JUST MY OPINION…

We find ourselves in the midst of preparations for our return trip to the Philippines. At last count—and more are expected—we total 80 in number. The names of those traveling with us may be found in this newsletter. Rajah Tours International is handling all the angements, and from previous experience we know they do a wonderful job. Our first night we will see a wonderful Welcome Dinner at the Manila Hotel attended by numerous dignitaries.

While there we will hold a ceremony at the American Military Cemetery (old Fort McKinley) on the second day of our tour. Attending will be the American Ambassador, American staff from the Embassy and Philippine dignitaries.

From there we will lunch in the old but famous Manila Polo Club. Following that, returning Bataan veterans will be inducted into the Philippine Defenders of
Bataan at Camp Aguinaldo, formerly Camp Murphy.

Ceremonies will be held at our memorial at what was Camp O'Donnell (now the Capas National Shrine) on 6
April 2002, and our last official ceremony will be held at Mt. Samat on 9 April 2002, when all of the Philippines commemorate that date "Araw Ng Kagitignan." While there, we will unveil a Battling Bastards of Bataan plaque on the walls holding other group plaques. In between these events, there will be a number of side trips for those attending. Closing out the affair will be a farewell dinner, again at the Manila Hotel, the night before returning home. All in all, it should be a most memorable experience for all concerned.

O'DONNELL MEMORIAL

While every attempt was made to ensure that all those who perished in O'Donnell were listed on our memorial
wall, we know that some were not. Those of you who were in that camp, especially in the early days, know that many were buried unidentified. The nearest thing to an official list of the deceased of that camp was compiled by Captain John Olson, camp adjutant. Yet, we have found his list incomplete, as we discovered over 150 names that were not included.

Having once created the wall, it was difficult to add the additional 150, but through the efforts of our
Philippine representative, James Litton, we were able to do so. We know, however, that some names are still
missing. Recently, we received a request through our web pages concerning a PFC George Sweeney and if his
name was on our memorial. It is not. The family presented a letter from General MacArthur's headquarters, dated February 1946, verifying that PFC Sweeney had indeed died in O'Donnell. He, however, was listed as a MIA in the official records of the ABMC. We have taken the necessary steps to ensure PFC Sweeney's name is added to the memorial. If at all possible we want the name of everyone who died in O'Donnell on our memorial wall.

HERE WAS A STRONG AND BRAVE MAN

As one century and a new millennium begins, Pope John Paul II is anxious that the lives and deaths of those who
suffered and died heroically in the service of others be recorded and documented. The sufferings and death of
Fr. Francis Vernon Douglas at the hands of the Japanese Military Police in World War II is one story that must
not be forgotten. He was tortured and is thought to have died near Paete, Laguna, in July, 1943.
—Reprinted from Columban Reader, March 2000. Written by Fr. John Keenen.

Paete is a quiet country town nestled between the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountains and Laguna de Bay, about 70 miles from Manila. Founded as a Christian settlement around 1580, its inhabitants are famous for their wood-carving skills.

As usual, the people were eagerly looking forward to their annual fiesta in honor of St. James, the
Apostle, on July 25, 1943. However, the peace and tranquility of the town, crowded with visitors, was abruptly interrupted when the Japanese Imperial Army decided to zone off the area. It was cordoned off and no one was allowed to leave. All males from fourteen upwards were rounded up and incarcerated in the centuries-old parish church, famous for its beautiful wood carvings and paintings.

The Japanese were seeking out guerrillas and their collaborators who were carrying on resistance in the
woods of the nearby hills. For several days, more than 250 men were interrogated and tortured, deprived of
sleep and mercilessly beaten until they gave information or died.

On July 24th, Japanese soldiers arrived in a truck with a tall, unknown Caucasian—dressed in a white
cassock—in custody. He was tied to a lamp post and made to endure the hot tropical sun throughout the day. No one knew who he was, or where he came from. He was, in fact, Fr. Francis Vernon Douglas, parish priest of Pililla, some 20 miles away. Hours earlier he had been abducted from his convento and taken over the mountains to Paete.

Frank, or Vernon (to his friends), was born in Johnsonville, Wellington, New Zealand, on May 22, 1910. In his youth he excelled at rugby and cricket, and later studied for the priesthood. He was ordained on October 29, 1934. After an enjoyable and successful year as a curate in New Plymouth, N.Z., he felt that God wanted him to become a missionary. He joined the Society of St. Columban and arrived in Manila in 1938. His first assignment was as parish priest of Pililla, where he struggled with Tagalog language and tried to remain neutral between the Kem-pei-tai, Japanese military police, and the Filipino-American guerrillas hiding in the hills around Pililla.

In Paete, the local chief of Police, Basilio Y. Agbay, told one of his captors that the man was a priest, but he replied that "the man is a spy." Exhausted after a day in the sun, he was taken inside the church, by now a torrid dungeon. He was first taken to the sacristy where the terrorized people could hear the moans as he was being tortured. Later, he was dragged to the baptistery where he was tied to the baptismal font, and again severely beaten until blood splashed on the font and surroundings. Stripped to the waist, clad only in white slacks with his torso and arms black and blue and oozing with blood, he was tied to the left post under the choir loft. All the torture and pain seemed concentrated on him while the 250 looked on.

His bleeding and battered body immediately reminded the religious Filipinos of the scourging of Jesus at
the pillar. "Yet ours were the sufferings he endured… He was harshly treated, but unresisting and silent, and he
humbly submitted…" (Isaiah 53:4-7). For three days and three nights, he was forced to stand. One of the
soldiers hit him on the forehead with the butt of his sword and immediately blood gushed out all over his face.

Why was Vernon singled out for such horrible torture? Did he refuse to talk in order to preserve the seal of confession, or information held in confidence? As he was being interrogated in Pillila before being abducted,
neighbors heard him remonstrate with the military police, "You have no right to ask me that question, and I
cannot, in conscience, answer it." Whatever the reason, one thing is certain, here was a strong man who suffered in silence rather than betray his friends.

As an early report published in The Far East, December 1945 stated: "What Fr. Douglas suffered in Paete made a deep impression on the people of that town. The Filipinos say that he seemed to be like our Lord Himself, as he stood there, tied to the post in the Church, constantly beaten and ill-treated, but always with unquestionable patience. They expressed the belief that he suffered made him a kind of savior to the town.

From the time he was brought there, no Filipino received any ill treatment. On him were concentrated all the anger and hatred of the Japanese soldiers."

"THE MARCH OF DEATH"

One of our members, Arvil Steele, a fellow inmate in Mitsushima, sent us a copy of the first news release
concerning Bataan. Arvil had it published in the magazine Purple Heart (Nov-Dec 01). The article is the
official Army-Navy Report on Japanese Torture and Murder of American and Filipino Prisoners of War. The
article is a reprint from the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Information Bulletin, and March 1944. It is most likely
the very first article written on the subject of Bataan that was made public.Read the News Release.

BETRAYED BY THE WHITE HOUSE

We have all read a great deal on why this country is the only country which has not compensated its victims of the Japanese. We include a copy of an article that appeared in The New York Times, December. 24, 2001. It is very apparent that this administration, as well as the previous one, will do nothing to recognize the injustice to those veterans who performed slave labor for Japanese firms. We hear remarks such as the one from our Secretary of State Colin Powell that "it is time to forget the past and to move on". Yet, for some reason that is not the case of the victims of the Holocaust. Those victims have America firmly behind them.
Read the Article.

NEWS FROM THE PHILIPPINES

The latest Japanese "buying of the Philippines" occurred in December 2001 when the Japanese funded the
Benguet Bridge, Tuba, Benguet, to the tune of $30 million dollars with the Japanese embassy counselor Takashi Hoshiyama helping to cut the ceremonial ribbon. Slowly but surely the Philippines will become another Hawaii.

On our memorial at the Capas National Shrine a visitor will find a poem written by Fred W. Koenig, First
Lieutenant, USA. The poem "The Vanquished Speak" tells the story best and a copy is included here…

—Dedicated to those who died at O'Donnell Prisoner of War enclosure,
Philippine Islands, 1942-1945.

The caskets of the men who died in the Palawan
Massacre waiting for internment at Jefferson
Barracks National Cemetery, in St. Louis, MO.

In November 2001 we sent a color copy of our memorial at O'Donnell to the ADBC with the knowledge that
some of the readers of the Quan would appreciate seeing the memorial. It was published. However, it was
captioned "The Capas National Shrine". This is totally wrong, as the Capas National Shrine is acres dedicated
to the Filipino war dead. Our memorial is but one of several memorials on those grounds. We asked for a
correction by the editor and failed to receive one. That it was deliberately mislabeled, there is no doubt. If it was up to a Mr. Vater, we as a group would disappear. This will not happen in Mr. Vater's lifetime, and we have registered a formal complaint with the ADBC.
 
 

CAPS

For our 60th anniversary in Manila we have had special made caps for all those attending the affair. The caps will definitely become collector's items. There is a very limited number of them available for sale, and they are
available to all our members, active, NOK and
honorary, only.

A donation of $25.00 to our O'Donnell Memorial Fund will be rewarded with a cap. It is expected that they will go very rapidly on a first-come, first-sold basis.  Please make your orders after April 15, 2002.  We will be on vacation.  For a cap, contact us.
 

BOOSTERS CLUB

Gratefully, we acknowledge the financial help of the following members:

And a very special thanks to HARVEY (MIKE) MICHAEL who has been our strongest supporter for many
years. These people make our efforts meaningful.

GHOST SOLDIERS

We received word—and it was confirmed by Hampton Sides, the author—that his book will soon be made into a film starring Tom Cruise and directed by Steven Spielberg. One can only hope that Hollywood "sticks to the script". Hampton assures me that he will do all in his power to ensure the accuracy of the story of Bataan and to avoid the debacle of "Pearl Harbor". It could be the first true story of Bataan and what followed.

CLOSING

Helping us with this edition of the BANNER is CW3, USA Retired, Tom Abrials, one of our honorary members
and his son Mark Abrials. Tom has graciously offered to help us with its publication and we are thankful for his
help.

Until Next Time…
 
 

Please contact us after April 15, 2002.

In spirit with our trip back to the Philippines, please enjoy some Images of Old Manila.

(I wish to thank Jim Opolony of East Proviso High School, in Maywood, Illinois, for some of the photos used and for his comradeship.)  The Webmaster