Ch 14 - Bilibid

CHAPTER 14

BILIBID

The Japs were surely parading us to display their superiority over the Americans, they were flaunting the helplessness of the prisoners. From the route followed, it was apparent that the march was being prolonged for this purpose, but surely it must eventually end, and it finally did end....at a place called “Bilibid Prison”. But we were to learn the name later, after we passed behind the thick walls of this place that would house many American prisoners of war until early 1945. I felt very uncomfortable in this gloomy, morbid place. It was similar to incarceration in a penitentiary in the U.S., psychologically that is. It was different, in that it was dusty and dirty, and it gave a very closed in feeling. I was more depressed than at any time since the surrender.

“Could I handle this for any length of time?” I could not answer this question. As more and more of the column of Americans filed into the confines of the walls, confusion reigned. Obviously, the Japs were not prepared to handle thousands of men surging into this brooding place!

Late in the afternoon, we did receive a ration of rice, and there was water to be had. This was a change, maybe they would at least feed us! I found Spence on the second day. What a lift this gave me! We huddled together and went over the events of the past two days. He said he had lost track of the others that shared our shelter at 92nd Garage. We found an unoccupied corner outside one of the buildings and made ourselves a place to sit down and rest. I had slept in the open the night before, huddled in my blanket, very uncomfortable, but at least I was left alone by others. We concluded that one of us must remain at this position if the other had to go to the head, or scout around for anyone that we would like to join us.

Two days later we were in a large contingent selected to move out of Bilibid.

“It’s not a minute too soon for me,” I told Spence, I do not like this place, and the sooner we’re out of here, the better!”

Spence mentioned the next place could be worse, and also, it was quite easy to lose ourselves in this mass of men. He said it was possible for us to evade selection for some distasteful work detail by hiding among this many people. Since we were already selected, I thought it best to go along instead of moving to another area in the compound.

The following morning, those selected were lined up, counted, then recounted. We finally began marching, out through the gate and once more along the street. This time our apparent destination was a small railroad yard. The yard was a stretch of hard pan approximately fifty yards wide and several hundred yards in length, and three or four tracks terminated near the street where we entered the “railroad yard”. We were pushed into an area bordered by an old wire fence and told to sit down via sign language.

Sometime later, a string of small boxcars backed onto a siding next to the compound. They began taking men from the fenced area and loading them into the first boxcar. There was no ramp and the men were forced to climb up into the railroad car and move to each end of the car. The Japs continued to cram men into the car until some of them were crying out they could not breathe. The Japs were merciless! The men were now in dire need of room to move! The door was slid closed and the Japs moved to the next car. The same scene was repeated until another car was stuffed with helpless men jammed together until they were gasping for breath! Spence and I were among the first to be pressed into the third car. Our good fortune continued! In the corner that we were pressed into, a large hole, covered by two or three wooden slats nailed to the outside of the boxcar existed. The slats were spaced two, and in some places three inches apart, and this allowed breathing space for Spence and I, plus some of the nearest men could benefit from the extra ventilation.

“Don’t allow the others to wedge you out of here! This is best chance to survive in this heat!” Spence whispered.

That was for sure, as some of the men were already suffering and we hadn’t moved. I managed to grip the edge of the hole firmly to prevent being dislodged. There was much groaning and cursing throughout the length of the packed boxcar. I felt sorry for those compressed in the middle. At least we had one side away from the bodies of the other prisoners. The side of the car was very hot, but that felt more comfortable than the side next to the struggling bodies of the other men!

Obviously we would not move until all of the cars were loaded, and unfortunately, I had failed to count how many cars made up the train. My thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of couplers crashing together and at that time the car that we were in jerked backward, then forward. Again we were motionless for several minutes, and again the train jerked forward and we began to move very slowly, but at least we were moving! Hopefully, the train would proceed fast enough to create some fresh air for those gasping for breath in the center of the car.

We quickly learned many of those located next to the walls could not get sufficient air to sustain life for any length of time. Some had their faces jammed against the sides of the car and were terribly uncomfortable. I thought at the time I would have certainly been hard pressed to maintain my control if I had been one of those unfortunates trapped in such a manner!

Finally, the train did pick up some speed, and some air, albeit hot, began to penetrate the confines of the car. If we had been furnished with water, it would have been impossible to reach it under the conditions existing in the interior of the old boxcars!

I looked at Spence, “If I could raise my arms to relieve the pressure, there is no way that I could ever bring them back down, there just isn’t room!”

He started giggling, and since it was contagious, I started to giggle.

“What the hell is so funny over there?” Someone across the car from us wanted to know.

That of course triggered more giggling, which of course soon had most of men engaged in some form of laughter! Somehow, the giggling had relieved the terrible, hopeless tension that was taking some of the men to the breaking point.

We seem to rumble along for a long time, and somehow it was a bit easier with even a small amount of ventilation seeping through the packed car. When the train finally stopped, we could only wonder if this was it, or merely just a stop along the way. The train sat quiet and the heat began to penetrate the packed car. Men attempted to change position, with little success. Groans of misery began to permeate the interior of the boxcar. Almost an hour passed before distant shouts were heard and the train jerked into motion.

The train moved slowly for several minutes, then picked up a little speed. The movement brought about a change of air, and this, in itself, offered some comfort from the suffering. The old train trundled along, occasionally slowing, then picking up once more. Finally, after what seemed like endless hours, the train again slowed to another stop.

“Please let us be there, wherever it is!” someone moaned. We knew when the old door of the boxcar squeaked back and allowed the sun and the fresh air to rush into the car. At first, it was difficult for any of us to move our muscles, and it proved even more demanding for us to walk. My legs felt as though I hadn’t walked for a month! Slowly we let ourselves down from the floor of the car and creaked across the open space to the lineup forming nearby.

“I can hardly walk,” a man next to me groaned. Spence and I helped him to a place in the line. We were happy to learn that everyone managed the train ride. We lost no one, and I was relieved to know we wouldn’t have to bury anyone.

Of course the traditional counting took place before we could advance to the next step! Satisfied, the guards led the column to a fenced-in area that resembled a school yard and herded us in. We had hardly settled into the place when a Filipino man and woman approached the fence, each carrying baskets of fruit. When they handed pieces of fruit across the fence to some of the Americans, a Jap guard screamed at them, rushed over and began beating them with his rifle butt! The man fell to the ground bleeding profusely about the head, and the woman dropped her basket and cowed down against the fence, her hands covering her head. The Jap kicked her and then threatened her with his rifle butt! We were shocked by such cruelty and I was forced to turn away. The guard then ordered the American to throw the fruit back over the fence.

One man just behind me muttered, “If that is an example of what we have facing us, I would rather get shot now and save myself the pain!”

“Just hold your cool, there’s nothing you can do, just sit down and relax!”, another man said.

We watched other native Filipinos move back against some buildings, fearful of more reprisals from these cruel devils! A short time later I watched a man pass our place carrying two or three canteens. I asked Spence how much water he had and he unscrewed the cap peeked in.

“Not much, maybe a quarter full”.

I mentioned that some guy just walked by carrying canteens, so there must be water somewhere and we’d better get some. He decided he would follow the man and try to get our canteens filled. He grabbed mine, put it with his and wandered off in the direction I pointed. He was gone a long time, but finally returned with the canteens full. He told me it was a good thing, because we didn’t have half a bottle between us and who knows where we’re headed?

Some time later, we were given rice balls and we decided to share one and retain the other for later. I was starved and I gulped my half down quickly, hardly knowing where the next meal would come from. We received word that we would remain here for the night, and since we were exhausted from the train ride, Spence and I spread our blankets and proceeded to hit the ground. Many were already lying on their ‘beds’ sapped from the heat and the conditions existing in the boxcars.

“Wonder where they are taking us?” Spence asked absently.

“Seems to me we’re out in the country,” I replied.

We slept poorly, trying to find comfort on the hard ground, and it proved to be a very long night. I wondered if I would ever enjoy another “good night’s” sleep, or would it be a continuation of the same for the rest of my time. My mind reached back for the time I last had slept through a night without interruption, completely relaxed, on a comfortable bed, and without shells and bombs, without Japs yelling and threatening. Surely years had passed since “H” Battery had moved to the field! Even then I had my bed, though it was located in a tent next to Battery Ramsey’s No.1 gun, it was my same old bed from Middleside Barracks.

When the light of dawn arrived I felt as though I had suffered a severe beating! My back ached, and my head hurt, everything hurt. Spence maintained he had slept just like a log, and of course I managed several comments describing his character, and his ability to relate tall tales!

Our attention was drawn to a loud commotion on the far side of the fenced area. It was impossible to see what was happening, but the noise continued for several minutes. My hopes for some breakfast went down the tubes when the Jap guards began herding the men out of the compound and into a large open area adjacent to the enclosure. Sure enough they began lining everyone up and counting.....and counting. I had come to the conclusion that Japs count a lot! They seem to count anything and everything, whether it moves or stands still.

Finally the counting was over and this seemed to cause considerable excitement throughout the Jap contingent! One Jap seemed to be telling the others something, very loudly, and with considerable emphasis. Someone near conjectured that perhaps somebody escaped. Whatever caused the commotion, it also caused us to stand for nearly an hour as the Japs counted us again.....and again.....and again! Finally, the head Jap divided off four of his underlings, and sent them packing toward the largest congestion of houses and buildings off to the right of us.

Apparently this head Jap decided to go on without the four who were disappearing among the buildings. He shouted at the remaining guards and they pointed at a dusty road and yelled some more. The head of the column took that to mean, “let’s go!”, so they went. The road seem to lead off across the flat plain, nothing projected up as far as I could see, just flatness. I wondered to myself, “where in the hell are they taking us?” Perhaps we will work in the rice fields or something, who knows?

I estimated that more than two hours elapsed before the first break. Most of us sat down by the road to rest and it was a relief to stop. I was hungry and tired, and listening to the talk around me, some of the men in the column were in very poor condition from the traumatic experience in the boxcars the day before. Some of these men were apparently passengers in some of the other cars, and from remarks overheard, conditions were even worse than those in my boxcar. One man told of the ghastly situation in his packed car. Many were suffering the ravages of diarrhoea, and the intense heat within the crowded boxcar, magnified the terrible odor and stench emanating from these poor individuals. Others became sick at their stomachs, and this added to the horrible mess. The man said that he almost vomited just thinking of, and remembering, those long hours in the boxcar. I heard of no one dying, but some of the speakers indicated that had the train continued for any length of time, surely some would have died, and had they done so, it would have been impossible for them to fall to the floor of the car, packed as tightly together as they were.

We were brought back to the dusty road abruptly by the yelling guards. Again we started to walk, limp or shuffle along as best we could. Each man plodding along immersed in his own thoughts. Coming up on our right was a gulley, a few low fences bordering the gulley. Now I could see some people in large straw hats working among some tall plants. Not far from the road stood a small makeshift table with some mangoes spread out on banana leaves. I could hardly restrain the temptation to dash madly to the table and sink my teeth into one of juicy mangoes! I was so hungry, and I could almost taste the cool, sweet flesh of a ripe mango.

We continued along the road, feet dragging, spirits melting from the recent experience of the boxcars, our hopes beginning to wane, each of us wondering what horrible event would be waiting at the next curve in the road. Someone mentioned that something was ahead to the right and I craned my neck, hoping to see a grove of mango trees, or anything pleasant to buoy our hopes. I could see in the distance what appeared to be a cluster of long, low buildings, and as we neared, a tall fence came into view with guard towers located at each corner. So this was where we were headed for I mumbled to myself. But it was not where we were headed. The Japs marched us right on by the ‘place’ whatever it was. Maybe just over this next rise will be one just like it I hoped, now very tired. I found that just “over the next rise” nothing could be seen. We were quite happy we started this march with full canteens! Not knowing how far we would be pushed, or how long it would be until the next water source!

Again we were permitted to take another ‘break,’ and it was welcomed by all. I would never have considered it a luxury to flop down beside a dusty road and rest. The two of us rewarded ourselves with another sip of water. We fully intended to ration ourselves and eliminate the chance of our canteens running dry out on this hot, dusty plain! I observed many of the men taking healthy swigs from their water bottles and I knew these same fellows would be out of water soon. It would be very unpleasant to be without water on this long march!

Once we began moving again I somehow found the strength to lift one foot after the other, and to toil along behind the man ahead of me. After another lengthy trek along the dusty road we passed yet another collection of ‘buildings’ resembling the first one, and unfortunately, we plodded on by this one also. The column continued to propel itself through the clouds of dust and grime.

Now, far in the distance, another group of buildings similar to those we passed began to take shape. Depressed as I was, I guessed that once again we would plod past these just as we did the last. We walked for a long time before details began to take form. From a distance, it appeared this place was indeed similar to the other, fence, towers and all. We continued to drag along, ever so slowly nearing what was surely some type of compound for people, perhaps prisoners? And surprise, surprise, we did turn into the narrow “road” that led into this place, and the buildings did resemble barracks. I was somehow relieved that this might just be our destination! Maybe we would be permitted to rest our aching bodies.

Indeed we were broken into groups and the group that I and Spence were in was directed to one of the barracks. When we climbed the wooden steps at the end of the building, I could see an aisle three and a half to four feet wide ran the length of the ‘barrack’, and a similar doorway could be seen at the far end. On each side of the aisle, platforms had been constructed to serve as beds. Considering the length of the building, I guessed that a large number of men could be housed within each barrack building. Well, I thought, they will need lots of room to take care of just the prisoners from Corregidor!

I mentioned to Spence that I had observed numerous men standing about as we were marched into this place.

“Wonder where they came from?” He shrugged his usual shrug, and quipped, “uh-maybe they’re from the last war!”

CHAPTER 15

Photo Gallery | 59th CA Personnel Roster | 60th CA Personnel Roster | Return to The Website