Happy, the POW : a short story about a long ordeal

Happy, the POW A Short Story About a Long Ordeal by

Carl Milner Holloway

"Our FREEDOM is a precious, but fragile possession.

A sure way to lose it, is to take it for granted" -THE AUTHOR.

Happy, the POW A Short Story About a Long Ordeal

by

Carl Milner Holloway

QUAIL RIDGE PRESS

Copyright 1981 by Carl Milner Holloway Manufactured in the United States of America ISBN 0-937552-06-2 Quail Ridge Press P.O. Box 123 Brandon, MS 39042

This book is dedicated to all of those who have served our country, and especially to all prisoners of war, both living and dead, and their families.

And . . .

My wife Julia, who brought me love, beauty, and a measure of stability.

Marine Corporal Carl Holloway. Photograph taken in 1940, San Diego, California .

Contents

9

Introduction

11

Prologue

13

I My Beginn-ings II Travel, Adventure and Romance

17

III War

20

IV Corregidor Under Siege

25 28

V Fall of a Fortress VI Transition to Captivity VII Death Camp No. One VIII I'll Break Your Arm for Two Cigarettes IX Twenty-One Days on a Hell Ship X Guests of the Emperor

35 41 49

56 60 68

XI The Road Back Epilogue

76

Afterthoughts

77 7

--

Master Sergeant Holloway with wife, Julia, and son, Carl Maurice, in 1948, about 2 1h years after he was released from captivity.

Introduction

This book is written at the urging of friends and acquaintances along the way. The title is chosen because I was called by the nickname "Happy" during the year of incarceration in Japan.

The events of this book were experienced thirty-five to forty years ago. It is not intended to be a documentary; however, the events are related as I experienced them to the best of my memory and knowledge.

As I reread this short book, I notice two discrepancies: One, I was not as critical of our captors as the true nature of events would warrant. Perhaps this is just as well as they have been our friends now for several years. Two, I was unable to portray the grotesque reality of the day-to-day existence.

Perhaps this, too, is just as well as it would be very difficult to comprehend.

I wish to express my utmost respect and admiration for General Douglas MacArthur lest any passage in this book be interpreted otherwise.

9

This photograph was taken in 1960 on the occasion of a promotion the author received in the sales management field .

Prologue

The icy fingers of a cold, gray dawn penetrated the prisoner . of war camp at Oeyama, Japan. I twisted and turned my emaciated body under the light blankets to ease the chill. The effort was futile. The temperature was far below freezing, and snow was several feet deep outside; some had even found its way inside. The only heat we knew was that given off by the human body.

It had not been a good night. I had spent most of it picking the body lice off my clothing and making frequent trips to the latrine. I wondered if today would be any different from the rest. Today was January 31, 1945, and was my one-thousandth day as a prisoner of war! God, what I would have given to have been in an American prison! At least I could look forward to three square meals and a warm place to stay without this continuous fight with body lice, not to speak of the actions of our captors.

In some ways it was hard to comprehend that I had been a prisoner for a thousand days; but, on the other hand, it sometimes seemed that I had been there all my life. Could it really be one thousand days since I had seen the American Flag or since I had spoken to a girl or had a square meal? There is, however, one thing I must admit: I had never been boredwhat with the bed bugs and rats in the Philippine Islands to the body lice during the winter in Japan and the fleas in the spring, together with the atrocities that our captors were able to cook up. All of it did keep one alert.

11

Prologue

They kept us in the tropics of the Philippines for two years, but that seems so long ago. It seems that I have been cold and hungry all of my life. It is hard to realize that I am now twenty-six years old. Just last month they weighed us, and I weighed eighty-one pounds, which is less than one-half my normal weight. I am afraid the prime of life is passing me by.

Perhaps something good will happen on my one-thousandth day of incarceration. Maybe we will get good news about the progress of the war. Maybe my good friend from the other end of camp will visit me today. He has recently been able to obtain some extra food and occasionally has shared it with good ole "Happy." He surely would be welcome today. I'm sure grateful for such friends. They have probably saved my life.

I must think of something optimistic to pass on to my fellow prisoners today. After all, when your friends have honored you with a name like "Happy," you should make every effort to deserve it. God knows, there are some of our fellow prisoners who really need cheering up at this time. I must continually remind them that the winter is almost over and the Americans are coming closer each day.

It just occurred to me that our captors will be rousting us out in five or ten minutes, so I must shift my mental gears to that other life before the war to fortify myself for the coming day ... the one-thousandth day.

Thank you, Lord, for bringing me this far:

12

CARL MILNER HOLLOWAY Carl is a native of Pearl River County, Mississippi, and now makes his home in Meridian. He served 13 112 years in the United States Marine Corps including all of World War II and the Korean War. Though Carl is also a real estate broker, he has been in sales and management for the past 25 years, enjoying long associations with State Farm, Paul Revere, and Lamar Life Insurance Companies.