Bunker's war : the world war II diary of Col. Paul D. Bunker

-

..

-

UN

-

's

BUNKER'S WAR The World War II Diary of Col. Paul D. Bunker

~

Paul D. Bunker Edited by Col. Keith A. Barlow, U.S. Army

* PRESIDIO

fI/!JJJ'"

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for permission to reprint copyrighted material:

On Active Service in Peace and War, by Henry L. Stimson. Copyright © 1948 by Henry L. Stimson and McGeorge Bundy. Copyright renewed 1976 by McGeorge Bundy. By permission of HarperCollins Publishers.

Corregidor: The Saga of a Fortress, by James H. Belote. Copyright © 1967 by James H. Belote and William M. Belote. By permission of HarperCollins Publishers.

Battles Won and Lost: Great Campaigns of World War II, by Hanson W. Baldwin.

Copyright © 1966, 1994 by Hanson W. Baldwin. By permission of HarperCollins Publishers.

Ten Men Escape From Tojo, by Melvin H. McCoy and S. M. Melnick. Copyright © 1944. By permission of Henry Holt and Company.

Great Mistakes of the War, by Hanson W. Baldwin. Copyright © 1950 by Hanson W. Baldwin. By permission of Curtis Brown Ltd. Copyright © 1996 Keith A. Barlow Published by Presidio Press 505 B San Marin Drive, Suite 300 Novato, CA 94945-1340 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the Publisher.

Inquiries should be addressed to Presidio Press, 505 B San Marin Dr., Suite 300, Novato, CA 94945-1340.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Bunker, Paul D. (Paul Delmont), d. 1943 Bunker's war: the World War II diary of Col. Paul D. Bunker / Paul D. Bunker; edited

by Keith A. Barlow. p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 0-89141-538-6 I. Bunker, Paul D. (Paul Delmont), d.1943-Diaries. 2. World War, 1939-1945Campaigns-Philippines-Corregidor Island. 3. United States. Army. Coast Artillery Regiment, 59th-History. 4. World War, 1939-1945-Personal narratives, American. 5.

World War, 1939-1945-Prisoners and prisons, Japanese. 6. United States. ArmyBiography. 7. Prisoners of war-Philippines-Diaries. 8. Prisoners of war-United States-Diaries. 9. Corregidor Island (Phllippines)-History, Military. lO. SoldiersUnited States-Diaries. I. Barlow, Keith A. (Keith Andrew), 1932- .

II. Title.

D767.4.B86 1996 95-4511 940.54' 1273-dc20 CIP

Printed in the United States of America

To all those American Fighting Men and Women, living and dead, who suffered unbelievable horrors as prisoners of war and who maintained their integrity, courage, and honor not only for themselves but for their country.

PREFACE The Bunker diary first came to my attention in 1955, when as a cadet at West Point, I noticed a reference to it in a volume of the United States Army Historical Series: The War in the Pacific. Ten years later, as an instructor at the Military Academy, I happened across a dusty manuscript of yellowing rice paper. The cramped handwriting was barely legible. But the story those faded words told was interesting, and I couldn't put the book down. Within those brittled pages I found an almost unbelievable, detailed account of the siege of Corregidor and the subsequent experiences of a POW in the hands of the Japanese.

I told Tom Russell, the Rare Book Custodian at West Point, that this volume should be published for all the world to see. It shouldn't be available just for scholars to take out of it what they want; Bunker's tale should be told in his own words. Tom told me it was all mine, and with a word of encouragement said, "Go to it!" Thus, after writing Colonel Bunker's son, LTG William B. Bunker, for permission to edit the diary, and after obtaining an enlarged photostatic copy of the diary from Tom, I was ready to work. However, Uncle Sam had other plans for me, and I was off to Vietnam.

On my return trip to the States, I flew over Corregidor and was reminded of the important project that I wanted to complete, and yet, being a Regular Army Officer, I had little free time to accomplish such a task. Fortunately, however, I found myself attending the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, which graciously allowed me time to complete the editing job as fulfillment of their student requirement for a research project. In addition to my indebtedness to the Command and Staff College, I am particularly grateful to my faculty adviser, Lt. Col. C. C. Zimmerman, for having faith in the fInaHruition of the project and for his very able counsel. The Office of Military History unselfishly provided me with many of the documents for the diary. I am indebted to Col. Ty Wilson of the Virginia Military Institute who connected me to some excellent leads. I thank Dr. Maurice Matloff in the Office of Military History and Dr. Stanley Falk of the United States Industrial College for their professional guidance in the editorial approach to the diary.

I am also indebted to the following for their unfailing responsiveness in providing materials: Mr. Aimone of the West Point Library; and Kerry Strong of the USMC Command and Staff Library.

In addition, I am obligated to Pat Vono, who graciously assisted me in the original job of transcribing the manuscript. Thanks to Nancy Willets, Debbie Sheheen and all in Skills Unlimited for making the manuscript computerized for publication. There are others who encouraged me over the years. Most recently one of the former POWs, Monk Riggins, and his wife, Annie, encouraged me to

vi

Preface

vii

bring the project to fruition when I had slowed down. Most of all, lowe my thanks to my wife Kay, my children Andy, Maryann, and Betsy, and my cousins Chuck and Joanne Plaehn, who during my moments of great frustration, encouraged me to complete the diary.

An Explanatory Note Readers should be aware of the following editorial policies: • Editorial comments are found in endnotes.

• Lost material, or parts that are illegible, mutilated, or vague and cannot be reconstructed have also been endnoted or put within brackets.

• Material intentionally deleted by Colonel Bunker is omitted.

• Some minor punctuation has been added to improve the readability of the diary; otherwise the typeset book is almost a direct transcription of Colonel Bunker's own handwriting.

• Periods of time not covered by Colonel Bunker have been reconstructed and are duly noted. It should be noted, however, that the book is not typeset line for line with the original diary.

• Part and chapter divisions are purely editorial. In the original diary, there were no divisions other than the daily divisions noted, and page numbers were in the margin. The latter were omitted.

INTRODUCTION This diary tells the story of the last few days before the fall of Corregidor in World War II and the many long days of imprisonment for its American defenders. But more than that, it is a visit into the mind of a gallant American soldier of the Old Army. Certainly Col. Paul D. Bunker had no idea that his writings would be published for the world to read; but, as the reader will see, this is an excellent reason for their publication. Bunker's words are real, without vanity, without deceit. They are the words of a professional soldier struggling for life amid death and for dignity amid depravity.

Paul Delmont Bunker had been noticed early in life as an outstanding individual. As a cadet in Douglas MacArthur's class at West Point, he was chosen by Walter Camp as an all-American football player for two successive years, in 1901 as a tackle and in 1902 as a halfback. For some fifty years only Bunker and one other individual held that dual honor on the record books. Throughout his life, Bunker maintained his versatility and competitive spirit.

After graduation in 1903, Bunker followed the pattern of most regular officers in the peacetime army, moving frequently and attending many schools. His duty stations for his first five years of service included Fort Constitution in New Hampshire and Key West Barracks in Florida. At the latter he fell in love with and married Leila "Landon" Beehler, the daughter of a navy rear admiral. Landon bore him two sons and a daughter, Paul D. Jr., William B., and Priscilla. Paul Jr. graduated from West Point in 1932 and lost his life only six years later in an aircraft accident in Hawaii. William B. graduated from the academy in 1934 and later retired from the army as a lieutenant general. I met him in 1968, a year before he died. Priscilla married one of Bill's classmates, Thompson Brooke Maury III, who was taken prisoner on Bataan and was later killed when his prison ship was sunk by U.S. planes on 15 December 1944.

Bunker's first tour on Corregidor was with the 59th Coast Artillery Regiment in 1915. From there he was given command of the New Orleans Quartermaster Depot. However, his patriotism and sense of duty during World War I would not allow him to remain in a noncombat assignment, so he voluntarily transferred back to the coast artillery. During the war, he trained and organized the 41st Coast Artillery, which he took to combat in Europe. There he was rapidly promoted to colonel.

After the signing of the armistice, there followed a long series of assignments for Bunker. He commanded Fort Amador, Panama, until 1921; then tours along the Eastern seaboard followed rapidly: Pennsylvania, Coast Artillery School, Command and General Staff College, four years in the historical section of the

Vlll

The Diary of Colonel Paul D. Bunker

IX

Army War College, and commands of the harbor defenses of Boston and Fort Totten.

Bunker returned to the Philippines for a second time and commanded the 59th Coast Artillery until 1937, when he returned to the States and was assigned to the organized reserves in California. In 1940, with war brewing in the Far East, Bunker volunteered to return to his beloved 59th Coast Artillery on Corregidor.

He and his wife, Landon, stayed on Corregidor together until the War Department ordered all dependents evacuated. Landon departed Manila for the United States aboard a ship in the middle of May 1941. Bunker stayed on Corregidor until 6 May 1942, the day he personally lowered the Stars and Stripes on Corregidor and raised the white flag of surrender.

Before Colonel Bunker burned the American flag he had hauled down, he cut a portion of it out and sewed it under a patch on his khaki shirt. Later he was thrust into a prison hospital beside Col. Delbert Ausmus. Bunker told him about the patch, and they pulled it out and divided it. If he died, Bunker wanted Ausmus to carry his portion to the secretary of war. Ausmus agreed, and when Bunker died of starvation just two weeks after his last entry in the diary, Ausmus got Bunker's portion of the flag and the diary. He kept both pieces and the diary until his repatriation on 9 November 1945.

After his return to the States, Ausmus promptly presented the fragment of the flag to the Secretary of War, Robert P. Patterson. Today that piece of bunting from the American flag and the original diary are on loan from West Point touring the-presidential libraries in tribute to Bunker and all others who fought or gave their lives in defense of Corregidor and the United States in World War II.

Editor Keith Barlow is a retired army colo nel who served as an English professor a the United States Military Academy a West Point, New York. He lives in Soutl Carolina.

front cover images, clockwise from top: Paul D. Bunker as a U.S. Army Colonel; Bunker as a West Point cadet; the march of captured prisoners of war under heavy Japanese guard.

Printed in the USA

Pre sidio * Press Novato, California 94945

¡

:v:LAL

:::~=:~. \

IIIII WII lUll 181, II1IIIIII

"Paul Bu nker h as ru" .Bunker's RoIIIItI*HIIII= I 1 _ - D7.7.4 . . . . _ : the ~ _II diary of Col. Paul D. - - - Paul D. Bunker . edlled by Col. KeIth A. Bartow. U.S. Arm order that Ame.ricar~1I :.:;.; . free people under a government of their own choosing. He died while serving as a soldier of his country. More cannot be said in honor of his memory."

-Gen. George C. Marshall E R IT AG E

BtJnIg

"It was there (West Point) on the gridiron as a cadet that he first displayed that indomitable spirit and fighting heart which never failed him, regardless of the tide of battle, as he fought through our two past wars. His service w~s characterized by highest devotion to the tradition of our Alma Mater, Duty-Honor-Country. He kept the soldiering faith."

-Gen. Douglas MacArthur

''Just as Colonel Bunker was captured, so his diary has captured me.

On many occasions of increasing frequency I find myself dipping into this document. And after each such testament to the strength-which eventually failed-and to the resolve-which did not fail-of one man, representative of many, that cries for a broader hearing."

- J. Thomas Russell, former Special Collections librarian, United States Military Academy "Colonel Paul D. Bunker was a professional soldier of distinction who gave his life for his country. 'Duty, Honor, Country' was not simply a matter of words. For him it was a credo, a faith to order one's life. West Point and his country should be proud of him, and all the Bunkers, whatever be their names, past, present and future."

-Assembly Magazine

9

780891 415381