FOLLOW UP ON THE LIST OF AMERICAN EX-POWS -
by Jerome Keating

        As mentioned in the last issue, the American Ex-Prisoner of War Association supplied us with a list of names of the Americans who spent time in the Taiwan POW Camps. We have begun contacting them to fill in another part of the history of POWs on Taiwan.
From what we have learned thus far, it appears that the majority of Americans came from the Philippines and spent only a brief time in Taiwan before being moved on to camps in Japan. Their usual landing point was Kaohsiung Harbor.
         David Brenzel (Oregon, WI) passed on a copy of “Shakedown” a lengthy piece detailing POW experiences in Taiwan. It is too long to put in detail now but one humorous incident is included on language and communications. It seems that the Japanese interpreter, “Boris,” liked to practice his English by often quizzing the POWs with “Why did you join the Army?” One day, Balconis, a native of the Bronx, was ready for the question and replied. “I signed up to beat the rap for swiping a dozen jalopies.” Even Boris’s dictionary was of little help here, so he burst out with “What did he say? He speaks broken English!”
          Thomas Gage (Tulsa, OK) who edits the “Philippine Notebook” and keeps in touch with those of the 34th Pursuit Squadron is going to put something in their newsletter to help us gain more information. Tom spent a brief time in Kaohsiung on board a Japanese troop ship heading to Moji, Japan.
         Nicholas Harkaway (Bordentown, NJ) is one of the few who spent his full prisoner time in Taiwan. With others, he had tried to take a native banka from Palawan in the Philippines to Mainland China and was picked up by a Japanese destroyer. He recalls being in camps with 12 Dutch merchant marines as well as British and Australian prisoners.
            Each has many stories to tell and we will include them in the future as space allows. At present we just want to share with our readers that we are getting information from this sector as well. Please contact us if you have additional knowledge that you can share

- A MOVIE YOU MUST SEE!!

"PARADISE ROAD" - A TRUE POW STORY...

        - Released in late 1996, this poignant film by Australian film-maker, Martin Meader, tells the story of a group of women POWs who managed to survive 3 1/2 years of brutal and cruel captivity at the hands of the Japanese in World War Two.
          The key to their survival and to keeping their spirits high through those terrible times, was the formation of a choir by one of the captured nurses.
At the fall of Singapore, many of the civilian women and children were put onto ships and sent away from the colony, only to be torpedoed and attacked by the Japanese navy and air force. In one of the greatest wartime atrocities, many of the ships were sunk with their innocent victims. Those who did escape drowning and managed to get to nearby land, were either machine-gunned down as they staggered onto the beaches, or taken captive by the Japanese. What followed for these women and children was three years of unspeakable horror and fear. Many died - but some survived to tell this true story of courage and defiance against all odds.
Martin Meader heard a recital of the songs that were composed and sung by the unique POW choir, and was so captivated by the story that he decided to make a film to share it with the world.
           The movie, starring renowned actresses Glenn Close and Frances McDormand and directed by Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy), cost $26 million to make, and when first released drew rave reviews. It is based on the true story of the women and children and the choir they formed in defiance of the Japanese order that they could not associate in groups.
            They secretly practised each evening, and if caught, they were beaten and their already meagre food rations cut. Because of the many different nationalities in the group, there were no words to the songs they performed - they only hummed the tunes, but the sound was so beautiful, some say it may have been divinely inspired.
           The sad thing about this movie is that it was pulled from the theatres after showing for only one week. The reason - according to the studio that released it - was “that it was not doing well” and would be re-released later on video.
             The truth of the matter - as has been discovered since, is that the major JAPANESE COMPANY who owns the studio, saw the success the film was having and ordered it pulled! After all, how they could they possibly allow such a true movie to go on being shown, and is anyone really surprised by this action?
             The other startling truth is - that wherever the movie has been shown it has precipitated great interest once again in the story of the atrocities committed by the Japanese against military and civilian POWs in WW II.
I have been trying to obtain a copy of this film for more than a year - currently it is available only as a rental. This past summer when I questioned one of the largest video rental companies in N. America about the video, they told me it has been very well rented, and that it is “supposed” to come out for general sale “sometime” in the year 2000. However, they could not say for sure, or exactly when it might be available. My guess is that the Japanese company behind this popular studio will either cancel or postpone its release for as long as possible, and who would blame them - for what the movie portrays, they - and all Japanese, should be deeply ashamed.
            Get a copy of this movie any way you can and see for yourself - a very well portrayed film of what really happened!