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Memoirs of Ruth Hooper

items 22 of 28 items
  • wcu_ww2-462.jp2
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  • Our 840 First Calvary Division had no extra food with then, only their C Rations but they shared these with the internees – they did have coffee. By afternoon they had set up five big field guns (cannons to me) almost in front of our little shack. I sat behind those guns, drinking good coffee and watching them throw shells toward the Japanese. One thing I want to make clear here. When the Americans moved into Santo Tomas Camp it became a military objective and the Japanese began to counter-attack with heavy artillery from their positions in the Walled City. I saw my friends killed, had shells come so close to my face I felt their heat. We lay in ditches, behind buildings, under great rolls of wire. Great holes were blown in the buildings and many were killed or hurt and, of course, always the sniper fire which made it unsafe for anyone to move around. That was when we had the Battle of Manila. I saw flame throwers and guns of all kinds in action. I saw our wounded and dead. We had Air raids from the Japanese. When the Division of the Fifth Army came into Manila 24 hours after the First Calvary Division, things began to change in camp. They set up a kitchen and we had good food. Can you imagine hearing a child say “Mommy, what is bread and butter”? One time I was talking to some of our soldiers when an Officer came up, said a few words and those men began to pick up their weapons, climb into jeeps and trucks. I asked one of them “what now”. He said, very nonchalantly, “oh just a few Japanese to take care of”. I watched them go but I also watched them return – about half the number had been killed. There was still fighting in and around Manila but after awhile they would let some of the internees go out of camp to see the ruin and destruction of Manila – with a Military Escort. Carr went and came back to tell me of the thousands and thousands of bodies floating in
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Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).