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News in 2004, 2005 and 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 5/20/13 British POW son traced his father’s footsteps Mr. Terry Smyth shared his experience of visiting Mine city where his father, Mr. Edwin Smyth, was held. Please read, “Divided by War, United in Friendship.”
5/16/13
A group of volunteers built a memorial for those who died at Mukaishima POW camp.
Please read,
“Why we built the memorial plates on Mukaishima: An
American flag after 68 years,” written by Mr. Koshi Kobayashi to learn
more about the memorial. 5/13/13 Dr. Tenney’s op-ed article On May 13, Japan Times published, “Shift the focus, Mr. Prime Minister,” written by Dr. Lester Tenney. …don’t let this opportunity for understanding slip away, an apology is so much more important than trying to determine the meaning of “aggressor.” Read the entire article.
Kinue Tokudome, Founder and Director of US-Japan Dialogue on POWs, visited
Mr. Louis Zamperini, whose story was chronicled by the best-selling
book, Unbroken, at his home. 4/25/13 Meeting with the new Japanese Ambassador
On April 23, Dr. Lester Tenney, the last National Commander of the American
Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, met with Japanese Ambassador Kenichiro
Sasae in the office of Congressman Darrel Issa. The meeting was arranged by
Mr. Clay Perkins, a long time friend of Dr. Tenney's and supporter of the
POW issue. Both Dr. Tenney and Mr. Perkins reside in California's 49th
district, represented by Congressman Issa.
4/9/13 Dr. Lester Tenney, a survivor of the Bataan Death March, was featured in a CNN special.
Please watch
'Dying was easy: It's the living that's hard' 3/26/13 Former POW keeps in touch with Japanese children
Here is a reply from the principal of Takami School. Dear Mr. and Mrs. Northam, Thank you for sending us the book. We read it to our students and they were very happy. Children remember “grandpas who visited us from America” very well. We believe that they will cherish the memory of listening to your words on the “Importance of Peace.” Thank you very much for that wonderful memory.
Noriko Uekami Please read Mr. Northam’s reflection on his trip to Japan. Stars and Stripes article on former POWs' trip to Osaka area.
Ms. Charlie Reed, the author of above article, also wrote this recent
article, “Japanese
village honors US airmen killed in WWII.” 2/21/13 POW issue in the Congressional Research Service Report A recent report by the Congressional Research Service entitled, "Japan-US Relations: Issues for Congress," mentioned the POW issue. It said: In the 112th Congress, three resolutions—S.Res. 333, H.Res. 324, and H.Res. 333—were introduced thanking the government of Japan for its apology and for arranging the visitation program. The resolutions also encouraged the Japanese to do more for the U.S. POWs, including by continuing and expanding the visitation programs as well as its World War II education efforts. They also called for Japanese companies to apologize for their or their predecessor firms’ use of un- or inadequately compensated forced prison laborers during the war.
Entire section on the POW issue can be read
here. 2/19/13 Descendants’ letter to the State Department
Mr. Joseph
Vater
Jr.,
president of ADBC Memorial Society, sent a letter to the State Department
asking for their support for continuation of Japan’s POW visitation program.
As representative of the surviving POWs of Japan, their families, and descendants, the ADBC Memorial Society asks you to encourage Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his visit next week to continue and expand his government’s visitation program to Japan for American former POWs.
Please read the entire letter.
2/12/13 President Obama’s visit to Hiroshima/Nagasaki and remembering POW history Kinue Tokudome’s op-ed article on this topic was published in the Mainichi Shimbun, Japan’s third largest daily newspaper, on February 12.
Its
English translation can be read at:
Prime
Minister Abe to Visit the United States: 1/21/13 Bataan Death March denial article rebutted American POWs of Japan, website for a research project of Asia Policy Point, a Washington DC-based nonprofit that studies the US policy relationship with Japan and Northeast Asia, posted a report entitled, “Denier of the Bataan Death March.” It includes English translation of an article published in a popular Japanese monthly Magazine Seiron together with corrections to some of the statements made in the article regarding the history of the Battle of Bataan.
The corrections were prepared in cooperation with
Dr. Stanley Falk, former chief
historian of the U.S. Air Force and a military historian specializing in
World War II in the Pacific. He is the author of the authoritative history,
Bataan: The March of Death. “The Causes of the Bataan Death March Revisited,” written by Mr. James Nelson, whose father was forced to work at Mitsubishi's Osarizawa copper mine, incorporates information from both US and Japanese sides. A film depicting the Bataan Death March in 2007 PBS series “The War” can be seen here.
Robert (Bob) Ehrhart’s Cartoons
Ms. Yuka
Ibuki introduced cartoons Mr. Robert Ehrhart drew while a POW.
Captured: The Forgotten Men of Guam written by the late Roger Mansell and edited by Linda Goertz Holmes has been published from Naval Institute Press. For more
information about the book please go to
Captured. 1１/1/12
Seven former POWs and their family members visited many places and met many people in Japan. Their stories were reported by newspapers in the area they visited.
Please see the
picture report. 10/11/12
2012
Japanese/POW Friendship Program Following participants will arrive in Japan on October 13.
Became a POW on Corregidor.
He was transferred to Japan in 1943 and sent to
Osaka 4-D Sakurajima where he was forced to work for Sakurajima Shipyard.
After the camp was bombed in May 1945, he was sent to
Osaka 6-B, Akenobe, POW Camp. Congressman Honda's speech on the POW trip to Japan
Here are some highlights of his
speech: In September 2010, the Japanese government delivered to the first American POW delegation an official apology for the damage and suffering these men endured… This historic apology and continued support for the trips by the Japanese government has improved our relations with Japan and, more importantly, had a positive effect on the former POWs… I know that the American POWs fought hard for this recognition. I appreciate the courage of the Japanese government for their historic and meaningful apology. I thank the POWs for their persistent pursuit of justice, and commend the U.S. State Department for helping them. Still missing, however, from this significant act of atonement are the apologies from the myriad Japanese companies that used and abused POWs for slave labor to maintain war production. It is time now for these companies to break their silence and to follow the successful example of their government by offering an apology and supporting programs for lasting remembrance and reconciliation…
I know that their journey will contribute to the historic peace and
friendship between the peoples of the United States and our important ally
Japan. 10/7/12 The Last China Band
MarinesBlog, the official blog of the Marine Corps, posted a story on Mr.
Donald Versaw.
Please go to
The Last China Band: Musicians. Riflemen. Prisoners. 9/25/12
"An Amazing Journey: Trip to the site of Omine Machi POW camp," written by Ms. Linda McDavitt posted.
She
reflected on her trip to the former camp site in Japan where her father had
been held. Please go to
Ms. McDavitt's essay .
9/15/12
Please go to
Northam
8/13/12 Ms. Shoko “Seina” Shiraishi has just started a project to build a memorial for POWs in the port of Moji, where she grew up and now resides. Details can be found at her website, We Remember You.
She said, “I would like to remember the history and lives of those who
passed through my hometown.”
8/5/12
English
translation of Kinue Tokudome's article, “A Story of an American POW of the Japanese: Meaning for Japan,” was posted. Its original Japanese
version was published in the September 2012 issue of monthly magazine,
Ushio.
6/3/12 Ms. Yuka Ibuki and Ms. Shizu Maekawa recently participated in a tour to the Philippines to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Bataan Death March.
Here are their reports on the trip.
Please see
the
picture report. 4/17/12
POW daughter’s visit to Omine-Machi POW camp (Hiroshima 6-B)
Please go to Omine-Machi visit to read more.
4/11/12
Dr. Lester Tenney, who will lead the delegation of former American POWs of the Japanese coming to Washington DC to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the fall of Bataan and Corregidor on April 24 and 25, published an op-ed article where he discusses the meaning for him of the 70th anniversary of the Bataan Death March. ...We survivors want our honor returned, and one way to do that is through an apology from the companies that used POWs during World War II. Please go to San Diego Union Tribune to read the entire article. 4/9/12
Major General Antonio Taguba, US Army (Ret.) joined the Host Committee for "Commemorating Bataan and Corregidor." General Taguba’s father was a soldier in the 45th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Scouts and Bataan Death March survivor.
General Taguba
is best known for authoring the Taguba Report, an internal US Army report on
abuse of detainees held at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
The event also
received support from Ms. Laura
Hillenbrand, the author of best-selling book, Unbroken. 4/7/12 More Commemorative Events To mark the 70th anniversary of the fall of Bataan, many commemorative events are being planned. Here are some of them.
A
Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Fall of Bataan Film Showings Forgotten Soldiers, Trailer
The Tragedy of Bataan, Trailer
4/4/12
A series of events to commemorate the 70th anniversaries of the defense of
the Philippines, the Bataan Death March, and the fall of Corregidor are
being planned on April 24 and 25 in Washington DC. To learn more
visit 70th anniversary. 3/25/12
His message to home was broadcast by Radio Tokyo’s propaganda program. 2/28/12 President and Vice President of the Descendants Group in Washington DC
They met with representatives of national veteran organizations, numerous Congressional staffers in both the House and Senate as well as representatives of the State Department. The topics discussed included the mission of the Descendants Group and the success of the POW visitation program sponsored by the Japanese government. They also discussed the importance of continuing and expanding this visitation program. Joe’s father, Mr. Joe Vater, was captured on Corregidor and was sent to Mukden, Manchuria in 1942, where he was liberated. He was ADBC (American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor) Commander from 1953-55 and the editor of its quarterly magazine, Quan, for over fifty years until 2007. Caroline’s father, 1st Lt. Thomas F. Burkhart, was captured on Bataan and was sent to Japan in 1942. He was held at Tanagawa, Zentsuji and Rokuroshi POW camps. * Website of Descendants Group 1/26/12 Op-ed article on companies' responsibility for WWII POW forced labor Kinue Tokudome's op-ed article, "Courage to Face the History," was published in the Asahi Shimbun, Japan's 2nd largest newspaper, on Jan. 26. English translation and the original article can be read here. 1/18/12 Music from the Past, Friendship for Tomorrow
In 1989, she
went to New York and became a singer. She befriended with such legendary
musicians as
Leonard Gaskin and
Bob Cranshaw. But a life as a singer was not easy and Seina decided to come back to Japan after 10 years in New York. Before giving up her singing career, she produced her own CD of WWII era songs and donated it to 3,500 nursing homes across the US. (Her story is here.) One of her CDs landed in the hands of former POW and former Marine Band musician Don Versaw. (His POW story) He wrote to Seina thanking for her singing for his generation. Seina was so happy to receive that message from Don. It was 1999.
While surfing on the Internet Seina found out that Don had been in Japan in the previous year as one of the participants of Japanese government’s POW invitation program. Not having had any contact with Don for 12 years, she contacted this website, US-Japan Dialogue on POWs, and was reconnected with Don. All the memories of having sung for America’s WWII generation came flooding back to Seina. She realized how much she still wanted to sing again for them!
Don already placed an advanced order for Seina’s new CD, hoping that her project will succeed. Indeed, Seina may be able to meet Don for the first time in person. |
Memorial
for Mukaishima POWs
Visit with Mr. Zamperini
Mr.
Douglas Northam, who participated in 
12/12/12 
1１/18/12
Japanese/POW
Friendship Program
Douglas
Northam (93) US Navy, 
Randall S. Edwards 
David G. Farquhar, Jr.
John Leroy Mims 
John Real 
George R. Summers 
Robert W. Ehrhart 
On
National POW/MIA Recognition Day, September 21, 2012, Congressman Mike Honda
gave a speech on the POW invitation program by the Japanese government. 
Don
was a musician with the 4th Marines Band based in Shanghai before the war.
China Marines were evacuated to the Philippines only a few days before the
Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor and the Philippines. Don became a POW on
Corregidor in May of 1942 and was sent to Japan to become a forced laborer
in Futase coalmine in Fukuoka. 
Essay
by a POW daughter
Article on
Laura Hillenbrand's “Unbroken”
70th Anniversary Tour to the Philippines
5/1７/12
On
April 14, Ms. Linda McDavitt visited the former site of Omine-Machi POW camp
where her father, Captain Jerome McDavitt, had been held during WWII.
Unfinished
business for Bataan survivors 
General
Antonio Taguba 
Author
Laura Hillenbrand
Produced
by Donald A. Plata, the film tells the story of the U.S. Army’s Philippine
Scouts, and particularly their role in the battles of Bataan and
Corregidor. After the U.S. surrender in the Philippines, all of the
surviving American and Filipino Scouts became POWs. For showing schedule
visit 
Produced
by Jan Thompson, this is a 30-minute television documentary that chronicles
the fall of the Philippines and the Bataan Death March in the early months
of World War II. This story is narrated by actor Alec Baldwin and contains
first-account interviews with twenty-two former survivors of the conflict.
Commemorating
the 70th anniversary 
POW
Story on Mr. Robert Heer posted.
On
February 9 and 10, Joseph Vater, President and Caroline Burkhart, Vice
President of the Descendants Group an Auxiliary of the American Defenders of
Bataan and Corregidor, visited Washington DC. 
Fast
forward to 2011. 
Seina
will release her new CD soon. She hopes she can sell enough copies to cover
the expenses for visiting 100 nursing homes across the US and singing for
WWII generation.