A Study in Valor: The Faith of a Bataan Death March Survivor

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"Clarence Bramley is a remarkable man," writes author William T. Garner. "He has seen and been a victim of some of the most heinous behavior witnessed in modern times. Yet, his objectivity and his faith have not diminished. Indeed, the opposite is true."

Many books have been written about the Bataan Death March, but few have described the deep faith of the heroic men who experienced the horrors of that march. Among the survivors was Clarence Bramley. Tall and lean, he enlisted during World War II with dreams of flying P-40 fighter planes in the U.S. Army Air Corps. But the reality of war often dashes young men's dreams. While waiting for the results of his pilot exams, his squadron was ordered to the Philippines where he serviced the very planes he was hoping to fly. Then in the spring of 1942, the islands fell to the Japanese.

During the years that followed, Bramley experienced the brutal Death March, incarceration in the Philippines and Taiwan, nightmarish weeks on a Japanese Hell Ship, and forced labor in a prison camp at Kosaka, Japan. He suffered disease and brutality and witnessed the agonizing deaths of close friends and comrades — but he never lost faith in God.

Weeks after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Bramley was thrilled to watch American B-29 bombers drop welcome food and supplies to the soon-to-be released prisoners in Kosaka. To celebrate that eventful day, Bramley and others crafted an American flag that lifted the spirits of the weakened prisoners.

Although Bramley survived to join what journalist Tom Brokaw called the "Greatest Generation" in its efforts to build a stronger, better world, he credits his love for family and country, and his faith, for the strength to overcome the harrowing years of imprisonment. In 1945 he wrote to his parents:

"I am humbly grateful for the bringing up you have given me, and though I can never repay, I sincerely pray that I might have the strength to be the man you would have me be. I am thankful to the Lord for the comfort, peace of mind, and happiness that a knowledge of Christ brings; also, for the care and protective guidance and innumerable blessings which have been poured upon myself and my fellowmen through these troubled times."
 

Sewing an American flag

(Bramley wrote the following in his journal on September 6, 1945)

…few of us fellows decided we should have a flag to host over the camp on this occasion.  We started  work on it after super  using colored chutes t that had been used by the planes to dropt our supplies. Four of the fellows [Charles Amos and three others] kept busy cutting starts and stripes, and I sewed them together. We worked all night and I finished the last hem and tie cords just before reveille. It was sure a real pleasure to make this flag...

The officers and men in the camp had been hardened by years of combat and imprisonment. Still, most of them cried with joy at the sight of Old Glory.

(In the fall of 2007, the flag Clarence sewed was loaned to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where it remains on display.)

Interview with author, Judge William T. Garner
(By kinue Tokudome)

You wrote in the preface of your book:

Although as a young boy I was acquainted with Clarence H. Bramley and his family, I lost contact with him until only a few years ago. By then, my own military and other life experiences had enabled me to better understand the magnitude of his ordeal as a prisoner of war.

 Why did you want to write this book?

First of all, I wanted to do it for Clarence. He does not talk much about what happened and I thought it would be good for people to know. Secondly, I wanted people, particularly young people who have no familiarity at all with what happened, to know.

We are seeing so many books written on experience of WWII veterans these days. What do you think is so special about WWII?

World War II, insofar as our country is concerned, was the one that was felt by more people, I think. The war didn’t take place on our soil. Nevertheless, most households had somebody involved. They had sons or daughters or parents or brothers and sisters who were serving in the military. Women were working in factories. And we all grew victory gardens and saved strings and tinfoil. We had rationing. So we felt the war. But in the subsequent wars-- I was in the Korean War-- they affected a smaller segment of our society. They were not universally felt and appreciated. In fact, sometimes quite opposite was true. But World War II, everybody was in it.

What do you think is a typical reaction by American people when they first learned what Mr. Bramley and his fellow POWs of the Japanese went through?

It probably changes over the years. It gets a little softer in our feelings as time passes. But for a lot of people, probably their initial reaction was anger. We get a little more understanding when we realize that we weren’t the only people affected, but people in Japan were affected, too.  It takes time to come to that realization.

What struck you the most about Mr. Bramley’s experience as a POW?

He really loved his parents and his family members. He carried their picture in his clothing throughout the war.  He carried his Scriptures to the extent that he could with him. He tried to help other prisoners. Love of country, love of family and love of God.

That’s probably not confined in World War II. I served with wonderful men. You never hear about them. They fade into the general population. People do heroic things all the time that we never know about. There are a lot of good people out there, in all countries.

If your book is to be read by Japanese readers what message do you want them to get from it?

I think the same as the readers here. That is that most people want to get along, most people are basically good. In Clarence’s case, he had faith in God and that made him stronger. I would hope that whether this book will be read by believers or not, they would at least recognize the strength that comes from that kind of faith.

But what about justice? You were a judge. What is your sense of justice regarding the fact that former POWs of the Japanese are still waiting for an apology from companies that enslaved them. The Japanese government has recently apologized for the inhumane treatment POWs suffered. But the companies remain silent.

I can remember some cases in my court room where justice was not served. One man was accused of rapes. I was convinced that he did them, but the jury would not convict him. I could not do anything about it. I felt terrible about that, but I reminded myself of what I believed. That is that there will be ultimate justice whether we extract it or not. It depends on your personal belief, but I believe that.  I think we ought to do what we can to see the ends of justice served. But if it doesn't happen …

We have to accept that and move on?

Yes.