NONFICTION BOOKS ARE LIKE HISTORICAL SCAVENGER HUNTS, and as such, I owe a great thanks to the army of archivists and researchers who helped me hunt down the innumerable pieces of the narrative puzzle. At the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, I want to thank Nate Patch and Eric Van Slander, the two of whom have been an incredible assistance to me with this book as well as my previous ones. Likewise, Jim Zobel at the MacArthur Memorial Library and Archives was a great help, demonstrating time and again his unrivaled mastery of all things MacArthur. André Sobocinski, with the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, went above and beyond to help me locate important records on the suffering endured by so many at Bilibid Prison. Down in the great state of Texas, I want to thank Lou Jurika, whose father was one of the first officers into Manila and who has an amazing family archive, which he graciously shared.
I am likewise indebted to many people in the Philippines who assisted me in my research. Thanks go to Maria Cecilia Ayson at the Filipinas Heritage Library in Makati. Likewise, the wonderful John Silva and Mike Henderson were so accommodating during my visit to the Ortigas Foundation Library in Pasig City. Through John, I had the opportunity to meet and visit with Battle of Manila survivor Alberto Montilla, who in his lovely home boasts quite possibly the greatest personal library of World War II literature related to the Philippines. Montilla generously gifted me a copy A.V.H. Hartendorp’s comprehensive two-volume history The Japanese Occupation of the Philippines, an incredibly rare and important book that I treasure.
I owe thanks to Dr. Ricardo Trota “Rico” Jose at the University of the Philippines. He is not only one of the foremost experts on World War II in the Philippines but an entertaining host who wasn’t shy about demonstrating his handheld Japanese air raid siren, regardless of its affect on his nearby colleagues. I also want to thank Rico’s brother, Regalado Trota Jose, who is the archivist at the University of Santo Tomas. It was an honor to spend time with famed economist and historian Dr. Benito Legarda, Jr., a wonderful storyteller who shared with me powerful anecdotes of life during the Japanese occupation. I also want to thank Karl-Wilhelm Welteke, a modern-day Indiana Jones who, armed with a handheld GPS, took me on a two-day adventure through the jungles of Corregidor.
Others I am indebted to include Battle of Manila survivors Rod Hall, Edgar Krohn, Joyce Velde, Juergen Goldhagen, and Lourdes Montinola, along with fellow historian Peter Parsons, who has produced several great documentaries on the Philippines during World War II. Paul Whitaker graciously shared photos from his excellent collection, and Nelly Fung helped enlighten me on the tremendous work of her parents, Jessie and Marcial Lichauco. Thanks as well go to Seth Mydans and the other family members of famed Life magazine photographer Carl Mydans, who was one of the first journalists in Manila. I also want to thank William Leo Coakley, heir to the wonderful writer, Robin Prising. I owe so much to my dear friend and tokayo Jim Litton, who repeatedly went out of his way to help me. Jim not only sat for a lengthy oral history about his family’s ordeal during the battle, but he personally escorted me through the city, taking me inside the Philippine General Hospital, De La Salle College, and the Manila American Cemetery, not to mention treating me to a delicious lunch one afternoon at the landmark Manila Polo Club. Along similar lines, I owe a great debt to Jack Garcia, who now lives in Australia. That Jack and his family survived the battle was nothing short of miraculous, and it is an honor to share his story.
Closer to home, I owe a debt to the wonderful folks at the Citadel’s Daniel Library, who have been so great to me over the years. Special thanks go to David Goble and Pamela Orme, who treat me like family each time I visit. The same is true for the great individuals at the Charleston County Public Library, including my friend Stephen Schwengel and Sonja Chapman, who helps me with my mountain of interlibrary loans. Several other writers provided me with records and leads, including Joseph McCallus, author of the excellent book The MacArthur Highway and Other Relics of American Empire in the Philippines. Nathaniel Helms graciously shared with me the diary of Yamashita’s executioner, whom he met in Texas, while John Bruning, author of Indestructible, handed over his vast collection of photos. Thanks as well go to Michel Paradis, who provided me with the interrogation notes of Hidecki Tojo, and my good friend Steve Moore, who wrote the terrific book As Good as Dead about the Japanese massacre of American prisoners of war on the Philippine Island of Palawan.
Pulling together so many records from varying sources into a cohesive and accurate story is always a challenge. As the manuscript took shape, I was fortunate to have many volunteer readers in the United States and the Philippines, including several members of the wonderful Memorare Manila 1945 Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving the memory of the Battle of Manila. For their gracious help, I want to thank Dr. Rico Jose, Lou Jurika, Jim Litton, Jack Garcia, Santo Tomas survivor Angus Lorenzen, Rod Hall, Joan Orendain, and Jose M. Cabarrus. I am indebted to my amazing editor at Norton, John Glusman, whose powerful book Conduct Under Fire, chronicling his father’s ordeal as a prisoner of war, is a must-read for anyone interested in the Philippines. John spent countless hours going line by line through this manuscript, using his gift for language and storytelling at each step to help improve the narrative. I also want to thank his ever-patient assistant, Lydia Brents. Copyeditor Janet Biehl was an absolute wonder. Not only did she help make sure I didn’t embarrass myself, but her edits and recommendations were tremendous. Thanks as well are due to Norton’s marketing and publicity departments, both of which have proven invaluable over the years. I likewise want to thank my wise and terrific agent, Wendy Strothman, who has been a tireless advocate of my work for more than a decade. Last but not least, I owe a tremendous debt to my wonderful family. My amazing wife, Carmen Scott, must feel like she lives on the front lines as she not only listens daily to the stories of my research but also gives each chapter its first and no doubt painful read. Carmen’s support is equaled by that of our two beautiful children, Isa and Grigs, with whom I love to share the wonder of history.