Surviving Bataan and Beyond

by Caraccilo, Dominic J.

• ISBN13: 9780811715966
• ISBN10: 0811715965
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-05-01
• Publisher: Stackpole Books

Summary

Few American prisoners of war during World War II suffered more than the group that was captured on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines. The men were forced to endure the infamous Death March, a series of overcrowded prison camps, and the 'hell ships' transporting them to Japan and Korea. Among them was Colonel Irvin Alexander, who recounts his harrowing experience as a captive of the Japanese. As a midlevel commander, he knew the politics behind the surrender in April 1942, but he also suffered with the rest of the men through a horrific confinement. This is the story of one man's struggle to survive a brutal, often unfathomable captivity.

Author Biography

Major Dominic J. Caraccilo is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and holds a master's degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.

Table of Contents

Foreword	vii
Ken Hechler
Introduction	1	(16)
Colonel Irvin Alexander's Preface	17	(2)
PART 1: A HUMBLING EXPERIENCE	19	(26)
Chapter 1: Reflecting Back	21	(2)
Chapter 2: Being Captured	23	(4)
Chapter 3: The Journey Begins	27	(5)
Chapter 4: The "Hike" Continues	32	(13)
PART 2: LAST DAYS OF FREEDOM	45	(142)
Chapter 5: Building Up a Wall of Fear	47	(25)
Chapter 6: Heroism and Convalescence	72	(23)
Chapter 7: Overtures to the End of Battle	95	(26)
Chapter 8: Overcoming Temptation in the Eye of a Storm	121	(4)
Chapter 9: The First Prison Camp	125	(11)
Chapter 10: Moving to Cabanatuan	136	(19)
Chapter 11: As the Years Come and Go	155	(32)
PART 3: THE FINAL YEAR	187	(54)
Chapter 12: The Trek Beyond Bataan	189	(40)
Chapter 13: Freedom's at Hand	229	(12)
Notes	241	(73)
Bibliography	314	(10)
Index	324