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Memoirs of Ruth Hooper

items 21 of 28 items
  • wcu_ww2-461.jp2
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  • meantime, 30,000 Japanese Imperial Marines had retreated across the bridges and blown them up behind them. It begin to rain a little and as I looked for shelter I walked among their foxholes and talked with some of them. One asked me where I was from and I said “North Carolina”. When I said that up poked a muddy face from a foxhole, and never stopping his digging, said with his own soft drawl – “North Carolina, come over here honey”. In the days following we met and talked with many boys from our home states – one Tom King from Cherokee that I shall always remember with grateful thanks for his help to us. When passing the loaded Japanese trucks that were still parked in front of the building that held the many Japanese and internee hostages, Carr just knew there must be some sort of food on them – he was hungry! He climbed up on one of them and found some rice and some field rations which were small compressed cakes about the size of a domino. We set down to try them out and as hungry as we were, they tasted pretty good. I ate some and Carr ate a lot of them. We learned later that you were supposed to pour boiling water over them, one small cake making a good-sized bowl of oatmeal-like cereal. Anyway, needless to say with that many in his tummy and them beginning to swell, he had a few uncomfortable moments. But, for the first time in oh so long, he really had a stomach full of food. Our soldiers kept the building that held the Japanese and hostages surrounded all night. Occasionally we would hear sniper fire. When morning came an agreement was reached with the Japanese that if they were allowed to walk out of camp the hostages would be freed. This was done. They were escorted to the front entrance and let go, but outside were Filipinos who quickly took care of them.
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Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).