Wow, Allied POWs in the Pacific

[RPKESQ]

Originally Posted by jluetjen

It's a sad commentary on our education system that so many people seem to have grown up oblivious to half of WWII. When I was growing up in the late '60's and '70's, the Japanese Theater was just as well known as the European Theater.

What happened???

History as taught is woefully deficient about WW I and WW II. Most of what is commonly regurgitated is only partially correct at best.

[Danimal16]

Within the past ten or so years the Guam Trial Documents have been released. Read that.

Also, read the book "Flyboys, a True Story of Courage" by Jame Bradley (Flags of Our Fathers). This will further shed light on the Jap Army treatment of allied prisoners.

Eating livers was a ritual that comes to mind.

[sammyg2]

The odds of surving being a WWII war prisoner with German captors was about 96%.
the odds of surviving a japanese prison camps was 70%.

30% of all prisoners held by the japanese died.

And it doesn't surprize me that froggy would come out with statements against the US.
Not at all.

Wanna talk about what france was doing when those brave American soldiers were dying around the world to keep us all free?

[Jesset100]

War just plain SUCKS!

[Loomis]

Originally Posted by RPKESQ

As we should be. They were American citizens. They had nothing to do with the evil out of Japan in WW II.

True. However, now we get the grovelling apologies made by politicians two generations removed from the actual event, with great-grandchildren of the internees being handled like victims. Taxpayers two generations removed also asked for reparations.

Everyone has a sob story in their family history, as history is quite cruel. Get up, move on, and don't ask me to pay for it.

[tcar]

My ex father in law was in the New Mexico National Guard... many (most?) died in the Bataan Death march.

He thought he was on the last truck transport to take prisoners to the camp before they started the death march... at least, he said, there were no more trucks bringing prisoners into camp after his.

He survived, weighed about 70 lb. when he was rescued.

Said they pounded nails into his ears, just for the hell of it. He needed hearing aids to hear at all when I met him.

He would not talk about the other things that were done to the prisoners.

They got excited when they found maggots in the rice, etc. - protein.

Most (that made it to the camp), died of dysentery.


One of the awful things that happend was after they were rescued, they were taken to an army hospital and all given huge steak dinners. He ate a couple bites and threw up with terrible cramps. Some guys ate the whole meal and many died; terrible, painful deaths. Ruptured stomachs. They were used to eating only the equivalent of a tablespoon of food a day.

When he died of 'old age' in his late 50's, the Doc said he was in his late 70's physically - common w/ POW's from the Pacific Theater.

[flatbutt]

my Dad served in eastern France and the PI. He'd never talk about it or watch the old movies. Oh and he thought John Wayne was a phony.

[eastbay]

Originally Posted by RPKESQ

As we should be. They were American citizens. They had nothing to do with the evil out of Japan in WW II.

WTF is wrong with you? Yes, innocent spies, traitors and saboteurs.

In Defense of Internment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[masraum]

Originally Posted by tcar

Said they pounded nails into his ears, just for the hell of it. He needed hearing aids to hear at all when I met him.

yeah, I'd read about that and many other things that are unimaginable even after reading about them.

He was a lucky man, and in some ways not.

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

One thing forgotten is the almost complete generation lost to WWI. France, Belgium, Germany, Russia lost significant percentages of personnel in WWI. There is the majority of their generation of French soldiers who died stopping de kaiser. When WWII came around France had mainly boys and old men. Not much of a fighting force even in today's world.

Napoleon conquered Europe and would have conquored Russia had not his soldiers been dropping from disease. Le Grand Arme' lost 2/3 of the fighting force to disease prior to ever taking Moscow. If their surgeons had paid proper attention to the signs of illness and taken proper precautions then Europe would be speaking French and local dialects at this time.

All that said, war is not a good thing. As humans we are agressive and desire what others have. We fight over it and will kill for it. Review history, it is all there. And yes, we fail to learn from our mistakes.

[RPKESQ]

Originally Posted by eastbay

WTF is wrong with you? Yes, innocent spies, traitors and saboteurs.

In Defense of Internment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WTF is seriously wrong with you?

They were American citizens with full rights. They were all tarred with the same brush by pure bigoted racism. No trials, no evidence, personal property configated and given to white people.

What part of that is American values? What part of that is supported by the US Constitution or Bill of Rights?

And as evidence for your opinion, you cite a wacko right wingnut author. Not a peer reviewed historian. In fact no peer reviewed historian or professional historical journal has validated or agreed to any of his nonsense. He is a political commentator (BS peddler).

There were a mere handful of American citizens that had any involvement with Imperial Japan. Less that .001% by my count. How and why is that grounds for punishing them all?

[Rick Lee]

For once I have to 100% concur with RPKESQ. That was a disgraceful chapter in our history and never should have happened.

[RPKESQ]

Originally Posted by Loomis

True. However, now we get the grovelling apologies made by politicians two generations removed from the actual event, with great-grandchildren of the internees being handled like victims. Taxpayers two generations removed also asked for reparations.

Everyone has a sob story in their family history, as history is quite cruel. Get up, move on, and don't ask me to pay for it.

"We" is all Americans. Which for your education includes myself.

I have never stated any support for restitution, but being reminded of the past often helps to prevent the same mistake being made all over again.

Why would we want that?

[RPKESQ]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

The odds of surving being a WWII war prisoner with German captors was about 96%.

If you were white, non Jewish, Slavic or a Political prisoner. If you were Russian or Polish then you fell like flies.

Originally Posted by sammyg2

the odds of surviving a japanese prison camps was 70%.
30% of all prisoners held by the japanese died..

If you were white in the Japanese case. Chinese and other Asians died at a far, far greater rate.

Originally Posted by sammyg2

And it doesn't surprize me that froggy would come out with statements against the US.
Not at all.

Wanna talk about what france was doing when those brave American soldiers were dying around the world to keep us all free?

Sure Sam-I-am. We can talk about that.

Let's start with the Revolutionary War. France saved our asses then.

WW I, American was late to the party and had very little affect on the war. American soldiers were poorly trained, ill equipped (they had to use French and British equipment as there own was nearly useless), and required months of training in France just to be partially able to hold their own against the retreating Germans.

WW II, Americans were late to the party again but fought much better. Of course so did the Free French, Free Poles, British, Canadian, Free Belgium and Resistance from most Western European countries. The French Resistance provided the vast majority of intelligence required for D Day. And of course the Russians were the single most important player in Europe responsible for the German defeat.

So bring out the patriotic vitriol to ease your lack of knowledge of world history.

I'll wait.

[teenerted1]

Originally Posted by tcar

My ex father in law was in the New Mexico National Guard... many (most?) died in the Bataan Death march.

He thought he was on the last truck transport to take prisoners to the camp before they started the death march... at least, he said, there were no more trucks bringing prisoners into camp after his.

He survived, weighed about 70 lb. when he was rescued.

Said they pounded nails into his ears, just for the hell of it. He needed hearing aids to hear at all when I met him.

He would not talk about the other things that were done to the prisoners.

They got excited when they found maggots in the rice, etc. - protein.

Most (that made it to the camp), died of dysentery.


One of the awful things that happend was after they were rescued, they were taken to an army hospital and all given huge steak dinners. He ate a couple bites and threw up with terrible cramps. Some guys ate the whole meal and many died; terrible, painful deaths. Ruptured stomachs. They were used to eating only the equivalent of a tablespoon of food a day.

When he died of 'old age' in his late 50's, the Doc said he was in his late 70's physically - common w/ POW's from the Pacific Theater.

i had an uncle that survived bataan too. he never really talked to anyone in the family about it much. my dad told me ONCE about what little he knew my uncle went through. he said that it would be the only time he could. it brought back such terrible memories of what his big brother was like for a few years after the war compared to who he grew up with. my uncle made it into his 60's so he kept those memories for a long time.

[artplumber]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

For once I have to 100% concur with RPKESQ. That was a disgraceful chapter in our history and never should have happened.

+1. That was racism, plain and simple (look at the US treatment of Chinese too for those that don't believe it was racism). However, it certainly does not approach the atrocities committed in Japanese POW camps.

[Joe Bob]

War is documented by who wins and has the better press agent. Filipinos don't own the History Channel where it's nazi week 2 weeks a month.

I see French guy spouting again. Algeria, French Guiana penal system, how you treated Nazi collaborators, French waiters, the Citroen, the Renault Dauphine and other atrocities....should I go on you revisionist douche nozzle?

[RPKESQ]

Originally Posted by Joe Bob

War is documented by who wins and has the better press agent. Filipinos don't own the History Channel where it's nazi week 2 weeks a month.

I see French guy spouting again. Algeria, French Guiana penal system, how you treated Nazi collaborators, French waiters, the Citroen, the Renault Dauphine and other atrocities....should I go on you revisionist douche nozzle?

Grow up.

I never stated the treatment was the same. I never stated the Japanese or Germans or French or anybody eles did not do as bad or worse.

I stated that the internment of Japanese Americans was pure bigoted hatred and totally against American values.

You are the total douchbag that wants to make this some kind of pissing contest based on exaggerations, hyperbola and French insults from third grade.

Either post some facts to refute my statement about Japanese American internment or just creep away like the slimy little ***** for brains that you are.

[Joe Bob]

Oh goody, I got me my first ignore candidate. Takes a lot to piss me off. I had many relatives that fought and gave their lives for this country.

Have fun in your adoptive one.

[RPKESQ]

Originally Posted by Joe Bob

Oh goody, I got me my first ignore candidate. Takes a lot to piss me off. I had many relatives that fought and gave their lives for this country.

Have fun in your adoptive one.

Thanks for running away. It validates my opinion of you.

And many thanks for the wishes to have fun in France. I appreciate it. I have great fun in France and across Europe, Africa and the United States.

And what your relatives did is nice, but in no way reflects on your worth to mankind.