Back to Bataan - A Survivor's Story
Written by Rick Peterson
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Foreword

Introduction



The Road to Bataan

The Bataan Death March

The San Fernando Train Ride

Camp O'Donnell

Clark Field Concentration Camp

Bilibid Prison

The Hell Ships

Japan

The Nomachi Express

Camp Nomachi

Surrender, Liberation, and Repatriation

The Homecoming



Epilogue

In Memoriam



Extra:
Bataan Death March Route Map



Extra:
Philippine Department of Tourism



Extra:
Star Tribune:
March of Time

("Article of Interest" for 4-6 Grade Basic Skills Reading Test Prep)



Extra:
Footprints in Courage
(A Book About Alf Larson and the Bataan Death March)



Extra:
Alf's Letter to God



Post/View Comments

Japan

You were still in Company Number Four when you arrived in Japan?
Right. Let me show you something. In this book, you can see my name along with the names of the people who went with me to the prison camp in Japan. After arriving at Moji, we disembarked from the ship and formed into our same companies on the dock.

The Japanese marched us to a ferry and we sailed across the bay to Shimonoseki. At Shimonoseki, we were herded into a big warehouse. The guards stripped us down, took away our old clothes, and gave us Japanese military uniforms. We got clean clothes but didn't get to wash and clean up. We didn't get anything to eat until we got to the warehouse at Shimonoseki. The Japanese gave us a big rice ball, a slice of apple, a piece of fish, and water to drink. It was the best food we had in years!

You didn't get to bathe and had to put on Japanese military uniforms. I'll bet it was nice to get clean clothes though, considering you had been wearing the same ones you had on prior to the surrender! This all happened on September 6, 1944?
Yes. We stayed overnight in the warehouse.


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All materials copyright © 2001 Rick Peterson.
This manuscript is registered with the Writer's Guild of America.
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