cliff when he got too close.  Others suffered severe burns and some died working with the molten metal.

It was colder at this elevation and Wally became ill and started to have 

severe chills.  He coughed violently at night and spit up blood.  He could not get warm.

One of the men who lay next to him on the floor of the building where they were housed

reached out and held his hand in the dark.  Wally was delirious with fever.  He moaned and 

groaned all night.  When his fever finally broke three days later he could barely stand up and realized he had been moved to another building that had many other sick prisoners.

"This must be a hospital." he thought.  "I'm still alive!"  

Gradually he regained his strength and realized he must have had a Malaria flare up.  He had been sick in the Philippines a few years ago and this is how he felt then.  He looked around the room.  There were fifty beds.  Each bed had a body.  Some of the bodies writhed

and moaned others were stiff and still.  Every morning the stiff bodies were removed and a new writhing body was placed on the bed.  Wally decided he was well and asked to be removed from the hospital.  His wish was granted and he was led out and straight back to his work detail high up the hill.  He almost did not make it there and lost his footing several times near the edge of the pathway.

Chapter 7

The man who held his hand that night greeted him with his eyes as he arrived.  Wally detected a slight smile on his face.  Quickly he looked away and picked up his pic ax and resumed his work as if nothing had ever happened.  

That night the same man whispered "Good to see you are well.  They heard your moaning and cries of pain and took you away hanging like a rag between two guards.  I was sure you would die."  "It happened to me last year.  I dreamed I tried to escape through the latrine full of shit.  I tried to get others to come with me by saying it was not that bad down there in that shit hole!"  Wally just said "I had that dream, too!"

From that time on, they helped each other how ever they could without being detected.  It meant the world to feel they could trust each other.  Even in a prison camp there can be discord among the inmates.  Jealousy, greed and despise.  Wally was the only Officer in camp so technically he was in charge of the safety of this group.  Up until this point he had been with the same group of prisoners as they were moved from camp to camp.  But, at this camp, many of the men who had arrived with him had died and been replaced by new bodies.

He was given material to write a letter.  He could barely hold it steady in his hand and his writing was shaky.

Dear Nona:

I am ALIVE and well taken care of.

Walt

He folded the paper and managed to slip a tiny dried wild flower into the fold of the paper before placing it in the envelope.  He hoped that she received it and knew how much she and Sandra were missed and loved.  It was for them that he managed to stay alive from day to day.  Survival was the only goal. 

Repairs to the camp were needed.  The rain came down in torrents and huge mud slides

pushed some buildings off their foundation and sent them smashing down the rocky mountainside. Men screamed out in the night when this happened.  

When the rain stopped the prisoners were sent down the steep hillside to bring back the salvageable wood.  The bodies were mangled in the debris and blood was splattered on the boards.  They worked tirelessly until every scrap was returned to the camp.  They were then told to bury the bodies.  Shovels of earth were scooped over their twisted corpses.

Many of the men made the sign of the cross and bowed their heads before leaving the fresh mound.

The mud that was washed into the surrounding structures was removed and dumped over the edge of the hill.  When things were dry, the remaining dirt was swept with a crude broom made of twigs from the fir trees.

Wally studied the heavens at night and the sun shadows in the daylight.  He was certain his calculations were correct.  He knew that if given a map he could point to the exact location

of this God Forsaken Hell.  He did the calculations over and over and each time the coordinates were the same.  

Seasons changed and the Spring brought an abundance of mild weather.  The men welcomed the opportunity to not freeze at night.  The meager rations of winter were supplemented with dried fish and vegetables that they grew at the perimeter of the camp.

Wally successfully fought for a pot for them to cook their gruel.  Everyone pitched in what ever they could save or scrounge.  Fresh shoots of grass, slugs, grubs, bugs rice and dried fish and water.  Once a week they had enough to share a few spoonfuls with everyone.

One evening Wally noticed the aquarium was moved outside the camp Commander's building to be cleaned out.  As soon as he got a chance, Wally scooped a small octopus with a head the size if a plumb out of the murky water and into his mouth.  No one was nearby.  He struggled with the squirming legs to get them in his mouth.  In a hurry he swallowed the animal whole!  It was too large and he started to choke on the huge lump in his throat.

He began to walk quickly away from the building and as he came around the the other side from the latrine, a guard saw him turning blue and gagging while holding his throat.  The guard acted instinctively and hit him hard on the back.  The octopus then slid down his throat.  He never saw what was in Wally's mouth and thought he had been vomiting behind the building because his mouth and shirt were all wet.  Wally thought that was a very close call!

Every night he dreamed of home.  He and Nona and Sandra together again.  Seeing the rest of his family and being free to do whatever he wanted to do kept his spirits up.

He dreamed of grocery stores full of food.  His favorite was olives.  Each time it was as though he could taste the olive in his mouth.  But when he would try to find them in the store they were not there.  He vowed to always have olives on hand when he made it home.

He thought of his brother Glen and his cousin, Harold better known as, Shadow.  Fun times rambled through his brain at night.  Dances at the military academy, Creighton High.  Raising a frog from a tadpole when he was little.  His wedding day with Nona in her beautiful dress she made herself.  His mother and the big Tudor style house on Eustis St in St. Paul.  The birth of Sandra.  He had much to live for.  For the first time in years he awoke with a smile on his face.

Chapter 8

"Mommy, can we have one of these?"  Sandra pointed at the refrigerator in the store in St. Paul.  It was shiny white and rounded at the corners.  Inside the bins were aqua blue.  The door had a bin for eggs and butter.  There was a small door at the top that had ice cube trays and an area for freezing some food.  The main shelves could hold other food like milk and cheese and vegetables to keep them from spoiling.  It was electric.  It was beautiful!

"Yes, we are going to buy this refrigerator and have it sent on the train to Ulen.  Grandmother will be so surprised!"  Nona did not realize it at the time but she had just purchased the first refrigerator in Ulen.  It was like she was a celebrity when it arrived and was taken to her mother's house.  All the ladies from church had to drop by to see it and get a demonstration.  Sandra had her little friends see it, too.  She was so proud of it.

The first thing they made was jello.  Nona put it in a bowl to cool overnight in the refrigerator.  In the morning Sandra could not wait to taste the fruit flavored jiggly treat.

"Mmmmmmm," Sandra said as she took her first mouthful.  " I want some more!"  "Oh, no you don't!  You haven't had breakfast yet!" Nona scolded.  "We will have some later on after lunch."  

Nona got a job at the Nursing home helping the people that called it their home.  She needed the extra income and enjoyed helping everyone.  Sandra could go to work with her.  She managed to save most of her salary and helped her mother out with her expenses.  She secretly wished Wally would agree to leave the Army and come to live here in Ulen when he came home.  Every day she stopped at the Post Office and checked the mail.  No further word.  The newspaper ran a list of those killed and missing in action or POW.  Wally's name appeared on the P.O.W. list.  She had no idea which camp he was in but it helped to know he was alive at least as of the date the newspaper was printed.  

Occasionally Nona went into St. Paul.  She always stopped in to say hello to Mrs. Hewitt and give her any updates she had on Wally.  Every time she was as cold as stone to her.

"I love Wally", Nona told her as she turned to leave.  "We have a daughter together and she looks just like him."  "I wish you could find it in your heart to be loving to her at least."

Mrs. Hewitt listened and then offered to have Sandra come stay with her in town that Spring for a few weeks so she could come to know her.  Nona agreed.  She hated making any kind of a deal with her but thought it would be fair for Sandra to know her other grandmother, too.

Throughout the year to follow, Nona made the trip by train with Sandra to St. Paul several

times.  Their relationship improved.  Sandra shared what news she learned with Wally's

family.  Things were looking better for them.

August 6, 1945 the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.  Another was  dropped on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9.  Devastation was everywhere and thousands were killed and the cities demolished. 

Nona stood in shock as she read the newspaper headlines.  What if Wally went through all of this and then was killed by our bombs!  She couldn't believe what was happening.  She was more frightened than ever.  But, others tried to reassure her he was going to be safe and be freed now.  They just knew it and she needed to believe it, too.  She could hardly wait to get to her mother's house to break the news.  The radio was blaring the information as she entered the house.  "Mother, I think the war is over!" she yelled.  She fell into her mother's arms and cried tears of joy.  "Oh, my God, thank you for ending this war!" Nona cried over and over.

Everyone came to Emily's house that afternoon to celebrate with them.  They just couldn't get enough information.  Sandra and her friends danced in circles watching their dresses

flare out.  Everyone was so happy hugging and crying.

When Nona finally got Sandra tucked in that night they prayed for Wally's safe return home.  

Chapter 9

A tremendous explosion rocked the island.  Percussion from the bomb shook the ground for many miles surrounding the area of impact.  There was chaos immediately and people ran for safety screaming with their clothing burned away from their bodies and buildings

disintegrated into dust.  Fires erupted everywhere.  A monstrous plume of smoke and vapor rose in a mushroom shape over the area and radioactive fall out showered down on everything below and was carried by the winds to surrounding areas.  Word of the bombing spread around the world almost as fast as it took the plane to release the bomb and fly away to safety.

There was no celebrating in Wally's camp.  They had heard of the bombing but were not sure of it's effectiveness.  The guards continued to work them as usual and the prisoners actually felt like they might be killed in retaliation.  "Everyone watch your back" Wally whispered and the message was repeated ear to ear in the dark.  

About a month later on Sep 2, 1945 aboard the USS Missouri the surrender of Japan was signed.

Time passed and one morning a few weeks later, the prisoners woke up  to a camp with no guards present.

Wally quickly gathered a group of men to make their way down the treacherous mountainous area.   They proceeded very slowly and cautiously.  This could be a trick and they could face a surprise ambush.  Day after day they made slow but steady progress down to the harbor area.  Wally estimated it to be about twenty miles from where there camp was located.  Tired, scratched, hungry and thirsty the group emerged from the wooded area.  They proceeded toward the American ships.  A marine stopped them and

demanded they hold their hands above their heads.  Wally quickly complied and told the soldier they were American P.O.W's.  The marine stood in awe as he looked at the scrawny group of men.  None of them weighed more than 90 lbs dripping wet.  They were covered in filth and stunk to high heaven.  All were wearing their black Japanese pajamas and woven sandals.  Wally told him his name. "I am Capt. Walter J. Hewitt and these are my men.  Take me to your Officer in command at once!"  he barked crisply.

The marine quickly stood at attention and saluted.  "Sir, yes, sir!" 

"Attention!"  The group came to a halt at a table and they were greeted by a Navy Captain.

Wally saluted and shook the Captain's hand vigorously.  "Where are you from, Capt. Hewitt?" he addressed him.  "St. Paul, MN, Sir!"  "You need to meet my OOD.  Come with me and I'll introduce you.  He is from St. Paul, too!"  Wally followed the Captain aboard

the ship.  What he saw next made his eyes fill with tears as his own cousin Harold (Shadow) Hammerschmidt smartly saluted him!  They fell into each others arms and cried like babies.

Holding each other at arms length they marveled at the miracle they had just experienced.

Wally was not aware that Harold had joined the Navy at the beginning of the war.  Shadow told him he just had to go and thought the best way to get there was with the Navy.  

Food and water was brought for them to eat.  "Go easy, men.  You will get sick if you eat all this at once."  They packed a few boxes of supplies to take back to the camp the next day.  Wally got a group of marines together to go with them up into the mountain area and bring the remaining POW's down to the safety of the harbor.

Arriving the next morning, the remaining POW's yelled and chanted "God Bless America!"  "Hell, Yeah, we're free!"  They put their arms around each other and danced.  Tears streamed down their filthy checks and left pale streaks on their skin as it washed away the dirt.  Hollowed out eye sockets looked at the small group of marines marching in single file up the path led by Capt. Hewitt. 

Heavy wooden cases of fresh vegetables and fruit and canned goods were unloaded from their shoulders.  The men stared in wonderment at the sight.

It was the most food they had seen in three and a half years!  Each of them were given a chance to pick something for themselves.  They did not need to share but all of them did.  It was like a banquet laid out before a king.  Small aluminum can opener hooks opened the cans.  Wally placed one of the openers in his hand.  I could have killed an army of those Nips with just this, he thought.

They were instructed to eat slowly and put only small portions in their stomach at at time lest they would vomit and waste the food.  It happened anyway but they didn't care.  They drank long gulps of water from the canteens they filled from the larger containers found in the camp Commander's office.  

Wally emerged from the office with both hands full of dog tags.  One by one he

called out the name on the tag and gave it to the man it belonged to.  Men kissed the metal tag embossed with their name rank and serial number before putting the chain around their neck.  They had their identities returned to them in that moment.  Wally stood in silence as he placed his chain over his head and held the tag with his hand.  He had handed out twenty tags and had one hundred other tags with no one to give them to.  He put the unclaimed dog tags in a small box.  He never let it out of his sight until handed over to the authorities back on board the USS Missouri  later the next day.

The motley crew rested awhile and then started to make their way down the narrow path through the dense trees.  Wally noticed everything along the way.

The smell of the evergreens.  The moss and the wild flowers that bloomed among the rocks at the edge of the stream that fed the pool where they had bathed only a few times.  He stopped momentarily and reached down to scoop some of the mud into his hand.  Using it like soap he scrubbed his face then washed the grime away with fresh water.  The muffled steps under their sandals could barely be heard as they made their way down the steep embankment.

Each of them were asked to provide their vital information so that the Yeoman could write it on a roster to be turned into the Central Command Center.

Wally handed the box of unclaimed dog tags to him then sat for another hour and recited his list of names held in memory from the victims during the Battle and march on Bataan.

Once the men were registered, they were led to outdoor showers and allowed to 

wash themselves of the years of imbedded filth on their bodies.  Clean soap and water cascaded over their skin and rivers of brown muddy water, pain, desperation and fear collected at their feet and ran along the wooden elevated crates they stood on and into the street.  Men opened their mouths to drink the water that showered over their matted hair.  Their ribs,  hip bones and vertebrae almost pierced their taught pale skin.  Towels were handed to them as they stepped from the area.

Wally took his and smothered his face in it's clean smell and vigorously dried his hair and skinny body.  From there they were taken to an exam room.  Each of them were photographed front and back and then they stepped on the scales one by one to be weighed.  Wally heard the Corpsman say 90.2 lbs and write it next to his name.  The doctor examined each man and assessed him from head to toe.  Measurements were recorded next to their weight in their medical file.  Cuts and wounds were cleaned.  Some of the more severe injuries had ointment and a gauze bandage applied.   A long table held clean underwear for them.   

The doctor then had them report to Sick Bay and assigned to a bed.  Nurses and Corpsmen went from bed to bed and inserted IV's and hung replenishing fluids in glass bottles that dripped into their bloodstream all night. Temperatures and blood pressures were taken every four hours.  Warm blankets were placed over their bodies and pillows under their heads.  Wally felt as though  he could feel every feather as his head made contact with it and the pillow softly cradled his skull.

Slowly he surveyed the room.  White walls surrounded them.  Glass bottles suspended from hooks on poles were over each bed.  Carts of linens and supplies were along one side of the room.  A clip board  held each man's health chart at the foot of the bed.  Every few hours someone would look at it and write something down.  His eyes closed and he fell into the center of a huge tornado funnel.

Everything around him was spinning out of control.  Bright colors flashed behind his eye lids.  Voices were distant and not familiar to his ears.  A flood of bile rose up into his throat and he rolled over to his side and vomited on the floor.  He was so weak he couldn't even warn someone.  Flopping back on the pillow he heard scurrying around him as he blacked out.  He came to while being rolled onto his side for the bed to be changed.  He felt warm water cleaning his body.  A sharp sting in his butt hurt like hell but he didn't care what they did at that point as long as he could survive and get home.  Dreams became nightmares.  Faces of Nip guards sneered at him in the dark.  The smell of their putrid breathe in his face made his stomach heave.  His intestines cramped in knots and made him writhe in agony holding his stomach against his backbone.

Diarrhea squirted without warning down his legs and pooled under him.  He felt hands under his body lifting him from one bed to another.  He could not open his eyes.  The lids felt glued to his eyeballs.  Someone flashed a light into them and tried to see if the pupils reacted properly.  Sweet unconsciousness engulfed him again.

Two days later Wally heard someone calling his name.  "Can you hear me Capt. Hewitt?" the doctor said softly.  He opened his eyes a fraction and saw the blur of a man standing over him.  He tried to focus and managed to nod his head "yes" in response.  "Good, I've been watching you closely and this is the first time you have responded in days!  I think you had a bout of Malaria.  But, I think you are on the mend now.  You need to stay in bed and we'll get you back in shape real soon" he assured him.  

Wally managed to sit up a little the next day and stay awake longer.  The fluids continued to drip their nourishment into his vein.  The Corpsman offered him clear both in a cup.  Wally could manage to take a few sips without it causing nausea and cramping.  

Slowly they helped him sit up and then to stand.  He needed help to stay up but was able to manage a few steps before needing to rest.  "Just one step at a time, Sir.  You are progressing nicely." the Corpsman told him.  Wally looked around the room and saw the others from camp either in their beds or being assisted in some way or another.  It made him feel good to see them and know they were improving, too.  "Take me over there I want to talk to that soldier," he said.  A wheelchair was brought and he was wheeled to the bedside of the man who had held his hand in camp.  

"How ya doing Capt. Hewitt?" he said.  "I'm doing better, Corporal Head." Wally told him.  "I asked them if I could come hold your hand again when you were so sick the other day.  Do you remember the last time that happened to you?" Corporal Head said.  "I sure do!  Did they let you this time?" Wally asked.  "Na, they said it wouldn't help any."  he said softly.  "We'll, I heard you and that's all that matters.  I knew you were pulling for me.  Thank you again, my friend.  I'll never forget your kindness.  When this is all over and we bring the Nips to trial for what they have done I'm going to tell them how they treated you in camp.  The world is going to know what those savaging, murdering monsters did from the start to the finish if it's the last thing I ever do!" Wally told him.

"Mark my words, they'll pay for this!" He said as the Corpsman wheeled him back to his bed and helped him to get comfortable.  This time his dreams were of home.

Chapter 10

They were transported to another larger hospital ship for transport to Hawaii.

All of them had received multiple medications to combat their various problems.

All of them got antibiotics and deworming treatments.  Their heads had been shaved to control the spread of the lice that infested their scalps.  Their daily intake, output and weight was registered.  Everyone was putting on much needed weight and the hollows of their faces started to fill.  Even the clarity and sparkle of their eyes was evident within just a few days.  New photographs were taken at the end of two weeks to help monitor their progress.  It was amazing how differently they looked within this short period of time.  Many of them would suffer for the remainder of their lives from injuries and illnesses sustained while prisoners of war.

They were checked into the military hospital on the big Island of Hawaii.  Coming into port they were allowed to look out onto the harbor.  Remnants of the bombing of Pearl Harbor were everywhere you looked.  Many of the men turned and went back to their beds and cried at the sight.  Others, like Wally stood and got pissed off at the sight!  "Those sorry sons of bitches!" He said.

"You low down yellow shits! I'm going to see that justice is done!" Wally said as he hit his fist against the railing.

The first thing he wanted to do was send Nona a telegram.  He couldn't wait to hear from her.

Dear Nona:

I am in the hospital in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  So good to be alive and well and safe in the USA!  I will write again soon.  All my love to you and Sandra.

Wally

A few days later he received a parcel of several letters that had been held for his arrival in Hawaii.  One by one he opened them.  He ran his finger along the pretty penmanship.  He picked up the paper to smell it and detected a light perfume on the tissue thin paper.  A tiny dried flower fell out of the envelope.

It was the same one he had sent her long ago from one of the camps.  His heart soared with relief to know she had received it and had word that he was alive.  He placed it back inside the letter and read the next one.  Closing his eyes and holding the letters against his chest he napped.

In his dream he was with her at a banquet.  She was feeding him an olive.  It was the only thing he wanted to taste on his lips other than her kiss.  

Each day he grew stronger.  His hair was growing and he regrew his mustache, too.  Every week his weight increased.  Work with some stationary weights was allowed to help build muscle.  Care was taken that enough calories were consumed daily that were not worked off.  He had to get up to 120 lbs before the hospital would release him.  He had gained 10 lbs.  There were set backs when he would gain then loose it with bouts of diarrhea.  But there was slow steady progress.  He felt like there was nothing he couldn't do now that he was a free man.

The men were taken to a room where there were several telephones.  He had written Nona that she needed to be in St. Paul at the Red Cross office in order to get his call on the day and time designated.

With anticipation he dialed the number and heard the ring through the receiver.

"Hello, This call is for Nona Hewitt, my wife.  This is Captain. Hewitt."

The receiver was handed to Nona by the Red Cross nurse.  " Hello, Wally?" she asked timidly.  "Is this really you?" she said as tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks onto the table.  "Yes, it's me honey, I love you" Wally said as he heard his voice echo on the line.  "I love you, too!  When can we see you,? I have to see you!"  "Soon, I promise.  I have to gain a little more weight first." he told her.

"Time, Capt. Hewitt."  The Yeoman said.

"Nona, honey we have to hang up now.  I love you and Sandra.  Giver her a hug and kiss and tell the family I will be home soon!  "Oh, also tell June I saw Shadow! Amazing story, but I'll tell you later.  Goodbye!"

Nona gently put the receiver down on the cradle and heard it click.  She rose and dabbed her eyes with her hanky and walked out to the street.  Looking skyward she said, " Thank you God for answering our prayers!"  She decided to walk the several miles back to Eustis St. to give everyone the news she had just heard from Wally.

Along the way, she looked in the store and restaurant windows.  It was as though there had never been a war.  Everyone laughed and there was a happiness that was palpable.  New clothing hung on manakins in the department store at the corner.  The brass on the revolving door of the Plaza Hotel gleamed as it twirled people in and out from the sidewalk to the marble lobby.  Women walked pushing baby buggies and stopping to look at the menu posted outside a cafe.  All of a sudden she felt so ashamed for enjoying and experiencing the sights and sound of the city while Wally couldn't.  She promised herself that as soon as they could they would come into town together and stay in this fine hotel with all it's splendor.  He deserved spoiling and pampering even if it just meant laying in each others arms.  

Before she knew it she was at the house and she hurried up the steps.  Everyone had been told she had gone to town for the phone call.  They waited in anticipation for what she had to say.  " Is that all?  You only got to talk three minutes?"  Emma said in a huff.  "Well, I'll tell you, it was the best three minutes of my life and I'll remember it forever!" Nona told them with excitement.  

"Ok, everyone grab a plate and let's eat!" June announced.  We've been cooking all day and I'm starving!" she said.  "I'm sorry. Nona I didn't mean to say that!  Poor Wally.  I wish he could come eat with us right now!"  "I  do too, June Nona told her.

Oh, by the way, Wally said he saw Shadow!" Nona added.  " What?  How, when?" June asked.  Nona just told her they had to wait on that story as she put a slice of ham on her plate.

Chapter 11

Wally climbed aboard the train in uniform.  He threw his duffle bag on the rack above his seat and looked out the window at at the trains lined up.  Troops of Army, Navy and Marine soldiers boarded various ones headed to numerous destinations East of San Francisco.  "Where you headed Capt.?" a voice he recognized asked.  Wally looked up and saw his friend Corporal Maurice Head standing in the isle.  Wally jumped up and grabbed him as Maurice tried to salute.  "I'll have none of that from you! How the hell are you, Maurice?" he said as they took a seat across from each other.  "I thought you shipped out already" Wally told him.  "No, I wanted to see San Francisco a few days first before heading to Kansas City.  I'll probably never get another chance.  I'm getting out next month and going to farm with my father.  I'm taking leave till then." he said.  Wally nodded in agreement.  "Can't  blame you for that!  We all need to eat.  I can't think of a better thing for you to do.  I want to have some sweet corn when Nona and I come visit you!"  " That's a deal, Capt." Maurice said as they shook on the gentleman's agreement.

"What about you?  Are you a lifer, Capt?"  Maurice asked.  "Yes, I suppose I am.  The Army is the only career I ever wanted.  I used to play Army with my brother and cousin when I was little.  Then I attended a military High School.  When I got my commission after college I couldn't wait to travel.  When Nona and I got orders to the Philippines we thought we had hit the jackpot!  Boy was I taken to the cleaners on that duty station!  I figure it can only get better from here.  We've already been to Hell and back!"

"Speaking of Hell, Sir.  Make sure you let me know when you need my statement for the War Crimes Trial."  he said.  "Don't worry, I won't!  I have a lot of work ahead of me to gather all the evidence from you and a whole lot of other prisoners.  In the meantime, while it's still fresh, write everything down in detail and mail it to me at this address as soon as you can."  Wally handed him a slip of paper with his address printed on it.  

"Sir, did you ever find out if you were right about where the camp was located?" Maurice asked before stepping off the train in Kansas City.

"Yes, I did.  Now, go and  don't you worry any more about that.  That place is Hell on earth along with Bataan and best forgotten.  Don't let it ruin your future." Wally told him as they shook hands and said goodbye.

Maurice stepped out on to  the platform just as the train slowly departed.  He saluted Wally as his window passed him.  He stood there until the caboose was no longer visible in the distance.  Then he picked up his duffle bag and stuck out his thumb at the road to hitch hike the rest of the way home.

The ride through the heart of America struck Wally in a way he had not appreciated before he had left.  He watched as tractors plowed large swatches of earth.  Corn rows stretched as far as you could see in all directions.  The soil was as black as tar.  Windmills harnessed the breeze that flowed across their blades in a blur.  Wally wondered, "Was all of this here before?   I think I chose not to know or care about how I was fed just that there was food available when I was hungry and I ate as much as I wanted."  It made him feel guilty.

He stood in line in Chicago waiting for the connector that would take him into St. Paul.

Unfolding the Chicago Tribune he read an article about someone robbing a bank.  Another one was about a new department store that was going to be built in the center of the city.

The zoo expected record crowds this year with the addition of new exhibits.  Thumbing further away from the front page was a short article about solders returning to their hometowns.  How were they dealing with the return to society?  Wally was annoyed by this

as if the definition of who you were in society was directly related to whether or not you would fit into society's tight shoe.  Would the returning soldier visit the zoo?   Would they shop at the flashy new store and spend their war dollars?  Would they end up robbing a bank?  Is this what he fought for?  This greed of American society that was printed about in the paper.  Because, after all, if it's in the paper it has to be true, right?  He shoved the paper in the trash can and decided right then and there the news media was corrupt!

The only truth of the matter was that he was alive.  And he would set all the records straight about the war.  There would  be no doubt what had happened in anyone's mind when he was finished having his day in court.  And when it was done and justice served, he would then live his life and not look back or allow it to consume and ferment inside him.  When he was finished that would be all that would be said about the matter.  There will be glory seekers.  There always are after tragedies.  Those that seek the lime light.  He was not one of them.  But, he would make sure his family was protected at all times.  He knew that much was for certain.  He would never go hungry again.  He would have comfort in the most meager of settings.  Simple pleasures would not be taken for granted.

The train was late.  Others started getting impatient waiting.  Wally just watched them and wondered if they would have been able to endure what he just had.  He already knew just by hearing their remarks that they wouldn't have lasted  a minute.  He wanted to scream at them to just start walking!  See if you can make things happen any faster by complaining.

His temper was beginning to get to him with their ignorance.  Just then the light from the engine rounded the corner and the train rumbled to a stop expelling blasts of steam near the steel wheels.  Wally sat at the opposite end of the car from the complainers to keep from throwing them onto the tracks!

He slept sitting up just as good as huddled in fetal position.  However, his mind sprung to action as his muscles relaxed.  He was back on that train in Bataan.  Squashed on all sides from other sweating and stinking bodies.  Hot rancid air filled with expelled carbon dioxide

filled the pitch blackness of the car.  Hallucination or real?  Oh, this was real, alright!  No doubt about it.  Wally's brain went into survival mode and he woke up hyperventilating and frantic.  He jumped up and hurled the window open to allow the fresh air  to hit him in the face.   He let it blast his lungs to the point of exploding them.

There was immediate relied and after a moment he closed the window and sat down and bent over with his head in his hands for support.  The nurses at the hospital told him he would go through these periods of shock related to the stress he had been under.  He didn't believe them but was beginning to wonder if that wasn't true after all.  Some of the complainers looked at him with wide eyes and wondered if he had gone crazy for a minute.

A few hours later Wally shifted in his seat and looked out at the town in the distance.  They were getting close now and figured they would get there pretty soon.  He noticed the skyline even from this far away.  St Paul, HOME!  He rubbed his eyes to squint against the sun that was coming up and streaking directly at him.  Bursts of trees along the track made looking at the panoramic appear like a armature home movie. Scenes were jostled and flicked until they ran together as one revealing image.  He thought it looked like Paradise.  He had been to Hell so he knew the difference!  He didn't care if he ever saw a tropical place again.  He was getting excited and trying to pick out landmarks.  Oh my God, I am really going home!  I'm going Home!

Chapter 12

Nona couldn't sleep all night.  Her mind raced with excitement.  Today is the day her life would restart.  Wally was coming home, finally!  It had been over a month since the end of the war!  Wally had been kept in the hospital longer than most of the men returning.  She read his letters describing his recovery.  It just seemed so unfair for them to have to wait a second longer.  She was glad that he had put back on the necessary weight in order to be discharged.  She had seen some photos that scared her of POW's from Germany.  They looked like the living dead.  She wondered if Wally had looked that way, too.  She just couldn't picture it.  Her memory of him was so vivid and clear.  He looked as handsome and as strong as in that wedding photograph.  

She got up and went to the closet to select the dress she would wear to the train station.

It was a light wool dress in a deep plumb color.  The weather was beginning to get cold but would warm up during the day.  The bodice was fitted and she had made a black velvet collar and sewed small covered black buttons down the back.  She embroidered a cluster of small flowers on the bodice just under the neckline.  It looked just like the dress in the department store downtown.  It had a slight flair to the skirt.   She had bought some new  black high heels and a purse.  Sandra would wear her plaid dress with dark green sash ribbon.  Nona had made both outfits and it would carry them through Christmas and the months after.  

She ran a bath and stepped in after testing that it was lukewarm.  Hot  water was a luxury.  

She lathered her body and rinsed off.  She had lost weight, too.  It was hard to eat anything that didn't upset her stomach.  The doctor told her it was the constant stress and worry.

She put on her slip and new nylon stockings taking care not to get a runner and that the seam was straight down the center of her slender leg.  Nylons.  She had not worn any in a long time.  They just were not necessary.  But, today they were.  She wanted to look her best.  Her hair had been set in pin curls the night before and she removed the bobby pins that held them in place while she slept.  Shaking her head and running the brush through her blonde hair she styled it loosely with a side part.  She kept it about neck length and it sparkled in soft S waves.  She pinned a small section from the front to keep it from going into her eyes.  Time to get Sandra ready as she took one last look in the mirror.

Sandra was sitting up in the bed and hugging her knees as Nona got to her room.  "How do I look, do you think daddy will like it?" Nona asked her.  "Mommy, you look like a princess!"

Sandra told her as they hugged and Nona kissed the top of her head.

"Quick, lets get you cleaned up and into your new dress!" Nona told her as they walked down the hall.  She couldn't believe how tall Sandra was getting.  She had her fifth birthday coming up in just another few weeks.  Her head already came up to Nona's chest.  "My goodness, Sandra, daddy isn't going to recognize you!" she exclaimed.  "Why not, Mommy?"  Sandra said puzzled.  Holding out her hand to the level of her thigh, Nona said, We'll you were just two when he last saw you and you were only this high!"  "Don't you remember?" Nona asked.  "No." Sandra said sadly.

"You look like a beautiful princess, too, Sandra!" Nona told her after tying the sash around her waist and turning her around.  Sandra's natural waves of her brunette hair flowed past her shoulders.  She twirled around to allow the skirt to spin around  her legs.   New patent leather shoes were brought out of their box.  Her anklets were cuffed.

Mrs. Hewitt, Nona's mother Emily and the others were waiting for them as they came down the stairs.  There was an excitement in the room that could have lit a light bulb!

Together they walked the short distance to the trolly car that would take them to the train station.  They climbed out and entered the huge rotunda of the massive building.  The tiny mosaic tiles in black and white had a diamond pattern.  There were huge support pillars the entire length of the area.  Above there heads hung large lights under white glass  globe shades.  Sun beams entered through the windows up near the ceiling and particles in the air illuminated as they drifted in the current of air as people walked briskly to the platform.

Sandra stopped in the bright beam of light.  "Look, Mommy I'm on stage like a movie star!"

Everyone laughed as they made their way to the tracks.

"I hear it coming, Mommy!"  Sandra announced loudly.  The train entered at the far end of the building and continued the entire length until it stopped.  The conductor opened the door and stepped out on the platform with a stool and put it down.  He helped some ladies off first and they quickly locked arms with their family and hugged.  Baggage was being taken off and placed beside the tracks.  Nona and Sandra looked from window to window trying to get a glimpse of him in the train.

"Nona, Sandra!" Wally called from behind them.  They turned around and ran into his outstretched arms.  He smothered himself in their curls and breathed deeply.  All the days, weeks, minutes and years of waiting and worrying dissipated in streams of tears down Nona's face.  They held each other closely until Sandra said, "I can't breathe down here!"

They loosened their grip on each other and held themselves at arms length to look at each other and smile.  "God, are you a sight for sore eyes!", Wally said and sighed.  "Sandra, come let me take a look at you" he said as she ducked out from between them.  "My, oh, my, you are beautiful!"  Standing back from them the other family members waited to greet Wally.   All of them got a turn embracing him and exclaiming how good it was to have him home safely.  Together they walked outside to catch the trolley back to his mother's house.

Eustis St.  looked like it was on fire with the canopy of bright orange, red and yellow trees that lined each side.  The vibrancy of the colors made it look as though someone had spent all day decorating for a parade.  They entered the foyer and hung up their coats.  The ladies went to work right away in the kitchen getting food prepared for lunch.  Wally set his duffle bag in the corner and stood to look at his father's portrait in the living room.  They looked so much alike they could have been twins.  He had died way too young.  

Looking around the room he was overwhelmed that it looked exactly the same as when he had last seen it.  He went around the entire house looking at photos and picking up things to examine closer.  Each and every thing brought back memories.  He picked up a figurine and could see the telltale evidence of the glue he had used to repair it when he and Glen were playing and it had fallen off the ledge.  His mother never knew it had broken.  He gently replaced it back on the shelf where it had sat for the last fifteen years.  He climbed the stairs to one of the bedrooms.  He ran his fingers across the lines of tuft on the chenille bedspread.  The dotted Swiss sheer fabric on the curtains filtered the light coming through the window.  Home, he thought, It's so nice to be home!

Chapter 12

The first night together they had tucked Sandra into her bed and kissed her good night. 

They walked with their arms around each other down the hall to his old bedroom.  It was kept pretty much the same as it had always been.  Memories of Creighton High and The University of Minnesota were displayed.  Photos of buddies playing baseball.  His old bat and glove by the door.

He closed the door behind them and turned the key.   Nona stood by the dresser and looked in the mirror at him looking at her.  She smiled and turned around to face him.  Wally walked up to her and reached out to touch her hair and then her neck.  "I've waited such a long time for this exact moment" he told her softly.  "I have, too" Nona whispered.  They held each other closely and melted into each others embrace.  " I love you!" they both said at the same time.  She allowed him to undress her and then he allowed the same.  Together they made their way into the bed and fell in love all over again.

He  propped himself up on his side and watched Nona sleep.  It was such a miracle that he was here with her right now.  So many mornings he would wake up early just before the sun rise while in prison camp.  He would think of her just like he had from last night.  The dream became reality finally!  From now on, they needed to really enjoy life.  He couldn't wait for them to wake up and hear their voices and sit and stare at them when they didn't know he was.

He was interviewed by the paper for The Ulen Union and The Pioneer Press in St Paul.

They were treated to a much needed period of R&R.  A huge banquet of food including olives was in abundance for them to enjoy.  The write up was nice and gave some facts that the majority of readers would have wanted to know about his years as a prisoner but skipped any graphic details.  Those details would have to be gathered over the next year and he intended to be very explicit and factual with his documentation.  He had the names and addresses of quite a few fellow POW's he had been in camp with.  He had asked all of them to take the time to write to him with their memories of specific events that had happened as it related to them being mistreated and tortured by the Japanese guards.  He wanted dates as close as possible and guard names, too.  Once he had that information in hand he would be presenting it to the Joint Chief of Staff briefing in Washington, DC.  He would personally return to the Philippines to represent all of those he could at the War Crimes Trial.

In the meantime, he, Nona and Sandra spent every waking moment together.  They traveled to Ulen to greet all the townspeople.  Many of them had not had much of a chance to know him before he and Nona  married.  They had fun out on the farms of her friends.

Everyone wanted to ask questions and know what he had gone through.  But Wally knew they would be aghast at the grim details so he left them out and only told some of the funny things.  He always got a laugh when he told about swallowing the octopus whole!  

In St Paul they took Sandra to go ice skating.  There was a brand new rink that had opened

and skates could be rented.  All three of them held hands as they went around the loop.

Nona and Sandra struggled to stay up but Wally had grown up skating out at Turtle Lake and had played some ice hockey so he was pretty confidant.  He laughed and laughed at their spindly, wobbly legs trying to skate on the slippery surface.  Then after just a few feet they would fall and he would have to go and help them up.  After an hour the girls were tired and they turned in their skates.  Wally took the freedom of skating for them to show off his ability.  Faster and faster he skated leaning forward with one hand resting on the small of his back.  His stroke was long and smooth and propelled him around the rink like an Olympian.  Sandra and Nona clapped with their mittens as he came to a swift stop by turning the blades of his hockey skates to the side and spraying them with ice shavings!

"Lets's go get some hot chocolate" Wally said next.  They made their way to the Five and Dime store and sat up at the counter.  The stool swiveled and Sandra enjoyed her daddy spinning her around until she was dizzy.  They laughed at themselves about not being able to skate.  The waitress put three mugs of steaming hot chocolate in front of them.

The aroma and steam rose.  Wally closed his eyes and put his face close to the surface and took a breathe in.  He immediately thought of when he had his first taste of the hot soup they had made in camp and the steam that came from the pot as they passed it from man to man.  Now here he sat with his own mug of steaming rich chocolate milk.  What a stark contrast yet the pleasures of both moments made him feel very fortunate.

It began to snow on their walk back home.  It stuck to the trees and grass and street.  Before long it was a blinding storm and the wind kicked up and blew the flakes sideways.

They got back to the house just in time before feeling numb from the cold.  Boots, hats, scarves, gloves and coats were hung in the outer vestibule of the foyer.  When they entered the house it was chilly.  "I'll get a fire started " Wally said.  Sandra curled up on the couch under a quilt.  Nona got busy making dinner.  Mrs. Hewitt had gone to stay at her sister's home to give Wally, Nona and Sandra time to be together alone.  It was a very nice gesture

but left Nona feeling a bit out of sorts especially since she didn't extend this courtesy to her when she had arrived from San Francisco.

After they had eaten they sat together on the couch under the quilt and told Sandra stories until she fell asleep in Wally's lap.  He rose and took her upstairs to her bed in his arms.

Nona sat staring at the flames and waiting for him to come back down stairs.  She remembered the first day out at the cabin struggling to get it warm enough in there with just the small pot belly stove.  She made up her mind that she would ask Wally to only stay a few more days here.  She did not want it to be an intrusion and give Mrs. Hewitt anything to complain about later.  Besides, Nona was anxious to go to the new duty station and set up their new home together.

Wally came down the stairs and paused for a moment to watch her with the glow of the fire

softly illuminating the room.  "What a sight, I just can't believe this is real!" he thought.

Just then Nona looked up at him and gave him a smile as she opened the corner of the quilt and allowed him in beside her.

"Honey, talk to me about it." she asked slowly.  Wally took in a breathe and let it out.  "Nona, when you see the way I look now compared to the way I looked when you left, what do you see?"  It was a fair question and needed a thoughtful, fair answer.

Nona looked up at him beside her.  She couldn't say a word.  He had lost about eighty pounds total and had regained only twenty-five.  "I can't tell you, Wally.  I don't want to hurt you by saying anything negative." she said quietly.  "Ok, now you know why I can't tell you what it was like.  I don't want to hurt you with any of the details.  I'm home and alive.  That should be enough for right now." Wally told her as he held her hand.  "Ok" is all she could say in return.  Tears stung her eyes and he wiped them from her cheeks as they slipped past her lashes.  Together they both wept as the flames went out and there were only embers glowing.

Chapter 13

Sandra got up and pushed back the thin curtains on the window of her room.  Looking out toward the front yard, she squealed with delight at how much snow had fallen over night.

"Mommy, daddy, look at the snow!  Can we go out and build a snowman? she asked standing in the doorway to their room.  "Yes, but first we need some breakfast!  Have you ever had rice for breakfast?" he asked raising his eyebrow.  "No, yuck! Is that what you want?" Sandra asked.  "It sure is!  I want to eat rice every day so I never forget!"  "Forget what?" she he said.  "Never to go away for so long again, honey!" he said.  "Now let's see, where does Granny keep the rice?"  he said as he got up and went into the kitchen looking.

Nona, Wally and Sandra suited up and went out to the front yard and made a huge snowman.  Sandra put the carrot nose in as Wally lifted her up.  Nona placed a piece of a torn blanket around the neck for a scarf and Wally used some of the charred wood from the fireplace to make the eyes and mouth.  Standing back they admired their work.  "Perfect!"  Wally told them.

Mrs. Hewitt arrived home at noon stomping her feet to remove the snow from her boots.

She came inside and the others were in the kitchen eating some tomato soup and toasted cheese sandwiches.  "Good, you're just in time for lunch!" Wally told her as he pulled out the chair at the table.  Emma sat down and told Sandra how much she liked the snowman in the front yard.  "Mother, Nona and I have decided on going ahead to Ft. Leavenworth early.

We'll be leaving day after tomorrow if that's ok with you?" Wally told her.  "Why, I suppose.  I had wished you would have stayed here for the rest of your leave.  I've barely had any time with you.  But, I suppose if that's more important then, who am I to stand in the way?"  The rest of the time they ate in silence then she excused herself to go upstairs for a nap.  "See, that's exactly what I predicted she would say to make you feel guilty for wanting to go early" Nona said once Sandra had left the kitchen.  She cleared the table, washed the dishes and dried them.  Wally put them away as they talked.  "She's right though.  I have not spent much time with her.  I missed her, too when I was gone."  Wally explained.  "Fine, then spend all day tomorrow and take her out somewhere while I get our things packed to go on Friday" Nona said.  "She will make things miserable if she does not get her way." Nona said.

"It's fine, really.  I need a little space, too" Nona added.

The next day Wally took his mother to lunch at the Plaza Hotel in Town.  They walked through the revolving door and entered the granite lobby.  The bell hop greeted them and they were escorted to the dining room and seated.  Each table was covered with a crisp white tablecloth and had a small bud vase with a red rose.  A folded napkin perched on top of the gold trimmed dinner plates with polished silverware on each side.  Each were handed a large leather booklet with the menu inside typed neatly.  They made their selections and while they waited enjoyed looking around the beautiful room.  The red velvet drapes flowed and were tied back with gold tassels.  The crystal chandeliers sparkled across the room.

"I wish you had decided to get married at the Catholic Church of the Assumption right here in St. Paul and then had a reception here afterwards.  It would have made such an impression, Wally!" Emma said with a tart voice.  "Impression for who, Mother, you?" Wally

said quickly.  "Well, yes and for all our guests, too!" she added.  "You know we didn't have time nor the money to do a wedding here like that!"  "Nona and I wanted to just keep it simple and as soon as possible since we were going to have to go to Texas.  In Minnesota you have to wait and in Iowa you don't."  Can't you just accept that as an answer?  We didn't want to put anyone out with an elaborate affair.  It's not our style."  Wally said.

"It could have been your style, Wally with your upbringing  and Officer's training!  You've

been groomed your whole life for the finer things!"  she quipped.  "Let me just say this, Mother, you might despise the fact that I married what you consider beneath me.  But, Nona has more class and refinement than anyone I have ever met!  And as for the finer things in life, eating bugs off the ground was a luxury for me while I was a prisoner.  I don't need any pomp and circumstance to prove anything to anyone!"  Their meal arrived and they did not utter another word to each other.

Friday morning came and their things were at the front door waiting for the taxi.  Wally hugged his mother goodbye.  She pretended to act upset at their leaving.  "I'll come stay with you this summer,  Granny!" Sandra announced with excitement.  Nona said goodbye and they all grabbed something to take out to the car.  Once they left Eustice St.,  Nona relaxed and thought if I never have to go back there she would be so happy!  

The train compartment gave them some room to relax together.  Sandra busied herself playing with the doll she had been given by the ladies from Nona's church in Ulen.  Wally read the newspaper and Nona pulled out her knitting.  The casual observer would have thought they needed to be in a Norman Rockwell painting.  The trip to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas would take quite awhile.  But to them it did not matter.  Just being together again made everything worthwhile.

Chapter 14

Sweat beads were on Wally's forehead as he tossed in his sleep.  They had not been in Ft. Leavenworth a few months and had just been given their apartment.

The furnishings were meager but compared with the conditions of prison camp it was a palace!  Getting accustomed to a new life after that ordeal would take a lifetime.  When sleep came, it was rattled with nightmares.  The bombings, the gunfire and brutal deaths came to the surface of his subconscious more and more frequently.  Often he would cry out in his sleep or jump out of bed with a glazed stare and fierce look on his face ready to attack.  Nona had problems of her own with insomnia.  She tried to not startle him in any way.  Even the act of her turning over in bed caused him to wake with a jolt.  They were both having a tough time readjusting to each other again.

"Wally, you were having a nightmare again  last night!  What was it about?" Nona asked.  "Nothing." Wally muttered as he rose to get out of bed stretching.

"I'm just over tired.  Don't worry about it.  I'm alive and home now.  That is all that matters!"  But Nona would never stop worrying.  She watched this happen night after night and much more frequently than he would admit.  Wally just would not talk about it at all.  Not to her or anyone they knew.  If he did, it was only to a priest or to someone with high security clearance.  She wished he would trust her to help him.

Getting down to business in a normal life seemed anything but normal to Wally.

He reported for work and at the end of the day came home.  He made himself a stiff drink or two and Nona always made sure they had a nice meal ready.  He insisted on having rice.  You would think he could not stand another grain in his mouth after Japan.  Yet, he wanted rice every night.  Slightly sticky just like he got accustomed to.  He always said it was to always remind him of his survival against all odds.  Who cold argue with logic like that?

Their trunks got shipped to them.  It's a miracle they got them out before the fall of the Philippines.  Unpacking the few things they were able to salvage made both of them grateful.  Sandra's sweet hand made embroidered baby dress.  Carved ivory pieces.  Nona's wedding dress.  Beautiful bright pink floral silk fabric.  Treasures bought in paradise that made it from Hell to them safely.  Amazing!

Sandra seemed withdrawn.  She did not want to go to school.  She did not want to do very much at all and would sit and stare out the window for long periods of time.  She had not adjusted easily to Wally being home either.  At first she did not know what to think. But, as time went on, she found it harder to get along with him because he was moody, too.  Nona was in the middle trying not to make waves.  After all, all three of them had good reason for they feelings they had.  No one went to the doctor for things of this matter.  Tempers were short and tears came easily.  "Daddy hates me!" Sandra cried to Nona one night.  "No, he doesn't, honey" Nona said holding her close.  "Daddy had a hard time when he was away from us.  He needs time to get used to things again." she said.  "We'll, so did I!" Sandra wailed.  "We all do, sweetie.  Now, don't worry about it.  It'll get better.  You'll see." she told her.

Nona felt nauseated.  She could barely eat a thing without throwing it up.  She was skinny as a rail and dragged herself through the day doing housework and cooking or sewing.  After a few weeks of feeling like this she went to the doctor thinking she had the flu like everyone else was experiencing.  "You are pregnant, Mrs. Hewitt!" the doctor told her.  "Congratulations!"  But, you are also very anemic and could have a touch of he flu, too.  "You need rest or I'll have to put you in the hospital!"  She headed home with the news that should have made her happy, but because she felt so sick, all she could manage to do was crawl into bed until Wally got home from work.

Wally came in and found Sandra sitting on the couch.  "Where is mommy?" he asked.  "She's sick and went to the doctor and then went to bed." Sandra said.

Wally entered the bedroom quietly and closed the door.  He sat on the edge of the bed and Nona opened her eyes.  "Hi, are you ok?" Wally said.  "Yes, just really tired and worn out.  The doctor said to take it easy because I had a touch of the flu."  "Really?"  "I hope that Sandra doesn't get it."  Wally said.  "Well, she more than likely will.  It's going around like crazy!" Nona added.  "Wally, there is something else going on with me.  I'm pretty anemic and I'm pregnant!" Nona said quickly.

"What?  That's great, well not the anemia or flu part, but a baby!"  Wally said in an excited voice.  "I'm the luckiest guy on earth!"  "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything!  I still have some leave I can take until you get better and on your feet!"  "Sandra, come here!  Mommy and daddy have something to tell you!  Sandra came into the bedroom and tip toed over to them. Wally held her in his lap as they broke the news that she was going to be a big sister!

The next several months were pretty hard on Nona.  She dragged herself through each day and collapsed in bed at night.  She was lonely and depressed from feeling this way and missed her mother and Ulen.  Some of the other Army wives stepped in to help out with Sandra.  That was pretty nice.  Toward the end of the pregnancy she was retaining a lot of fluid and her blood pressure was elevated.  The doctor put her on bed rest for toxemia.  Wally came home and took over doing what he could to keep them all going.  

April arrived and Nona went into labor.  It was a hard delivery on Nona but in the end their son George was the newest member of the family.

Wally lay awake one night watching him sleep in the bed next to them.  Nona was exhausted and Sandra was staying at his mother's house.  He looked down and touched the tiny hand

and fingers.  George grasped his finger tightly.  At that moment all Wally had fought for came full circle.  The fight for his own survival was being shared by this infant.  George was as helpless as he had felt in that prison clinging to life.  There is life and a safe future for them Wally vowed.  He would never allow anything like that to ever happen again.  

Thinking of the days, months and years that had passed Wally felt like it was a cruel trick that had been played on him.  By day there was normalcy.  At night his mind spun out of control.  Ruthless savages with small builds and squinted eyes like a rattle snake crawled.

They hid and coiled and struck at him in a flash like a lightening bolt.  Their fangs sinking in so deep they struck bone.  They deposited their poison in his blood.  It circulated in pulsation with each beat of his heart until it permeated each cell of his body.  Convulsive ions tightened his muscles into spasms of hatred.  The only escape was to fight and live and never forgive or forget.  

Chapter 15

Mail began to trickle in from various soldiers Wally had written.  Their detailed accounts

of torture spilled out of their letters like blood out of a gushing wound.  He would read them slowly and absorb their words.  Afterwards he looked at his hands to see if they were covered in blood or tears.  Over and over each of them recalled a savage existence.  It mirrored his own memories.  It added to his library of torturous thoughts at night.  Pulling a new volume every time he closed his eyes to sleep kept the saga ever present.  He would compile these letters into his presentation manuscript for trial. 

One testimony was written by a British Officer.  He wrote the following account:

There was a Japanese Lieutenant , whose name I forget, in charge of the camp, with six soldier camp guards.  The Lieutenant tried to give the impression that he was good to the prisoners, but he definitely permitted the guards to beat and ill treat them.  One of the worst guards in this respect was a man named Kanyama, who was 5'10", very thin, with protruding teeth, and wore horn rimmed spectacles with thick lenses.

About January 1945 three British prisoners of war and one other died of their burns received whilst working at the factory., and although I did not witness this incident, I helped carry them back to the camp.  This accident, in my opinion was due to negligence on the part of the Japanese foreman, whose name I do not know, in charge of  No.  7 furnace.

The "knobby" used for transporting molten carbide from this furnace had a crack across the bottom which had been stuffed with clay.  The foreman knew this was dangerous, but allowed the three men to use it and when it burst, the molten carbide ran into banks of snow, through which it was being pushed, causing an explosion which severely burned the three prisoners pushing it at the time.  Two of the men died that night and another lingered about a fortnight, but then died.  No investigation was made concerning this accident so far as I am aware.  The three were cremated in Japanese fashion, the service being conducted in the Japanese language and all prisoners had to attend.

In March 1945, the Japanese had retained Red Cross Parcels which had arrived at the camp on November 1944 and Capt. Hewitt of the American Army, the senior Allied Officer at the camp, complained to the Japanese Lieutenant on charge, alleging that they had been pilfered by the Japanese staff.  I was within hearing when Capt. Hewitt made this complaint, and understood what he was saying although he spoke in broken Japanese.  I heard the man, Kanyama, order Capt. Hewitt in the Japanese office and when he returned

about forty-five minutes later he had been severely beaten and his face was bruised.  I heard Capt. Hewitt say he had been struck on the face with a poker, and he remained in his bunk for two days.

Shortly after this incident, I was told by Capt. Janis, of the Royal Army Service Corps that Capt. Hewitt, Flight Lieutenant Chater of the Royal Air Force, and himself were accused of stealing food from the cookhouse.  Capt. Hewitt and they were called separately to the Japanese office and severely beaten.  I saw that he had a black eye and his spectacles were broken.

Another was from Maurice Head.

In the matter of the War Crimes committed by the Japanese Nationals and the matter of the ill- treatment of prisoners of war ( civilian internees)  Mitsushima and Kanose P.O. W

Camps, Japan.

I, Arthur Maurice Head, whilst serving as Aircraftsman A/C, R.A.F, in Java I was taken prisoner by the Nips on the 8th March, 1942.  After spending about six to seven months

as POW in Java I was taken to Singapore and spent 3 days in Changing P.O.W. Camp, before being taken to Japan on a transport ship (name of ship unknown), arriving

at Moji in November, 1942.  From Moji I was taken to Mitsushima P.O.W. Camp where I spent two very painful winters under the Nip beatings, the cold and insufficient food.  I was also threatened to be put before a firing squad by the Christian interpreter and the Nip Sgt. in charge of the camp ( name not known) for refusing to do a contract job whilst I was very weak after the effects of diarrhea, which I had for four months at a stretch previously.  After that occasion I had to do contract jobs every day for about a month as made to promise.  I had to force myself to do the work which was too hard for me, the Living Ghost.

My worst offender was Big Glass Eye, whose chose to beat me with an iron rod or stick across the back whenever it pleased him, for no apparent reason whatsoever, at work or in camp.  He struck me more than a dozen times at work on various occasions.  I used to dread confronting him for fear of a beating up.

Buick is another offender who has struck me and others on various occasions a number of times for unknown reasons, in and out of camp.

Capt. W.J. Hewitt who was responsible for us prisoners in Mitsushima Camp at the time, pleaded of the Nip authorities on many occasions to stop beating me as I was so weak., but they paid no head to his pleas and even went to the extent of beating him for it.

In Kanose P.O.W Camp there was "Poxy Pete" ( Sgt. Oichida) who was a great one for giving a beating whenever he felt like it and even our superior officers.  He has given me many a beating for no reason whatsoever.  He made our superior officers stand in the burning sun or cold from 7a.m. to 7 p.m. on many occasions for no reason.  Whenever Capt. W. J. Hewitt went up to plead to excuse the innocent ones, who had done nothing wrong, he used to get a hell of a beating.

Another one in Kanose Camp was Konyama ( Birdy Legs), who used to pick on us men

and beat us whenever it pleased him or give us extra fatigues just before meals or while meals were being served, leaving us very little time to finish eating, before proceeding to work.  He used to make our superior officers stand for hours at attention and then beat them after standing so long.

He struck a man with a stick across the face, which I think broke the fellows nose, or left a nasty cut.  

This is all I can remember as regards to Konyama (Birdy Legs).

A portion of another testimony from Harold Rogers states:

Corporal Smith, a British P.O.W. was smoking while sitting on one of the sleeping mats.

This was against camp regulations.  Capt. Hewitt and Corporal Smith were pulled to the guard house where Capt. Hewitt was told to punish Smith by beating him.  Capt. Hewitt refused.  With this, Smith was sent back to the barracks and Kuriyama then beat Hewitt

with his fists for about five minutes about the face and head outside the guardhouse.

I did not see this incident but when Hewitt returned he told me about it and I saw his bruised face.

Wally read each testimony and took extensive notes of the accounts these men recounted.

it took him endless hours and months.  Every bit of evidence was scrutinized to make certain it would be admissible and the most incriminating.

In the early part of March 1945, Hewitt was called to the Administration Office by Sgt. Uchida where he was accused of eating four meals a day.  Hewitt denied this and Uchida beat him with his fists about his face.  I did not see this incident but Hewitt told me when he returned he had told Uchida he would regret the day he had beat him.  During the Fall  of 1945 I accompanied Maj.Hewitt to Ougamo Prison in Tokoyo with an interpreter and a conversation  between Hewitt and Uchida took place.  Hewitt said, " I told you you would regret the day you beat me and I would return to Japan to see that you got punished!"

Also, do you remember me telling you that I could return?  Uchida said, "yes" he remembered the beating and the words of what Hewitt had said to him while a P.O.W.

A letter sent by John C. Roy:

August 11, 1946

Gentlemen:

    In reply to your inquiry dated July 19, I am sorry to say that I was shipped out of the Philippines to Japan too early to have benefited by any services rendered by the Filipinos other than medicine and a few things that the Filipino Red Cross was able to get through to us at O'Donnell.

     However, I would like to take this opportunity to report one Major Walter J. Hewitt, who was the Senior Officer for over a year, and the only American Officer at prison camp No. 16 who through his untiring efforts in behalf of the prisoners under his command, did improve our general living conditions as much as humanly possible under the circumstances.

     On account of these intercession (which he made almost daily) he was beaten, kicked and clubbed unmercifully.  The average man would have taken one or two of these mistreatments and then ceased and further efforts in behalf of the men under his command, but Maj. Hewitt had too much bull headed Minnesota blood in him to quit and I am convinced that his continued perseverance won much improvement in our condition for us.

     Under ordinary circumstances it would indeed be most unethical for an enlisted man to make a recommendation for an Officer, but since there was no senior officer over Maj. Hewitt and since I was one of the senior NCO's in this prison camp, I do not hesitate in saying that I think Maj. Hewitt should be rewarded with some sort of recognition, even though it be only a " Letter of Commendation Ribbon" for he certainly went far beyond the call of duty under trying and hazardous conditions in order to try and improve the lot of the men under his command.

Respectfully,

John C. Roy

M/ Sgt US AAF

Marshall Goff reported that three hundred prisoners were inoculated for Typhoid.  Only two needles were used and no form of disinfectant used.  He recalled the needle being so blunt by the time he was injected that the needle had to be torn into the skin.  His arm became swollen and infected and he was forced to work shoveling coal and lime into the open pit furnace under intense heat by the Japanese medical advisor named,The Spy.

Chapter 16

Packing his uniforms tightly into the duffle bag, Wally reviewed his presentation over and over in his head.  He had presented a brilliant testimony to the Chiefs of Staff and military lawyers who were overseeing the War Crimes Trial to be held in Tokyo.  Wally had worked tirelessly every day since arriving at Ft. Leavenworth on this endeavor.  He had signed and sworn documentation in hand from dozens of fellow P.O.W's he was taking with him.  The Prosecution had a commanding representation from the US and several allied countries.

He was ready and biting at the chomp like a thoroughbred horse at the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby.  Nothing could stop him now.  The goal was to have as many of these Japanese monsters sentenced to death or imprisoned for their crimes.

The flight was long with many stops and delays for various reasons.  The final leg understandably was the worst.  The weather was severe and there was extreme turbulence.  As the plane broke through the clouds, Wally surveyed the landscape below.

Wide swatches of land in various colors of brown and green were laid out like a huge patchwork quilt below.  Rice paddies flooded with water reflected the sky like mirrors.  You could see the random Japanese workers planting seedlings in the mud.  Rain clouds hovered overhead and sheets of rain pelleted the windows of the plane cabin.  The touch down was rough as the landing gear made contact with the pot holed runway.  From the air, it was hard to fathom that this beautiful countryside could have harbored such savages.

The crimes against humanity that were endured by the P.O.W's were horrific.  They warranted prosecution.  The war in the Asian theater was weighed against the European theater.   From 1946-1948 the trial turned over every stone to reveal the truth and expose the carnage.  Years of testament were presented in the utmost detail by Maj. Hewitt and many others who took the stand.  It was a long, slow and tedious process.  Each swing of a pick ax, scoop of a shovel, every beating, bruise, laceration, blister, every step, illness and death needed acknowledgement.  Nothing needed to be overlooked.  If it was endured, it was reported and prosecuted.

Wally took the stand and expertly laid out his case on behalf of those he represented.  All those that he was in command of and those that could no longer represent themselves and had died.  Nothing tired him.  His energy level was at it's peak as the enormity of the task unfolded in front of him.

After being sworn to tell the truth, Wally began.  Days, weeks and months of details were discussed.  

When asked about the P.O.W camps he was kept in there were many.  But the last one was not a known camp.  It did not appear on the map that was on display showing all the camps that the Japanese said they had.  Wally had studied the map.  It was not marked.

Capt. Hewitt how are you sure you were not in one of these other camps on the map? He was asked.  Wally explained that his last camp was located at near 45.39 N /141.69 E

which put it very near Wakkani, Japan in the extreme north.  He had derived this location by studying the North Star and the sun shadow relative to time during various seasons.  He had done his calculations over and over during his time there and he was certain of it's location.  After much  process of the verification of this camp the map was corrected to include The Latitude And Longitude Of Hell.

Based on his presentation and affidavits given to him, the following Japanese received these sentences:

COTA. Naruni                  Life

KONO, Hiroaki.              Life

KATAYAMA, Kengo  20 years

TAGUCHI, Yoshio.        Life

KURIYAMA, Michio.    Life

AOKI, Yuzu.                     Death

SHIBANO,                       Death

Chapter 17

Wally walked through the front door and threw his duffle bag aside.  With outstretched arms he gathered Sandra and George in his arms and lifted them.  He beamed a smile at Nona and said, " We won!"

*********

Wally served 34 years in the US Army and retired in 1970.  He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star among many other medals and ribbons.  He and Nona were Married Fifty-three years and had a total of five children Sandra, George, Hans, Catherine and Jeanine.

Col. Walter J Hewitt

4/19/1915 - 8/22/1993

age 78

Buried at Arlington

National Cemetery

Arlington, VA

Nona F. Syverson Hewitt

2/3/1916 - 3/24/2007

age 91

Buried at Oak Lawn Cemetery

Jacksonville, FL

  

The Latitude and Longitude of Hell

By: Catherine Hewitt Windham

And so, when a story is told, it is never forgotten.

It becomes something else. A memory of who we were.

The hope of what we can become.

We can become what we aspire to be.  We can hold on to our past 

and know that is the life within us that makes us go on.

Life events can take a cruel turn.

War,  death and suffering of our ancestors will change the

soul of the survivor.  Characteristics that will sustain with time.

Never give up.  Never succumb to the force that weighs your spirit.

Horizons beyond horizons where the sun never sets are the focal point.

Step after step on the path of death will lead to the future.

********

This story is dedicated to my father,  Col. Walter John Hewitt US Army and to my mother, Nona Fay Syverson Hewitt.   Their fight together to survive and their dream of a better future for their children came true.

This is based on the real fact that my father was a Japanese P.O.W and survivor of the Bataan Death March.  My mother and sister were evacuated from the Philippines at the beginning of the war.  This underlying story is fiction with the exception of true testimonies that my father presented at the War Crimes Trial and the outcome based on his testimony.

********

Chapter 1

Capt. Walter John Hewitt USA gathered his wife and two year old daughter

into his arms and kissed them goodbye.  It was a hot and steamy night in Manila.

Sweat sprouted beads across his forehead and trickled down his checks and mingled

with their tears.  "Go, now!" "The truck is waiting to get you to the harbor."

Nona and Sandra had to be peeled out of his embrace and grabbed their small bag of belongings they packed to take aboard the ship.  "Just the essentials," Wally told her

as she pulled their things out of the bureau.  "I had the carved trunks we bought packed on the ship today and they will arrive when you do in San Francisco.  You'll need to arrange shipment to mom's house in St. Paul once you get there.  I have wired money ahead for you to the bank but here is all the cash I could get today for you to take."  He handed her one

hundred dollars.  "Don't let it out of your sight or your papers, Nona.  Keep them on your body at all times!"  "I love you," they all said one last time before the truck rolled away.

The base was in a scramble.  All officers were in a briefing with the General.  He stood in front of the room with a map of the Philippine Islands on an easel to the side.  Using a long

pointer, the General pointed to various positions on the map and called out each of the men's names to give them their assignment and those they would be in command of.

The goal was to push back the Japanese troops that had invaded the island while they waited for reinforcements from the US Navy that Gen. McArthur had promised when he announced "I shall return!"

Wally sat there in attention, but in the back of his mind he loathed Gen. McArthur for the pompous remark and what he knew would be a battle many would not survive.  They were being sacrificed and he felt it in his bones.  He would vow to do his duty.  More importantly, he would vow to himself to survive and prove he was the man he had promised his wife and child he would be.  It had been a few months since their departure with the other dependents aboard the last ship to leave Manila.  He got word of their safe arrival in San Francisco.  Now he could focus and make his way to freedom. 

Grabbing the keys to his car he drove to the base and poured gallons of

army brown paint all over it.  He then went out into the area adjacent to the airstrip.

Dirt, leaves and mud stuck to the tacky surface.  It was perfectly camouflaged.

He went to the barracks and packed supplies into the car tightly.  Canned food, water,

gasoline and ammunition as well as several firearms.  He grabbed his canteen that he

had scratched Hewitt on the surface of and filled it full of water before fastening it to his belt.  He threw his helmet on the seat beside him and headed out in a cloud of dust toward the other side of the base.  Soldiers were lining up their gear and gathering 

to go out into the jungle area.  Planes were heard in the distance getting closer and explosions could be felt as the ground trembled under their feet.  Several soldiers got into

the car with Wally.  They headed out along the caribou pathway that ran beside the rice paddies that dotted the area.  Eventually they came to the edge of the earthen dam and 

stopped.  Long stalks of banana trees were cut and thrown over the car totally covering

it from view.  They decided they could safely leave it there. The gas was drained from the tank and the battery detached and thrown into the water and covered with mud and debris.

The keys were thrown as far as he could into the middle of the paddy.  Everyone unloaded the supplies and they were carried into the jungle and hidden.  Each soldier took their turn as guard while the others slept or were on a scout of the area making plans for their next movement.

Crouching down Wally signaled for quiet.  Footsteps could be heard in the dark.  Slowly the sound got closer.  Reaching out, Wally grabbed the head of the Japanese soldier

as he approached and covered his mouth.  In one swift move, the blade of his knife slit his throat and his body fell silently to the ground.  The others quickly grabbed the man's knife, gun and bullets.  They all remained silent as they made their way back to their group and did not sleep.

In the morning, smoke could be seen on the horizon coming from the air strip.  Planes

flew overhead.  The convoy continued to bushwhack their way through the dense foliage.

The radioman picked up chatter of a surrender of US Forces!  "Shit," Wally said under his breath.  "We're all screwed.  But, I know of a village near here where I met some Filipinos

who will help us.  Who's with me to go?"  He and another guy headed out alone.

At the edge of he road they saw some workers out in the paddies leading the caribou with the yoke around his huge neck.  The horns were curved and head was hung low under the strain of the load.  A woman chewing and spitting into the mud stood up and moved closer to the edge of the underbrush.  Wally made a sound of a bird.  She looked up to make eye contact with him as he held his index finger up to his lips to signal her to be quiet and not talk.  He spoke in a hushed tone to her in Tagalog.  "Help us, we are under siege."  "Your

people are in danger of capture of the Japanese!"  "Go and warn the others and tell the oldest man to come here to see me at once!"  The woman looked at him in disbelief and nodded her head.  He had no way to know she understood him.

Several hours later, Wally sat on the jungle floor with a man of about his own age and much smaller.  He had only a few discolored teeth and wore a loin cloth.  He had managed to learn some broken English and with Wally's broken Tagalog they managed to communicate.

Together they planned how to hide in the village with the local people to help them.  The men

we're commissioned into the US Army under his authority to do so under the rules of war.

The women tended to their children and cooked as before sharing everything with them.  At night the soldiers guarded the village and others made their way further away to scout.  

On one occasion, a woman squatted to give birth and tried to muffle her screams by

biting onto a stick.  She was at the far edge of the rice paddy with no one there to help her.  When the body of the woman and her infant were found beheadded by one of the scouts, he reported to Wally that they needed to move immediately for better cover.

In small groups the men left the village and went into the cover of the jungle. The women and children stayed behind at the village.  Trucks and footsteps of marching men could be heard in the stillness of the night air.  Mosquitos swarmed and sucked the blood of life from them as they deposited the infestation of Malaria into their veins.  No one slept.

One of the Filipino men snuck back to the village to see his wife.  He had changed his mind about helping the Americans.  He wanted to take her to safety somewhere else.  As he creeped back into his home, a Japanese soldier stood up and quickly bayoneted him in the belly.  His intestines spilled out onto the earth floor and he fell in a thud.  His wife lay

over the straw pallet bed naked and blindly staring in the frozen look of death.  Her slit throat pooled blood above her shoulders and coagulated in her thick black hair.  The soldier

zipped up his pants and left the hut.  He struck a match and flicked it onto the bed before leaving and within minutes it was engulfed in flames.  Women in other huts screamed their last breathes and children lay dead in the dirt.  

Wally could smell the smoke as each hut went up in flames.  The slight breeze fanned the smoke toward them and allowed for a smoke screen to develop.  The men quickly made their way deeper into the jungle before stopping for rest.

They made their way to the other side of the island and to the cliff that overlooked the

bay.  A multitude of ships had gathered in port.  Ramps allowed Japanese troops to disembark and unload equipment.  Wally and the men vowed to fight long and hard and never give up.  They would each faithfully fight for freedom and for each other no matter the circumstances.  For to give up now would mean there was no future beyond the day in which they were in.  It was the only choice.  "To Hell with waiting for help," Wally said.  "We must do this our way or die right here, right now!"  he told them.  "Dig in, guys!" he ordered them.

Their group was surrounded.  To move would give their position away yet staying would mean certain death.  In unison they decided to move slowly by crawling over the embankment and into hiding in the long grasses that grew at the edge of the cliff.

Several Japanese spotted their movement and they charged toward them.  Wally and his men opened fire and bayoneted several others. They fought hand to hand and hurled men over the edge of the cliff to the jagged shore below.  Only a handful of them survived.  Wally was one of the lucky survivors.  Or was he?

******

Chapter 2

The next day he wondered.  There was fierce bombing on the island and many fires set in the villages.  Hoards of prisoners were gathered together and cramped into the boxcars of a train that led to their prison camp.  Packed like cattle waiting for slaughter, they waited in the blaring heat of the day and denied food and water.  Diarrhea flowed down their pant legs and caked onto their boots.  Sores erupted and refilled with pus from constant irritation from the infected mosquito bites and other wounds.  Men died by the hundreds daily.  Conditions at Camp O'Donnell became so appalling that it was eventually closed and what prisoners survived were moved to camp Cabanatuam.  

Conditions there were barely better than at camp O'Donnell.  

The principle diet was rice and occasionally supplemented with a native sweet potato called camote.  It was usually rotten.  Even more rarely, a piece of meat about one inch square was given to one out of four prisoners.  There was abundant food for the Japanese and available in the countryside but they were kept deliberately on a starvation diet.

Men waited in long lines to be allowed a sip of filthy polluted water.

Work details were assigned to clean up the camp and hospital grounds.  Over several months considerable improvements to the unsanitary conditions were made.  The long grass around the camp was cut back to control the mosquito population.  New latrine ditches were dug and old ones covered with lye and dirt.  Some of the sickest prisoners were given quinine.  Men who were on burial duty dragged themselves through their day like zombies.

 

On April 9, 1942 groups of one hundred men each were gathered.  Four across and twenty-five deep.  Japanese guards were stationed one on each side of the group.  They began the long anguishing walk from the camp to San Fernando located eighty miles away.

The journey took six days.  They walked all day in the blistering heat.  Men fainted and died

from the lack of nourishment.  If ones next step was to land upon a fallen soldier, then they had to step on his body or be killed for not doing so.  Remnants of unrecognizable decaying bodies littered the road.  Those that did not comply were bayoneted and thrown to the side

or left where they fell.  They just kept walking.  At night they were allowed to lie down in a field.  Many never arose in the morning.  

Some tried to make a break for freedom.  They were not able to get two steps away from the group.  There was no place to escape to.  There was no shade and, if there was, a Japanese guard found it when they were allowed to pause.  Guards hollered at and prodded

slow walkers.  A shuffle is all that they could do.  Along the way Filipinos tried to throw food at the soldiers.  The Japanese shot them.  No water was allowed although there were Artesian wells flowing everywhere.  Men ran toward the water they could smell 

and almost taste.  They were completely insane.  Not a drop passed their parched lips as they fell in the ditches dead.

When Wally closed his eyes, all he could see was Nona and Sandra waving goodbye on their last day together.  Nona's blonde curls and green eyes in contrast to Sandra's dark hair and green eyes.  She had his looks.  Hindsight is never good.  He would have never taken them to this God forsaken Hell had he known what was to happen this far from home.

Nona welcomed the adventure.  She was a farm girl from Ulen, Minnesota.  She grew up in a large family on a rural farm without a father figure for a good portion of her life.  When they married she said she could handle anything.  He believed she could and hoped and prayed for their safety constantly.

The first year in the Philippines was exciting.  They had been able to ship their car so were one of the fortunate few who had an opportunity to get out and explore the countryside.

The Filipino people were open and hospitable.  They invited them into their modest homes

and shared their meals with them.  They learned the culture and sampled exotic foods.

The landscape was lush and tropical and a beauty existed there neither of them had ever seen before.  It was a paradise.  Everywhere were beautiful birds and the clear aqua water of the Pacific.  Outside their quarters grew banana trees and fruit of all kinds.

Being an officer had it's merits.  He and Nona were given a furnished home and housekeeper.  It was a luxury that Nona thought was excessive and unnecessary but

she found it a huge help just the same.  She learned to cook some of the local dishes and

Wally would often bring fresh fish for her to expand her culinary skills.

Local artisans carved beautiful trunks out of teak wood.  Intricate floral designs flaunted their talent.  They couldn't resist them and bought four of the trunks and put them into the station wagon and on top.  Intricately carved ivory items were also marvelous.  

He often thought that if he could think of them and those first glorious months in this country he would be able to survive.  It worked like a vitamin on him.  Once he opened his eyes and resumed walking, he dreamed of the moment he could close his eyes and replenish his soul.

Wally was handed a stiff rice ball the size of a plumb.  Grain by grain he picked at it and chewed.  The starch mingled with his thick saliva and made a paste that coated his mouth

and alleviated the sores and temporarily eased the pain.  Savoring the moment he watched as some of the others put the entire wad in their mouths.  Some choked and vomited.

Men will eat anything when starving including their own emesis.  Today a beetle crawled past his boot.  Wally quickly squashed it between his teeth and enjoyed the wet on his tongue.

Every day was a blur of boots walking ahead of him and the smell of the dead that was pounded into the road.  Miles and miles of stench that hung in his nostrils until he thought

it not that unpleasant.  He used to only breathe through his mouth so he wouldn't smell the rot.  His tongue  became like leather as it cracked and bled.  Best to stop that and just get used to the smell.  By the last day of their horrific walk, he could actually stand to swallow.

Eighty miles in six days at a snails pace.  It was a memory Wally would never speak of to his family. No one would ever believe a human could do what he and the others just did.  History must never allow for something this atrocious to happen again.  He would make certain that if he survived this he would bring justice to those who did not live.  That they did not die in vain or were forgotten.  He began by memorizing names and their next of kin and home towns.  Everyone he had an opportunity to speak to he would ask the same information and imbed it in his memory.  Over and over he recited the information.  Daily the list grew longer.  Never forget, never give up, never!

******

Chapter 3

Nona and Sandra slept together aboard the ship.  They shared a space with several other

evacuees.  Mothers nursed their newborn babies and toddlers cried with hunger.  Nona

sat and rocked Sandra and combed her hair with her fingers.  She hummed a tune to lull her asleep then closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall behind her.  The sounds of the engine room on the other side of the steel wall reminded her that they were at least churning through the water.  

Aboard for days they were not allowed to wander around the ship very far and certainly not topside to breathe the fresh ocean breeze.  She longed to take a deep breathe of salty air.  She had saved the apples she was given that morning to share with Sandra when she woke from her nap.  Their ripe smell was making her stomach growl.

"I wonder how Wally is doing?"She thought. The thought that he was staying behind to fight made her sick.   She had overheard some of the crew saying that conditions in the Philippines were worsening each day.  All she could hope and pray for is that he would survive.  He was smart and strong.  Those two attributes would see him through.  She did not dare to think otherwise or cry in despair as many of the others were seen doing.

It served no purpose to go crazy in grief.  Even if she did not have Sandra to take care of

she would have made use of herself in some way or another.

Each day was a repeat of the one before.  At least they were fed and allowed to drink several times a day.  They were encouraged to do things together to occupy their time like sing or play games with the children.  Bathroom facilities were meager but adequate.

At last they were within sight of land!  The crew reported they would be pulling into port that afternoon.  Everyone needed to gather their belongings and when instructed, they could proceed up to the top deck.  

Nona held Sandra's hand and their suitcase as they climbed the steep ladders from deck to deck.  The fresh air hit them in the face like a fan at high speed.  Thunder clouds loomed

overhead and it began to rain in sheets that plastered their hair to their heads and clothing to their skinny bodies.  Nona lifted Sandra into her arms and managed to carry the suitcase with the other hand as they walked the narrow walkway to the pier.  Once there, she put her down and they scurried for shelter under the tents.  Long rows of tables with Army personnel on one side each with a typewriter greeted them.  "Papers and ID, please." the man asked.  Nona unfolded the forms and gave him the ID card.  He matched it against a long log of names listed on the manifest.  He then placed a red check mark next to their names.  "Thank you, Mrs. Hewitt.  We will send your husband a telegram of your safe arrival.  Here is the address you will use to write to him from now on.  Keep writing.  The men need encouragement and there is no guarantee they will receive them but you will have done your part" he told her.  "The bus is ready to take you to the barracks where you can stay until you can contact your family."

Nona and Sandra sat in the steamy bus soaking wet.  A hour later they arrived at the barracks that would house them.  Long buildings that were made of corrugated steel

and rounded.  Inside were cots from one end to the other.  They were led to their beds.

Nona helped Sandra out of her wet clothes and into a dry outfit then she changed, too.

For the time being they lay on the cots until they were told where they could get something to eat.  A man arrived and led the group to the mess hall.  They lined up and were given a metal tray with indentations for the meal to be served and a fork, knife and spoon.

Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy and corn were served on the trays.  A slice of white bread was placed on top.  Nona held both trays and made their way to the bench with Sandra.  Another man gave them each a glass of milk.  Nona and Sandra held hands with the others at the table and they prayed.  Her first bite was held on her tongue and savored.  Sandra sipped her milk and then tried the potatoes.  Once she got a taste, she ate everything.  At the door they were handed a piece of fruit.  Nona put it in her pocket

to have them eat later that evening.  They made their way back to their beds and slept

fully clothed until the next morning when they were awakened by the bugler.

The next morning the evacuees were examined by the doctors.  They were given soap

and sent to the showers first.  Afterwards, wrapped in towels they were examined and given any medication needed.  The doctor deemed them fit for travel.  Next they were led to a room where there were several people typing.  She sat down and dictated her note to be sent to her mother and mother-in-law of their safe arrival and information on where they would be staying until they could come home to Minnesota.

Chapter 4

The hold of the ship was like a hot cauldron of an oil tanker.  Thick fumes of fuel burned Wally's lungs as he struggled to breathe.  It was pitch black.  Men pressed up against him from all sides. It would have been impossible to sit or fall.  Trousers stuck together from human waste.

The ship heaved to it's side and there was chaos and crying by some.  One man prayed out loud for them to sink to the bottom of the sea.  Buckets of sea water were thrown over the men through the small hatch.  Those that were near the opening eagerly licked their lips and 

sucked moisture from their sleeves.  A few rice balls were thrown into the crowd of ravenous men.  Hands grabbed and shoved a few morsels into their mouths.  Day upon day

of rolling and heaving over the waves had many wishing they were dead.

Explosions from bombing and the jolt  afterwards confirmed their fears that they were

under attack by US forces not knowing that the Japanese Hell Ships cargo were their own 

comrades.  "How ironic", Wally thought.  To survive all this just to be killed by our own military.

He had heard they were going to Japan to be placed in POW camps.  He figured  they would be in for a very rough ordeal.  Japan was to the north of where they started.  The climate would be a harsh change from the tropical environment they just left.  Winter in Japan can be quite brutal.  Wally surmised he could withstand the conditions better than most because he grew up in Minnesota.  He knew what to do since a young age.  Somehow

everything he had experienced as a young boy and an Army Officer has paid off.  He

he was an Eagle Scout and after High School at the Military Academy he attended, Wally

hopped aboard trains and traveled west to work in the CCC better known as the Civilian Conservation Corps.  They helped build roads and bridges.  His skills were diverse.  

He was bright and graduated with honors from college and became an Officer.   Survival training was in his blood.  He reminded himself of his vow to survive and bring justice to all the others who died and who were tortured.

Arrival was at night.  A cold rain was falling as those that could still move found their way

to the deck.  They were tied together and led off the ship to a barbed wire enclosure.

Their names were written down.  Next Wally was pushed along with the others into groups

and forced to walk until they reached a larger camp.  Guard posts were at each corner and several long buildings were inside the barbed wire fencing.  They were told to stand  in the rain all night.  Wally was one of those still standing in the morning.  

The dead were heaped into a common grave.  Some of the guards urinated on the bodies.

Those left standing were ordered to shovel dirt over the bodies.

Wally soon realized he was the leading Army Officer of this crew.  He memorized their names, next of kin and home town information.  He recited this roster over and over every day.  After the war he wanted to recite each one out loud and have their families know they were brave men and had been loved and not forgotten.  Some said "to each his own" but Wally took it further.  He knew that by making this a personal mission it would help him beat the odds.

Work details were given.  The group was taken to the rock quarry.  All day they picked at the hard rock.  Large chunks were hauled to the train and loaded.  Other groups were taken into the coal mines.  Their efforts were rewarded by breathing in the coal dust and experiencing a shaft collapse and being crushed alive in the dark.  Every day began the same but ended differently for some.  Their body was wasted and strength exhausted.

Drawing their last breathe was the end to their misery and pain.  Some did not realize that moment was upon them as they worked and just crumbled in death a moment later.

During the long moments of silence when Wally was awake, just before sleeping and just as his eyes opened on a new day, he prayed.  "Dear Heavenly, Father watch over and protect us so that we will rejoice your name on Salvation Day!"  He repeated the Our Father over and over in his mind as he heaved his pick ax in the quarry.  "Deliver us from evil" echoed

with each bout of disease that spent him.

The winter was long and cold.  No extra clothing was given.  No protection from the winds and ice as it pelleted them.  No circulation in the blue fingers and toes.  One did not dare remove their boots.  Feet adhered to the socks and stuck to the worn leather.  

To be excused from work detail was only done if one were nearly dead.  On many an occasion Wally had fevers and pain from abcessed teeth.  He took his pick ax and managed to pry the infected tooth out of the socket and keep on working. 

They were allowed to congregate in small groups in the evening around a fire to warm themselves.  Whenever they could they would find a bug or some fresh shoots of grass and put them in their pocket.  Each of them saved one spoon of rice from their portion for the day and a minor amount of water.  These things were put together in a pot they were given

and cooked.  Each man was given a spoonful or two of the resulting soup.  These minor

acts of humanity among them ensured they would do anything for their brother.  What ever it took to survive and help each other they did.  

One morning there was an announcement that the camp Commander was missing his

pencil.  They were lined up and screamed at to confess who had stolen the pencil.

When no one responded, Wally was taken from the group and led to a solitary confinement

box and shoved inside.  The space was small.  There was only enough room inside for him to squat.  The next three days he was not fed or given water.  The sun scorched down on the metal roof of the enclosure.  When the door was opened and he was dragged out into the open courtyard he could barely see from the brightness of the light.  The Commander had

selected him on purpose because he was the highest ranking officer of the prisoners.

He was responsible.  He spit in Wally's face and pulled the pencil from his own shirt pocket and waved it triumphantly above his head.  He said that it had been a test of courage and honor.

Wally's group knew he already was the most honorable and courageous man they had ever met.

Soon after the group was moved to another camp.  They marched through the highlands

and into a camp smaller than the last one but had more prisoners.  The guards were

especially mean and gave frequent beatings for no reason to the new comers.  There

were no opportunities to cook their gruel together.  Once a day they received their ration

of rice and water.  Crates of fresh vegetables and fruit and a goat were delivered to the guard house. They could smell the cooking done for the camp Commander.  Men tried to grab bones that were tossed at them.  Not a morsel of meat could be picked from them.  Wally managed to open a long bone he caught.  Inside the soft marrow was sucked dry by everyone he passed it to.  

Chapter 5

Nona sat in the hanger at the factory along with the other women who were starting work that day.  She was going to be given special training on the wiring system to be installed in the bombers being built.  She had read in the local paper they needed women to work in these factory positions.  Her friend she had made on the voyage over let Nona and Sandra stay with them.  She would babysit Sandra while Nona worked her shift and then Nona would stay with the children during the night.  For months these Rosie The Riveters

cranked out the new aircraft as fast as they were contracted.  It was rewarding work helping the war effort.  Rationing of food and electricity and water made life challenging but it was something both women handled with ease.  Somehow they managed to keep their children fed and warm.  Each of them saved as much of their salary as possible and collected their husbands meager pay monthly.  

"I'm leaving in six months" Nona told her friend.  I need to get back home and help my family and they need to see Sandra, too.  

When the day arrived, Nona and Sandra packed heir things and boarded the train headed for home.  They made their way to their seats and handed the conductor their passes.  The trees flew past the windows and the sound of the wheels on the track hypnotized Nona while Sandra napped with her head in her lap.

She closed her eyes and leaned against the window frame.  Her mind went back to the day they said goodbye to Wally.  She was frightened but did not want to show her fear.  There was no other choice but to be strong willed.  Inside her stomach churned and she had trouble eating.  She couldn't afford any more weight loss.  Her dress hung from her shoulders like a loose sack.  Stress and anxiety kept her mind racing all day and even in her tossed sleep.  She woke up exhausted and the dark circles under her eyes against her otherwise pale complexion made her look like a refugee.  Anemia plagued her and she often felt sluggish.  Her dreams took her to happier places when she and Wally were married in Iowa before being stationed in Texas.  She remembers picking out and sewing the beautiful white brocade fabric for her wedding dress and royal blue velvet trimmed bolero jacket.  It fit her like a glove.  They went to the photographer just after the ceremony.  Wally looked dashing in his dress white Army uniform.

His dark wavy hair and mustache made him look like a movie star.  His strong arms circled her tiny waist as he picked her up and carried her over the threshold of their first quarters at Fort Sam Houston.  They were busy and happy newlyweds.  They went to the Officers Club and met with their friends that were working with Wally.  They danced and had good times.  Soon afterward, Nona realized she was pregnant and due in October of 1940.

By the spring of 41 they were stationed in the Philippines.  The voyage over was difficult with an infant but they were not worried.  There was help there not available in the States.  They could have a housekeeper and Nanny hired to help.  It would be an adventure neither of them would have dreamed would turn out the way it had.

Sandra squirmed and shifted her position.  "Mommy, I feel sick."  she managed to say before throwing up all over herself and Nona's lap.  Nona tried to get themselves cleaned up as best as possible but did not have access to their suitcase.  The smell made Nona nauseous, too.  Thankfully the conductor came with a rag and Nona was able to clean up the mess from the floor.  Sandra fell back asleep and Nona stroked her feverish brow and continued to worry.

The train pulled into the station in St. Paul, MN  at 2a.m.  Sandra was hot with fever and limp as a rag doll.  Nona carried her to a bench and then waited for her suitcase.  She waited and waited and none of the cases were her's that were placed on the platform.  When the compartment was empty the conductor told Nona to check the station in a few days to see if their bag had arrived.  It could have been left on the connector train in Kansas City.  She was grateful she had never let her papers, ID and money out of her grip.  She hailed a cab and was taken to her mother-in-law's home on Eustis St.  Nona and Sandra knocked on the door loudly.  Mrs. Hewitt pushed back the curtain over the window on the front door and unlocked the door for them.  She stood in disbelief with her mouth open as she looked them over from head to toe.  "I told you not to go off to the jungle with a baby!"  "Might as well come in!"  She climbed the stairs ahead of them and headed back to her bedroom and closed the door.  Nona took Sandra into the bathroom and they took a hot bath.  Nona washed out their dresses and hung them over the radiator to dry.  Both of them climbed into the bed together in their underwear and fell immediately to sleep. 

The next morning Sandra's fever had broken sometime during the night and the bed was wet from the sweat.  Nona stripped the bed linen.  She went to the bathroom and got their clothing which was not yet fully dry and put them on.

She headed down to the cellar to the wringer washer and put the sheets into the sudsy water.  Afterwards she took them out and hung them on the line.

Sandra sat in the kitchen.  Soon Mrs. Hewitt came down from upstairs in her bathrobe.  Her wild hair was under a hairnet. "What are your plans, Nona?" she asked cooly.  "What word have you had on Wally?"

Nona took a deep breathe and told her she had not heard from him since she had left.  There was scarce information on the fall of the Philippines and the soldiers left to defend themselves against insurmountable odds.  She could only hope for the best.  As far as her plans, she had to find work.  She was hoping to stay here with her and  get a job.  "Well, I suppose that will be ok for a little while.  You'll need to help pay for things anyway if that is going to be done.

Wally would insist on that.  Or, if you want, you and Sandra can stay out at the cottage at Turtle Lake for rent."  "A college educated Army officer goes off and marries the first farm girl he sees!  I'm just not happy about that at all, mind you." Mrs. Hewitt muttered under her breathe.  Nona heard every word.

"We'll stay out at the cabin.  Here is the first months rent in advance.  Wally would have insisted on that!"  After the sheets had dried, Nona remade the bed.  She and Sandra left the house and headed out to Turtle Lake by catching a ride with Wally's Uncle Breitschoff.  

Nona uncovered the furniture in the cabin and opened all the windows to air it out.  It was cold but the stale air needed exchanging.  Sandra helped gather some twigs to put in the pot belly stove in the kitchen.  It took several hours for Nona to get the place cleaned up and fit for them to stay in.  

No one had been out there in years since Mr. Hewitt died.  He and Wally built the cabin together when Wally was a teen.  It was very well constructed but not insulated in any way to shield from the harsh winter weather.  Nona thought it would be alright for a few months until she could save some money and get back home to Ulen in the Spring.  Sandra helped

but would often just stand still or sit down on the steps of the front porch and stare out at the lake.  Nona saw this from the window and came outside and sat down next to her.

"What's the matter?" Nona asked her.  Sandra shrugged her shoulders and started to cry.

It was the first time they had a meaningful moment to themselves since leaving the island.

Sandra had just turned three.  "Where is daddy?" she cried.  "Is he coming back?" she added.  Nona told her the truth.  "Daddy loves you very much.  He will come home when his work is done.  It is going to take a long time." she told her while putting her arm around Sandra's body and pulled her into her lap.  Together they sat for awhile and gazed out over the still  water and watched a flock of loons land on it's surface.  "Let's go in and have some soup."  Nona said and they both went in.  The fire in the pot belly stove was started and Nona shut all the windows.  Afterwards she and Sandra went to bed early cuddling under the old quilts.  Sleep came within minutes of them shutting heir eyes.

"Daddy, come home!" Sandra screamed out in her sleep.  Nona was startled awake by her cries.  "Shhh, honey, I am here.  Go to sleep, go to sleep, shhh." Nona said as she wiped away the tears from her own eyes.  Without Sandra to comfort and care for, she was certain she would have lost her mind in worry long before now.  "What if he's dead and never coming home to us?  What am I going to do, where will I go?"  Nona had never really thought like this before and wished she could stop the whirlwind in her mind from spinning out of control.   "I  will go into town today and drop Sandra off with her cousins to play and look for a job." Nona muttered in the dark. When she opened them again the sun was rising and the loons could be heard outside.  She rose and made some coffee.  Sitting in the rocker by the stove, she stoked the flames and she placed more wood inside and closed the hatch.  Sandra continued to sleep and she let her wake up on her own.  

Sandra was always excited to visit her cousins.  She went happily with them and her Aunt to the park nearby.  Nona headed to the square and entered the restaurant on the corner.

She met with the manager and was offered a job as a waitress on the weekends when they had the most diners.  That schedule suited Nona, too.  She did not want to burden anyone

with keeping Sandra during the week and her sister-in-law said it would be fine for her to stay with them the weekend while Nona worked.  The walk to and from the lake to the bus stop was getting harder with the severe winter they were experiencing.  Snow piled up

and the side roads were not passable.  Nona and Sandra trudged each weekend to the main road to get a ride into town.  " I might as well be in Ulen with mother rather than keep on doing this" Nona thought.  Months of this had taken a toll on them and she did not want to

ask if she could move back into Mrs. Hewitt's house in town.  Nona gave her notice to her job and worked her last weekend at the end of January.  She handed Mrs. Hewitt the money for rent and turned to hold Sandra's hand to help her into the taxi.  

The train ride north to Ulen took several hours and they settled into their seats.  Pastures

covered in a think blanket of snow could be seen for miles.  The terrain was flat as a pancake.  Long thin rows of trees separated farms from each other.  Cattle huddled

close to barns.  

Nona and Sandra stepped off the platform in town by the grain silo.  Her mother's house

was close to the tracks and only a short distance from the depot.  They held hands and

stepped cautiously through the frozen slush out onto the road.  

Nona and Sandra stood on the small porch of the tiny yellow house and rapped on the door.

Opening it she said "Mother? It's me, Nona and Sandra!"  Emily Syverson came through the kitchen and into the front room wiping her hands on her apron.  "Oh, my God!  Nona,

Sandra!" as she allowed herself to be hugged and kissed by them.  They all were crying with

happiness and so overwhelmed with the moment.  

"I can't believe it's you!  Just last night I had a dream you were coming!" Emily told her.  "Come sit down and tell me everything and start at the beginning!"  She reached over and grabbed another coffee cup for Nona and poured some milk for Sandra.  At first Nona just sat there holding her cup in her hands and looking at the dark brown fluid mingle with the milk she had added.  Swirls of pale cream collided with the coffee and then became a creamy tan color.  She took a sip and closed her eyes to taste and smell the aroma of home.

When she opened her eyes and looked over the brim of her cup she saw her mother it seems like for the first time in an eternity.  Her hair was gray and her tiny features were evident through her thin dress.  The skin on her hands was almost transparent and showed the veins.  "Mom are you ok, you're not sick are you?" Nona said as she reached out to touch her hand.  "No, I'm alright.  I had a little flu a few weeks ago but I'm ok now." she responded.

"Well good, the last thing you need is to get sick!"  "How is everyone?  I have not had the chance to write as I promised because I was either working or sleeping or taking care of Sandra's needs!  I'm sorry for worrying you, mother."  "Don't worry about that, Nona.  Everyone is doing well on their own and send me money to get by on.  It has been a tough

winter here.  I've not been able to go out much for the past few months because of blizzard after blizzard."  "Well, things will be easier on you now that I can be here to help you out!

I have missed you so much since we left a few years ago to leave for Iowa to get married on our way to Texas." Nona said.  "Did you ever get a photograph made on your wedding day?" Emily asked.  "Yes, we did but we couldn't wait for it before having to leave.  Then when we got orders to the Philippines it was forgotten about.  "You need to get the photo,

Nona.  If not for you, then at least for Sandra.  She is young and needs to see her daddy's face so she can talk to him."  "It's just been so hard on us, I suppose you are right and I will have to find out how much it will cost." Nona said.

Later that day she went into town and bought some supplies.  She stopped at the post office to send Wally a letter.  She had not heard from him at all since leaving.  The clerk

reassured her he would let her know right away of any letter from him.  

Nona got right down to business and was active in the ladies aide at their church.  She helped volunteer her help at the Viking Manor Nursing Home.  She always enjoyed visiting with the elderly people who lived there.  They played the piano and sang songs and played Whist.  She took Sandra along with her and the ladies and gentlemen loved to have her visit.  She allowed one lady to brush her beautiful dark curls for hours and tie ribbons in it.  A man read her stories.  It felt good to be home and productive again.  This is where she was loved and protected.

She found out that a 8x10 photograph of their wedding picture would cost $18.00.

She told her mother about it.  "I insist you get it, Nona.  I will help you pay for it." Emily

said.  "Ok" is all that Nona could whisper.  She sent the money the next day.  Within a few weeks the photo arrived in the mail.  It showed the two of them standing side by side.

Each of them looking happy yet formal.  They did not smile.  "I love it!" her mother said when she saw it for the first time.  "You did a beautiful job on the dress.  I hope you saved it!"

"Yes, I have it.  We bought some beautiful carved trunks in the Philippines and it is packed  in there.  I do not know when they will arrive but I have asked for them to be shipped here

as soon as possible." Nona said.  "It was a magical paradise, mother.  You wouldn't believe

how beautiful it was.  The flowers and the crystal blue Pacific Ocean were like a picture."

"Now, I'm sure it has been turned into a Hell for Wally and the other men!" she said while tears welled up in her eyes.  "I just can't stand to look at this photo and think he might never come home to us." Nona stammered.  "I'll put it by Sandra's bed then," her mother said as she took it into the other room and placed it in a frame which held another picture from long ago.  

Weeks and months passed and the snow melted.  Tulips peeked above the cold soil and daffodils bloomed.  Easter was next week.  Nona sewed Sandra and herself a new dress on her mother's old treadle machine.  She got up to answer a knock on the door.  "Telegram for Nona Hewitt" the courtier said.  "Yes, that is me" Nona said as she signed for the letter.

Hesitantly she went into the kitchen where there was better light and sat at the table.

Gently she opened the flap of the yellow envelope.  

Dear Nona:

I am alive and well taken care of.

Walt

Nona stared in disbelief and put her hand up to her heart.  She could feel it beating fast and her breathing had increased, too.  She felt faint.  She wondered why the print was noticeable bolder on the word "alive" and not on any of the other words.

"Honey, are you ok?" Emily asked her coming into the kitchen.  "Who was at the door?"

she asked.  Nona handed her the letter.  They both embraced and cried out loud.

It was the first time Nona had really let down and got it out of her system.  She began telling her mother of the hasty evacuation and transit back to America on the ship.  She told her about the factory job working on the planes and the awful cross country train trip with Sandra being sick.  She told her how horrid Mrs. Hewitt had been to her while there.

She also told her how wonderful it was to be safe at home with her now.  "I love you, mother!" Nona said.  "I love you, too dear" Her mother whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek.  

"Now then, we know he is OK!  That is wonderful!"  Let's get Sandra and go to the park and have a picnic!  They busied themselves putting things together in the basket and set out for the afternoon.

Chapter 6

Wally was handed a single thin piece of paper and told what to write.  He tried to give a message to Nona by pressing down harder with the pencil on the word "alive".  He thought she might notice it and realize that everything was not as great as he had to write.  The paper was sealed in an envelope and taken away.  He never knew if it was delivered but the act gave him some piece of mind for a moment.

Each day there were new arrivals and more deaths.  Bodies were carried to a common ditch and covered with soil.  Wally's list of names grew longer.  He kept busy going over them daily in his mind.  

At other times Wally taught the young men.  He had enjoyed college and was a math and science whiz.  He would go over algebra equations and geometry with them whenever given the opportunity.  They seemed to enjoy the diversion. At night they slept outdoors and he would point out the various star constellations above them.  "Capt., is there any way to know where we are in Japan?"one of the youngest prisoners asked. Wally said "Sure there is, we just have to figure out the latitude based on the North Star."  "How are you going to know that?" the young boy said.  "It's a bit complicated but I'll work on that one myself.  I'll know after all this Hell is over whether or not I was right."  "Now, who knows the periodic table?" Wally asked them as he changed the subject.  But, Wally never forgot that question

and studied the night sky and used a stick stuck in the ground in the day to study the shadow of the sun and how it fell on the ground.  

One afternoon the guard picked up the stick that was sticking out of the ground.  He demanded Wally tell him what it was for.  Wally tried to explain that he was using it to tell time.  The guard then beat him with the stick and threw him into the confinement box.

When he was released his knees were so stiff and painful he could barely stand up.  Many

of the men he had instructed were no longer in the camp.  One of the newcomers told him seven prisoners were taken from the camp and moved to another location.  Wally never saw them again or knew where they had been taken.  He hoped they had not been killed and decided never to take it upon himself to put anyone in danger again by his teaching lessons.

He practiced his French silently.  Elaborate math problems were solved in his head.  The names were an endless line of words across his brain like a ticker tape he was reading to himself.

Christmas came.  They were not sure it was the correct day but they were told they did not have to work on that day.  It snowed all day.  The men ate the snow to quench their thirst.

They were also given a piece of fruit.  Apples were hard and sour.  Every morsel was eaten.

Some of the men vomited afterwards.  Their stomachs were not accustomed to the fresh fiber.  Each man was given rice and tea.  The men prayed together and sang "Silent Night."

They slept peacefully for the first time.

1944 proved to be harder than the previous  two years of imprisonment.  The physical labor in the mines and quarries was grueling and long.  Sixteen hour days without rest.  Each day worse than the last.  Clothing was thread bare and severely soiled.

All men were ordered to strip naked.  Their clothes were burned.  Then they were led to the river to wash themselves in the cold water.  It felt like heaven to submerge their heads and wash the filth from their bodies.  The sores oozed and were swollen.  On the opposite shore they were given black pajamas to wear and woven flat sandals.  They also were given a straw circular hat with a pointed crown.  Now they all looked just like the civilian Japanese but were taller and had lighter hair and skin.  After that day, they were allowed to bathe 

only once more.  The group was moved to a camp higher in the hills and secluded among thick trees and underbrush.  In the new camp they were told they would work in the cobalt mine and at the furnaces that melted the alloy.   The area they were taken to to work was at a much higher elevation than the camp.  The soil was thin and rocky.  Sheer cliffs of rock jutted skyward.  Their uniform was inadequate to work in but they did as they were told.  From here one could see the sea and the waves crashing upon the rocky shores many miles away.  Further up the peaks were snow capped.  To try to escape from here would be a feat no one would survive.  Steep terrain with loose rocks under the straw sandals was treacherous.  One prisoner slipped and fell to his death over the cliff when he got too close.  Others suffered severe burns and some died working with the molten metal.

It was colder at this elevation and Wally became ill and started to have 

severe chills.  He coughed violently at night and spit up blood.  He could not get warm.

One of the men who lay next to him on the floor of the building where they were housed

reached out and held his hand in the dark.  Wally was delirious with fever.  He moaned and 

groaned all night.  When his fever finally broke three days later he could barely stand up and realized he had been moved to another building that had many other sick prisoners.

"This must be a hospital." he thought.  "I'm still alive!"  

Gradually he regained his strength and realized he must have had a Malaria flare up.  He had been sick in the Philippines a few years ago and this is how he felt then.  He looked around the room.  There were fifty beds.  Each bed had a body.  Some of the bodies writhed

and moaned others were stiff and still.  Every morning the stiff bodies were removed and a new writhing body was placed on the bed.  Wally decided he was well and asked to be removed from the hospital.  His wish was granted and he was led out and straight back to his work detail high up the hill.  He almost did not make it there and lost his footing several times near the edge of the pathway.

Chapter 7

The man who held his hand that night greeted him with his eyes as he arrived.  Wally detected a slight smile on his face.  Quickly he looked away and picked up his pic ax and resumed his work as if nothing had ever happened.  

That night the same man whispered "Good to see you are well.  They heard your moaning and cries of pain and took you away hanging like a rag between two guards.  I was sure you would die."  "It happened to me last year.  I dreamed I tried to escape through the latrine full of shit.  I tried to get others to come with me by saying it was not that bad down there in that shit hole!"  Wally just said "I had that dream, too!"

From that time on, they helped each other how ever they could without being detected.  It meant the world to feel they could trust each other.  Even in a prison camp there can be discord among the inmates.  Jealousy, greed and despise.  Wally was the only Officer in camp so technically he was in charge of the safety of this group.  Up until this point he had been with the same group of prisoners as they were moved from camp to camp.  But, at this camp, many of the men who had arrived with him had died and been replaced by new bodies.

He was given material to write a letter.  He could barely hold it steady in his hand and his writing was shaky.

Dear Nona:

I am ALIVE and well taken care of.

Walt

He folded the paper and managed to slip a tiny dried wild flower into the fold of the paper before placing it in the envelope.  He hoped that she received it and knew how much she and Sandra were missed and loved.  It was for them that he managed to stay alive from day to day.  Survival was the only goal. 

Repairs to the camp were needed.  The rain came down in torrents and huge mud slides

pushed some buildings off their foundation and sent them smashing down the rocky mountainside. Men screamed out in the night when this happened.  

When the rain stopped the prisoners were sent down the steep hillside to bring back the salvageable wood.  The bodies were mangled in the debris and blood was splattered on the boards.  They worked tirelessly until every scrap was returned to the camp.  They were then told to bury the bodies.  Shovels of earth were scooped over their twisted corpses.

Many of the men made the sign of the cross and bowed their heads before leaving the fresh mound.

The mud that was washed into the surrounding structures was removed and dumped over the edge of the hill.  When things were dry, the remaining dirt was swept with a crude broom made of twigs from the fir trees.

Wally studied the heavens at night and the sun shadows in the daylight.  He was certain his calculations were correct.  He knew that if given a map he could point to the exact location

of this God Forsaken Hell.  He did the calculations over and over and each time the coordinates were the same.  

Seasons changed and the Spring brought an abundance of mild weather.  The men welcomed the opportunity to not freeze at night.  The meager rations of winter were supplemented with dried fish and vegetables that they grew at the perimeter of the camp.

Wally successfully fought for a pot for them to cook their gruel.  Everyone pitched in what ever they could save or scrounge.  Fresh shoots of grass, slugs, grubs, bugs rice and dried fish and water.  Once a week they had enough to share a few spoonfuls with everyone.

One evening Wally noticed the aquarium was moved outside the camp Commander's building to be cleaned out.  As soon as he got a chance, Wally scooped a small octopus with a head the size if a plumb out of the murky water and into his mouth.  No one was nearby.  He struggled with the squirming legs to get them in his mouth.  In a hurry he swallowed the animal whole!  It was too large and he started to choke on the huge lump in his throat.

He began to walk quickly away from the building and as he came around the the other side from the latrine, a guard saw him turning blue and gagging while holding his throat.  The guard acted instinctively and hit him hard on the back.  The octopus then slid down his throat.  He never saw what was in Wally's mouth and thought he had been vomiting behind the building because his mouth and shirt were all wet.  Wally thought that was a very close call!

Every night he dreamed of home.  He and Nona and Sandra together again.  Seeing the rest of his family and being free to do whatever he wanted to do kept his spirits up.

He dreamed of grocery stores full of food.  His favorite was olives.  Each time it was as though he could taste the olive in his mouth.  But when he would try to find them in the store they were not there.  He vowed to always have olives on hand when he made it home.

He thought of his brother Glen and his cousin, Harold better known as, Shadow.  Fun times rambled through his brain at night.  Dances at the military academy, Creighton High.  Raising a frog from a tadpole when he was little.  His wedding day with Nona in her beautiful dress she made herself.  His mother and the big Tudor style house on Eustis St in St. Paul.  The birth of Sandra.  He had much to live for.  For the first time in years he awoke with a smile on his face.

Chapter 8

"Mommy, can we have one of these?"  Sandra pointed at the refrigerator in the store in St. Paul.  It was shiny white and rounded at the corners.  Inside the bins were aqua blue.  The door had a bin for eggs and butter.  There was a small door at the top that had ice cube trays and an area for freezing some food.  The main shelves could hold other food like milk and cheese and vegetables to keep them from spoiling.  It was electric.  It was beautiful!

"Yes, we are going to buy this refrigerator and have it sent on the train to Ulen.  Grandmother will be so surprised!"  Nona did not realize it at the time but she had just purchased the first refrigerator in Ulen.  It was like she was a celebrity when it arrived and was taken to her mother's house.  All the ladies from church had to drop by to see it and get a demonstration.  Sandra had her little friends see it, too.  She was so proud of it.

The first thing they made was jello.  Nona put it in a bowl to cool overnight in the refrigerator.  In the morning Sandra could not wait to taste the fruit flavored jiggly treat.

"Mmmmmmm," Sandra said as she took her first mouthful.  " I want some more!"  "Oh, no you don't!  You haven't had breakfast yet!" Nona scolded.  "We will have some later on after lunch."  

Nona got a job at the Nursing home helping the people that called it their home.  She needed the extra income and enjoyed helping everyone.  Sandra could go to work with her.  She managed to save most of her salary and helped her mother out with her expenses.  She secretly wished Wally would agree to leave the Army and come to live here in Ulen when he came home.  Every day she stopped at the Post Office and checked the mail.  No further word.  The newspaper ran a list of those killed and missing in action or POW.  Wally's name appeared on the P.O.W. list.  She had no idea which camp he was in but it helped to know he was alive at least as of the date the newspaper was printed.  

Occasionally Nona went into St. Paul.  She always stopped in to say hello to Mrs. Hewitt and give her any updates she had on Wally.  Every time she was as cold as stone to her.

"I love Wally", Nona told her as she turned to leave.  "We have a daughter together and she looks just like him."  "I wish you could find it in your heart to be loving to her at least."

Mrs. Hewitt listened and then offered to have Sandra come stay with her in town that Spring for a few weeks so she could come to know her.  Nona agreed.  She hated making any kind of a deal with her but thought it would be fair for Sandra to know her other grandmother, too.

Throughout the year to follow, Nona made the trip by train with Sandra to St. Paul several

times.  Their relationship improved.  Sandra shared what news she learned with Wally's

family.  Things were looking better for them.

August 6, 1945 the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.  Another was  dropped on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9.  Devastation was everywhere and thousands were killed and the cities demolished. 

Nona stood in shock as she read the newspaper headlines.  What if Wally went through all of this and then was killed by our bombs!  She couldn't believe what was happening.  She was more frightened than ever.  But, others tried to reassure her he was going to be safe and be freed now.  They just knew it and she needed to believe it, too.  She could hardly wait to get to her mother's house to break the news.  The radio was blaring the information as she entered the house.  "Mother, I think the war is over!" she yelled.  She fell into her mother's arms and cried tears of joy.  "Oh, my God, thank you for ending this war!" Nona cried over and over.

Everyone came to Emily's house that afternoon to celebrate with them.  They just couldn't get enough information.  Sandra and her friends danced in circles watching their dresses

flare out.  Everyone was so happy hugging and crying.

When Nona finally got Sandra tucked in that night they prayed for Wally's safe return home.  

Chapter 9

A tremendous explosion rocked the island.  Percussion from the bomb shook the ground for many miles surrounding the area of impact.  There was chaos immediately and people ran for safety screaming with their clothing burned away from their bodies and buildings

disintegrated into dust.  Fires erupted everywhere.  A monstrous plume of smoke and vapor rose in a mushroom shape over the area and radioactive fall out showered down on everything below and was carried by the winds to surrounding areas.  Word of the bombing spread around the world almost as fast as it took the plane to release the bomb and fly away to safety.

There was no celebrating in Wally's camp.  They had heard of the bombing but were not sure of it's effectiveness.  The guards continued to work them as usual and the prisoners actually felt like they might be killed in retaliation.  "Everyone watch your back" Wally whispered and the message was repeated ear to ear in the dark.  

About a month later on Sep 2, 1945 aboard the USS Missouri the surrender of Japan was signed.

Time passed and one morning a few weeks later, the prisoners woke up  to a camp with no guards present.

Wally quickly gathered a group of men to make their way down the treacherous mountainous area.   They proceeded very slowly and cautiously.  This could be a trick and they could face a surprise ambush.  Day after day they made slow but steady progress down to the harbor area.  Wally estimated it to be about twenty miles from where there camp was located.  Tired, scratched, hungry and thirsty the group emerged from the wooded area.  They proceeded toward the American ships.  A marine stopped them and

demanded they hold their hands above their heads.  Wally quickly complied and told the soldier they were American P.O.W's.  The marine stood in awe as he looked at the scrawny group of men.  None of them weighed more than 90 lbs dripping wet.  They were covered in filth and stunk to high heaven.  All were wearing their black Japanese pajamas and woven sandals.  Wally told him his name. "I am Capt. Walter J. Hewitt and these are my men.  Take me to your Officer in command at once!"  he barked crisply.

The marine quickly stood at attention and saluted.  "Sir, yes, sir!" 

"Attention!"  The group came to a halt at a table and they were greeted by a Navy Captain.

Wally saluted and shook the Captain's hand vigorously.  "Where are you from, Capt. Hewitt?" he addressed him.  "St. Paul, MN, Sir!"  "You need to meet my OOD.  Come with me and I'll introduce you.  He is from St. Paul, too!"  Wally followed the Captain aboard

the ship.  What he saw next made his eyes fill with tears as his own cousin Harold (Shadow) Hammerschmidt smartly saluted him!  They fell into each others arms and cried like babies.

Holding each other at arms length they marveled at the miracle they had just experienced.

Wally was not aware that Harold had joined the Navy at the beginning of the war.  Shadow told him he just had to go and thought the best way to get there was with the Navy.  

Food and water was brought for them to eat.  "Go easy, men.  You will get sick if you eat all this at once."  They packed a few boxes of supplies to take back to the camp the next day.  Wally got a group of marines together to go with them up into the mountain area and bring the remaining POW's down to the safety of the harbor.

Arriving the next morning, the remaining POW's yelled and chanted "God Bless America!"  "Hell, Yeah, we're free!"  They put their arms around each other and danced.  Tears streamed down their filthy checks and left pale streaks on their skin as it washed away the dirt.  Hollowed out eye sockets looked at the small group of marines marching in single file up the path led by Capt. Hewitt. 

Heavy wooden cases of fresh vegetables and fruit and canned goods were unloaded from their shoulders.  The men stared in wonderment at the sight.

It was the most food they had seen in three and a half years!  Each of them were given a chance to pick something for themselves.  They did not need to share but all of them did.  It was like a banquet laid out before a king.  Small aluminum can opener hooks opened the cans.  Wally placed one of the openers in his hand.  I could have killed an army of those Nips with just this, he thought.

They were instructed to eat slowly and put only small portions in their stomach at at time lest they would vomit and waste the food.  It happened anyway but they didn't care.  They drank long gulps of water from the canteens they filled from the larger containers found in the camp Commander's office.  

Wally emerged from the office with both hands full of dog tags.  One by one he

called out the name on the tag and gave it to the man it belonged to.  Men kissed the metal tag embossed with their name rank and serial number before putting the chain around their neck.  They had their identities returned to them in that moment.  Wally stood in silence as he placed his chain over his head and held the tag with his hand.  He had handed out twenty tags and had one hundred other tags with no one to give them to.  He put the unclaimed dog tags in a small box.  He never let it out of his sight until handed over to the authorities back on board the USS Missouri  later the next day.

The motley crew rested awhile and then started to make their way down the narrow path through the dense trees.  Wally noticed everything along the way.

The smell of the evergreens.  The moss and the wild flowers that bloomed among the rocks at the edge of the stream that fed the pool where they had bathed only a few times.  He stopped momentarily and reached down to scoop some of the mud into his hand.  Using it like soap he scrubbed his face then washed the grime away with fresh water.  The muffled steps under their sandals could barely be heard as they made their way down the steep embankment.

Each of them were asked to provide their vital information so that the Yeoman could write it on a roster to be turned into the Central Command Center.

Wally handed the box of unclaimed dog tags to him then sat for another hour and recited his list of names held in memory from the victims during the Battle and march on Bataan.

Once the men were registered, they were led to outdoor showers and allowed to 

wash themselves of the years of imbedded filth on their bodies.  Clean soap and water cascaded over their skin and rivers of brown muddy water, pain, desperation and fear collected at their feet and ran along the wooden elevated crates they stood on and into the street.  Men opened their mouths to drink the water that showered over their matted hair.  Their ribs,  hip bones and vertebrae almost pierced their taught pale skin.  Towels were handed to them as they stepped from the area.

Wally took his and smothered his face in it's clean smell and vigorously dried his hair and skinny body.  From there they were taken to an exam room.  Each of them were photographed front and back and then they stepped on the scales one by one to be weighed.  Wally heard the Corpsman say 90.2 lbs and write it next to his name.  The doctor examined each man and assessed him from head to toe.  Measurements were recorded next to their weight in their medical file.  Cuts and wounds were cleaned.  Some of the more severe injuries had ointment and a gauze bandage applied.   A long table held clean underwear for them.   

The doctor then had them report to Sick Bay and assigned to a bed.  Nurses and Corpsmen went from bed to bed and inserted IV's and hung replenishing fluids in glass bottles that dripped into their bloodstream all night. Temperatures and blood pressures were taken every four hours.  Warm blankets were placed over their bodies and pillows under their heads.  Wally felt as though  he could feel every feather as his head made contact with it and the pillow softly cradled his skull.

Slowly he surveyed the room.  White walls surrounded them.  Glass bottles suspended from hooks on poles were over each bed.  Carts of linens and supplies were along one side of the room.  A clip board  held each man's health chart at the foot of the bed.  Every few hours someone would look at it and write something down.  His eyes closed and he fell into the center of a huge tornado funnel.

Everything around him was spinning out of control.  Bright colors flashed behind his eye lids.  Voices were distant and not familiar to his ears.  A flood of bile rose up into his throat and he rolled over to his side and vomited on the floor.  He was so weak he couldn't even warn someone.  Flopping back on the pillow he heard scurrying around him as he blacked out.  He came to while being rolled onto his side for the bed to be changed.  He felt warm water cleaning his body.  A sharp sting in his butt hurt like hell but he didn't care what they did at that point as long as he could survive and get home.  Dreams became nightmares.  Faces of Nip guards sneered at him in the dark.  The smell of their putrid breathe in his face made his stomach heave.  His intestines cramped in knots and made him writhe in agony holding his stomach against his backbone.

Diarrhea squirted without warning down his legs and pooled under him.  He felt hands under his body lifting him from one bed to another.  He could not open his eyes.  The lids felt glued to his eyeballs.  Someone flashed a light into them and tried to see if the pupils reacted properly.  Sweet unconsciousness engulfed him again.

Two days later Wally heard someone calling his name.  "Can you hear me Capt. Hewitt?" the doctor said softly.  He opened his eyes a fraction and saw the blur of a man standing over him.  He tried to focus and managed to nod his head "yes" in response.  "Good, I've been watching you closely and this is the first time you have responded in days!  I think you had a bout of Malaria.  But, I think you are on the mend now.  You need to stay in bed and we'll get you back in shape real soon" he assured him.  

Wally managed to sit up a little the next day and stay awake longer.  The fluids continued to drip their nourishment into his vein.  The Corpsman offered him clear both in a cup.  Wally could manage to take a few sips without it causing nausea and cramping.  

Slowly they helped him sit up and then to stand.  He needed help to stay up but was able to manage a few steps before needing to rest.  "Just one step at a time, Sir.  You are progressing nicely." the Corpsman told him.  Wally looked around the room and saw the others from camp either in their beds or being assisted in some way or another.  It made him feel good to see them and know they were improving, too.  "Take me over there I want to talk to that soldier," he said.  A wheelchair was brought and he was wheeled to the bedside of the man who had held his hand in camp.  

"How ya doing Capt. Hewitt?" he said.  "I'm doing better, Corporal Head." Wally told him.  "I asked them if I could come hold your hand again when you were so sick the other day.  Do you remember the last time that happened to you?" Corporal Head said.  "I sure do!  Did they let you this time?" Wally asked.  "Na, they said it wouldn't help any."  he said softly.  "We'll, I heard you and that's all that matters.  I knew you were pulling for me.  Thank you again, my friend.  I'll never forget your kindness.  When this is all over and we bring the Nips to trial for what they have done I'm going to tell them how they treated you in camp.  The world is going to know what those savaging, murdering monsters did from the start to the finish if it's the last thing I ever do!" Wally told him.

"Mark my words, they'll pay for this!" He said as the Corpsman wheeled him back to his bed and helped him to get comfortable.  This time his dreams were of home.

Chapter 10

They were transported to another larger hospital ship for transport to Hawaii.

All of them had received multiple medications to combat their various problems.

All of them got antibiotics and deworming treatments.  Their heads had been shaved to control the spread of the lice that infested their scalps.  Their daily intake, output and weight was registered.  Everyone was putting on much needed weight and the hollows of their faces started to fill.  Even the clarity and sparkle of their eyes was evident within just a few days.  New photographs were taken at the end of two weeks to help monitor their progress.  It was amazing how differently they looked within this short period of time.  Many of them would suffer for the remainder of their lives from injuries and illnesses sustained while prisoners of war.

They were checked into the military hospital on the big Island of Hawaii.  Coming into port they were allowed to look out onto the harbor.  Remnants of the bombing of Pearl Harbor were everywhere you looked.  Many of the men turned and went back to their beds and cried at the sight.  Others, like Wally stood and got pissed off at the sight!  "Those sorry sons of bitches!" He said.

"You low down yellow shits! I'm going to see that justice is done!" Wally said as he hit his fist against the railing.

The first thing he wanted to do was send Nona a telegram.  He couldn't wait to hear from her.

Dear Nona:

I am in the hospital in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  So good to be alive and well and safe in the USA!  I will write again soon.  All my love to you and Sandra.

Wally

A few days later he received a parcel of several letters that had been held for his arrival in Hawaii.  One by one he opened them.  He ran his finger along the pretty penmanship.  He picked up the paper to smell it and detected a light perfume on the tissue thin paper.  A tiny dried flower fell out of the envelope.

It was the same one he had sent her long ago from one of the camps.  His heart soared with relief to know she had received it and had word that he was alive.  He placed it back inside the letter and read the next one.  Closing his eyes and holding the letters against his chest he napped.

In his dream he was with her at a banquet.  She was feeding him an olive.  It was the only thing he wanted to taste on his lips other than her kiss.  

Each day he grew stronger.  His hair was growing and he regrew his mustache, too.  Every week his weight increased.  Work with some stationary weights was allowed to help build muscle.  Care was taken that enough calories were consumed daily that were not worked off.  He had to get up to 120 lbs before the hospital would release him.  He had gained 10 lbs.  There were set backs when he would gain then loose it with bouts of diarrhea.  But there was slow steady progress.  He felt like there was nothing he couldn't do now that he was a free man.

The men were taken to a room where there were several telephones.  He had written Nona that she needed to be in St. Paul at the Red Cross office in order to get his call on the day and time designated.

With anticipation he dialed the number and heard the ring through the receiver.

"Hello, This call is for Nona Hewitt, my wife.  This is Captain. Hewitt."

The receiver was handed to Nona by the Red Cross nurse.  " Hello, Wally?" she asked timidly.  "Is this really you?" she said as tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks onto the table.  "Yes, it's me honey, I love you" Wally said as he heard his voice echo on the line.  "I love you, too!  When can we see you,? I have to see you!"  "Soon, I promise.  I have to gain a little more weight first." he told her.

"Time, Capt. Hewitt."  The Yeoman said.

"Nona, honey we have to hang up now.  I love you and Sandra.  Giver her a hug and kiss and tell the family I will be home soon!  "Oh, also tell June I saw Shadow! Amazing story, but I'll tell you later.  Goodbye!"

Nona gently put the receiver down on the cradle and heard it click.  She rose and dabbed her eyes with her hanky and walked out to the street.  Looking skyward she said, " Thank you God for answering our prayers!"  She decided to walk the several miles back to Eustis St. to give everyone the news she had just heard from Wally.

Along the way, she looked in the store and restaurant windows.  It was as though there had never been a war.  Everyone laughed and there was a happiness that was palpable.  New clothing hung on manakins in the department store at the corner.  The brass on the revolving door of the Plaza Hotel gleamed as it twirled people in and out from the sidewalk to the marble lobby.  Women walked pushing baby buggies and stopping to look at the menu posted outside a cafe.  All of a sudden she felt so ashamed for enjoying and experiencing the sights and sound of the city while Wally couldn't.  She promised herself that as soon as they could they would come into town together and stay in this fine hotel with all it's splendor.  He deserved spoiling and pampering even if it just meant laying in each others arms.  

Before she knew it she was at the house and she hurried up the steps.  Everyone had been told she had gone to town for the phone call.  They waited in anticipation for what she had to say.  " Is that all?  You only got to talk three minutes?"  Emma said in a huff.  "Well, I'll tell you, it was the best three minutes of my life and I'll remember it forever!" Nona told them with excitement.  

"Ok, everyone grab a plate and let's eat!" June announced.  We've been cooking all day and I'm starving!" she said.  "I'm sorry. Nona I didn't mean to say that!  Poor Wally.  I wish he could come eat with us right now!"  "I  do too, June Nona told her.

Oh, by the way, Wally said he saw Shadow!" Nona added.  " What?  How, when?" June asked.  Nona just told her they had to wait on that story as she put a slice of ham on her plate.

Chapter 11

Wally climbed aboard the train in uniform.  He threw his duffle bag on the rack above his seat and looked out the window at at the trains lined up.  Troops of Army, Navy and Marine soldiers boarded various ones headed to numerous destinations East of San Francisco.  "Where you headed Capt.?" a voice he recognized asked.  Wally looked up and saw his friend Corporal Maurice Head standing in the isle.  Wally jumped up and grabbed him as Maurice tried to salute.  "I'll have none of that from you! How the hell are you, Maurice?" he said as they took a seat across from each other.  "I thought you shipped out already" Wally told him.  "No, I wanted to see San Francisco a few days first before heading to Kansas City.  I'll probably never get another chance.  I'm getting out next month and going to farm with my father.  I'm taking leave till then." he said.  Wally nodded in agreement.  "Can't  blame you for that!  We all need to eat.  I can't think of a better thing for you to do.  I want to have some sweet corn when Nona and I come visit you!"  " That's a deal, Capt." Maurice said as they shook on the gentleman's agreement.

"What about you?  Are you a lifer, Capt?"  Maurice asked.  "Yes, I suppose I am.  The Army is the only career I ever wanted.  I used to play Army with my brother and cousin when I was little.  Then I attended a military High School.  When I got my commission after college I couldn't wait to travel.  When Nona and I got orders to the Philippines we thought we had hit the jackpot!  Boy was I taken to the cleaners on that duty station!  I figure it can only get better from here.  We've already been to Hell and back!"

"Speaking of Hell, Sir.  Make sure you let me know when you need my statement for the War Crimes Trial."  he said.  "Don't worry, I won't!  I have a lot of work ahead of me to gather all the evidence from you and a whole lot of other prisoners.  In the meantime, while it's still fresh, write everything down in detail and mail it to me at this address as soon as you can."  Wally handed him a slip of paper with his address printed on it.  

"Sir, did you ever find out if you were right about where the camp was located?" Maurice asked before stepping off the train in Kansas City.

"Yes, I did.  Now, go and  don't you worry any more about that.  That place is Hell on earth along with Bataan and best forgotten.  Don't let it ruin your future." Wally told him as they shook hands and said goodbye.

Maurice stepped out on to  the platform just as the train slowly departed.  He saluted Wally as his window passed him.  He stood there until the caboose was no longer visible in the distance.  Then he picked up his duffle bag and stuck out his thumb at the road to hitch hike the rest of the way home.

The ride through the heart of America struck Wally in a way he had not appreciated before he had left.  He watched as tractors plowed large swatches of earth.  Corn rows stretched as far as you could see in all directions.  The soil was as black as tar.  Windmills harnessed the breeze that flowed across their blades in a blur.  Wally wondered, "Was all of this here before?   I think I chose not to know or care about how I was fed just that there was food available when I was hungry and I ate as much as I wanted."  It made him feel guilty.

He stood in line in Chicago waiting for the connector that would take him into St. Paul.

Unfolding the Chicago Tribune he read an article about someone robbing a bank.  Another one was about a new department store that was going to be built in the center of the city.

The zoo expected record crowds this year with the addition of new exhibits.  Thumbing further away from the front page was a short article about solders returning to their hometowns.  How were they dealing with the return to society?  Wally was annoyed by this

as if the definition of who you were in society was directly related to whether or not you would fit into society's tight shoe.  Would the returning soldier visit the zoo?   Would they shop at the flashy new store and spend their war dollars?  Would they end up robbing a bank?  Is this what he fought for?  This greed of American society that was printed about in the paper.  Because, after all, if it's in the paper it has to be true, right?  He shoved the paper in the trash can and decided right then and there the news media was corrupt!

The only truth of the matter was that he was alive.  And he would set all the records straight about the war.  There would  be no doubt what had happened in anyone's mind when he was finished having his day in court.  And when it was done and justice served, he would then live his life and not look back or allow it to consume and ferment inside him.  When he was finished that would be all that would be said about the matter.  There will be glory seekers.  There always are after tragedies.  Those that seek the lime light.  He was not one of them.  But, he would make sure his family was protected at all times.  He knew that much was for certain.  He would never go hungry again.  He would have comfort in the most meager of settings.  Simple pleasures would not be taken for granted.

The train was late.  Others started getting impatient waiting.  Wally just watched them and wondered if they would have been able to endure what he just had.  He already knew just by hearing their remarks that they wouldn't have lasted  a minute.  He wanted to scream at them to just start walking!  See if you can make things happen any faster by complaining.

His temper was beginning to get to him with their ignorance.  Just then the light from the engine rounded the corner and the train rumbled to a stop expelling blasts of steam near the steel wheels.  Wally sat at the opposite end of the car from the complainers to keep from throwing them onto the tracks!

He slept sitting up just as good as huddled in fetal position.  However, his mind sprung to action as his muscles relaxed.  He was back on that train in Bataan.  Squashed on all sides from other sweating and stinking bodies.  Hot rancid air filled with expelled carbon dioxide

filled the pitch blackness of the car.  Hallucination or real?  Oh, this was real, alright!  No doubt about it.  Wally's brain went into survival mode and he woke up hyperventilating and frantic.  He jumped up and hurled the window open to allow the fresh air  to hit him in the face.   He let it blast his lungs to the point of exploding them.

There was immediate relied and after a moment he closed the window and sat down and bent over with his head in his hands for support.  The nurses at the hospital told him he would go through these periods of shock related to the stress he had been under.  He didn't believe them but was beginning to wonder if that wasn't true after all.  Some of the complainers looked at him with wide eyes and wondered if he had gone crazy for a minute.

A few hours later Wally shifted in his seat and looked out at the town in the distance.  They were getting close now and figured they would get there pretty soon.  He noticed the skyline even from this far away.  St Paul, HOME!  He rubbed his eyes to squint against the sun that was coming up and streaking directly at him.  Bursts of trees along the track made looking at the panoramic appear like a armature home movie. Scenes were jostled and flicked until they ran together as one revealing image.  He thought it looked like Paradise.  He had been to Hell so he knew the difference!  He didn't care if he ever saw a tropical place again.  He was getting excited and trying to pick out landmarks.  Oh my God, I am really going home!  I'm going Home!

Chapter 12

Nona couldn't sleep all night.  Her mind raced with excitement.  Today is the day her life would restart.  Wally was coming home, finally!  It had been over a month since the end of the war!  Wally had been kept in the hospital longer than most of the men returning.  She read his letters describing his recovery.  It just seemed so unfair for them to have to wait a second longer.  She was glad that he had put back on the necessary weight in order to be discharged.  She had seen some photos that scared her of POW's from Germany.  They looked like the living dead.  She wondered if Wally had looked that way, too.  She just couldn't picture it.  Her memory of him was so vivid and clear.  He looked as handsome and as strong as in that wedding photograph.  

She got up and went to the closet to select the dress she would wear to the train station.

It was a light wool dress in a deep plumb color.  The weather was beginning to get cold but would warm up during the day.  The bodice was fitted and she had made a black velvet collar and sewed small covered black buttons down the back.  She embroidered a cluster of small flowers on the bodice just under the neckline.  It looked just like the dress in the department store downtown.  It had a slight flair to the skirt.   She had bought some new  black high heels and a purse.  Sandra would wear her plaid dress with dark green sash ribbon.  Nona had made both outfits and it would carry them through Christmas and the months after.  

She ran a bath and stepped in after testing that it was lukewarm.  Hot  water was a luxury.  

She lathered her body and rinsed off.  She had lost weight, too.  It was hard to eat anything that didn't upset her stomach.  The doctor told her it was the constant stress and worry.

She put on her slip and new nylon stockings taking care not to get a runner and that the seam was straight down the center of her slender leg.  Nylons.  She had not worn any in a long time.  They just were not necessary.  But, today they were.  She wanted to look her best.  Her hair had been set in pin curls the night before and she removed the bobby pins that held them in place while she slept.  Shaking her head and running the brush through her blonde hair she styled it loosely with a side part.  She kept it about neck length and it sparkled in soft S waves.  She pinned a small section from the front to keep it from going into her eyes.  Time to get Sandra ready as she took one last look in the mirror.

Sandra was sitting up in the bed and hugging her knees as Nona got to her room.  "How do I look, do you think daddy will like it?" Nona asked her.  "Mommy, you look like a princess!"

Sandra told her as they hugged and Nona kissed the top of her head.

"Quick, lets get you cleaned up and into your new dress!" Nona told her as they walked down the hall.  She couldn't believe how tall Sandra was getting.  She had her fifth birthday coming up in just another few weeks.  Her head already came up to Nona's chest.  "My goodness, Sandra, daddy isn't going to recognize you!" she exclaimed.  "Why not, Mommy?"  Sandra said puzzled.  Holding out her hand to the level of her thigh, Nona said, We'll you were just two when he last saw you and you were only this high!"  "Don't you remember?" Nona asked.  "No." Sandra said sadly.

"You look like a beautiful princess, too, Sandra!" Nona told her after tying the sash around her waist and turning her around.  Sandra's natural waves of her brunette hair flowed past her shoulders.  She twirled around to allow the skirt to spin around  her legs.   New patent leather shoes were brought out of their box.  Her anklets were cuffed.

Mrs. Hewitt, Nona's mother Emily and the others were waiting for them as they came down the stairs.  There was an excitement in the room that could have lit a light bulb!

Together they walked the short distance to the trolly car that would take them to the train station.  They climbed out and entered the huge rotunda of the massive building.  The tiny mosaic tiles in black and white had a diamond pattern.  There were huge support pillars the entire length of the area.  Above there heads hung large lights under white glass  globe shades.  Sun beams entered through the windows up near the ceiling and particles in the air illuminated as they drifted in the current of air as people walked briskly to the platform.

Sandra stopped in the bright beam of light.  "Look, Mommy I'm on stage like a movie star!"

Everyone laughed as they made their way to the tracks.

"I hear it coming, Mommy!"  Sandra announced loudly.  The train entered at the far end of the building and continued the entire length until it stopped.  The conductor opened the door and stepped out on the platform with a stool and put it down.  He helped some ladies off first and they quickly locked arms with their family and hugged.  Baggage was being taken off and placed beside the tracks.  Nona and Sandra looked from window to window trying to get a glimpse of him in the train.

"Nona, Sandra!" Wally called from behind them.  They turned around and ran into his outstretched arms.  He smothered himself in their curls and breathed deeply.  All the days, weeks, minutes and years of waiting and worrying dissipated in streams of tears down Nona's face.  They held each other closely until Sandra said, "I can't breathe down here!"

They loosened their grip on each other and held themselves at arms length to look at each other and smile.  "God, are you a sight for sore eyes!", Wally said and sighed.  "Sandra, come let me take a look at you" he said as she ducked out from between them.  "My, oh, my, you are beautiful!"  Standing back from them the other family members waited to greet Wally.   All of them got a turn embracing him and exclaiming how good it was to have him home safely.  Together they walked outside to catch the trolley back to his mother's house.

Eustis St.  looked like it was on fire with the canopy of bright orange, red and yellow trees that lined each side.  The vibrancy of the colors made it look as though someone had spent all day decorating for a parade.  They entered the foyer and hung up their coats.  The ladies went to work right away in the kitchen getting food prepared for lunch.  Wally set his duffle bag in the corner and stood to look at his father's portrait in the living room.  They looked so much alike they could have been twins.  He had died way too young.  

Looking around the room he was overwhelmed that it looked exactly the same as when he had last seen it.  He went around the entire house looking at photos and picking up things to examine closer.  Each and every thing brought back memories.  He picked up a figurine and could see the telltale evidence of the glue he had used to repair it when he and Glen were playing and it had fallen off the ledge.  His mother never knew it had broken.  He gently replaced it back on the shelf where it had sat for the last fifteen years.  He climbed the stairs to one of the bedrooms.  He ran his fingers across the lines of tuft on the chenille bedspread.  The dotted Swiss sheer fabric on the curtains filtered the light coming through the window.  Home, he thought, It's so nice to be home!

Chapter 12

The first night together they had tucked Sandra into her bed and kissed her good night. 

They walked with their arms around each other down the hall to his old bedroom.  It was kept pretty much the same as it had always been.  Memories of Creighton High and The University of Minnesota were displayed.  Photos of buddies playing baseball.  His old bat and glove by the door.

He closed the door behind them and turned the key.   Nona stood by the dresser and looked in the mirror at him looking at her.  She smiled and turned around to face him.  Wally walked up to her and reached out to touch her hair and then her neck.  "I've waited such a long time for this exact moment" he told her softly.  "I have, too" Nona whispered.  They held each other closely and melted into each others embrace.  " I love you!" they both said at the same time.  She allowed him to undress her and then he allowed the same.  Together they made their way into the bed and fell in love all over again.

He  propped himself up on his side and watched Nona sleep.  It was such a miracle that he was here with her right now.  So many mornings he would wake up early just before the sun rise while in prison camp.  He would think of her just like he had from last night.  The dream became reality finally!  From now on, they needed to really enjoy life.  He couldn't wait for them to wake up and hear their voices and sit and stare at them when they didn't know he was.

He was interviewed by the paper for The Ulen Union and The Pioneer Press in St Paul.

They were treated to a much needed period of R&R.  A huge banquet of food including olives was in abundance for them to enjoy.  The write up was nice and gave some facts that the majority of readers would have wanted to know about his years as a prisoner but skipped any graphic details.  Those details would have to be gathered over the next year and he intended to be very explicit and factual with his documentation.  He had the names and addresses of quite a few fellow POW's he had been in camp with.  He had asked all of them to take the time to write to him with their memories of specific events that had happened as it related to them being mistreated and tortured by the Japanese guards.  He wanted dates as close as possible and guard names, too.  Once he had that information in hand he would be presenting it to the Joint Chief of Staff briefing in Washington, DC.  He would personally return to the Philippines to represent all of those he could at the War Crimes Trial.

In the meantime, he, Nona and Sandra spent every waking moment together.  They traveled to Ulen to greet all the townspeople.  Many of them had not had much of a chance to know him before he and Nona  married.  They had fun out on the farms of her friends.

Everyone wanted to ask questions and know what he had gone through.  But Wally knew they would be aghast at the grim details so he left them out and only told some of the funny things.  He always got a laugh when he told about swallowing the octopus whole!  

In St Paul they took Sandra to go ice skating.  There was a brand new rink that had opened

and skates could be rented.  All three of them held hands as they went around the loop.

Nona and Sandra struggled to stay up but Wally had grown up skating out at Turtle Lake and had played some ice hockey so he was pretty confidant.  He laughed and laughed at their spindly, wobbly legs trying to skate on the slippery surface.  Then after just a few feet they would fall and he would have to go and help them up.  After an hour the girls were tired and they turned in their skates.  Wally took the freedom of skating for them to show off his ability.  Faster and faster he skated leaning forward with one hand resting on the small of his back.  His stroke was long and smooth and propelled him around the rink like an Olympian.  Sandra and Nona clapped with their mittens as he came to a swift stop by turning the blades of his hockey skates to the side and spraying them with ice shavings!

"Lets's go get some hot chocolate" Wally said next.  They made their way to the Five and Dime store and sat up at the counter.  The stool swiveled and Sandra enjoyed her daddy spinning her around until she was dizzy.  They laughed at themselves about not being able to skate.  The waitress put three mugs of steaming hot chocolate in front of them.

The aroma and steam rose.  Wally closed his eyes and put his face close to the surface and took a breathe in.  He immediately thought of when he had his first taste of the hot soup they had made in camp and the steam that came from the pot as they passed it from man to man.  Now here he sat with his own mug of steaming rich chocolate milk.  What a stark contrast yet the pleasures of both moments made him feel very fortunate.

It began to snow on their walk back home.  It stuck to the trees and grass and street.  Before long it was a blinding storm and the wind kicked up and blew the flakes sideways.

They got back to the house just in time before feeling numb from the cold.  Boots, hats, scarves, gloves and coats were hung in the outer vestibule of the foyer.  When they entered the house it was chilly.  "I'll get a fire started " Wally said.  Sandra curled up on the couch under a quilt.  Nona got busy making dinner.  Mrs. Hewitt had gone to stay at her sister's home to give Wally, Nona and Sandra time to be together alone.  It was a very nice gesture

but left Nona feeling a bit out of sorts especially since she didn't extend this courtesy to her when she had arrived from San Francisco.

After they had eaten they sat together on the couch under the quilt and told Sandra stories until she fell asleep in Wally's lap.  He rose and took her upstairs to her bed in his arms.

Nona sat staring at the flames and waiting for him to come back down stairs.  She remembered the first day out at the cabin struggling to get it warm enough in there with just the small pot belly stove.  She made up her mind that she would ask Wally to only stay a few more days here.  She did not want it to be an intrusion and give Mrs. Hewitt anything to complain about later.  Besides, Nona was anxious to go to the new duty station and set up their new home together.

Wally came down the stairs and paused for a moment to watch her with the glow of the fire

softly illuminating the room.  "What a sight, I just can't believe this is real!" he thought.

Just then Nona looked up at him and gave him a smile as she opened the corner of the quilt and allowed him in beside her.

"Honey, talk to me about it." she asked slowly.  Wally took in a breathe and let it out.  "Nona, when you see the way I look now compared to the way I looked when you left, what do you see?"  It was a fair question and needed a thoughtful, fair answer.

Nona looked up at him beside her.  She couldn't say a word.  He had lost about eighty pounds total and had regained only twenty-five.  "I can't tell you, Wally.  I don't want to hurt you by saying anything negative." she said quietly.  "Ok, now you know why I can't tell you what it was like.  I don't want to hurt you with any of the details.  I'm home and alive.  That should be enough for right now." Wally told her as he held her hand.  "Ok" is all she could say in return.  Tears stung her eyes and he wiped them from her cheeks as they slipped past her lashes.  Together they both wept as the flames went out and there were only embers glowing.

Chapter 13

Sandra got up and pushed back the thin curtains on the window of her room.  Looking out toward the front yard, she squealed with delight at how much snow had fallen over night.

"Mommy, daddy, look at the snow!  Can we go out and build a snowman? she asked standing in the doorway to their room.  "Yes, but first we need some breakfast!  Have you ever had rice for breakfast?" he asked raising his eyebrow.  "No, yuck! Is that what you want?" Sandra asked.  "It sure is!  I want to eat rice every day so I never forget!"  "Forget what?" she he said.  "Never to go away for so long again, honey!" he said.  "Now let's see, where does Granny keep the rice?"  he said as he got up and went into the kitchen looking.

Nona, Wally and Sandra suited up and went out to the front yard and made a huge snowman.  Sandra put the carrot nose in as Wally lifted her up.  Nona placed a piece of a torn blanket around the neck for a scarf and Wally used some of the charred wood from the fireplace to make the eyes and mouth.  Standing back they admired their work.  "Perfect!"  Wally told them.

Mrs. Hewitt arrived home at noon stomping her feet to remove the snow from her boots.

She came inside and the others were in the kitchen eating some tomato soup and toasted cheese sandwiches.  "Good, you're just in time for lunch!" Wally told her as he pulled out the chair at the table.  Emma sat down and told Sandra how much she liked the snowman in the front yard.  "Mother, Nona and I have decided on going ahead to Ft. Leavenworth early.

We'll be leaving day after tomorrow if that's ok with you?" Wally told her.  "Why, I suppose.  I had wished you would have stayed here for the rest of your leave.  I've barely had any time with you.  But, I suppose if that's more important then, who am I to stand in the way?"  The rest of the time they ate in silence then she excused herself to go upstairs for a nap.  "See, that's exactly what I predicted she would say to make you feel guilty for wanting to go early" Nona said once Sandra had left the kitchen.  She cleared the table, washed the dishes and dried them.  Wally put them away as they talked.  "She's right though.  I have not spent much time with her.  I missed her, too when I was gone."  Wally explained.  "Fine, then spend all day tomorrow and take her out somewhere while I get our things packed to go on Friday" Nona said.  "She will make things miserable if she does not get her way." Nona said.

"It's fine, really.  I need a little space, too" Nona added.

The next day Wally took his mother to lunch at the Plaza Hotel in Town.  They walked through the revolving door and entered the granite lobby.  The bell hop greeted them and they were escorted to the dining room and seated.  Each table was covered with a crisp white tablecloth and had a small bud vase with a red rose.  A folded napkin perched on top of the gold trimmed dinner plates with polished silverware on each side.  Each were handed a large leather booklet with the menu inside typed neatly.  They made their selections and while they waited enjoyed looking around the beautiful room.  The red velvet drapes flowed and were tied back with gold tassels.  The crystal chandeliers sparkled across the room.

"I wish you had decided to get married at the Catholic Church of the Assumption right here in St. Paul and then had a reception here afterwards.  It would have made such an impression, Wally!" Emma said with a tart voice.  "Impression for who, Mother, you?" Wally

said quickly.  "Well, yes and for all our guests, too!" she added.  "You know we didn't have time nor the money to do a wedding here like that!"  "Nona and I wanted to just keep it simple and as soon as possible since we were going to have to go to Texas.  In Minnesota you have to wait and in Iowa you don't."  Can't you just accept that as an answer?  We didn't want to put anyone out with an elaborate affair.  It's not our style."  Wally said.

"It could have been your style, Wally with your upbringing  and Officer's training!  You've

been groomed your whole life for the finer things!"  she quipped.  "Let me just say this, Mother, you might despise the fact that I married what you consider beneath me.  But, Nona has more class and refinement than anyone I have ever met!  And as for the finer things in life, eating bugs off the ground was a luxury for me while I was a prisoner.  I don't need any pomp and circumstance to prove anything to anyone!"  Their meal arrived and they did not utter another word to each other.

Friday morning came and their things were at the front door waiting for the taxi.  Wally hugged his mother goodbye.  She pretended to act upset at their leaving.  "I'll come stay with you this summer,  Granny!" Sandra announced with excitement.  Nona said goodbye and they all grabbed something to take out to the car.  Once they left Eustice St.,  Nona relaxed and thought if I never have to go back there she would be so happy!  

The train compartment gave them some room to relax together.  Sandra busied herself playing with the doll she had been given by the ladies from Nona's church in Ulen.  Wally read the newspaper and Nona pulled out her knitting.  The casual observer would have thought they needed to be in a Norman Rockwell painting.  The trip to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas would take quite awhile.  But to them it did not matter.  Just being together again made everything worthwhile.

Chapter 14

Sweat beads were on Wally's forehead as he tossed in his sleep.  They had not been in Ft. Leavenworth a few months and had just been given their apartment.

The furnishings were meager but compared with the conditions of prison camp it was a palace!  Getting accustomed to a new life after that ordeal would take a lifetime.  When sleep came, it was rattled with nightmares.  The bombings, the gunfire and brutal deaths came to the surface of his subconscious more and more frequently.  Often he would cry out in his sleep or jump out of bed with a glazed stare and fierce look on his face ready to attack.  Nona had problems of her own with insomnia.  She tried to not startle him in any way.  Even the act of her turning over in bed caused him to wake with a jolt.  They were both having a tough time readjusting to each other again.

"Wally, you were having a nightmare again  last night!  What was it about?" Nona asked.  "Nothing." Wally muttered as he rose to get out of bed stretching.

"I'm just over tired.  Don't worry about it.  I'm alive and home now.  That is all that matters!"  But Nona would never stop worrying.  She watched this happen night after night and much more frequently than he would admit.  Wally just would not talk about it at all.  Not to her or anyone they knew.  If he did, it was only to a priest or to someone with high security clearance.  She wished he would trust her to help him.

Getting down to business in a normal life seemed anything but normal to Wally.

He reported for work and at the end of the day came home.  He made himself a stiff drink or two and Nona always made sure they had a nice meal ready.  He insisted on having rice.  You would think he could not stand another grain in his mouth after Japan.  Yet, he wanted rice every night.  Slightly sticky just like he got accustomed to.  He always said it was to always remind him of his survival against all odds.  Who cold argue with logic like that?

Their trunks got shipped to them.  It's a miracle they got them out before the fall of the Philippines.  Unpacking the few things they were able to salvage made both of them grateful.  Sandra's sweet hand made embroidered baby dress.  Carved ivory pieces.  Nona's wedding dress.  Beautiful bright pink floral silk fabric.  Treasures bought in paradise that made it from Hell to them safely.  Amazing!

Sandra seemed withdrawn.  She did not want to go to school.  She did not want to do very much at all and would sit and stare out the window for long periods of time.  She had not adjusted easily to Wally being home either.  At first she did not know what to think. But, as time went on, she found it harder to get along with him because he was moody, too.  Nona was in the middle trying not to make waves.  After all, all three of them had good reason for they feelings they had.  No one went to the doctor for things of this matter.  Tempers were short and tears came easily.  "Daddy hates me!" Sandra cried to Nona one night.  "No, he doesn't, honey" Nona said holding her close.  "Daddy had a hard time when he was away from us.  He needs time to get used to things again." she said.  "We'll, so did I!" Sandra wailed.  "We all do, sweetie.  Now, don't worry about it.  It'll get better.  You'll see." she told her.

Nona felt nauseated.  She could barely eat a thing without throwing it up.  She was skinny as a rail and dragged herself through the day doing housework and cooking or sewing.  After a few weeks of feeling like this she went to the doctor thinking she had the flu like everyone else was experiencing.  "You are pregnant, Mrs. Hewitt!" the doctor told her.  "Congratulations!"  But, you are also very anemic and could have a touch of he flu, too.  "You need rest or I'll have to put you in the hospital!"  She headed home with the news that should have made her happy, but because she felt so sick, all she could manage to do was crawl into bed until Wally got home from work.

Wally came in and found Sandra sitting on the couch.  "Where is mommy?" he asked.  "She's sick and went to the doctor and then went to bed." Sandra said.

Wally entered the bedroom quietly and closed the door.  He sat on the edge of the bed and Nona opened her eyes.  "Hi, are you ok?" Wally said.  "Yes, just really tired and worn out.  The doctor said to take it easy because I had a touch of the flu."  "Really?"  "I hope that Sandra doesn't get it."  Wally said.  "Well, she more than likely will.  It's going around like crazy!" Nona added.  "Wally, there is something else going on with me.  I'm pretty anemic and I'm pregnant!" Nona said quickly.

"What?  That's great, well not the anemia or flu part, but a baby!"  Wally said in an excited voice.  "I'm the luckiest guy on earth!"  "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything!  I still have some leave I can take until you get better and on your feet!"  "Sandra, come here!  Mommy and daddy have something to tell you!  Sandra came into the bedroom and tip toed over to them. Wally held her in his lap as they broke the news that she was going to be a big sister!

The next several months were pretty hard on Nona.  She dragged herself through each day and collapsed in bed at night.  She was lonely and depressed from feeling this way and missed her mother and Ulen.  Some of the other Army wives stepped in to help out with Sandra.  That was pretty nice.  Toward the end of the pregnancy she was retaining a lot of fluid and her blood pressure was elevated.  The doctor put her on bed rest for toxemia.  Wally came home and took over doing what he could to keep them all going.  

April arrived and Nona went into labor.  It was a hard delivery on Nona but in the end their son George was the newest member of the family.

Wally lay awake one night watching him sleep in the bed next to them.  Nona was exhausted and Sandra was staying at his mother's house.  He looked down and touched the tiny hand

and fingers.  George grasped his finger tightly.  At that moment all Wally had fought for came full circle.  The fight for his own survival was being shared by this infant.  George was as helpless as he had felt in that prison clinging to life.  There is life and a safe future for them Wally vowed.  He would never allow anything like that to ever happen again.  

Thinking of the days, months and years that had passed Wally felt like it was a cruel trick that had been played on him.  By day there was normalcy.  At night his mind spun out of control.  Ruthless savages with small builds and squinted eyes like a rattle snake crawled.

They hid and coiled and struck at him in a flash like a lightening bolt.  Their fangs sinking in so deep they struck bone.  They deposited their poison in his blood.  It circulated in pulsation with each beat of his heart until it permeated each cell of his body.  Convulsive ions tightened his muscles into spasms of hatred.  The only escape was to fight and live and never forgive or forget.  

Chapter 15

Mail began to trickle in from various soldiers Wally had written.  Their detailed accounts

of torture spilled out of their letters like blood out of a gushing wound.  He would read them slowly and absorb their words.  Afterwards he looked at his hands to see if they were covered in blood or tears.  Over and over each of them recalled a savage existence.  It mirrored his own memories.  It added to his library of torturous thoughts at night.  Pulling a new volume every time he closed his eyes to sleep kept the saga ever present.  He would compile these letters into his presentation manuscript for trial. 

One testimony was written by a British Officer.  He wrote the following account:

There was a Japanese Lieutenant , whose name I forget, in charge of the camp, with six soldier camp guards.  The Lieutenant tried to give the impression that he was good to the prisoners, but he definitely permitted the guards to beat and ill treat them.  One of the worst guards in this respect was a man named Kanyama, who was 5'10", very thin, with protruding teeth, and wore horn rimmed spectacles with thick lenses.

About January 1945 three British prisoners of war and one other died of their burns received whilst working at the factory., and although I did not witness this incident, I helped carry them back to the camp.  This accident, in my opinion was due to negligence on the part of the Japanese foreman, whose name I do not know, in charge of  No.  7 furnace.

The "knobby" used for transporting molten carbide from this furnace had a crack across the bottom which had been stuffed with clay.  The foreman knew this was dangerous, but allowed the three men to use it and when it burst, the molten carbide ran into banks of snow, through which it was being pushed, causing an explosion which severely burned the three prisoners pushing it at the time.  Two of the men died that night and another lingered about a fortnight, but then died.  No investigation was made concerning this accident so far as I am aware.  The three were cremated in Japanese fashion, the service being conducted in the Japanese language and all prisoners had to attend.

In March 1945, the Japanese had retained Red Cross Parcels which had arrived at the camp on November 1944 and Capt. Hewitt of the American Army, the senior Allied Officer at the camp, complained to the Japanese Lieutenant on charge, alleging that they had been pilfered by the Japanese staff.  I was within hearing when Capt. Hewitt made this complaint, and understood what he was saying although he spoke in broken Japanese.  I heard the man, Kanyama, order Capt. Hewitt in the Japanese office and when he returned

about forty-five minutes later he had been severely beaten and his face was bruised.  I heard Capt. Hewitt say he had been struck on the face with a poker, and he remained in his bunk for two days.

Shortly after this incident, I was told by Capt. Janis, of the Royal Army Service Corps that Capt. Hewitt, Flight Lieutenant Chater of the Royal Air Force, and himself were accused of stealing food from the cookhouse.  Capt. Hewitt and they were called separately to the Japanese office and severely beaten.  I saw that he had a black eye and his spectacles were broken.

Another was from Maurice Head.

In the matter of the War Crimes committed by the Japanese Nationals and the matter of the ill- treatment of prisoners of war ( civilian internees)  Mitsushima and Kanose P.O. W

Camps, Japan.

I, Arthur Maurice Head, whilst serving as Aircraftsman A/C, R.A.F, in Java I was taken prisoner by the Nips on the 8th March, 1942.  After spending about six to seven months

as POW in Java I was taken to Singapore and spent 3 days in Changing P.O.W. Camp, before being taken to Japan on a transport ship (name of ship unknown), arriving

at Moji in November, 1942.  From Moji I was taken to Mitsushima P.O.W. Camp where I spent two very painful winters under the Nip beatings, the cold and insufficient food.  I was also threatened to be put before a firing squad by the Christian interpreter and the Nip Sgt. in charge of the camp ( name not known) for refusing to do a contract job whilst I was very weak after the effects of diarrhea, which I had for four months at a stretch previously.  After that occasion I had to do contract jobs every day for about a month as made to promise.  I had to force myself to do the work which was too hard for me, the Living Ghost.

My worst offender was Big Glass Eye, whose chose to beat me with an iron rod or stick across the back whenever it pleased him, for no apparent reason whatsoever, at work or in camp.  He struck me more than a dozen times at work on various occasions.  I used to dread confronting him for fear of a beating up.

Buick is another offender who has struck me and others on various occasions a number of times for unknown reasons, in and out of camp.

Capt. W.J. Hewitt who was responsible for us prisoners in Mitsushima Camp at the time, pleaded of the Nip authorities on many occasions to stop beating me as I was so weak., but they paid no head to his pleas and even went to the extent of beating him for it.

In Kanose P.O.W Camp there was "Poxy Pete" ( Sgt. Oichida) who was a great one for giving a beating whenever he felt like it and even our superior officers.  He has given me many a beating for no reason whatsoever.  He made our superior officers stand in the burning sun or cold from 7a.m. to 7 p.m. on many occasions for no reason.  Whenever Capt. W. J. Hewitt went up to plead to excuse the innocent ones, who had done nothing wrong, he used to get a hell of a beating.

Another one in Kanose Camp was Konyama ( Birdy Legs), who used to pick on us men

and beat us whenever it pleased him or give us extra fatigues just before meals or while meals were being served, leaving us very little time to finish eating, before proceeding to work.  He used to make our superior officers stand for hours at attention and then beat them after standing so long.

He struck a man with a stick across the face, which I think broke the fellows nose, or left a nasty cut.  

This is all I can remember as regards to Konyama (Birdy Legs).

A portion of another testimony from Harold Rogers states:

Corporal Smith, a British P.O.W. was smoking while sitting on one of the sleeping mats.

This was against camp regulations.  Capt. Hewitt and Corporal Smith were pulled to the guard house where Capt. Hewitt was told to punish Smith by beating him.  Capt. Hewitt refused.  With this, Smith was sent back to the barracks and Kuriyama then beat Hewitt

with his fists for about five minutes about the face and head outside the guardhouse.

I did not see this incident but when Hewitt returned he told me about it and I saw his bruised face.

Wally read each testimony and took extensive notes of the accounts these men recounted.

it took him endless hours and months.  Every bit of evidence was scrutinized to make certain it would be admissible and the most incriminating.

In the early part of March 1945, Hewitt was called to the Administration Office by Sgt. Uchida where he was accused of eating four meals a day.  Hewitt denied this and Uchida beat him with his fists about his face.  I did not see this incident but Hewitt told me when he returned he had told Uchida he would regret the day he had beat him.  During the Fall  of 1945 I accompanied Maj.Hewitt to Ougamo Prison in Tokoyo with an interpreter and a conversation  between Hewitt and Uchida took place.  Hewitt said, " I told you you would regret the day you beat me and I would return to Japan to see that you got punished!"

Also, do you remember me telling you that I could return?  Uchida said, "yes" he remembered the beating and the words of what Hewitt had said to him while a P.O.W.

A letter sent by John C. Roy:

August 11, 1946

Gentlemen:

    In reply to your inquiry dated July 19, I am sorry to say that I was shipped out of the Philippines to Japan too early to have benefited by any services rendered by the Filipinos other than medicine and a few things that the Filipino Red Cross was able to get through to us at O'Donnell.

     However, I would like to take this opportunity to report one Major Walter J. Hewitt, who was the Senior Officer for over a year, and the only American Officer at prison camp No. 16 who through his untiring efforts in behalf of the prisoners under his command, did improve our general living conditions as much as humanly possible under the circumstances.

     On account of these intercession (which he made almost daily) he was beaten, kicked and clubbed unmercifully.  The average man would have taken one or two of these mistreatments and then ceased and further efforts in behalf of the men under his command, but Maj. Hewitt had too much bull headed Minnesota blood in him to quit and I am convinced that his continued perseverance won much improvement in our condition for us.

     Under ordinary circumstances it would indeed be most unethical for an enlisted man to make a recommendation for an Officer, but since there was no senior officer over Maj. Hewitt and since I was one of the senior NCO's in this prison camp, I do not hesitate in saying that I think Maj. Hewitt should be rewarded with some sort of recognition, even though it be only a " Letter of Commendation Ribbon" for he certainly went far beyond the call of duty under trying and hazardous conditions in order to try and improve the lot of the men under his command.

Respectfully,

John C. Roy

M/ Sgt US AAF

Marshall Goff reported that three hundred prisoners were inoculated for Typhoid.  Only two needles were used and no form of disinfectant used.  He recalled the needle being so blunt by the time he was injected that the needle had to be torn into the skin.  His arm became swollen and infected and he was forced to work shoveling coal and lime into the open pit furnace under intense heat by the Japanese medical advisor named,The Spy.

Chapter 16

Packing his uniforms tightly into the duffle bag, Wally reviewed his presentation over and over in his head.  He had presented a brilliant testimony to the Chiefs of Staff and military lawyers who were overseeing the War Crimes Trial to be held in Tokyo.  Wally had worked tirelessly every day since arriving at Ft. Leavenworth on this endeavor.  He had signed and sworn documentation in hand from dozens of fellow P.O.W's he was taking with him.  The Prosecution had a commanding representation from the US and several allied countries.

He was ready and biting at the chomp like a thoroughbred horse at the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby.  Nothing could stop him now.  The goal was to have as many of these Japanese monsters sentenced to death or imprisoned for their crimes.

The flight was long with many stops and delays for various reasons.  The final leg understandably was the worst.  The weather was severe and there was extreme turbulence.  As the plane broke through the clouds, Wally surveyed the landscape below.

Wide swatches of land in various colors of brown and green were laid out like a huge patchwork quilt below.  Rice paddies flooded with water reflected the sky like mirrors.  You could see the random Japanese workers planting seedlings in the mud.  Rain clouds hovered overhead and sheets of rain pelleted the windows of the plane cabin.  The touch down was rough as the landing gear made contact with the pot holed runway.  From the air, it was hard to fathom that this beautiful countryside could have harbored such savages.

The crimes against humanity that were endured by the P.O.W's were horrific.  They warranted prosecution.  The war in the Asian theater was weighed against the European theater.   From 1946-1948 the trial turned over every stone to reveal the truth and expose the carnage.  Years of testament were presented in the utmost detail by Maj. Hewitt and many others who took the stand.  It was a long, slow and tedious process.  Each swing of a pick ax, scoop of a shovel, every beating, bruise, laceration, blister, every step, illness and death needed acknowledgement.  Nothing needed to be overlooked.  If it was endured, it was reported and prosecuted.

Wally took the stand and expertly laid out his case on behalf of those he represented.  All those that he was in command of and those that could no longer represent themselves and had died.  Nothing tired him.  His energy level was at it's peak as the enormity of the task unfolded in front of him.

After being sworn to tell the truth, Wally began.  Days, weeks and months of details were discussed.  

When asked about the P.O.W camps he was kept in there were many.  But the last one was not a known camp.  It did not appear on the map that was on display showing all the camps that the Japanese said they had.  Wally had studied the map.  It was not marked.

Capt. Hewitt how are you sure you were not in one of these other camps on the map? He was asked.  Wally explained that his last camp was located at near 45.39 N /141.69 E

which put it very near Wakkani, Japan in the extreme north.  He had derived this location by studying the North Star and the sun shadow relative to time during various seasons.  He had done his calculations over and over during his time there and he was certain of it's location.  After much  process of the verification of this camp the map was corrected to include The Latitude And Longitude Of Hell.

Based on his presentation and affidavits given to him, the following Japanese received these sentences:

COTA. Naruni                  Life

KONO, Hiroaki.              Life

KATAYAMA, Kengo  20 years

TAGUCHI, Yoshio.        Life

KURIYAMA, Michio.    Life

AOKI, Yuzu.                     Death

SHIBANO,                       Death

Chapter 17

Wally walked through the front door and threw his duffle bag aside.  With outstretched arms he gathered Sandra and George in his arms and lifted them.  He beamed a smile at Nona and said, " We won!"

*********

Wally served 34 years in the US Army and retired in 1970.  He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star among many other medals and ribbons.  He and Nona were Married Fifty-three years and had a total of five children Sandra, George, Hans, Catherine and Jeanine.

Col. Walter J Hewitt

4/19/1915 - 8/22/1993

age 78

Buried at Arlington

National Cemetery

Arlington, VA

Nona F. Syverson Hewitt

2/3/1916 - 3/24/2007

age 91

Buried at Oak Lawn Cemetery

Jacksonville, FL

  

The Latitude and Longitude of Hell

By: Catherine Hewitt Windham

And so, when a story is told, it is never forgotten.

It becomes something else. A memory of who we were.

The hope of what we can become.

We can become what we aspire to be.  We can hold on to our past 

and know that is the life within us that makes us go on.

Life events can take a cruel turn.

War,  death and suffering of our ancestors will change the

soul of the survivor.  Characteristics that will sustain with time.

Never give up.  Never succumb to the force that weighs your spirit.

Horizons beyond horizons where the sun never sets are the focal point.

Step after step on the path of death will lead to the future.

********

This story is dedicated to my father,  Col. Walter John Hewitt US Army and to my mother, Nona Fay Syverson Hewitt.   Their fight together to survive and their dream of a better future for their children came true.

This is based on the real fact that my father was a Japanese P.O.W and survivor of the Bataan Death March.  My mother and sister were evacuated from the Philippines at the beginning of the war.  This underlying story is fiction with the exception of true testimonies that my father presented at the War Crimes Trial and the outcome based on his testimony.

********

Chapter 1

Capt. Walter John Hewitt USA gathered his wife and two year old daughter

into his arms and kissed them goodbye.  It was a hot and steamy night in Manila.

Sweat sprouted beads across his forehead and trickled down his checks and mingled

with their tears.  "Go, now!" "The truck is waiting to get you to the harbor."

Nona and Sandra had to be peeled out of his embrace and grabbed their small bag of belongings they packed to take aboard the ship.  "Just the essentials," Wally told her

as she pulled their things out of the bureau.  "I had the carved trunks we bought packed on the ship today and they will arrive when you do in San Francisco.  You'll need to arrange shipment to mom's house in St. Paul once you get there.  I have wired money ahead for you to the bank but here is all the cash I could get today for you to take."  He handed her one

hundred dollars.  "Don't let it out of your sight or your papers, Nona.  Keep them on your body at all times!"  "I love you," they all said one last time before the truck rolled away.

The base was in a scramble.  All officers were in a briefing with the General.  He stood in front of the room with a map of the Philippine Islands on an easel to the side.  Using a long

pointer, the General pointed to various positions on the map and called out each of the men's names to give them their assignment and those they would be in command of.

The goal was to push back the Japanese troops that had invaded the island while they waited for reinforcements from the US Navy that Gen. McArthur had promised when he announced "I shall return!"

Wally sat there in attention, but in the back of his mind he loathed Gen. McArthur for the pompous remark and what he knew would be a battle many would not survive.  They were being sacrificed and he felt it in his bones.  He would vow to do his duty.  More importantly, he would vow to himself to survive and prove he was the man he had promised his wife and child he would be.  It had been a few months since their departure with the other dependents aboard the last ship to leave Manila.  He got word of their safe arrival in San Francisco.  Now he could focus and make his way to freedom. 

Grabbing the keys to his car he drove to the base and poured gallons of

army brown paint all over it.  He then went out into the area adjacent to the airstrip.

Dirt, leaves and mud stuck to the tacky surface.  It was perfectly camouflaged.

He went to the barracks and packed supplies into the car tightly.  Canned food, water,

gasoline and ammunition as well as several firearms.  He grabbed his canteen that he

had scratched Hewitt on the surface of and filled it full of water before fastening it to his belt.  He threw his helmet on the seat beside him and headed out in a cloud of dust toward the other side of the base.  Soldiers were lining up their gear and gathering 

to go out into the jungle area.  Planes were heard in the distance getting closer and explosions could be felt as the ground trembled under their feet.  Several soldiers got into

the car with Wally.  They headed out along the caribou pathway that ran beside the rice paddies that dotted the area.  Eventually they came to the edge of the earthen dam and 

stopped.  Long stalks of banana trees were cut and thrown over the car totally covering

it from view.  They decided they could safely leave it there. The gas was drained from the tank and the battery detached and thrown into the water and covered with mud and debris.

The keys were thrown as far as he could into the middle of the paddy.  Everyone unloaded the supplies and they were carried into the jungle and hidden.  Each soldier took their turn as guard while the others slept or were on a scout of the area making plans for their next movement.

Crouching down Wally signaled for quiet.  Footsteps could be heard in the dark.  Slowly the sound got closer.  Reaching out, Wally grabbed the head of the Japanese soldier

as he approached and covered his mouth.  In one swift move, the blade of his knife slit his throat and his body fell silently to the ground.  The others quickly grabbed the man's knife, gun and bullets.  They all remained silent as they made their way back to their group and did not sleep.

In the morning, smoke could be seen on the horizon coming from the air strip.  Planes

flew overhead.  The convoy continued to bushwhack their way through the dense foliage.

The radioman picked up chatter of a surrender of US Forces!  "Shit," Wally said under his breath.  "We're all screwed.  But, I know of a village near here where I met some Filipinos

who will help us.  Who's with me to go?"  He and another guy headed out alone.

At the edge of he road they saw some workers out in the paddies leading the caribou with the yoke around his huge neck.  The horns were curved and head was hung low under the strain of the load.  A woman chewing and spitting into the mud stood up and moved closer to the edge of the underbrush.  Wally made a sound of a bird.  She looked up to make eye contact with him as he held his index finger up to his lips to signal her to be quiet and not talk.  He spoke in a hushed tone to her in Tagalog.  "Help us, we are under siege."  "Your

people are in danger of capture of the Japanese!"  "Go and warn the others and tell the oldest man to come here to see me at once!"  The woman looked at him in disbelief and nodded her head.  He had no way to know she understood him.

Several hours later, Wally sat on the jungle floor with a man of about his own age and much smaller.  He had only a few discolored teeth and wore a loin cloth.  He had managed to learn some broken English and with Wally's broken Tagalog they managed to communicate.

Together they planned how to hide in the village with the local people to help them.  The men

we're commissioned into the US Army under his authority to do so under the rules of war.

The women tended to their children and cooked as before sharing everything with them.  At night the soldiers guarded the village and others made their way further away to scout.  

On one occasion, a woman squatted to give birth and tried to muffle her screams by

biting onto a stick.  She was at the far edge of the rice paddy with no one there to help her.  When the body of the woman and her infant were found beheadded by one of the scouts, he reported to Wally that they needed to move immediately for better cover.

In small groups the men left the village and went into the cover of the jungle. The women and children stayed behind at the village.  Trucks and footsteps of marching men could be heard in the stillness of the night air.  Mosquitos swarmed and sucked the blood of life from them as they deposited the infestation of Malaria into their veins.  No one slept.

One of the Filipino men snuck back to the village to see his wife.  He had changed his mind about helping the Americans.  He wanted to take her to safety somewhere else.  As he creeped back into his home, a Japanese soldier stood up and quickly bayoneted him in the belly.  His intestines spilled out onto the earth floor and he fell in a thud.  His wife lay

over the straw pallet bed naked and blindly staring in the frozen look of death.  Her slit throat pooled blood above her shoulders and coagulated in her thick black hair.  The soldier

zipped up his pants and left the hut.  He struck a match and flicked it onto the bed before leaving and within minutes it was engulfed in flames.  Women in other huts screamed their last breathes and children lay dead in the dirt.  

Wally could smell the smoke as each hut went up in flames.  The slight breeze fanned the smoke toward them and allowed for a smoke screen to develop.  The men quickly made their way deeper into the jungle before stopping for rest.

They made their way to the other side of the island and to the cliff that overlooked the

bay.  A multitude of ships had gathered in port.  Ramps allowed Japanese troops to disembark and unload equipment.  Wally and the men vowed to fight long and hard and never give up.  They would each faithfully fight for freedom and for each other no matter the circumstances.  For to give up now would mean there was no future beyond the day in which they were in.  It was the only choice.  "To Hell with waiting for help," Wally said.  "We must do this our way or die right here, right now!"  he told them.  "Dig in, guys!" he ordered them.

Their group was surrounded.  To move would give their position away yet staying would mean certain death.  In unison they decided to move slowly by crawling over the embankment and into hiding in the long grasses that grew at the edge of the cliff.

Several Japanese spotted their movement and they charged toward them.  Wally and his men opened fire and bayoneted several others. They fought hand to hand and hurled men over the edge of the cliff to the jagged shore below.  Only a handful of them survived.  Wally was one of the lucky survivors.  Or was he?

******

Chapter 2

The next day he wondered.  There was fierce bombing on the island and many fires set in the villages.  Hoards of prisoners were gathered together and cramped into the boxcars of a train that led to their prison camp.  Packed like cattle waiting for slaughter, they waited in the blaring heat of the day and denied food and water.  Diarrhea flowed down their pant legs and caked onto their boots.  Sores erupted and refilled with pus from constant irritation from the infected mosquito bites and other wounds.  Men died by the hundreds daily.  Conditions at Camp O'Donnell became so appalling that it was eventually closed and what prisoners survived were moved to camp Cabanatuam.  

Conditions there were barely better than at camp O'Donnell.  

The principle diet was rice and occasionally supplemented with a native sweet potato called camote.  It was usually rotten.  Even more rarely, a piece of meat about one inch square was given to one out of four prisoners.  There was abundant food for the Japanese and available in the countryside but they were kept deliberately on a starvation diet.

Men waited in long lines to be allowed a sip of filthy polluted water.

Work details were assigned to clean up the camp and hospital grounds.  Over several months considerable improvements to the unsanitary conditions were made.  The long grass around the camp was cut back to control the mosquito population.  New latrine ditches were dug and old ones covered with lye and dirt.  Some of the sickest prisoners were given quinine.  Men who were on burial duty dragged themselves through their day like zombies.

 

On April 9, 1942 groups of one hundred men each were gathered.  Four across and twenty-five deep.  Japanese guards were stationed one on each side of the group.  They began the long anguishing walk from the camp to San Fernando located eighty miles away.

The journey took six days.  They walked all day in the blistering heat.  Men fainted and died

from the lack of nourishment.  If ones next step was to land upon a fallen soldier, then they had to step on his body or be killed for not doing so.  Remnants of unrecognizable decaying bodies littered the road.  Those that did not comply were bayoneted and thrown to the side

or left where they fell.  They just kept walking.  At night they were allowed to lie down in a field.  Many never arose in the morning.  

Some tried to make a break for freedom.  They were not able to get two steps away from the group.  There was no place to escape to.  There was no shade and, if there was, a Japanese guard found it when they were allowed to pause.  Guards hollered at and prodded

slow walkers.  A shuffle is all that they could do.  Along the way Filipinos tried to throw food at the soldiers.  The Japanese shot them.  No water was allowed although there were Artesian wells flowing everywhere.  Men ran toward the water they could smell 

and almost taste.  They were completely insane.  Not a drop passed their parched lips as they fell in the ditches dead.

When Wally closed his eyes, all he could see was Nona and Sandra waving goodbye on their last day together.  Nona's blonde curls and green eyes in contrast to Sandra's dark hair and green eyes.  She had his looks.  Hindsight is never good.  He would have never taken them to this God forsaken Hell had he known what was to happen this far from home.

Nona welcomed the adventure.  She was a farm girl from Ulen, Minnesota.  She grew up in a large family on a rural farm without a father figure for a good portion of her life.  When they married she said she could handle anything.  He believed she could and hoped and prayed for their safety constantly.

The first year in the Philippines was exciting.  They had been able to ship their car so were one of the fortunate few who had an opportunity to get out and explore the countryside.

The Filipino people were open and hospitable.  They invited them into their modest homes

and shared their meals with them.  They learned the culture and sampled exotic foods.

The landscape was lush and tropical and a beauty existed there neither of them had ever seen before.  It was a paradise.  Everywhere were beautiful birds and the clear aqua water of the Pacific.  Outside their quarters grew banana trees and fruit of all kinds.

Being an officer had it's merits.  He and Nona were given a furnished home and housekeeper.  It was a luxury that Nona thought was excessive and unnecessary but

she found it a huge help just the same.  She learned to cook some of the local dishes and

Wally would often bring fresh fish for her to expand her culinary skills.

Local artisans carved beautiful trunks out of teak wood.  Intricate floral designs flaunted their talent.  They couldn't resist them and bought four of the trunks and put them into the station wagon and on top.  Intricately carved ivory items were also marvelous.  

He often thought that if he could think of them and those first glorious months in this country he would be able to survive.  It worked like a vitamin on him.  Once he opened his eyes and resumed walking, he dreamed of the moment he could close his eyes and replenish his soul.

Wally was handed a stiff rice ball the size of a plumb.  Grain by grain he picked at it and chewed.  The starch mingled with his thick saliva and made a paste that coated his mouth

and alleviated the sores and temporarily eased the pain.  Savoring the moment he watched as some of the others put the entire wad in their mouths.  Some choked and vomited.

Men will eat anything when starving including their own emesis.  Today a beetle crawled past his boot.  Wally quickly squashed it between his teeth and enjoyed the wet on his tongue.

Every day was a blur of boots walking ahead of him and the smell of the dead that was pounded into the road.  Miles and miles of stench that hung in his nostrils until he thought

it not that unpleasant.  He used to only breathe through his mouth so he wouldn't smell the rot.  His tongue  became like leather as it cracked and bled.  Best to stop that and just get used to the smell.  By the last day of their horrific walk, he could actually stand to swallow.

Eighty miles in six days at a snails pace.  It was a memory Wally would never speak of to his family. No one would ever believe a human could do what he and the others just did.  History must never allow for something this atrocious to happen again.  He would make certain that if he survived this he would bring justice to those who did not live.  That they did not die in vain or were forgotten.  He began by memorizing names and their next of kin and home towns.  Everyone he had an opportunity to speak to he would ask the same information and imbed it in his memory.  Over and over he recited the information.  Daily the list grew longer.  Never forget, never give up, never!

******

Chapter 3

Nona and Sandra slept together aboard the ship.  They shared a space with several other

evacuees.  Mothers nursed their newborn babies and toddlers cried with hunger.  Nona

sat and rocked Sandra and combed her hair with her fingers.  She hummed a tune to lull her asleep then closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall behind her.  The sounds of the engine room on the other side of the steel wall reminded her that they were at least churning through the water.  

Aboard for days they were not allowed to wander around the ship very far and certainly not topside to breathe the fresh ocean breeze.  She longed to take a deep breathe of salty air.  She had saved the apples she was given that morning to share with Sandra when she woke from her nap.  Their ripe smell was making her stomach growl.

"I wonder how Wally is doing?"She thought. The thought that he was staying behind to fight made her sick.   She had overheard some of the crew saying that conditions in the Philippines were worsening each day.  All she could hope and pray for is that he would survive.  He was smart and strong.  Those two attributes would see him through.  She did not dare to think otherwise or cry in despair as many of the others were seen doing.

It served no purpose to go crazy in grief.  Even if she did not have Sandra to take care of

she would have made use of herself in some way or another.

Each day was a repeat of the one before.  At least they were fed and allowed to drink several times a day.  They were encouraged to do things together to occupy their time like sing or play games with the children.  Bathroom facilities were meager but adequate.

At last they were within sight of land!  The crew reported they would be pulling into port that afternoon.  Everyone needed to gather their belongings and when instructed, they could proceed up to the top deck.  

Nona held Sandra's hand and their suitcase as they climbed the steep ladders from deck to deck.  The fresh air hit them in the face like a fan at high speed.  Thunder clouds loomed

overhead and it began to rain in sheets that plastered their hair to their heads and clothing to their skinny bodies.  Nona lifted Sandra into her arms and managed to carry the suitcase with the other hand as they walked the narrow walkway to the pier.  Once there, she put her down and they scurried for shelter under the tents.  Long rows of tables with Army personnel on one side each with a typewriter greeted them.  "Papers and ID, please." the man asked.  Nona unfolded the forms and gave him the ID card.  He matched it against a long log of names listed on the manifest.  He then placed a red check mark next to their names.  "Thank you, Mrs. Hewitt.  We will send your husband a telegram of your safe arrival.  Here is the address you will use to write to him from now on.  Keep writing.  The men need encouragement and there is no guarantee they will receive them but you will have done your part" he told her.  "The bus is ready to take you to the barracks where you can stay until you can contact your family."

Nona and Sandra sat in the steamy bus soaking wet.  A hour later they arrived at the barracks that would house them.  Long buildings that were made of corrugated steel

and rounded.  Inside were cots from one end to the other.  They were led to their beds.

Nona helped Sandra out of her wet clothes and into a dry outfit then she changed, too.

For the time being they lay on the cots until they were told where they could get something to eat.  A man arrived and led the group to the mess hall.  They lined up and were given a metal tray with indentations for the meal to be served and a fork, knife and spoon.

Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy and corn were served on the trays.  A slice of white bread was placed on top.  Nona held both trays and made their way to the bench with Sandra.  Another man gave them each a glass of milk.  Nona and Sandra held hands with the others at the table and they prayed.  Her first bite was held on her tongue and savored.  Sandra sipped her milk and then tried the potatoes.  Once she got a taste, she ate everything.  At the door they were handed a piece of fruit.  Nona put it in her pocket

to have them eat later that evening.  They made their way back to their beds and slept

fully clothed until the next morning when they were awakened by the bugler.

The next morning the evacuees were examined by the doctors.  They were given soap

and sent to the showers first.  Afterwards, wrapped in towels they were examined and given any medication needed.  The doctor deemed them fit for travel.  Next they were led to a room where there were several people typing.  She sat down and dictated her note to be sent to her mother and mother-in-law of their safe arrival and information on where they would be staying until they could come home to Minnesota.

Chapter 4

The hold of the ship was like a hot cauldron of an oil tanker.  Thick fumes of fuel burned Wally's lungs as he struggled to breathe.  It was pitch black.  Men pressed up against him from all sides. It would have been impossible to sit or fall.  Trousers stuck together from human waste.

The ship heaved to it's side and there was chaos and crying by some.  One man prayed out loud for them to sink to the bottom of the sea.  Buckets of sea water were thrown over the men through the small hatch.  Those that were near the opening eagerly licked their lips and 

sucked moisture from their sleeves.  A few rice balls were thrown into the crowd of ravenous men.  Hands grabbed and shoved a few morsels into their mouths.  Day upon day

of rolling and heaving over the waves had many wishing they were dead.

Explosions from bombing and the jolt  afterwards confirmed their fears that they were

under attack by US forces not knowing that the Japanese Hell Ships cargo were their own 

comrades.  "How ironic", Wally thought.  To survive all this just to be killed by our own military.

He had heard they were going to Japan to be placed in POW camps.  He figured  they would be in for a very rough ordeal.  Japan was to the north of where they started.  The climate would be a harsh change from the tropical environment they just left.  Winter in Japan can be quite brutal.  Wally surmised he could withstand the conditions better than most because he grew up in Minnesota.  He knew what to do since a young age.  Somehow

everything he had experienced as a young boy and an Army Officer has paid off.  He

he was an Eagle Scout and after High School at the Military Academy he attended, Wally

hopped aboard trains and traveled west to work in the CCC better known as the Civilian Conservation Corps.  They helped build roads and bridges.  His skills were diverse.  

He was bright and graduated with honors from college and became an Officer.   Survival training was in his blood.  He reminded himself of his vow to survive and bring justice to all the others who died and who were tortured.

Arrival was at night.  A cold rain was falling as those that could still move found their way

to the deck.  They were tied together and led off the ship to a barbed wire enclosure.

Their names were written down.  Next Wally was pushed along with the others into groups

and forced to walk until they reached a larger camp.  Guard posts were at each corner and several long buildings were inside the barbed wire fencing.  They were told to stand  in the rain all night.  Wally was one of those still standing in the morning.  

The dead were heaped into a common grave.  Some of the guards urinated on the bodies.

Those left standing were ordered to shovel dirt over the bodies.

Wally soon realized he was the leading Army Officer of this crew.  He memorized their names, next of kin and home town information.  He recited this roster over and over every day.  After the war he wanted to recite each one out loud and have their families know they were brave men and had been loved and not forgotten.  Some said "to each his own" but Wally took it further.  He knew that by making this a personal mission it would help him beat the odds.

Work details were given.  The group was taken to the rock quarry.  All day they picked at the hard rock.  Large chunks were hauled to the train and loaded.  Other groups were taken into the coal mines.  Their efforts were rewarded by breathing in the coal dust and experiencing a shaft collapse and being crushed alive in the dark.  Every day began the same but ended differently for some.  Their body was wasted and strength exhausted.

Drawing their last breathe was the end to their misery and pain.  Some did not realize that moment was upon them as they worked and just crumbled in death a moment later.

During the long moments of silence when Wally was awake, just before sleeping and just as his eyes opened on a new day, he prayed.  "Dear Heavenly, Father watch over and protect us so that we will rejoice your name on Salvation Day!"  He repeated the Our Father over and over in his mind as he heaved his pick ax in the quarry.  "Deliver us from evil" echoed

with each bout of disease that spent him.

The winter was long and cold.  No extra clothing was given.  No protection from the winds and ice as it pelleted them.  No circulation in the blue fingers and toes.  One did not dare remove their boots.  Feet adhered to the socks and stuck to the worn leather.  

To be excused from work detail was only done if one were nearly dead.  On many an occasion Wally had fevers and pain from abcessed teeth.  He took his pick ax and managed to pry the infected tooth out of the socket and keep on working. 

They were allowed to congregate in small groups in the evening around a fire to warm themselves.  Whenever they could they would find a bug or some fresh shoots of grass and put them in their pocket.  Each of them saved one spoon of rice from their portion for the day and a minor amount of water.  These things were put together in a pot they were given

and cooked.  Each man was given a spoonful or two of the resulting soup.  These minor

acts of humanity among them ensured they would do anything for their brother.  What ever it took to survive and help each other they did.  

One morning there was an announcement that the camp Commander was missing his

pencil.  They were lined up and screamed at to confess who had stolen the pencil.

When no one responded, Wally was taken from the group and led to a solitary confinement

box and shoved inside.  The space was small.  There was only enough room inside for him to squat.  The next three days he was not fed or given water.  The sun scorched down on the metal roof of the enclosure.  When the door was opened and he was dragged out into the open courtyard he could barely see from the brightness of the light.  The Commander had

selected him on purpose because he was the highest ranking officer of the prisoners.

He was responsible.  He spit in Wally's face and pulled the pencil from his own shirt pocket and waved it triumphantly above his head.  He said that it had been a test of courage and honor.

Wally's group knew he already was the most honorable and courageous man they had ever met.

Soon after the group was moved to another camp.  They marched through the highlands

and into a camp smaller than the last one but had more prisoners.  The guards were

especially mean and gave frequent beatings for no reason to the new comers.  There

were no opportunities to cook their gruel together.  Once a day they received their ration

of rice and water.  Crates of fresh vegetables and fruit and a goat were delivered to the guard house. They could smell the cooking done for the camp Commander.  Men tried to grab bones that were tossed at them.  Not a morsel of meat could be picked from them.  Wally managed to open a long bone he caught.  Inside the soft marrow was sucked dry by everyone he passed it to.  

Chapter 5

Nona sat in the hanger at the factory along with the other women who were starting work that day.  She was going to be given special training on the wiring system to be installed in the bombers being built.  She had read in the local paper they needed women to work in these factory positions.  Her friend she had made on the voyage over let Nona and Sandra stay with them.  She would babysit Sandra while Nona worked her shift and then Nona would stay with the children during the night.  For months these Rosie The Riveters

cranked out the new aircraft as fast as they were contracted.  It was rewarding work helping the war effort.  Rationing of food and electricity and water made life challenging but it was something both women handled with ease.  Somehow they managed to keep their children fed and warm.  Each of them saved as much of their salary as possible and collected their husbands meager pay monthly.  

"I'm leaving in six months" Nona told her friend.  I need to get back home and help my family and they need to see Sandra, too.  

When the day arrived, Nona and Sandra packed heir things and boarded the train headed for home.  They made their way to their seats and handed the conductor their passes.  The trees flew past the windows and the sound of the wheels on the track hypnotized Nona while Sandra napped with her head in her lap.

She closed her eyes and leaned against the window frame.  Her mind went back to the day they said goodbye to Wally.  She was frightened but did not want to show her fear.  There was no other choice but to be strong willed.  Inside her stomach churned and she had trouble eating.  She couldn't afford any more weight loss.  Her dress hung from her shoulders like a loose sack.  Stress and anxiety kept her mind racing all day and even in her tossed sleep.  She woke up exhausted and the dark circles under her eyes against her otherwise pale complexion made her look like a refugee.  Anemia plagued her and she often felt sluggish.  Her dreams took her to happier places when she and Wally were married in Iowa before being stationed in Texas.  She remembers picking out and sewing the beautiful white brocade fabric for her wedding dress and royal blue velvet trimmed bolero jacket.  It fit her like a glove.  They went to the photographer just after the ceremony.  Wally looked dashing in his dress white Army uniform.

His dark wavy hair and mustache made him look like a movie star.  His strong arms circled her tiny waist as he picked her up and carried her over the threshold of their first quarters at Fort Sam Houston.  They were busy and happy newlyweds.  They went to the Officers Club and met with their friends that were working with Wally.  They danced and had good times.  Soon afterward, Nona realized she was pregnant and due in October of 1940.

By the spring of 41 they were stationed in the Philippines.  The voyage over was difficult with an infant but they were not worried.  There was help there not available in the States.  They could have a housekeeper and Nanny hired to help.  It would be an adventure neither of them would have dreamed would turn out the way it had.

Sandra squirmed and shifted her position.  "Mommy, I feel sick."  she managed to say before throwing up all over herself and Nona's lap.  Nona tried to get themselves cleaned up as best as possible but did not have access to their suitcase.  The smell made Nona nauseous, too.  Thankfully the conductor came with a rag and Nona was able to clean up the mess from the floor.  Sandra fell back asleep and Nona stroked her feverish brow and continued to worry.

The train pulled into the station in St. Paul, MN  at 2a.m.  Sandra was hot with fever and limp as a rag doll.  Nona carried her to a bench and then waited for her suitcase.  She waited and waited and none of the cases were her's that were placed on the platform.  When the compartment was empty the conductor told Nona to check the station in a few days to see if their bag had arrived.  It could have been left on the connector train in Kansas City.  She was grateful she had never let her papers, ID and money out of her grip.  She hailed a cab and was taken to her mother-in-law's home on Eustis St.  Nona and Sandra knocked on the door loudly.  Mrs. Hewitt pushed back the curtain over the window on the front door and unlocked the door for them.  She stood in disbelief with her mouth open as she looked them over from head to toe.  "I told you not to go off to the jungle with a baby!"  "Might as well come in!"  She climbed the stairs ahead of them and headed back to her bedroom and closed the door.  Nona took Sandra into the bathroom and they took a hot bath.  Nona washed out their dresses and hung them over the radiator to dry.  Both of them climbed into the bed together in their underwear and fell immediately to sleep. 

The next morning Sandra's fever had broken sometime during the night and the bed was wet from the sweat.  Nona stripped the bed linen.  She went to the bathroom and got their clothing which was not yet fully dry and put them on.

She headed down to the cellar to the wringer washer and put the sheets into the sudsy water.  Afterwards she took them out and hung them on the line.

Sandra sat in the kitchen.  Soon Mrs. Hewitt came down from upstairs in her bathrobe.  Her wild hair was under a hairnet. "What are your plans, Nona?" she asked cooly.  "What word have you had on Wally?"

Nona took a deep breathe and told her she had not heard from him since she had left.  There was scarce information on the fall of the Philippines and the soldiers left to defend themselves against insurmountable odds.  She could only hope for the best.  As far as her plans, she had to find work.  She was hoping to stay here with her and  get a job.  "Well, I suppose that will be ok for a little while.  You'll need to help pay for things anyway if that is going to be done.

Wally would insist on that.  Or, if you want, you and Sandra can stay out at the cottage at Turtle Lake for rent."  "A college educated Army officer goes off and marries the first farm girl he sees!  I'm just not happy about that at all, mind you." Mrs. Hewitt muttered under her breathe.  Nona heard every word.

"We'll stay out at the cabin.  Here is the first months rent in advance.  Wally would have insisted on that!"  After the sheets had dried, Nona remade the bed.  She and Sandra left the house and headed out to Turtle Lake by catching a ride with Wally's Uncle Breitschoff.  

Nona uncovered the furniture in the cabin and opened all the windows to air it out.  It was cold but the stale air needed exchanging.  Sandra helped gather some twigs to put in the pot belly stove in the kitchen.  It took several hours for Nona to get the place cleaned up and fit for them to stay in.  

No one had been out there in years since Mr. Hewitt died.  He and Wally built the cabin together when Wally was a teen.  It was very well constructed but not insulated in any way to shield from the harsh winter weather.  Nona thought it would be alright for a few months until she could save some money and get back home to Ulen in the Spring.  Sandra helped

but would often just stand still or sit down on the steps of the front porch and stare out at the lake.  Nona saw this from the window and came outside and sat down next to her.

"What's the matter?" Nona asked her.  Sandra shrugged her shoulders and started to cry.

It was the first time they had a meaningful moment to themselves since leaving the island.

Sandra had just turned three.  "Where is daddy?" she cried.  "Is he coming back?" she added.  Nona told her the truth.  "Daddy loves you very much.  He will come home when his work is done.  It is going to take a long time." she told her while putting her arm around Sandra's body and pulled her into her lap.  Together they sat for awhile and gazed out over the still  water and watched a flock of loons land on it's surface.  "Let's go in and have some soup."  Nona said and they both went in.  The fire in the pot belly stove was started and Nona shut all the windows.  Afterwards she and Sandra went to bed early cuddling under the old quilts.  Sleep came within minutes of them shutting heir eyes.

"Daddy, come home!" Sandra screamed out in her sleep.  Nona was startled awake by her cries.  "Shhh, honey, I am here.  Go to sleep, go to sleep, shhh." Nona said as she wiped away the tears from her own eyes.  Without Sandra to comfort and care for, she was certain she would have lost her mind in worry long before now.  "What if he's dead and never coming home to us?  What am I going to do, where will I go?"  Nona had never really thought like this before and wished she could stop the whirlwind in her mind from spinning out of control.   "I  will go into town today and drop Sandra off with her cousins to play and look for a job." Nona muttered in the dark. When she opened them again the sun was rising and the loons could be heard outside.  She rose and made some coffee.  Sitting in the rocker by the stove, she stoked the flames and she placed more wood inside and closed the hatch.  Sandra continued to sleep and she let her wake up on her own.  

Sandra was always excited to visit her cousins.  She went happily with them and her Aunt to the park nearby.  Nona headed to the square and entered the restaurant on the corner.

She met with the manager and was offered a job as a waitress on the weekends when they had the most diners.  That schedule suited Nona, too.  She did not want to burden anyone

with keeping Sandra during the week and her sister-in-law said it would be fine for her to stay with them the weekend while Nona worked.  The walk to and from the lake to the bus stop was getting harder with the severe winter they were experiencing.  Snow piled up

and the side roads were not passable.  Nona and Sandra trudged each weekend to the main road to get a ride into town.  " I might as well be in Ulen with mother rather than keep on doing this" Nona thought.  Months of this had taken a toll on them and she did not want to

ask if she could move back into Mrs. Hewitt's house in town.  Nona gave her notice to her job and worked her last weekend at the end of January.  She handed Mrs. Hewitt the money for rent and turned to hold Sandra's hand to help her into the taxi.  

The train ride north to Ulen took several hours and they settled into their seats.  Pastures

covered in a think blanket of snow could be seen for miles.  The terrain was flat as a pancake.  Long thin rows of trees separated farms from each other.  Cattle huddled

close to barns.  

Nona and Sandra stepped off the platform in town by the grain silo.  Her mother's house

was close to the tracks and only a short distance from the depot.  They held hands and

stepped cautiously through the frozen slush out onto the road.  

Nona and Sandra stood on the small porch of the tiny yellow house and rapped on the door.

Opening it she said "Mother? It's me, Nona and Sandra!"  Emily Syverson came through the kitchen and into the front room wiping her hands on her apron.  "Oh, my God!  Nona,

Sandra!" as she allowed herself to be hugged and kissed by them.  They all were crying with

happiness and so overwhelmed with the moment.  

"I can't believe it's you!  Just last night I had a dream you were coming!" Emily told her.  "Come sit down and tell me everything and start at the beginning!"  She reached over and grabbed another coffee cup for Nona and poured some milk for Sandra.  At first Nona just sat there holding her cup in her hands and looking at the dark brown fluid mingle with the milk she had added.  Swirls of pale cream collided with the coffee and then became a creamy tan color.  She took a sip and closed her eyes to taste and smell the aroma of home.

When she opened her eyes and looked over the brim of her cup she saw her mother it seems like for the first time in an eternity.  Her hair was gray and her tiny features were evident through her thin dress.  The skin on her hands was almost transparent and showed the veins.  "Mom are you ok, you're not sick are you?" Nona said as she reached out to touch her hand.  "No, I'm alright.  I had a little flu a few weeks ago but I'm ok now." she responded.

"Well good, the last thing you need is to get sick!"  "How is everyone?  I have not had the chance to write as I promised because I was either working or sleeping or taking care of Sandra's needs!  I'm sorry for worrying you, mother."  "Don't worry about that, Nona.  Everyone is doing well on their own and send me money to get by on.  It has been a tough

winter here.  I've not been able to go out much for the past few months because of blizzard after blizzard."  "Well, things will be easier on you now that I can be here to help you out!

I have missed you so much since we left a few years ago to leave for Iowa to get married on our way to Texas." Nona said.  "Did you ever get a photograph made on your wedding day?" Emily asked.  "Yes, we did but we couldn't wait for it before having to leave.  Then when we got orders to the Philippines it was forgotten about.  "You need to get the photo,

Nona.  If not for you, then at least for Sandra.  She is young and needs to see her daddy's face so she can talk to him."  "It's just been so hard on us, I suppose you are right and I will have to find out how much it will cost." Nona said.

Later that day she went into town and bought some supplies.  She stopped at the post office to send Wally a letter.  She had not heard from him at all since leaving.  The clerk

reassured her he would let her know right away of any letter from him.  

Nona got right down to business and was active in the ladies aide at their church.  She helped volunteer her help at the Viking Manor Nursing Home.  She always enjoyed visiting with the elderly people who lived there.  They played the piano and sang songs and played Whist.  She took Sandra along with her and the ladies and gentlemen loved to have her visit.  She allowed one lady to brush her beautiful dark curls for hours and tie ribbons in it.  A man read her stories.  It felt good to be home and productive again.  This is where she was loved and protected.

She found out that a 8x10 photograph of their wedding picture would cost $18.00.

She told her mother about it.  "I insist you get it, Nona.  I will help you pay for it." Emily

said.  "Ok" is all that Nona could whisper.  She sent the money the next day.  Within a few weeks the photo arrived in the mail.  It showed the two of them standing side by side.

Each of them looking happy yet formal.  They did not smile.  "I love it!" her mother said when she saw it for the first time.  "You did a beautiful job on the dress.  I hope you saved it!"

"Yes, I have it.  We bought some beautiful carved trunks in the Philippines and it is packed  in there.  I do not know when they will arrive but I have asked for them to be shipped here

as soon as possible." Nona said.  "It was a magical paradise, mother.  You wouldn't believe

how beautiful it was.  The flowers and the crystal blue Pacific Ocean were like a picture."

"Now, I'm sure it has been turned into a Hell for Wally and the other men!" she said while tears welled up in her eyes.  "I just can't stand to look at this photo and think he might never come home to us." Nona stammered.  "I'll put it by Sandra's bed then," her mother said as she took it into the other room and placed it in a frame which held another picture from long ago.  

Weeks and months passed and the snow melted.  Tulips peeked above the cold soil and daffodils bloomed.  Easter was next week.  Nona sewed Sandra and herself a new dress on her mother's old treadle machine.  She got up to answer a knock on the door.  "Telegram for Nona Hewitt" the courtier said.  "Yes, that is me" Nona said as she signed for the letter.

Hesitantly she went into the kitchen where there was better light and sat at the table.

Gently she opened the flap of the yellow envelope.  

Dear Nona:

I am alive and well taken care of.

Walt

Nona stared in disbelief and put her hand up to her heart.  She could feel it beating fast and her breathing had increased, too.  She felt faint.  She wondered why the print was noticeable bolder on the word "alive" and not on any of the other words.

"Honey, are you ok?" Emily asked her coming into the kitchen.  "Who was at the door?"

she asked.  Nona handed her the letter.  They both embraced and cried out loud.

It was the first time Nona had really let down and got it out of her system.  She began telling her mother of the hasty evacuation and transit back to America on the ship.  She told her about the factory job working on the planes and the awful cross country train trip with Sandra being sick.  She told her how horrid Mrs. Hewitt had been to her while there.

She also told her how wonderful it was to be safe at home with her now.  "I love you, mother!" Nona said.  "I love you, too dear" Her mother whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek.  

"Now then, we know he is OK!  That is wonderful!"  Let's get Sandra and go to the park and have a picnic!  They busied themselves putting things together in the basket and set out for the afternoon.

Chapter 6

Wally was handed a single thin piece of paper and told what to write.  He tried to give a message to Nona by pressing down harder with the pencil on the word "alive".  He thought she might notice it and realize that everything was not as great as he had to write.  The paper was sealed in an envelope and taken away.  He never knew if it was delivered but the act gave him some piece of mind for a moment.

Each day there were new arrivals and more deaths.  Bodies were carried to a common ditch and covered with soil.  Wally's list of names grew longer.  He kept busy going over them daily in his mind.  

At other times Wally taught the young men.  He had enjoyed college and was a math and science whiz.  He would go over algebra equations and geometry with them whenever given the opportunity.  They seemed to enjoy the diversion. At night they slept outdoors and he would point out the various star constellations above them.  "Capt., is there any way to know where we are in Japan?"one of the youngest prisoners asked. Wally said "Sure there is, we just have to figure out the latitude based on the North Star."  "How are you going to know that?" the young boy said.  "It's a bit complicated but I'll work on that one myself.  I'll know after all this Hell is over whether or not I was right."  "Now, who knows the periodic table?" Wally asked them as he changed the subject.  But, Wally never forgot that question

and studied the night sky and used a stick stuck in the ground in the day to study the shadow of the sun and how it fell on the ground.  

One afternoon the guard picked up the stick that was sticking out of the ground.  He demanded Wally tell him what it was for.  Wally tried to explain that he was using it to tell time.  The guard then beat him with the stick and threw him into the confinement box.

When he was released his knees were so stiff and painful he could barely stand up.  Many

of the men he had instructed were no longer in the camp.  One of the newcomers told him seven prisoners were taken from the camp and moved to another location.  Wally never saw them again or knew where they had been taken.  He hoped they had not been killed and decided never to take it upon himself to put anyone in danger again by his teaching lessons.

He practiced his French silently.  Elaborate math problems were solved in his head.  The names were an endless line of words across his brain like a ticker tape he was reading to himself.

Christmas came.  They were not sure it was the correct day but they were told they did not have to work on that day.  It snowed all day.  The men ate the snow to quench their thirst.

They were also given a piece of fruit.  Apples were hard and sour.  Every morsel was eaten.

Some of the men vomited afterwards.  Their stomachs were not accustomed to the fresh fiber.  Each man was given rice and tea.  The men prayed together and sang "Silent Night."

They slept peacefully for the first time.

1944 proved to be harder than the previous  two years of imprisonment.  The physical labor in the mines and quarries was grueling and long.  Sixteen hour days without rest.  Each day worse than the last.  Clothing was thread bare and severely soiled.

All men were ordered to strip naked.  Their clothes were burned.  Then they were led to the river to wash themselves in the cold water.  It felt like heaven to submerge their heads and wash the filth from their bodies.  The sores oozed and were swollen.  On the opposite shore they were given black pajamas to wear and woven flat sandals.  They also were given a straw circular hat with a pointed crown.  Now they all looked just like the civilian Japanese but were taller and had lighter hair and skin.  After that day, they were allowed to bathe 

only once more.  The group was moved to a camp higher in the hills and secluded among thick trees and underbrush.  In the new camp they were told they would work in the cobalt mine and at the furnaces that melted the alloy.   The area they were taken to to work was at a much higher elevation than the camp.  The soil was thin and rocky.  Sheer cliffs of rock jutted skyward.  Their uniform was inadequate to work in but they did as they were told.  From here one could see the sea and the waves crashing upon the rocky shores many miles away.  Further up the peaks were snow capped.  To try to escape from here would be a feat no one would survive.  Steep terrain with loose rocks under the straw sandals was treacherous.  One prisoner slipped and fell to his death over the cliff when he got too close.  Others suffered severe burns and some died working with the molten metal.

It was colder at this elevation and Wally became ill and started to have 

severe chills.  He coughed violently at night and spit up blood.  He could not get warm.

One of the men who lay next to him on the floor of the building where they were housed

reached out and held his hand in the dark.  Wally was delirious with fever.  He moaned and 

groaned all night.  When his fever finally broke three days later he could barely stand up and realized he had been moved to another building that had many other sick prisoners.

"This must be a hospital." he thought.  "I'm still alive!"  

Gradually he regained his strength and realized he must have had a Malaria flare up.  He had been sick in the Philippines a few years ago and this is how he felt then.  He looked around the room.  There were fifty beds.  Each bed had a body.  Some of the bodies writhed

and moaned others were stiff and still.  Every morning the stiff bodies were removed and a new writhing body was placed on the bed.  Wally decided he was well and asked to be removed from the hospital.  His wish was granted and he was led out and straight back to his work detail high up the hill.  He almost did not make it there and lost his footing several times near the edge of the pathway.

Chapter 7

The man who held his hand that night greeted him with his eyes as he arrived.  Wally detected a slight smile on his face.  Quickly he looked away and picked up his pic ax and resumed his work as if nothing had ever happened.  

That night the same man whispered "Good to see you are well.  They heard your moaning and cries of pain and took you away hanging like a rag between two guards.  I was sure you would die."  "It happened to me last year.  I dreamed I tried to escape through the latrine full of shit.  I tried to get others to come with me by saying it was not that bad down there in that shit hole!"  Wally just said "I had that dream, too!"

From that time on, they helped each other how ever they could without being detected.  It meant the world to feel they could trust each other.  Even in a prison camp there can be discord among the inmates.  Jealousy, greed and despise.  Wally was the only Officer in camp so technically he was in charge of the safety of this group.  Up until this point he had been with the same group of prisoners as they were moved from camp to camp.  But, at this camp, many of the men who had arrived with him had died and been replaced by new bodies.

He was given material to write a letter.  He could barely hold it steady in his hand and his writing was shaky.

Dear Nona:

I am ALIVE and well taken care of.

Walt

He folded the paper and managed to slip a tiny dried wild flower into the fold of the paper before placing it in the envelope.  He hoped that she received it and knew how much she and Sandra were missed and loved.  It was for them that he managed to stay alive from day to day.  Survival was the only goal. 

Repairs to the camp were needed.  The rain came down in torrents and huge mud slides

pushed some buildings off their foundation and sent them smashing down the rocky mountainside. Men screamed out in the night when this happened.  

When the rain stopped the prisoners were sent down the steep hillside to bring back the salvageable wood.  The bodies were mangled in the debris and blood was splattered on the boards.  They worked tirelessly until every scrap was returned to the camp.  They were then told to bury the bodies.  Shovels of earth were scooped over their twisted corpses.

Many of the men made the sign of the cross and bowed their heads before leaving the fresh mound.

The mud that was washed into the surrounding structures was removed and dumped over the edge of the hill.  When things were dry, the remaining dirt was swept with a crude broom made of twigs from the fir trees.

Wally studied the heavens at night and the sun shadows in the daylight.  He was certain his calculations were correct.  He knew that if given a map he could point to the exact location

of this God Forsaken Hell.  He did the calculations over and over and each time the coordinates were the same.  

Seasons changed and the Spring brought an abundance of mild weather.  The men welcomed the opportunity to not freeze at night.  The meager rations of winter were supplemented with dried fish and vegetables that they grew at the perimeter of the camp.

Wally successfully fought for a pot for them to cook their gruel.  Everyone pitched in what ever they could save or scrounge.  Fresh shoots of grass, slugs, grubs, bugs rice and dried fish and water.  Once a week they had enough to share a few spoonfuls with everyone.

One evening Wally noticed the aquarium was moved outside the camp Commander's building to be cleaned out.  As soon as he got a chance, Wally scooped a small octopus with a head the size if a plumb out of the murky water and into his mouth.  No one was nearby.  He struggled with the squirming legs to get them in his mouth.  In a hurry he swallowed the animal whole!  It was too large and he started to choke on the huge lump in his throat.

He began to walk quickly away from the building and as he came around the the other side from the latrine, a guard saw him turning blue and gagging while holding his throat.  The guard acted instinctively and hit him hard on the back.  The octopus then slid down his throat.  He never saw what was in Wally's mouth and thought he had been vomiting behind the building because his mouth and shirt were all wet.  Wally thought that was a very close call!

Every night he dreamed of home.  He and Nona and Sandra together again.  Seeing the rest of his family and being free to do whatever he wanted to do kept his spirits up.

He dreamed of grocery stores full of food.  His favorite was olives.  Each time it was as though he could taste the olive in his mouth.  But when he would try to find them in the store they were not there.  He vowed to always have olives on hand when he made it home.

He thought of his brother Glen and his cousin, Harold better known as, Shadow.  Fun times rambled through his brain at night.  Dances at the military academy, Creighton High.  Raising a frog from a tadpole when he was little.  His wedding day with Nona in her beautiful dress she made herself.  His mother and the big Tudor style house on Eustis St in St. Paul.  The birth of Sandra.  He had much to live for.  For the first time in years he awoke with a smile on his face.

Chapter 8

"Mommy, can we have one of these?"  Sandra pointed at the refrigerator in the store in St. Paul.  It was shiny white and rounded at the corners.  Inside the bins were aqua blue.  The door had a bin for eggs and butter.  There was a small door at the top that had ice cube trays and an area for freezing some food.  The main shelves could hold other food like milk and cheese and vegetables to keep them from spoiling.  It was electric.  It was beautiful!

"Yes, we are going to buy this refrigerator and have it sent on the train to Ulen.  Grandmother will be so surprised!"  Nona did not realize it at the time but she had just purchased the first refrigerator in Ulen.  It was like she was a celebrity when it arrived and was taken to her mother's house.  All the ladies from church had to drop by to see it and get a demonstration.  Sandra had her little friends see it, too.  She was so proud of it.

The first thing they made was jello.  Nona put it in a bowl to cool overnight in the refrigerator.  In the morning Sandra could not wait to taste the fruit flavored jiggly treat.

"Mmmmmmm," Sandra said as she took her first mouthful.  " I want some more!"  "Oh, no you don't!  You haven't had breakfast yet!" Nona scolded.  "We will have some later on after lunch."  

Nona got a job at the Nursing home helping the people that called it their home.  She needed the extra income and enjoyed helping everyone.  Sandra could go to work with her.  She managed to save most of her salary and helped her mother out with her expenses.  She secretly wished Wally would agree to leave the Army and come to live here in Ulen when he came home.  Every day she stopped at the Post Office and checked the mail.  No further word.  The newspaper ran a list of those killed and missing in action or POW.  Wally's name appeared on the P.O.W. list.  She had no idea which camp he was in but it helped to know he was alive at least as of the date the newspaper was printed.  

Occasionally Nona went into St. Paul.  She always stopped in to say hello to Mrs. Hewitt and give her any updates she had on Wally.  Every time she was as cold as stone to her.

"I love Wally", Nona told her as she turned to leave.  "We have a daughter together and she looks just like him."  "I wish you could find it in your heart to be loving to her at least."

Mrs. Hewitt listened and then offered to have Sandra come stay with her in town that Spring for a few weeks so she could come to know her.  Nona agreed.  She hated making any kind of a deal with her but thought it would be fair for Sandra to know her other grandmother, too.

Throughout the year to follow, Nona made the trip by train with Sandra to St. Paul several

times.  Their relationship improved.  Sandra shared what news she learned with Wally's

family.  Things were looking better for them.

August 6, 1945 the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.  Another was  dropped on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9.  Devastation was everywhere and thousands were killed and the cities demolished. 

Nona stood in shock as she read the newspaper headlines.  What if Wally went through all of this and then was killed by our bombs!  She couldn't believe what was happening.  She was more frightened than ever.  But, others tried to reassure her he was going to be safe and be freed now.  They just knew it and she needed to believe it, too.  She could hardly wait to get to her mother's house to break the news.  The radio was blaring the information as she entered the house.  "Mother, I think the war is over!" she yelled.  She fell into her mother's arms and cried tears of joy.  "Oh, my God, thank you for ending this war!" Nona cried over and over.

Everyone came to Emily's house that afternoon to celebrate with them.  They just couldn't get enough information.  Sandra and her friends danced in circles watching their dresses

flare out.  Everyone was so happy hugging and crying.

When Nona finally got Sandra tucked in that night they prayed for Wally's safe return home.  

Chapter 9

A tremendous explosion rocked the island.  Percussion from the bomb shook the ground for many miles surrounding the area of impact.  There was chaos immediately and people ran for safety screaming with their clothing burned away from their bodies and buildings

disintegrated into dust.  Fires erupted everywhere.  A monstrous plume of smoke and vapor rose in a mushroom shape over the area and radioactive fall out showered down on everything below and was carried by the winds to surrounding areas.  Word of the bombing spread around the world almost as fast as it took the plane to release the bomb and fly away to safety.

There was no celebrating in Wally's camp.  They had heard of the bombing but were not sure of it's effectiveness.  The guards continued to work them as usual and the prisoners actually felt like they might be killed in retaliation.  "Everyone watch your back" Wally whispered and the message was repeated ear to ear in the dark.  

About a month later on Sep 2, 1945 aboard the USS Missouri the surrender of Japan was signed.

Time passed and one morning a few weeks later, the prisoners woke up  to a camp with no guards present.

Wally quickly gathered a group of men to make their way down the treacherous mountainous area.   They proceeded very slowly and cautiously.  This could be a trick and they could face a surprise ambush.  Day after day they made slow but steady progress down to the harbor area.  Wally estimated it to be about twenty miles from where there camp was located.  Tired, scratched, hungry and thirsty the group emerged from the wooded area.  They proceeded toward the American ships.  A marine stopped them and

demanded they hold their hands above their heads.  Wally quickly complied and told the soldier they were American P.O.W's.  The marine stood in awe as he looked at the scrawny group of men.  None of them weighed more than 90 lbs dripping wet.  They were covered in filth and stunk to high heaven.  All were wearing their black Japanese pajamas and woven sandals.  Wally told him his name. "I am Capt. Walter J. Hewitt and these are my men.  Take me to your Officer in command at once!"  he barked crisply.

The marine quickly stood at attention and saluted.  "Sir, yes, sir!" 

"Attention!"  The group came to a halt at a table and they were greeted by a Navy Captain.

Wally saluted and shook the Captain's hand vigorously.  "Where are you from, Capt. Hewitt?" he addressed him.  "St. Paul, MN, Sir!"  "You need to meet my OOD.  Come with me and I'll introduce you.  He is from St. Paul, too!"  Wally followed the Captain aboard

the ship.  What he saw next made his eyes fill with tears as his own cousin Harold (Shadow) Hammerschmidt smartly saluted him!  They fell into each others arms and cried like babies.

Holding each other at arms length they marveled at the miracle they had just experienced.

Wally was not aware that Harold had joined the Navy at the beginning of the war.  Shadow told him he just had to go and thought the best way to get there was with the Navy.  

Food and water was brought for them to eat.  "Go easy, men.  You will get sick if you eat all this at once."  They packed a few boxes of supplies to take back to the camp the next day.  Wally got a group of marines together to go with them up into the mountain area and bring the remaining POW's down to the safety of the harbor.

Arriving the next morning, the remaining POW's yelled and chanted "God Bless America!"  "Hell, Yeah, we're free!"  They put their arms around each other and danced.  Tears streamed down their filthy checks and left pale streaks on their skin as it washed away the dirt.  Hollowed out eye sockets looked at the small group of marines marching in single file up the path led by Capt. Hewitt. 

Heavy wooden cases of fresh vegetables and fruit and canned goods were unloaded from their shoulders.  The men stared in wonderment at the sight.

It was the most food they had seen in three and a half years!  Each of them were given a chance to pick something for themselves.  They did not need to share but all of them did.  It was like a banquet laid out before a king.  Small aluminum can opener hooks opened the cans.  Wally placed one of the openers in his hand.  I could have killed an army of those Nips with just this, he thought.

They were instructed to eat slowly and put only small portions in their stomach at at time lest they would vomit and waste the food.  It happened anyway but they didn't care.  They drank long gulps of water from the canteens they filled from the larger containers found in the camp Commander's office.  

Wally emerged from the office with both hands full of dog tags.  One by one he

called out the name on the tag and gave it to the man it belonged to.  Men kissed the metal tag embossed with their name rank and serial number before putting the chain around their neck.  They had their identities returned to them in that moment.  Wally stood in silence as he placed his chain over his head and held the tag with his hand.  He had handed out twenty tags and had one hundred other tags with no one to give them to.  He put the unclaimed dog tags in a small box.  He never let it out of his sight until handed over to the authorities back on board the USS Missouri  later the next day.

The motley crew rested awhile and then started to make their way down the narrow path through the dense trees.  Wally noticed everything along the way.

The smell of the evergreens.  The moss and the wild flowers that bloomed among the rocks at the edge of the stream that fed the pool where they had bathed only a few times.  He stopped momentarily and reached down to scoop some of the mud into his hand.  Using it like soap he scrubbed his face then washed the grime away with fresh water.  The muffled steps under their sandals could barely be heard as they made their way down the steep embankment.

Each of them were asked to provide their vital information so that the Yeoman could write it on a roster to be turned into the Central Command Center.

Wally handed the box of unclaimed dog tags to him then sat for another hour and recited his list of names held in memory from the victims during the Battle and march on Bataan.

Once the men were registered, they were led to outdoor showers and allowed to 

wash themselves of the years of imbedded filth on their bodies.  Clean soap and water cascaded over their skin and rivers of brown muddy water, pain, desperation and fear collected at their feet and ran along the wooden elevated crates they stood on and into the street.  Men opened their mouths to drink the water that showered over their matted hair.  Their ribs,  hip bones and vertebrae almost pierced their taught pale skin.  Towels were handed to them as they stepped from the area.

Wally took his and smothered his face in it's clean smell and vigorously dried his hair and skinny body.  From there they were taken to an exam room.  Each of them were photographed front and back and then they stepped on the scales one by one to be weighed.  Wally heard the Corpsman say 90.2 lbs and write it next to his name.  The doctor examined each man and assessed him from head to toe.  Measurements were recorded next to their weight in their medical file.  Cuts and wounds were cleaned.  Some of the more severe injuries had ointment and a gauze bandage applied.   A long table held clean underwear for them.   

The doctor then had them report to Sick Bay and assigned to a bed.  Nurses and Corpsmen went from bed to bed and inserted IV's and hung replenishing fluids in glass bottles that dripped into their bloodstream all night. Temperatures and blood pressures were taken every four hours.  Warm blankets were placed over their bodies and pillows under their heads.  Wally felt as though  he could feel every feather as his head made contact with it and the pillow softly cradled his skull.

Slowly he surveyed the room.  White walls surrounded them.  Glass bottles suspended from hooks on poles were over each bed.  Carts of linens and supplies were along one side of the room.  A clip board  held each man's health chart at the foot of the bed.  Every few hours someone would look at it and write something down.  His eyes closed and he fell into the center of a huge tornado funnel.

Everything around him was spinning out of control.  Bright colors flashed behind his eye lids.  Voices were distant and not familiar to his ears.  A flood of bile rose up into his throat and he rolled over to his side and vomited on the floor.  He was so weak he couldn't even warn someone.  Flopping back on the pillow he heard scurrying around him as he blacked out.  He came to while being rolled onto his side for the bed to be changed.  He felt warm water cleaning his body.  A sharp sting in his butt hurt like hell but he didn't care what they did at that point as long as he could survive and get home.  Dreams became nightmares.  Faces of Nip guards sneered at him in the dark.  The smell of their putrid breathe in his face made his stomach heave.  His intestines cramped in knots and made him writhe in agony holding his stomach against his backbone.

Diarrhea squirted without warning down his legs and pooled under him.  He felt hands under his body lifting him from one bed to another.  He could not open his eyes.  The lids felt glued to his eyeballs.  Someone flashed a light into them and tried to see if the pupils reacted properly.  Sweet unconsciousness engulfed him again.

Two days later Wally heard someone calling his name.  "Can you hear me Capt. Hewitt?" the doctor said softly.  He opened his eyes a fraction and saw the blur of a man standing over him.  He tried to focus and managed to nod his head "yes" in response.  "Good, I've been watching you closely and this is the first time you have responded in days!  I think you had a bout of Malaria.  But, I think you are on the mend now.  You need to stay in bed and we'll get you back in shape real soon" he assured him.  

Wally managed to sit up a little the next day and stay awake longer.  The fluids continued to drip their nourishment into his vein.  The Corpsman offered him clear both in a cup.  Wally could manage to take a few sips without it causing nausea and cramping.  

Slowly they helped him sit up and then to stand.  He needed help to stay up but was able to manage a few steps before needing to rest.  "Just one step at a time, Sir.  You are progressing nicely." the Corpsman told him.  Wally looked around the room and saw the others from camp either in their beds or being assisted in some way or another.  It made him feel good to see them and know they were improving, too.  "Take me over there I want to talk to that soldier," he said.  A wheelchair was brought and he was wheeled to the bedside of the man who had held his hand in camp.  

"How ya doing Capt. Hewitt?" he said.  "I'm doing better, Corporal Head." Wally told him.  "I asked them if I could come hold your hand again when you were so sick the other day.  Do you remember the last time that happened to you?" Corporal Head said.  "I sure do!  Did they let you this time?" Wally asked.  "Na, they said it wouldn't help any."  he said softly.  "We'll, I heard you and that's all that matters.  I knew you were pulling for me.  Thank you again, my friend.  I'll never forget your kindness.  When this is all over and we bring the Nips to trial for what they have done I'm going to tell them how they treated you in camp.  The world is going to know what those savaging, murdering monsters did from the start to the finish if it's the last thing I ever do!" Wally told him.

"Mark my words, they'll pay for this!" He said as the Corpsman wheeled him back to his bed and helped him to get comfortable.  This time his dreams were of home.

Chapter 10

They were transported to another larger hospital ship for transport to Hawaii.

All of them had received multiple medications to combat their various problems.

All of them got antibiotics and deworming treatments.  Their heads had been shaved to control the spread of the lice that infested their scalps.  Their daily intake, output and weight was registered.  Everyone was putting on much needed weight and the hollows of their faces started to fill.  Even the clarity and sparkle of their eyes was evident within just a few days.  New photographs were taken at the end of two weeks to help monitor their progress.  It was amazing how differently they looked within this short period of time.  Many of them would suffer for the remainder of their lives from injuries and illnesses sustained while prisoners of war.

They were checked into the military hospital on the big Island of Hawaii.  Coming into port they were allowed to look out onto the harbor.  Remnants of the bombing of Pearl Harbor were everywhere you looked.  Many of the men turned and went back to their beds and cried at the sight.  Others, like Wally stood and got pissed off at the sight!  "Those sorry sons of bitches!" He said.

"You low down yellow shits! I'm going to see that justice is done!" Wally said as he hit his fist against the railing.

The first thing he wanted to do was send Nona a telegram.  He couldn't wait to hear from her.

Dear Nona:

I am in the hospital in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  So good to be alive and well and safe in the USA!  I will write again soon.  All my love to you and Sandra.

Wally

A few days later he received a parcel of several letters that had been held for his arrival in Hawaii.  One by one he opened them.  He ran his finger along the pretty penmanship.  He picked up the paper to smell it and detected a light perfume on the tissue thin paper.  A tiny dried flower fell out of the envelope.

It was the same one he had sent her long ago from one of the camps.  His heart soared with relief to know she had received it and had word that he was alive.  He placed it back inside the letter and read the next one.  Closing his eyes and holding the letters against his chest he napped.

In his dream he was with her at a banquet.  She was feeding him an olive.  It was the only thing he wanted to taste on his lips other than her kiss.  

Each day he grew stronger.  His hair was growing and he regrew his mustache, too.  Every week his weight increased.  Work with some stationary weights was allowed to help build muscle.  Care was taken that enough calories were consumed daily that were not worked off.  He had to get up to 120 lbs before the hospital would release him.  He had gained 10 lbs.  There were set backs when he would gain then loose it with bouts of diarrhea.  But there was slow steady progress.  He felt like there was nothing he couldn't do now that he was a free man.

The men were taken to a room where there were several telephones.  He had written Nona that she needed to be in St. Paul at the Red Cross office in order to get his call on the day and time designated.

With anticipation he dialed the number and heard the ring through the receiver.

"Hello, This call is for Nona Hewitt, my wife.  This is Captain. Hewitt."

The receiver was handed to Nona by the Red Cross nurse.  " Hello, Wally?" she asked timidly.  "Is this really you?" she said as tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks onto the table.  "Yes, it's me honey, I love you" Wally said as he heard his voice echo on the line.  "I love you, too!  When can we see you,? I have to see you!"  "Soon, I promise.  I have to gain a little more weight first." he told her.

"Time, Capt. Hewitt."  The Yeoman said.

"Nona, honey we have to hang up now.  I love you and Sandra.  Giver her a hug and kiss and tell the family I will be home soon!  "Oh, also tell June I saw Shadow! Amazing story, but I'll tell you later.  Goodbye!"

Nona gently put the receiver down on the cradle and heard it click.  She rose and dabbed her eyes with her hanky and walked out to the street.  Looking skyward she said, " Thank you God for answering our prayers!"  She decided to walk the several miles back to Eustis St. to give everyone the news she had just heard from Wally.

Along the way, she looked in the store and restaurant windows.  It was as though there had never been a war.  Everyone laughed and there was a happiness that was palpable.  New clothing hung on manakins in the department store at the corner.  The brass on the revolving door of the Plaza Hotel gleamed as it twirled people in and out from the sidewalk to the marble lobby.  Women walked pushing baby buggies and stopping to look at the menu posted outside a cafe.  All of a sudden she felt so ashamed for enjoying and experiencing the sights and sound of the city while Wally couldn't.  She promised herself that as soon as they could they would come into town together and stay in this fine hotel with all it's splendor.  He deserved spoiling and pampering even if it just meant laying in each others arms.  

Before she knew it she was at the house and she hurried up the steps.  Everyone had been told she had gone to town for the phone call.  They waited in anticipation for what she had to say.  " Is that all?  You only got to talk three minutes?"  Emma said in a huff.  "Well, I'll tell you, it was the best three minutes of my life and I'll remember it forever!" Nona told them with excitement.  

"Ok, everyone grab a plate and let's eat!" June announced.  We've been cooking all day and I'm starving!" she said.  "I'm sorry. Nona I didn't mean to say that!  Poor Wally.  I wish he could come eat with us right now!"  "I  do too, June Nona told her.

Oh, by the way, Wally said he saw Shadow!" Nona added.  " What?  How, when?" June asked.  Nona just told her they had to wait on that story as she put a slice of ham on her plate.

Chapter 11

Wally climbed aboard the train in uniform.  He threw his duffle bag on the rack above his seat and looked out the window at at the trains lined up.  Troops of Army, Navy and Marine soldiers boarded various ones headed to numerous destinations East of San Francisco.  "Where you headed Capt.?" a voice he recognized asked.  Wally looked up and saw his friend Corporal Maurice Head standing in the isle.  Wally jumped up and grabbed him as Maurice tried to salute.  "I'll have none of that from you! How the hell are you, Maurice?" he said as they took a seat across from each other.  "I thought you shipped out already" Wally told him.  "No, I wanted to see San Francisco a few days first before heading to Kansas City.  I'll probably never get another chance.  I'm getting out next month and going to farm with my father.  I'm taking leave till then." he said.  Wally nodded in agreement.  "Can't  blame you for that!  We all need to eat.  I can't think of a better thing for you to do.  I want to have some sweet corn when Nona and I come visit you!"  " That's a deal, Capt." Maurice said as they shook on the gentleman's agreement.

"What about you?  Are you a lifer, Capt?"  Maurice asked.  "Yes, I suppose I am.  The Army is the only career I ever wanted.  I used to play Army with my brother and cousin when I was little.  Then I attended a military High School.  When I got my commission after college I couldn't wait to travel.  When Nona and I got orders to the Philippines we thought we had hit the jackpot!  Boy was I taken to the cleaners on that duty station!  I figure it can only get better from here.  We've already been to Hell and back!"

"Speaking of Hell, Sir.  Make sure you let me know when you need my statement for the War Crimes Trial."  he said.  "Don't worry, I won't!  I have a lot of work ahead of me to gather all the evidence from you and a whole lot of other prisoners.  In the meantime, while it's still fresh, write everything down in detail and mail it to me at this address as soon as you can."  Wally handed him a slip of paper with his address printed on it.  

"Sir, did you ever find out if you were right about where the camp was located?" Maurice asked before stepping off the train in Kansas City.

"Yes, I did.  Now, go and  don't you worry any more about that.  That place is Hell on earth along with Bataan and best forgotten.  Don't let it ruin your future." Wally told him as they shook hands and said goodbye.

Maurice stepped out on to  the platform just as the train slowly departed.  He saluted Wally as his window passed him.  He stood there until the caboose was no longer visible in the distance.  Then he picked up his duffle bag and stuck out his thumb at the road to hitch hike the rest of the way home.

The ride through the heart of America struck Wally in a way he had not appreciated before he had left.  He watched as tractors plowed large swatches of earth.  Corn rows stretched as far as you could see in all directions.  The soil was as black as tar.  Windmills harnessed the breeze that flowed across their blades in a blur.  Wally wondered, "Was all of this here before?   I think I chose not to know or care about how I was fed just that there was food available when I was hungry and I ate as much as I wanted."  It made him feel guilty.

He stood in line in Chicago waiting for the connector that would take him into St. Paul.

Unfolding the Chicago Tribune he read an article about someone robbing a bank.  Another one was about a new department store that was going to be built in the center of the city.

The zoo expected record crowds this year with the addition of new exhibits.  Thumbing further away from the front page was a short article about solders returning to their hometowns.  How were they dealing with the return to society?  Wally was annoyed by this

as if the definition of who you were in society was directly related to whether or not you would fit into society's tight shoe.  Would the returning soldier visit the zoo?   Would they shop at the flashy new store and spend their war dollars?  Would they end up robbing a bank?  Is this what he fought for?  This greed of American society that was printed about in the paper.  Because, after all, if it's in the paper it has to be true, right?  He shoved the paper in the trash can and decided right then and there the news media was corrupt!

The only truth of the matter was that he was alive.  And he would set all the records straight about the war.  There would  be no doubt what had happened in anyone's mind when he was finished having his day in court.  And when it was done and justice served, he would then live his life and not look back or allow it to consume and ferment inside him.  When he was finished that would be all that would be said about the matter.  There will be glory seekers.  There always are after tragedies.  Those that seek the lime light.  He was not one of them.  But, he would make sure his family was protected at all times.  He knew that much was for certain.  He would never go hungry again.  He would have comfort in the most meager of settings.  Simple pleasures would not be taken for granted.

The train was late.  Others started getting impatient waiting.  Wally just watched them and wondered if they would have been able to endure what he just had.  He already knew just by hearing their remarks that they wouldn't have lasted  a minute.  He wanted to scream at them to just start walking!  See if you can make things happen any faster by complaining.

His temper was beginning to get to him with their ignorance.  Just then the light from the engine rounded the corner and the train rumbled to a stop expelling blasts of steam near the steel wheels.  Wally sat at the opposite end of the car from the complainers to keep from throwing them onto the tracks!

He slept sitting up just as good as huddled in fetal position.  However, his mind sprung to action as his muscles relaxed.  He was back on that train in Bataan.  Squashed on all sides from other sweating and stinking bodies.  Hot rancid air filled with expelled carbon dioxide

filled the pitch blackness of the car.  Hallucination or real?  Oh, this was real, alright!  No doubt about it.  Wally's brain went into survival mode and he woke up hyperventilating and frantic.  He jumped up and hurled the window open to allow the fresh air  to hit him in the face.   He let it blast his lungs to the point of exploding them.

There was immediate relied and after a moment he closed the window and sat down and bent over with his head in his hands for support.  The nurses at the hospital told him he would go through these periods of shock related to the stress he had been under.  He didn't believe them but was beginning to wonder if that wasn't true after all.  Some of the complainers looked at him with wide eyes and wondered if he had gone crazy for a minute.

A few hours later Wally shifted in his seat and looked out at the town in the distance.  They were getting close now and figured they would get there pretty soon.  He noticed the skyline even from this far away.  St Paul, HOME!  He rubbed his eyes to squint against the sun that was coming up and streaking directly at him.  Bursts of trees along the track made looking at the panoramic appear like a armature home movie. Scenes were jostled and flicked until they ran together as one revealing image.  He thought it looked like Paradise.  He had been to Hell so he knew the difference!  He didn't care if he ever saw a tropical place again.  He was getting excited and trying to pick out landmarks.  Oh my God, I am really going home!  I'm going Home!

Chapter 12

Nona couldn't sleep all night.  Her mind raced with excitement.  Today is the day her life would restart.  Wally was coming home, finally!  It had been over a month since the end of the war!  Wally had been kept in the hospital longer than most of the men returning.  She read his letters describing his recovery.  It just seemed so unfair for them to have to wait a second longer.  She was glad that he had put back on the necessary weight in order to be discharged.  She had seen some photos that scared her of POW's from Germany.  They looked like the living dead.  She wondered if Wally had looked that way, too.  She just couldn't picture it.  Her memory of him was so vivid and clear.  He looked as handsome and as strong as in that wedding photograph.  

She got up and went to the closet to select the dress she would wear to the train station.

It was a light wool dress in a deep plumb color.  The weather was beginning to get cold but would warm up during the day.  The bodice was fitted and she had made a black velvet collar and sewed small covered black buttons down the back.  She embroidered a cluster of small flowers on the bodice just under the neckline.  It looked just like the dress in the department store downtown.  It had a slight flair to the skirt.   She had bought some new  black high heels and a purse.  Sandra would wear her plaid dress with dark green sash ribbon.  Nona had made both outfits and it would carry them through Christmas and the months after.  

She ran a bath and stepped in after testing that it was lukewarm.  Hot  water was a luxury.  

She lathered her body and rinsed off.  She had lost weight, too.  It was hard to eat anything that didn't upset her stomach.  The doctor told her it was the constant stress and worry.

She put on her slip and new nylon stockings taking care not to get a runner and that the seam was straight down the center of her slender leg.  Nylons.  She had not worn any in a long time.  They just were not necessary.  But, today they were.  She wanted to look her best.  Her hair had been set in pin curls the night before and she removed the bobby pins that held them in place while she slept.  Shaking her head and running the brush through her blonde hair she styled it loosely with a side part.  She kept it about neck length and it sparkled in soft S waves.  She pinned a small section from the front to keep it from going into her eyes.  Time to get Sandra ready as she took one last look in the mirror.

Sandra was sitting up in the bed and hugging her knees as Nona got to her room.  "How do I look, do you think daddy will like it?" Nona asked her.  "Mommy, you look like a princess!"

Sandra told her as they hugged and Nona kissed the top of her head.

"Quick, lets get you cleaned up and into your new dress!" Nona told her as they walked down the hall.  She couldn't believe how tall Sandra was getting.  She had her fifth birthday coming up in just another few weeks.  Her head already came up to Nona's chest.  "My goodness, Sandra, daddy isn't going to recognize you!" she exclaimed.  "Why not, Mommy?"  Sandra said puzzled.  Holding out her hand to the level of her thigh, Nona said, We'll you were just two when he last saw you and you were only this high!"  "Don't you remember?" Nona asked.  "No." Sandra said sadly.

"You look like a beautiful princess, too, Sandra!" Nona told her after tying the sash around her waist and turning her around.  Sandra's natural waves of her brunette hair flowed past her shoulders.  She twirled around to allow the skirt to spin around  her legs.   New patent leather shoes were brought out of their box.  Her anklets were cuffed.

Mrs. Hewitt, Nona's mother Emily and the others were waiting for them as they came down the stairs.  There was an excitement in the room that could have lit a light bulb!

Together they walked the short distance to the trolly car that would take them to the train station.  They climbed out and entered the huge rotunda of the massive building.  The tiny mosaic tiles in black and white had a diamond pattern.  There were huge support pillars the entire length of the area.  Above there heads hung large lights under white glass  globe shades.  Sun beams entered through the windows up near the ceiling and particles in the air illuminated as they drifted in the current of air as people walked briskly to the platform.

Sandra stopped in the bright beam of light.  "Look, Mommy I'm on stage like a movie star!"

Everyone laughed as they made their way to the tracks.

"I hear it coming, Mommy!"  Sandra announced loudly.  The train entered at the far end of the building and continued the entire length until it stopped.  The conductor opened the door and stepped out on the platform with a stool and put it down.  He helped some ladies off first and they quickly locked arms with their family and hugged.  Baggage was being taken off and placed beside the tracks.  Nona and Sandra looked from window to window trying to get a glimpse of him in the train.

"Nona, Sandra!" Wally called from behind them.  They turned around and ran into his outstretched arms.  He smothered himself in their curls and breathed deeply.  All the days, weeks, minutes and years of waiting and worrying dissipated in streams of tears down Nona's face.  They held each other closely until Sandra said, "I can't breathe down here!"

They loosened their grip on each other and held themselves at arms length to look at each other and smile.  "God, are you a sight for sore eyes!", Wally said and sighed.  "Sandra, come let me take a look at you" he said as she ducked out from between them.  "My, oh, my, you are beautiful!"  Standing back from them the other family members waited to greet Wally.   All of them got a turn embracing him and exclaiming how good it was to have him home safely.  Together they walked outside to catch the trolley back to his mother's house.

Eustis St.  looked like it was on fire with the canopy of bright orange, red and yellow trees that lined each side.  The vibrancy of the colors made it look as though someone had spent all day decorating for a parade.  They entered the foyer and hung up their coats.  The ladies went to work right away in the kitchen getting food prepared for lunch.  Wally set his duffle bag in the corner and stood to look at his father's portrait in the living room.  They looked so much alike they could have been twins.  He had died way too young.  

Looking around the room he was overwhelmed that it looked exactly the same as when he had last seen it.  He went around the entire house looking at photos and picking up things to examine closer.  Each and every thing brought back memories.  He picked up a figurine and could see the telltale evidence of the glue he had used to repair it when he and Glen were playing and it had fallen off the ledge.  His mother never knew it had broken.  He gently replaced it back on the shelf where it had sat for the last fifteen years.  He climbed the stairs to one of the bedrooms.  He ran his fingers across the lines of tuft on the chenille bedspread.  The dotted Swiss sheer fabric on the curtains filtered the light coming through the window.  Home, he thought, It's so nice to be home!

Chapter 12

The first night together they had tucked Sandra into her bed and kissed her good night. 

They walked with their arms around each other down the hall to his old bedroom.  It was kept pretty much the same as it had always been.  Memories of Creighton High and The University of Minnesota were displayed.  Photos of buddies playing baseball.  His old bat and glove by the door.

He closed the door behind them and turned the key.   Nona stood by the dresser and looked in the mirror at him looking at her.  She smiled and turned around to face him.  Wally walked up to her and reached out to touch her hair and then her neck.  "I've waited such a long time for this exact moment" he told her softly.  "I have, too" Nona whispered.  They held each other closely and melted into each others embrace.  " I love you!" they both said at the same time.  She allowed him to undress her and then he allowed the same.  Together they made their way into the bed and fell in love all over again.

He  propped himself up on his side and watched Nona sleep.  It was such a miracle that he was here with her right now.  So many mornings he would wake up early just before the sun rise while in prison camp.  He would think of her just like he had from last night.  The dream became reality finally!  From now on, they needed to really enjoy life.  He couldn't wait for them to wake up and hear their voices and sit and stare at them when they didn't know he was.

He was interviewed by the paper for The Ulen Union and The Pioneer Press in St Paul.

They were treated to a much needed period of R&R.  A huge banquet of food including olives was in abundance for them to enjoy.  The write up was nice and gave some facts that the majority of readers would have wanted to know about his years as a prisoner but skipped any graphic details.  Those details would have to be gathered over the next year and he intended to be very explicit and factual with his documentation.  He had the names and addresses of quite a few fellow POW's he had been in camp with.  He had asked all of them to take the time to write to him with their memories of specific events that had happened as it related to them being mistreated and tortured by the Japanese guards.  He wanted dates as close as possible and guard names, too.  Once he had that information in hand he would be presenting it to the Joint Chief of Staff briefing in Washington, DC.  He would personally return to the Philippines to represent all of those he could at the War Crimes Trial.

In the meantime, he, Nona and Sandra spent every waking moment together.  They traveled to Ulen to greet all the townspeople.  Many of them had not had much of a chance to know him before he and Nona  married.  They had fun out on the farms of her friends.

Everyone wanted to ask questions and know what he had gone through.  But Wally knew they would be aghast at the grim details so he left them out and only told some of the funny things.  He always got a laugh when he told about swallowing the octopus whole!  

In St Paul they took Sandra to go ice skating.  There was a brand new rink that had opened

and skates could be rented.  All three of them held hands as they went around the loop.

Nona and Sandra struggled to stay up but Wally had grown up skating out at Turtle Lake and had played some ice hockey so he was pretty confidant.  He laughed and laughed at their spindly, wobbly legs trying to skate on the slippery surface.  Then after just a few feet they would fall and he would have to go and help them up.  After an hour the girls were tired and they turned in their skates.  Wally took the freedom of skating for them to show off his ability.  Faster and faster he skated leaning forward with one hand resting on the small of his back.  His stroke was long and smooth and propelled him around the rink like an Olympian.  Sandra and Nona clapped with their mittens as he came to a swift stop by turning the blades of his hockey skates to the side and spraying them with ice shavings!

"Lets's go get some hot chocolate" Wally said next.  They made their way to the Five and Dime store and sat up at the counter.  The stool swiveled and Sandra enjoyed her daddy spinning her around until she was dizzy.  They laughed at themselves about not being able to skate.  The waitress put three mugs of steaming hot chocolate in front of them.

The aroma and steam rose.  Wally closed his eyes and put his face close to the surface and took a breathe in.  He immediately thought of when he had his first taste of the hot soup they had made in camp and the steam that came from the pot as they passed it from man to man.  Now here he sat with his own mug of steaming rich chocolate milk.  What a stark contrast yet the pleasures of both moments made him feel very fortunate.

It began to snow on their walk back home.  It stuck to the trees and grass and street.  Before long it was a blinding storm and the wind kicked up and blew the flakes sideways.

They got back to the house just in time before feeling numb from the cold.  Boots, hats, scarves, gloves and coats were hung in the outer vestibule of the foyer.  When they entered the house it was chilly.  "I'll get a fire started " Wally said.  Sandra curled up on the couch under a quilt.  Nona got busy making dinner.  Mrs. Hewitt had gone to stay at her sister's home to give Wally, Nona and Sandra time to be together alone.  It was a very nice gesture

but left Nona feeling a bit out of sorts especially since she didn't extend this courtesy to her when she had arrived from San Francisco.

After they had eaten they sat together on the couch under the quilt and told Sandra stories until she fell asleep in Wally's lap.  He rose and took her upstairs to her bed in his arms.

Nona sat staring at the flames and waiting for him to come back down stairs.  She remembered the first day out at the cabin struggling to get it warm enough in there with just the small pot belly stove.  She made up her mind that she would ask Wally to only stay a few more days here.  She did not want it to be an intrusion and give Mrs. Hewitt anything to complain about later.  Besides, Nona was anxious to go to the new duty station and set up their new home together.

Wally came down the stairs and paused for a moment to watch her with the glow of the fire

softly illuminating the room.  "What a sight, I just can't believe this is real!" he thought.

Just then Nona looked up at him and gave him a smile as she opened the corner of the quilt and allowed him in beside her.

"Honey, talk to me about it." she asked slowly.  Wally took in a breathe and let it out.  "Nona, when you see the way I look now compared to the way I looked when you left, what do you see?"  It was a fair question and needed a thoughtful, fair answer.

Nona looked up at him beside her.  She couldn't say a word.  He had lost about eighty pounds total and had regained only twenty-five.  "I can't tell you, Wally.  I don't want to hurt you by saying anything negative." she said quietly.  "Ok, now you know why I can't tell you what it was like.  I don't want to hurt you with any of the details.  I'm home and alive.  That should be enough for right now." Wally told her as he held her hand.  "Ok" is all she could say in return.  Tears stung her eyes and he wiped them from her cheeks as they slipped past her lashes.  Together they both wept as the flames went out and there were only embers glowing.

Chapter 13

Sandra got up and pushed back the thin curtains on the window of her room.  Looking out toward the front yard, she squealed with delight at how much snow had fallen over night.

"Mommy, daddy, look at the snow!  Can we go out and build a snowman? she asked standing in the doorway to their room.  "Yes, but first we need some breakfast!  Have you ever had rice for breakfast?" he asked raising his eyebrow.  "No, yuck! Is that what you want?" Sandra asked.  "It sure is!  I want to eat rice every day so I never forget!"  "Forget what?" she he said.  "Never to go away for so long again, honey!" he said.  "Now let's see, where does Granny keep the rice?"  he said as he got up and went into the kitchen looking.

Nona, Wally and Sandra suited up and went out to the front yard and made a huge snowman.  Sandra put the carrot nose in as Wally lifted her up.  Nona placed a piece of a torn blanket around the neck for a scarf and Wally used some of the charred wood from the fireplace to make the eyes and mouth.  Standing back they admired their work.  "Perfect!"  Wally told them.

Mrs. Hewitt arrived home at noon stomping her feet to remove the snow from her boots.

She came inside and the others were in the kitchen eating some tomato soup and toasted cheese sandwiches.  "Good, you're just in time for lunch!" Wally told her as he pulled out the chair at the table.  Emma sat down and told Sandra how much she liked the snowman in the front yard.  "Mother, Nona and I have decided on going ahead to Ft. Leavenworth early.

We'll be leaving day after tomorrow if that's ok with you?" Wally told her.  "Why, I suppose.  I had wished you would have stayed here for the rest of your leave.  I've barely had any time with you.  But, I suppose if that's more important then, who am I to stand in the way?"  The rest of the time they ate in silence then she excused herself to go upstairs for a nap.  "See, that's exactly what I predicted she would say to make you feel guilty for wanting to go early" Nona said once Sandra had left the kitchen.  She cleared the table, washed the dishes and dried them.  Wally put them away as they talked.  "She's right though.  I have not spent much time with her.  I missed her, too when I was gone."  Wally explained.  "Fine, then spend all day tomorrow and take her out somewhere while I get our things packed to go on Friday" Nona said.  "She will make things miserable if she does not get her way." Nona said.

"It's fine, really.  I need a little space, too" Nona added.

The next day Wally took his mother to lunch at the Plaza Hotel in Town.  They walked through the revolving door and entered the granite lobby.  The bell hop greeted them and they were escorted to the dining room and seated.  Each table was covered with a crisp white tablecloth and had a small bud vase with a red rose.  A folded napkin perched on top of the gold trimmed dinner plates with polished silverware on each side.  Each were handed a large leather booklet with the menu inside typed neatly.  They made their selections and while they waited enjoyed looking around the beautiful room.  The red velvet drapes flowed and were tied back with gold tassels.  The crystal chandeliers sparkled across the room.

"I wish you had decided to get married at the Catholic Church of the Assumption right here in St. Paul and then had a reception here afterwards.  It would have made such an impression, Wally!" Emma said with a tart voice.  "Impression for who, Mother, you?" Wally

said quickly.  "Well, yes and for all our guests, too!" she added.  "You know we didn't have time nor the money to do a wedding here like that!"  "Nona and I wanted to just keep it simple and as soon as possible since we were going to have to go to Texas.  In Minnesota you have to wait and in Iowa you don't."  Can't you just accept that as an answer?  We didn't want to put anyone out with an elaborate affair.  It's not our style."  Wally said.

"It could have been your style, Wally with your upbringing  and Officer's training!  You've

been groomed your whole life for the finer things!"  she quipped.  "Let me just say this, Mother, you might despise the fact that I married what you consider beneath me.  But, Nona has more class and refinement than anyone I have ever met!  And as for the finer things in life, eating bugs off the ground was a luxury for me while I was a prisoner.  I don't need any pomp and circumstance to prove anything to anyone!"  Their meal arrived and they did not utter another word to each other.

Friday morning came and their things were at the front door waiting for the taxi.  Wally hugged his mother goodbye.  She pretended to act upset at their leaving.  "I'll come stay with you this summer,  Granny!" Sandra announced with excitement.  Nona said goodbye and they all grabbed something to take out to the car.  Once they left Eustice St.,  Nona relaxed and thought if I never have to go back there she would be so happy!  

The train compartment gave them some room to relax together.  Sandra busied herself playing with the doll she had been given by the ladies from Nona's church in Ulen.  Wally read the newspaper and Nona pulled out her knitting.  The casual observer would have thought they needed to be in a Norman Rockwell painting.  The trip to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas would take quite awhile.  But to them it did not matter.  Just being together again made everything worthwhile.

Chapter 14

Sweat beads were on Wally's forehead as he tossed in his sleep.  They had not been in Ft. Leavenworth a few months and had just been given their apartment.

The furnishings were meager but compared with the conditions of prison camp it was a palace!  Getting accustomed to a new life after that ordeal would take a lifetime.  When sleep came, it was rattled with nightmares.  The bombings, the gunfire and brutal deaths came to the surface of his subconscious more and more frequently.  Often he would cry out in his sleep or jump out of bed with a glazed stare and fierce look on his face ready to attack.  Nona had problems of her own with insomnia.  She tried to not startle him in any way.  Even the act of her turning over in bed caused him to wake with a jolt.  They were both having a tough time readjusting to each other again.

"Wally, you were having a nightmare again  last night!  What was it about?" Nona asked.  "Nothing." Wally muttered as he rose to get out of bed stretching.

"I'm just over tired.  Don't worry about it.  I'm alive and home now.  That is all that matters!"  But Nona would never stop worrying.  She watched this happen night after night and much more frequently than he would admit.  Wally just would not talk about it at all.  Not to her or anyone they knew.  If he did, it was only to a priest or to someone with high security clearance.  She wished he would trust her to help him.

Getting down to business in a normal life seemed anything but normal to Wally.

He reported for work and at the end of the day came home.  He made himself a stiff drink or two and Nona always made sure they had a nice meal ready.  He insisted on having rice.  You would think he could not stand another grain in his mouth after Japan.  Yet, he wanted rice every night.  Slightly sticky just like he got accustomed to.  He always said it was to always remind him of his survival against all odds.  Who cold argue with logic like that?

Their trunks got shipped to them.  It's a miracle they got them out before the fall of the Philippines.  Unpacking the few things they were able to salvage made both of them grateful.  Sandra's sweet hand made embroidered baby dress.  Carved ivory pieces.  Nona's wedding dress.  Beautiful bright pink floral silk fabric.  Treasures bought in paradise that made it from Hell to them safely.  Amazing!

Sandra seemed withdrawn.  She did not want to go to school.  She did not want to do very much at all and would sit and stare out the window for long periods of time.  She had not adjusted easily to Wally being home either.  At first she did not know what to think. But, as time went on, she found it harder to get along with him because he was moody, too.  Nona was in the middle trying not to make waves.  After all, all three of them had good reason for they feelings they had.  No one went to the doctor for things of this matter.  Tempers were short and tears came easily.  "Daddy hates me!" Sandra cried to Nona one night.  "No, he doesn't, honey" Nona said holding her close.  "Daddy had a hard time when he was away from us.  He needs time to get used to things again." she said.  "We'll, so did I!" Sandra wailed.  "We all do, sweetie.  Now, don't worry about it.  It'll get better.  You'll see." she told her.

Nona felt nauseated.  She could barely eat a thing without throwing it up.  She was skinny as a rail and dragged herself through the day doing housework and cooking or sewing.  After a few weeks of feeling like this she went to the doctor thinking she had the flu like everyone else was experiencing.  "You are pregnant, Mrs. Hewitt!" the doctor told her.  "Congratulations!"  But, you are also very anemic and could have a touch of he flu, too.  "You need rest or I'll have to put you in the hospital!"  She headed home with the news that should have made her happy, but because she felt so sick, all she could manage to do was crawl into bed until Wally got home from work.

Wally came in and found Sandra sitting on the couch.  "Where is mommy?" he asked.  "She's sick and went to the doctor and then went to bed." Sandra said.

Wally entered the bedroom quietly and closed the door.  He sat on the edge of the bed and Nona opened her eyes.  "Hi, are you ok?" Wally said.  "Yes, just really tired and worn out.  The doctor said to take it easy because I had a touch of the flu."  "Really?"  "I hope that Sandra doesn't get it."  Wally said.  "Well, she more than likely will.  It's going around like crazy!" Nona added.  "Wally, there is something else going on with me.  I'm pretty anemic and I'm pregnant!" Nona said quickly.

"What?  That's great, well not the anemia or flu part, but a baby!"  Wally said in an excited voice.  "I'm the luckiest guy on earth!"  "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything!  I still have some leave I can take until you get better and on your feet!"  "Sandra, come here!  Mommy and daddy have something to tell you!  Sandra came into the bedroom and tip toed over to them. Wally held her in his lap as they broke the news that she was going to be a big sister!

The next several months were pretty hard on Nona.  She dragged herself through each day and collapsed in bed at night.  She was lonely and depressed from feeling this way and missed her mother and Ulen.  Some of the other Army wives stepped in to help out with Sandra.  That was pretty nice.  Toward the end of the pregnancy she was retaining a lot of fluid and her blood pressure was elevated.  The doctor put her on bed rest for toxemia.  Wally came home and took over doing what he could to keep them all going.  

April arrived and Nona went into labor.  It was a hard delivery on Nona but in the end their son George was the newest member of the family.

Wally lay awake one night watching him sleep in the bed next to them.  Nona was exhausted and Sandra was staying at his mother's house.  He looked down and touched the tiny hand

and fingers.  George grasped his finger tightly.  At that moment all Wally had fought for came full circle.  The fight for his own survival was being shared by this infant.  George was as helpless as he had felt in that prison clinging to life.  There is life and a safe future for them Wally vowed.  He would never allow anything like that to ever happen again.  

Thinking of the days, months and years that had passed Wally felt like it was a cruel trick that had been played on him.  By day there was normalcy.  At night his mind spun out of control.  Ruthless savages with small builds and squinted eyes like a rattle snake crawled.

They hid and coiled and struck at him in a flash like a lightening bolt.  Their fangs sinking in so deep they struck bone.  They deposited their poison in his blood.  It circulated in pulsation with each beat of his heart until it permeated each cell of his body.  Convulsive ions tightened his muscles into spasms of hatred.  The only escape was to fight and live and never forgive or forget.  

Chapter 15

Mail began to trickle in from various soldiers Wally had written.  Their detailed accounts

of torture spilled out of their letters like blood out of a gushing wound.  He would read them slowly and absorb their words.  Afterwards he looked at his hands to see if they were covered in blood or tears.  Over and over each of them recalled a savage existence.  It mirrored his own memories.  It added to his library of torturous thoughts at night.  Pulling a new volume every time he closed his eyes to sleep kept the saga ever present.  He would compile these letters into his presentation manuscript for trial. 

One testimony was written by a British Officer.  He wrote the following account:

There was a Japanese Lieutenant , whose name I forget, in charge of the camp, with six soldier camp guards.  The Lieutenant tried to give the impression that he was good to the prisoners, but he definitely permitted the guards to beat and ill treat them.  One of the worst guards in this respect was a man named Kanyama, who was 5'10", very thin, with protruding teeth, and wore horn rimmed spectacles with thick lenses.

About January 1945 three British prisoners of war and one other died of their burns received whilst working at the factory., and although I did not witness this incident, I helped carry them back to the camp.  This accident, in my opinion was due to negligence on the part of the Japanese foreman, whose name I do not know, in charge of  No.  7 furnace.

The "knobby" used for transporting molten carbide from this furnace had a crack across the bottom which had been stuffed with clay.  The foreman knew this was dangerous, but allowed the three men to use it and when it burst, the molten carbide ran into banks of snow, through which it was being pushed, causing an explosion which severely burned the three prisoners pushing it at the time.  Two of the men died that night and another lingered about a fortnight, but then died.  No investigation was made concerning this accident so far as I am aware.  The three were cremated in Japanese fashion, the service being conducted in the Japanese language and all prisoners had to attend.

In March 1945, the Japanese had retained Red Cross Parcels which had arrived at the camp on November 1944 and Capt. Hewitt of the American Army, the senior Allied Officer at the camp, complained to the Japanese Lieutenant on charge, alleging that they had been pilfered by the Japanese staff.  I was within hearing when Capt. Hewitt made this complaint, and understood what he was saying although he spoke in broken Japanese.  I heard the man, Kanyama, order Capt. Hewitt in the Japanese office and when he returned

about forty-five minutes later he had been severely beaten and his face was bruised.  I heard Capt. Hewitt say he had been struck on the face with a poker, and he remained in his bunk for two days.

Shortly after this incident, I was told by Capt. Janis, of the Royal Army Service Corps that Capt. Hewitt, Flight Lieutenant Chater of the Royal Air Force, and himself were accused of stealing food from the cookhouse.  Capt. Hewitt and they were called separately to the Japanese office and severely beaten.  I saw that he had a black eye and his spectacles were broken.

Another was from Maurice Head.

In the matter of the War Crimes committed by the Japanese Nationals and the matter of the ill- treatment of prisoners of war ( civilian internees)  Mitsushima and Kanose P.O. W

Camps, Japan.

I, Arthur Maurice Head, whilst serving as Aircraftsman A/C, R.A.F, in Java I was taken prisoner by the Nips on the 8th March, 1942.  After spending about six to seven months

as POW in Java I was taken to Singapore and spent 3 days in Changing P.O.W. Camp, before being taken to Japan on a transport ship (name of ship unknown), arriving

at Moji in November, 1942.  From Moji I was taken to Mitsushima P.O.W. Camp where I spent two very painful winters under the Nip beatings, the cold and insufficient food.  I was also threatened to be put before a firing squad by the Christian interpreter and the Nip Sgt. in charge of the camp ( name not known) for refusing to do a contract job whilst I was very weak after the effects of diarrhea, which I had for four months at a stretch previously.  After that occasion I had to do contract jobs every day for about a month as made to promise.  I had to force myself to do the work which was too hard for me, the Living Ghost.

My worst offender was Big Glass Eye, whose chose to beat me with an iron rod or stick across the back whenever it pleased him, for no apparent reason whatsoever, at work or in camp.  He struck me more than a dozen times at work on various occasions.  I used to dread confronting him for fear of a beating up.

Buick is another offender who has struck me and others on various occasions a number of times for unknown reasons, in and out of camp.

Capt. W.J. Hewitt who was responsible for us prisoners in Mitsushima Camp at the time, pleaded of the Nip authorities on many occasions to stop beating me as I was so weak., but they paid no head to his pleas and even went to the extent of beating him for it.

In Kanose P.O.W Camp there was "Poxy Pete" ( Sgt. Oichida) who was a great one for giving a beating whenever he felt like it and even our superior officers.  He has given me many a beating for no reason whatsoever.  He made our superior officers stand in the burning sun or cold from 7a.m. to 7 p.m. on many occasions for no reason.  Whenever Capt. W. J. Hewitt went up to plead to excuse the innocent ones, who had done nothing wrong, he used to get a hell of a beating.

Another one in Kanose Camp was Konyama ( Birdy Legs), who used to pick on us men

and beat us whenever it pleased him or give us extra fatigues just before meals or while meals were being served, leaving us very little time to finish eating, before proceeding to work.  He used to make our superior officers stand for hours at attention and then beat them after standing so long.

He struck a man with a stick across the face, which I think broke the fellows nose, or left a nasty cut.  

This is all I can remember as regards to Konyama (Birdy Legs).

A portion of another testimony from Harold Rogers states:

Corporal Smith, a British P.O.W. was smoking while sitting on one of the sleeping mats.

This was against camp regulations.  Capt. Hewitt and Corporal Smith were pulled to the guard house where Capt. Hewitt was told to punish Smith by beating him.  Capt. Hewitt refused.  With this, Smith was sent back to the barracks and Kuriyama then beat Hewitt

with his fists for about five minutes about the face and head outside the guardhouse.

I did not see this incident but when Hewitt returned he told me about it and I saw his bruised face.

Wally read each testimony and took extensive notes of the accounts these men recounted.

it took him endless hours and months.  Every bit of evidence was scrutinized to make certain it would be admissible and the most incriminating.

In the early part of March 1945, Hewitt was called to the Administration Office by Sgt. Uchida where he was accused of eating four meals a day.  Hewitt denied this and Uchida beat him with his fists about his face.  I did not see this incident but Hewitt told me when he returned he had told Uchida he would regret the day he had beat him.  During the Fall  of 1945 I accompanied Maj.Hewitt to Ougamo Prison in Tokoyo with an interpreter and a conversation  between Hewitt and Uchida took place.  Hewitt said, " I told you you would regret the day you beat me and I would return to Japan to see that you got punished!"

Also, do you remember me telling you that I could return?  Uchida said, "yes" he remembered the beating and the words of what Hewitt had said to him while a P.O.W.

A letter sent by John C. Roy:

August 11, 1946

Gentlemen:

    In reply to your inquiry dated July 19, I am sorry to say that I was shipped out of the Philippines to Japan too early to have benefited by any services rendered by the Filipinos other than medicine and a few things that the Filipino Red Cross was able to get through to us at O'Donnell.

     However, I would like to take this opportunity to report one Major Walter J. Hewitt, who was the Senior Officer for over a year, and the only American Officer at prison camp No. 16 who through his untiring efforts in behalf of the prisoners under his command, did improve our general living conditions as much as humanly possible under the circumstances.

     On account of these intercession (which he made almost daily) he was beaten, kicked and clubbed unmercifully.  The average man would have taken one or two of these mistreatments and then ceased and further efforts in behalf of the men under his command, but Maj. Hewitt had too much bull headed Minnesota blood in him to quit and I am convinced that his continued perseverance won much improvement in our condition for us.

     Under ordinary circumstances it would indeed be most unethical for an enlisted man to make a recommendation for an Officer, but since there was no senior officer over Maj. Hewitt and since I was one of the senior NCO's in this prison camp, I do not hesitate in saying that I think Maj. Hewitt should be rewarded with some sort of recognition, even though it be only a " Letter of Commendation Ribbon" for he certainly went far beyond the call of duty under trying and hazardous conditions in order to try and improve the lot of the men under his command.

Respectfully,

John C. Roy

M/ Sgt US AAF

Marshall Goff reported that three hundred prisoners were inoculated for Typhoid.  Only two needles were used and no form of disinfectant used.  He recalled the needle being so blunt by the time he was injected that the needle had to be torn into the skin.  His arm became swollen and infected and he was forced to work shoveling coal and lime into the open pit furnace under intense heat by the Japanese medical advisor named,The Spy.

Chapter 16

Packing his uniforms tightly into the duffle bag, Wally reviewed his presentation over and over in his head.  He had presented a brilliant testimony to the Chiefs of Staff and military lawyers who were overseeing the War Crimes Trial to be held in Tokyo.  Wally had worked tirelessly every day since arriving at Ft. Leavenworth on this endeavor.  He had signed and sworn documentation in hand from dozens of fellow P.O.W's he was taking with him.  The Prosecution had a commanding representation from the US and several allied countries.

He was ready and biting at the chomp like a thoroughbred horse at the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby.  Nothing could stop him now.  The goal was to have as many of these Japanese monsters sentenced to death or imprisoned for their crimes.

The flight was long with many stops and delays for various reasons.  The final leg understandably was the worst.  The weather was severe and there was extreme turbulence.  As the plane broke through the clouds, Wally surveyed the landscape below.

Wide swatches of land in various colors of brown and green were laid out like a huge patchwork quilt below.  Rice paddies flooded with water reflected the sky like mirrors.  You could see the random Japanese workers planting seedlings in the mud.  Rain clouds hovered overhead and sheets of rain pelleted the windows of the plane cabin.  The touch down was rough as the landing gear made contact with the pot holed runway.  From the air, it was hard to fathom that this beautiful countryside could have harbored such savages.

The crimes against humanity that were endured by the P.O.W's were horrific.  They warranted prosecution.  The war in the Asian theater was weighed against the European theater.   From 1946-1948 the trial turned over every stone to reveal the truth and expose the carnage.  Years of testament were presented in the utmost detail by Maj. Hewitt and many others who took the stand.  It was a long, slow and tedious process.  Each swing of a pick ax, scoop of a shovel, every beating, bruise, laceration, blister, every step, illness and death needed acknowledgement.  Nothing needed to be overlooked.  If it was endured, it was reported and prosecuted.

Wally took the stand and expertly laid out his case on behalf of those he represented.  All those that he was in command of and those that could no longer represent themselves and had died.  Nothing tired him.  His energy level was at it's peak as the enormity of the task unfolded in front of him.

After being sworn to tell the truth, Wally began.  Days, weeks and months of details were discussed.  

When asked about the P.O.W camps he was kept in there were many.  But the last one was not a known camp.  It did not appear on the map that was on display showing all the camps that the Japanese said they had.  Wally had studied the map.  It was not marked.

Capt. Hewitt how are you sure you were not in one of these other camps on the map? He was asked.  Wally explained that his last camp was located at near 45.39 N /141.69 E

which put it very near Wakkani, Japan in the extreme north.  He had derived this location by studying the North Star and the sun shadow relative to time during various seasons.  He had done his calculations over and over during his time there and he was certain of it's location.  After much  process of the verification of this camp the map was corrected to include The Latitude And Longitude Of Hell.

Based on his presentation and affidavits given to him, the following Japanese received these sentences:

COTA. Naruni                  Life

KONO, Hiroaki.              Life

KATAYAMA, Kengo  20 years

TAGUCHI, Yoshio.        Life

KURIYAMA, Michio.    Life

AOKI, Yuzu.                     Death

SHIBANO,                       Death

Chapter 17

Wally walked through the front door and threw his duffle bag aside.  With outstretched arms he gathered Sandra and George in his arms and lifted them.  He beamed a smile at Nona and said, " We won!"

*********

Wally served 34 years in the US Army and retired in 1970.  He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star among many other medals and ribbons.  He and Nona were Married Fifty-three years and had a total of five children Sandra, George, Hans, Catherine and Jeanine.

Col. Walter J Hewitt

4/19/1915 - 8/22/1993

age 78

Buried at Arlington

National Cemetery

Arlington, VA

Nona F. Syverson Hewitt

2/3/1916 - 3/24/2007

age 91

Buried at Oak Lawn Cemetery

Jacksonville, FL