The warrior culture was given to basically subhuman, imbeciles and they murdered and tortured in a large moronic horde. They weren't warriors they may have been good soldiers, but basically they were just fanatic's and animals.
They are different these days for sure, a changed people and land.
James Clavell also wrote "King Rat," a semi-autobiographical novel about hs experience in a WWII Japanese POW camp. He also wrote the script for the movie adaptation.
They were OUTSTANDING soldiers who were brutally disciplined. They were NOT merely "fanatics and animals".
Yes they committed HORRIBLE atrocities; the term "Rape of Nanking" is not hyperbole, nor was it "troops out of control", it was sanctioned and deliberate.
At the root of all of this was racist ideology; Japanese were superior beings and all others were subhuman.
I would argue that the majority of Japanese soldiers were not "outstanding". Disciplined and fanatical yes, but they did not adapt well when plans fell apart (as Japanese plans inevitably did) nor when their leadership was killed (as they inevitably were).
The lack of adaptation is more a leadership/organization failure, not attributed to the individual soldier. Their training, especially their training to fight at night, was superb. See "Shots Fired in Anger" by John George who fought the Japanese in several campaigns.
The criticism of lack of adaptation can be leveled at nearly every army with the exception of our own in several cases.
My Filipina mother-in-law told me tales of how the Japanese behaved during the occupation of the Philippines. She was a young woman when the Japanese came. They were fortunate that their coastal village in Luzon was not occupied but when a patrol came through mothers hurriedly rubbed down their daughters with feces and rotten fish to prevent them from being raped. Back then the Japanese view was that the world was occupied by just the Nihongo (Japanese) and clever monkeys (everyone else). I was born 3 years after the war. Lived in Japan 1970-72. I like the Japanese people. My mother-in-law, father-in-law and millions of Asians born before WWII loath(ed) them.
Very strong personal ties to the PI (marriage of 40+ years). There is a great (IMO) movie, "The Great Raid" which gives a (perhaps overly) dramatized recreation of the YouTube video you referenced. If you also referenced this movie and I missed it, my apologies. My wife's dad was a Filipino scout, and some of the Japanese atrocities are officially documented, but publicly suppressed for "complicated" reasons. All that to say that pulling this off was heroic, and a credit to all involved. Full Bore indeed!
Married 50+ years to a Filipina lady. My wife's dad was a member of the USAFFE. He escaped during the Bataan Death March and for the duration of the war acted as a messenger between guerilla groups in Luzon. I was lucky to be able to get the whole family (F-i-L, M-i-L 2 B-i-L's and 2 S-i-L's) here to the U.S. over a period of 10 years from 1978 to 1988. He was the last to arrive. I figured I owed him, and the family. You know, those USAFFE members who kept up the fight against the Japanese were promised pay after the war ended. Congress, of course, stiffed them. I know my F-i-L and M-i-L treasured their time here in the U.S. and were happy that their 7 children became productive U.S. citizens. 3 of them served in the Navy (BT3, MSC and CWO4).
There is a Bataan Memorial Death March held every year @ White Sands Missile Range.
I think the majority of readers here have heard about Louis Zamperini and the movie/ book Unbroken.
Earlier this year and just on a whim I bought a used book for $1 titled, Prisoners of the Japanese by Gavan Daws 1994. If you have even a remote interest in the Pacific theater of war, make sure you read this book.
Unfortunately the Japanese treatment of POWs and conquered populations has largely been sanitized and to the Japanese the only atrocities that occurred during WW2 begin with Hiroshima and end with Nagasaki.
" Sometimes , when crimes have been committed it is necessary to go back and mark the spot. "
A movie is usually a pale shade of a book. It’s been years since I read “Ghost Soldiers”, but it sticks with me vividly to this day. I specifically recall how the book points out the shock the POWs had of the advances in technology and quality of US weapons in the short “world war time period”. Sorry Sal, I know I messed up that trademark timeframe name, but I’m typing with my thumbs.
Thank you for mentioning; I was going to if you didn't. I discovered Hampton Sides' "Ghost Soldiers" after reading his outstanding "On Desperate Ground" and found it very interesting.
Just as an aside, Captain Pajota was sponsored to the US and passed away in Chicago before he could earn US citizenship. He was in his early '60's. At times I wish our relationship with the PI was as close as our traditional relationship with England.
A comparable saga occurred on Mindanao, where a Reserve Army Captain (CE) build a force that numbered 36,000 by the forces under MacArthur returned. Complete with a 7,000 foot runway and a Navy. Wendell Fertig.
He was featured in WEB Griffin's USMC series. The Corps
I think Griffin returned to the subject for another book in one of the series. He even called himself out for it, unapologetically, because he felt the story was worthy of repeat.
After the family farm was foreclosed on, Uncle Gordon joined the US Army in 1939. In December 1941, his duty station was in the Philippines. After running around the jungle for months, he was surrendered in April 1942 and spent most of the war in Bilibid Prison. His normal weight before the war was 193. When he was rescued, he weighed 86 pounds, and suffered from Beri Beri, Scurvy, and Malaria. He wrote that, as a "supplement" to their diet of one rice ball per day, they used to eat the weeds on the side of the road as they marched to and from their slave labor in the fields. The guards were intentionally cruel.
We fly POW flags...we leave no one behind. Unless of course they are a US Public Health officer and/or American Citizen who might have been exposed to Ebola. In that case - ship them to Kenya. Thank you POTUS.
The Japanese warrior culture is crazy. Have you read Shogun?
The warrior culture was given to basically subhuman, imbeciles and they murdered and tortured in a large moronic horde. They weren't warriors they may have been good soldiers, but basically they were just fanatic's and animals.
They are different these days for sure, a changed people and land.
It took a Total war to change them.
Hello Bear, have you read Shogun? It was written by a POW in WW2
James Clavell also wrote "King Rat," a semi-autobiographical novel about hs experience in a WWII Japanese POW camp. He also wrote the script for the movie adaptation.
They were OUTSTANDING soldiers who were brutally disciplined. They were NOT merely "fanatics and animals".
Yes they committed HORRIBLE atrocities; the term "Rape of Nanking" is not hyperbole, nor was it "troops out of control", it was sanctioned and deliberate.
At the root of all of this was racist ideology; Japanese were superior beings and all others were subhuman.
I would argue that the majority of Japanese soldiers were not "outstanding". Disciplined and fanatical yes, but they did not adapt well when plans fell apart (as Japanese plans inevitably did) nor when their leadership was killed (as they inevitably were).
The lack of adaptation is more a leadership/organization failure, not attributed to the individual soldier. Their training, especially their training to fight at night, was superb. See "Shots Fired in Anger" by John George who fought the Japanese in several campaigns.
The criticism of lack of adaptation can be leveled at nearly every army with the exception of our own in several cases.
My Filipina mother-in-law told me tales of how the Japanese behaved during the occupation of the Philippines. She was a young woman when the Japanese came. They were fortunate that their coastal village in Luzon was not occupied but when a patrol came through mothers hurriedly rubbed down their daughters with feces and rotten fish to prevent them from being raped. Back then the Japanese view was that the world was occupied by just the Nihongo (Japanese) and clever monkeys (everyone else). I was born 3 years after the war. Lived in Japan 1970-72. I like the Japanese people. My mother-in-law, father-in-law and millions of Asians born before WWII loath(ed) them.
Douglas MacArthur left his mark between the end of WWII and the beginning of the Korean Conflict.
...Did you know that Hollywood actually made a movie about Cabanatuan? I saw it when it came out.
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Raid-Blu-ray-Benjamin-Bratt-dp-B004SIP81Q/dp/B004SIP81Q
I did not
It's pretty amazing, well worth the price of admission! :-)
I saw it, it was Hollywood but still a good movie.
Very strong personal ties to the PI (marriage of 40+ years). There is a great (IMO) movie, "The Great Raid" which gives a (perhaps overly) dramatized recreation of the YouTube video you referenced. If you also referenced this movie and I missed it, my apologies. My wife's dad was a Filipino scout, and some of the Japanese atrocities are officially documented, but publicly suppressed for "complicated" reasons. All that to say that pulling this off was heroic, and a credit to all involved. Full Bore indeed!
By and Large the Pinay and Pinoy are good people.
Married 50+ years to a Filipina lady. My wife's dad was a member of the USAFFE. He escaped during the Bataan Death March and for the duration of the war acted as a messenger between guerilla groups in Luzon. I was lucky to be able to get the whole family (F-i-L, M-i-L 2 B-i-L's and 2 S-i-L's) here to the U.S. over a period of 10 years from 1978 to 1988. He was the last to arrive. I figured I owed him, and the family. You know, those USAFFE members who kept up the fight against the Japanese were promised pay after the war ended. Congress, of course, stiffed them. I know my F-i-L and M-i-L treasured their time here in the U.S. and were happy that their 7 children became productive U.S. citizens. 3 of them served in the Navy (BT3, MSC and CWO4).
I watch the Operations Room when they have a new battle map. They are good.
The Raid was a well planned success.
Lord, have mercy....
The "Great Raid" was indeed GREAT. An example of a classic SOF Op.
Fox Nation recently had a little blurb on the Los Banos Op as well.
There are few good decisions in war - just less bad ones
There is a Bataan Memorial Death March held every year @ White Sands Missile Range.
I think the majority of readers here have heard about Louis Zamperini and the movie/ book Unbroken.
Earlier this year and just on a whim I bought a used book for $1 titled, Prisoners of the Japanese by Gavan Daws 1994. If you have even a remote interest in the Pacific theater of war, make sure you read this book.
Unfortunately the Japanese treatment of POWs and conquered populations has largely been sanitized and to the Japanese the only atrocities that occurred during WW2 begin with Hiroshima and end with Nagasaki.
" Sometimes , when crimes have been committed it is necessary to go back and mark the spot. "
Bill Young POW
Thanks, Bradley. Amazon has new and used copies of Gavan Daws' book at decent prices.
I read it in one day. It's well researched but disturbing and left me with a totally new respect of the insanity the POWs endured.
I sincerely doubt that I would have survived.
A movie is usually a pale shade of a book. It’s been years since I read “Ghost Soldiers”, but it sticks with me vividly to this day. I specifically recall how the book points out the shock the POWs had of the advances in technology and quality of US weapons in the short “world war time period”. Sorry Sal, I know I messed up that trademark timeframe name, but I’m typing with my thumbs.
Thank you for mentioning; I was going to if you didn't. I discovered Hampton Sides' "Ghost Soldiers" after reading his outstanding "On Desperate Ground" and found it very interesting.
Just as an aside, Captain Pajota was sponsored to the US and passed away in Chicago before he could earn US citizenship. He was in his early '60's. At times I wish our relationship with the PI was as close as our traditional relationship with England.
In some ways we are closer. 15% of my A-Div chiefs on a CVN weren't Limeys, after all:)
A comparable saga occurred on Mindanao, where a Reserve Army Captain (CE) build a force that numbered 36,000 by the forces under MacArthur returned. Complete with a 7,000 foot runway and a Navy. Wendell Fertig.
He was featured in WEB Griffin's USMC series. The Corps
I think Griffin returned to the subject for another book in one of the series. He even called himself out for it, unapologetically, because he felt the story was worthy of repeat.
it was one of the OSS books
After the family farm was foreclosed on, Uncle Gordon joined the US Army in 1939. In December 1941, his duty station was in the Philippines. After running around the jungle for months, he was surrendered in April 1942 and spent most of the war in Bilibid Prison. His normal weight before the war was 193. When he was rescued, he weighed 86 pounds, and suffered from Beri Beri, Scurvy, and Malaria. He wrote that, as a "supplement" to their diet of one rice ball per day, they used to eat the weeds on the side of the road as they marched to and from their slave labor in the fields. The guards were intentionally cruel.
Another great story is the liberation of Santo Tomas, the civilian internment camp in Manila. There is a new book on it released this year: "Sixty-Six Hours to Manila: Survival and Liberation at Santo Tomas, 1942–1945." Excellent book. My review of it is here: https://www.theepochtimes.com/bright/sixty-six-hours-to-manila-when-philippine-internees-were-liberated-6024140
I read a book about the raid. Probably "Ghost Soldiers" (which TigerLuther mentioned, above).
We fly POW flags...we leave no one behind. Unless of course they are a US Public Health officer and/or American Citizen who might have been exposed to Ebola. In that case - ship them to Kenya. Thank you POTUS.
I would argue that the Israelis care just as much about their POW/MIA/kidnapped as we do.