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No Uncle Sam The Forgotten of Bataan 2003, 280 pp
courtesy of our partner, Atlas Books |
“I am proud to say that I survived the Bataan Death March and three and a half years in Japanese prison camps. For those Filipinos and Americans who were with me and came back alive, I write these memories. But most of all, for all of those who never did come back, this book is for them.”—From the Preface
Anton F. Bilek was only twenty-two years old when he was captured in Bataan. No Uncle Sam is his story of survival through the Death March, his imprisonment under horrific conditions in the Philippines and Japan, and his servitude as a slave laborer in the Japanese coal mines. Bilek addresses the frustration, anger, fear, humor, hope, and courage that he and other Americans shared during their captivity and their silence about these experiences for many years after their release from the POW camps. After almost 40 years Bilek decided to write about his experiences, and this memoir is the result.
Of related interest:
And the Wind Blew Cold by Richard M. Bassett
Kilroy was There by Tony Hillerman