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Home  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 |
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The Homecoming
Your mother always believed you would come home, didn't she?Yes. My mother had seen a newsreel. She swore up and down that she saw me walking on the march. Where did your mother see these newsreels? Newsreels would be shown at the theater prior to a movie. She went to a movie one time and saw a newsreel of the Bataan Death March. She swore Alf was in it. In fact, she went back several more time to make sure it was he in the newsreel. I don't know if Alf was on it or not, but she believed it was and it kept her hopes up. I went to the movies quite often and they would always show newsreels before the movie. I saw prisoners of war on some of them. I didn't see Alf. I probably wouldn't have recognized him anyway. (Jane) The United States government didn't contact your mother? No. The only thing she received was a message from the War Department. It said; "He is missing in action." "Please claim the insurance policy that your son has." The government wanted her to take my $10,000.00 life insurance. She refused because accepting the insurance money would force her to admit that I was dead, and she couldn't accept that fact. Jane, how did Alf's mother take this whole thing? Well, she was very determined he was alive. She was a very strong woman. (Jane) His mother said, "He's alive and he is going to come back someday." (Jane) She lived to see you come back. Yes, and she lived many years after I came home. She lived to be 91 years old. Where was your dad? He was working. When he came home, the same thing happened. It was a joyous reunion! You all had not seen each other in a very long time. That must have been difficult, especially under the circumstances. Yes it was. I left in 1939 and didn't come back until late 1945. You wrote to your parents when you got back to America, didn't you? Yes. I had written letters to my mother from Clinton, Iowa. The first time I left on a weekend pass, the staff said they had something we would need. They gave us some ration coupons for coffee, sugar, etc. I took these coupons and gave them to my mother. She was really glad to get them because rationing was still going on. Did you sleep at home in your own room that first night home? Yes. My room was up in the attic. That must have been quite an experience. All you had been through and now you're home, visiting your parents. Then, you go up to your own room in the attic all by yourself and got into your own bed. A lot must have gone through your mind that night. Yes. A lot of memories went through my mind.
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All materials copyright © 2001 Rick Peterson.
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