This document is a backup of http://www.fsteiger.com/gsteip ow.html lest it disappears. The testimony of Capt. Steiger is a critical historical document relating the circumstances of the loss of S.S. Corregidor, and more than a thousand of its passengers. The true number of souls lost was minimised during the war for various reasons which will not be examined here. Readers are encouraged to venture to https://corregidor.proboards.co m/thread/1168/losscorregidor&lang=en
Capt. George E. Steiger
EDITOR’S FOREWORD My uncle, George Steiger, was stationed on Corregidor Island in the Philippines in 1941 and was captured by the Japanese in May, 1942 when the island surrendered. The following is a record of his diary entries from July 1941 to September 1945. It is transcribed from a blurred typed carbon copy made by his wife, Ottly Goodrich Steiger. Additional information inserted in the typed copy by Ottly Steiger is shown in italics. In some cases the text was so blurred as to be difficult to decipher. In addition, there were some typos and unfamiliar abbreviations. When the meaning was reasonably clear, I made the correction. When the meaning was uncertain, I left it "as is," in some cases inserting a comment in brackets [ ]. The initial pages detail Capt. Steiger's trip to Corregidor via Honolulu and contain some repetitive material. I have not made any attempt to edit these accounts but copied them exactly as typed by Ottly Steiger. The only changes I have made were to correct minor errors in spelling and punctuation. I deleted a few paragraphs which were personal in nature and not relevant to the diary record. When this was done, it was so noted. George survived his ordeal and was promoted to the rank of Major after the war. He had a few good years until his health deteriorated. He died of cardiovascular problems in 1960 at the age of 56.
Letter written before the outbreak of hostilities: I am on all night duty as Field Officer of the day, which consists in keeping watch at the Harbor Defense Signal Station, ready to alert the troops in case of attack. It is potentially a very hot spot. Until someone with a lot more rank could get here I am commander of all the troops in the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays. Until something unusual happens, however, there is nothing to do but stay awake. It takes me about 2 hrs. to write a reasonably decent account of the trip to date, so I have decided to strike off a few carbons. I hope you all won't mind too much. O.K.? Here goes We left Pier 45, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, at noon, Aug. 28, [1941] on the the U.S.A.T. Pres. Pierce. It is a 550 foot passenger cargo-passenger steamer, built in 1922. It is capable of 18 K., which is the same as flying for an Army transport. It was formerly a round-the-world liner for Dollar Lines, President Lines, and was once owned by Pacific Mail. The Army took it over about July, and this was Trip #2 to P. I. It had just come from dry dock and developed engine trouble before we cleared the G. G. Bridge, so we put about and anchored halfway between Alcatraz and Fisherman's Wharf. Repairs were completed by 8 P.M. and after a one-hour test cruise about the Bay, we went out under the Bridge at 9 P.M. We had aboard about 200 officers, plus a battalion, 1000 men, of the 200th New Mexico National guard, an anti-aircraft outfit. Due [to] the delay, we had to slow down to avoid arriving in Honolulu at night, so it took us 5 days, instead of 4 1/2. We were in Honolulu from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. I went ashore with a Lieutenant Stecker, son of a Regular officer, who has been out here before, and knows his way about. Went swimming at Waikiki Beach, and to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for a couple drinks. Waikiki is O.K. but aside from the fact that the waves break about 1/2 mile out, it is no better than Calif. beaches. The bottom contains a lot of coral, which cuts hell out of your feet! We were back downtown by noon, so we hired a taxi and went for a tour of the island. Saw the "Upside down Waterfall" where the wind blows the water back up into the air and dissipates it, instead of allowing it to fall over the cliff. This is close to the Nuaana Pali, over which King Kamehameha drove his enemies, as told in the words of a popular song of some years back. The wind blows up the face of this cliff, which is the local suicide jump, with terrific force. The latest tale about it is that a native who jumped off in a suicide attempt recently was blown back to the starting point with only a broken wrist instead of a broken neck. Aside from the fact that everything is very green and beautiful, I saw nothing so terrific about the place. Honolulu is very little different from a town of its size in the States, except that there are more dark-skinned people on the street. I am certainly glad that I got to see it at Uncle's expense. I would have felt very badly to have spent my own ₱ on the trip. I'll admit that you can't see all of such a place in one day, but I saw enough of it to form an opinion. So much for Honolulu. If you want a lot of
sentimental gush about the place, read the Dole Pineapple ads, or some Honolulu Chamber of Commerce literature. Between Honolulu and Manila we had a heavy cruiser for an escort and ran blacked-out at night. About a week out of Honolulu we were in a junior typhoon for about 36 hrs. The wind attained a measured speed of 75 m.p.h., and it rained so hard that sometimes we could barely see the cruiser, which was only about 200 yards away. The waves were high, the ship tossed and everything was lovely. Aside from that, we saw not a single ship (or a married one either), only one small island about 5 miles off, and the trip was quite dull. Arrived at Manila at 3 P.M. Tues. Sept. 16, 12 days out of Honolulu and 17 days (running time) out of Frisco. We just missed the Corregidor boat so went to the Manila Hotel for the night, as there is only one boat per day out here. Got a very nice room for ₱3.50. Stecker and I went downtown and walked about a bit. He went to high school here for three years, so knows the town pretty well. The principal shopping street is called the Escolta. It is so narrow that two cars just have room to pass, and only about 3 blocks long, but has some good little shops and larger stores which would stack up favorably in the States. When you get one block off it you are among the natives. They are small, dirty, smelly, and a lot like the Mexicans and Indians of Southern Cal. About 8 we went to a very modern, air-conditioned night club called the Jai Alai for dinner. The place takes its name from the game of jai alai (high a lie) which is a glorified hardball. After eating, we went to another part of the place to watch the play, which is very fast, and interesting to watch. They have a pari-mutual set-up and bet on each event, which takes 10 to 15 min. to play. They play from 7 to 11 P.M. After an hour or so of this we went up to their Sky Room (so called because you can't see out of it) and drank whiskey sours until closing time. Next day we walked and rode about until 3 P.M. when we boarded the boat for Corregidor. Worth mention, I think, is the taxi situation. Taxis outnumber private cars about 3 or 4 to 1. They are very cheap, so you can ride anywhere about town for 25 or 50 cents. To drive a taxi, you head it down the street, put a heavy foot on the gas, clamp one hand on the horn with a death-grip, and hope. The most important item is the horn button. They keep up such an incessant beeping that it almost drives me nuts, especially after the quiet of Corregidor. Arrived Corregidor, which is an island in the mouth on Manila Bay about 30 mi. from Manila, about 5:30 P.M. Were taken to the Corregidor Officers Club for dinner, and then shown to our quarters. All wives were sent home several months ago, so we live in groups of three in quarters intended for family use. The houses are quite large with high ceilings, wide porches, and most of their wall space devoted to sliding "windows." These windows are composed of three-inch squares of translucent shell. The high wind and heavy gunfire will not permit the use of glass here on "the rock." The houses are of two stories, surrounded by tropical trees and bushes and are quite adequate; the plumbing is quite old, as some of the houses were built in 1915. I live downstairs with a captain from St. Louis. My room is about 20
by 20 with private bath. I keep two 150-watt bulbs burning in my clothes closet at all times to prevent mildew. If you do not do this, mildew [that] is an inch thick will form overnight. We have a cook and 2 house boys, who keep the house clean and do the laundry, of which there is plenty. The cook gets ₱15 and the house boys ₱10 per month, plus board. This is quite cheap, but they don't overwork. About the only clothes I wear which I brought with me are sox and underwear. All my uniforms I have had made since I came here. Also a white uniform, a tux (black trousers and white coat) and a mess jacket, either of which must be worn after retreat. Am having a white sharkskin suit made to wear to town. Golf, tennis, softball, pool, badminton, softball [sic], swimming and bowling are available. I am too lazy, however, and usually go to the show, which we call the cine. There are 8 white nurses and over 300 officers on the Rock, so that is out. We get to Manila about once a month. I went in last week and for the first time to see what I could see. Went to the Cantalina, a taxi dance with mestiza hostesses. I've seen lots of Mexicans and some dark clouds I could do with, but nothing there I would be found dead with. They are all good dancers, so I danced a few but my heart was not in it. Saw a lot of fellows who came over on the Pierce, out looking, same as I. Had some drinks with them and went home. All in all, my trip to town did not add up to much. I have a battery of 12" mortars in the 59th C.A. [Coast Artillery], which is a white regiment commanded by Col. Paul D. Bunker. He was executive for organized reserves at L.A. for several years, and I know him fairly well. The battery was organized on June 1 this year, but is in a good state of training. I am expecting to be assigned to a battery of three-inch anti-aircraft guns, in which case I will go to one of the outpost forts, of which there are five. We go to work at 7:30 A.M. Dinner 11:30 to 1. Off at 3, unless there is a night drill or alert, in which case we may be out all nite. Off Wednesday and Saturday P.M. We had about 15 inches of rain the first 2 weeks I was here, but no rain for the last 2 weeks. The rainy season is over this month. On account of the elevation of the rock the weather is cooler than in Manila. I sleep under one blanket after midnight. The weather is O.K. The duty is O.K. The quarters are O.K. If they just hadn't chased all the women home everything would be O.K. As it is it could be a lot worse, so I might as well like. So much for the travelogue. bye now
Letter from Walt Cadmus, Dec. 17, 1960 (upon George Steiger’s death at age 56) Dear Ottly, Please do not interpret my delay in writing to you as caused by neglect or disinterest, but it is quite difficult for me to collect my thoughts so that I may give you some of the information that you would probably like to hear. I was quite sorely grieved to hear of George's untimely passing because we had been quite close at a time when friends were valuable, indeed, and quite hard to come by. (two paragraphs deleted) As you already know, he was very conscious of strength, particularly as applied to the body and toughness of character. In fact, it seemed to me that George almost worshipped physical strength and "guts" and was very proud of his own physique. He took great pride in his body and gave it as good care as he could and when the sad day came that it would not do what he wanted it to do, he was almost as bewildered as a child who has found some favorite toy would not go as fast and far as it should. It was a combination of these traits of his that brought us together and probably resulted in our friendship developing. I first met George at Cabanatuan Prison Camp about the 4th of July, 1942. I had not known him on Corregidor since most of my service had been in Bataan. While they were organizing our section of the camp at Cabanatuan, he was put in charge of a series of three barracks which held 60 men apiece. Each of these barracks then was in charge of a junior officer and these officers made up George's staff. it was more or less on the same organization as in the Army with George acting as battalion commander and those of us in charge of barracks as company commanders. I don't remember exactly how we were thrown together (George did remember the first occasion of his meeting Cadmus!) except that my earliest recollections of George were how scrupulously clean he kept himself and tried to encourage others to do the same in order to maintain their morale. His first gesture of friendship to me was an offer of some black market food he had gotten somehow. This happened after he discovered that it didn't necessarily take a big man to be ornery and to...[sentence unfinished] We subsequently had a little group that stuck together most of our prison life and we called ourselves the "Tough Bastards" and George was always saying he was "bucking for president" but as far as he was concerned, I was the president. He was kind of shot with patriotism and always felt cheated that he had been in a position during the siege of Corregidor that prevented him from ever firing a shot in anger. Perhaps the fact that I had seen considerable combat was another thing that caused him to be attracted to me. He was, as you know, battery commander of a group of guns that
were pointing in the wrong direction [at] Corregidor. These were old fixed-in-concrete emplacements and it was always a galling thing to George that he had been kept there while there was so much fighting going on. I am sure that if he had been allowed the opportunity for frontline combat, he either have gotten his fool head blown off or earned several medals. We really became quite close when the Japs moved us from Cabanatuan to Japan in the fall of 1942. We arrived in Osaka, which was to be our home for the next six months, on Thanksgiving Day. As long as I live I shall remember secretively sharing a can of hash with George that he had somehow saved all of this time. He took a lot of pride in being able to smuggle things past the Japs and together we did take many chances just to prove that we could do it. We hoarded unauthorized things such as watches, compass, knives, and maps--all of this more or less for the kicks of it. That winter was a particularly severe one. We had been selected as a group of the most healthy prisoners and sent to Japan to contribute to their war effort by performing coolie labour. George and I were located at Umeda Bumshu, which was just a few blocks from the main railroad terminal of Osaka. We were leased to a civilian freight moving company by the Army and worked at jobs of moving lumber, scrap iron, coal, and metal ores. This work was done by the coolie method in various small details around the Osaka area. I don't remember exactly how many prisoners were in our original unit except that I do remember that during our first three months in Japan 30% of our camp had either died or been beaten to death. It was during this winter that George came up against something he didn't think he could lick. That was a severe illness without the benefit of medicine, warmth or adequate food. We took care of him as best we could. Although some of his buddies gave him up a little too soon and more or less forgot about him, I gave him many a tongue-lashing and urged him to hang on, which he finally did. In fact, he subsequently told me that one of the main reasons that recovered was that he was afraid I was beginning to mean what I said and would leave him to die with the rest of the weaklings. Of course, he had exposed himself to this sickness by insisting earlier in the year that he was one of the strongest men in the camp. In fact, he performed calisthenics for the guard so that they would not take him to another camp with the older men (no doubt Zentsuji). He wanted to stay with his friends so he could share their company and assist them when they were sick. For this he almost exposed himself to certain death so, of course, all I could do was stick by him. He had been very generous with his time and what few worldly goods he had to all of those he called friend. Really, when I look back on it now, we had many happy moments because one of the funny things about life is that you learn to be happy under the most adverse circumstances at times. George and I used to pair off and work together even though we did look like Mutt and Jeff. [Cartoon characters in the funny papers] We were both individualists. Although some people told us we were knot heads, we had a good time stealing apples and fish from the cargoes we unloaded. Occasionally we would drop pig iron or heavy scrap from the barges in the canal, which made our Japanese friends very unhappy. Later in the year of 1943 about August or Sept. we were moved to an island off Tokyo Bay to a place called Zentsuji. Here we began receiving better treatment, a few Red Cross supplies and our first letters from home. This was
particularly an officers' camp. Most of the work we did here was of an agricultural nature and certainly was not nearly so strenuous as that we had been subjected to in Osaka. It was here that we read, had informal classes, argued, fought the bed bugs and dreamed and talked of home. One of the things I remember quite clearly was George talking of you and about how much he hoped you would be able to resume your life together. He had a watch you had given him which was engraved on the back "Best Ever." He was very proud of this and told me that it is what he had been to you, best ever. The days somehow passed at this camp and then in July of 1945 as the bombings became more severe and closer and the invasion of the Islands became more imminent, we were moved to a camp high in the mountains north of Tokyo near a town called Fukui. It was here that we received the joyful news of Hiroshima and the end of the war. I can still remember that day very well and almost see George sitting near me by the stockade wall talking about our wonderful return home. We got the news of the surrender on George's birthday and I thought that he was 40 at the time because we laughed and joked that life begins at 40, especially for George Steiger. Will, we can be thankful that he did live to have several years of freedom because all of us who returned actually came back on borrowed time. Although it is a bitter thing to say, maybe in the long run George's passing at this time may be the best thing for him, and what he really would have wanted. I would have been too cruel to see a man like him waste away and suffer with a prolonged illness. I think it would have been too hard for his spirit to take. I have chided myself severely the past few weeks for not having responded last year when you informed me that George was having periods of depression and just the week before I received your letter, I had vowed to myself that I would write to George a long letter to cheer him up if I could. After all, I felt I owed it to him for having had the benefit of his generous friendship during those trying times. Now that he is gone, I feel that I have failed him in his time of need. However, I believe that probably both of us subconsciously were trying to avoid the memories of the war when we failed to actively keep up our contacts. I haven't intended to be presumptuous by giving you my analysis of George, but have tried to tell you how he impressed me when life was down to the bare essentials, and also to indicate to you how he reacted to certain situations. Maybe some of the things I have said will be of comfort to you and I certainly hope so. If there are any questions in your mind about specific things you may have heard George mention, I will be only too glad to answer them for you. I do appreciate having received a letter from you regarding his death. He was a great guy and could be counted on when the chips were down. Sincerely yours, Walt Cadmus
The Diary: We Were Guests of His Majesty (Comments in italics were inserted by Ottly Steiger at the time she typed the manuscript from George Steiger's handwritten copy) In 1929 the War Department of the United States Army authorized five new regiments in the Coast Artillery Reserve in the Southern California area. In order to fill the units promptly, membership was solicited from city and county engineering departments. Along with a number of others from [Los Angeles] City Survey, I attended a block of nine evenings of instruction given by Col Long of the Coast Artillery Corps in the Chamber of Commerce Building at 9th and Broadway, Los Angeles. I also attended Citizens' Military Training Camp that summer at Camp John P. Prior in Monterey for thirty days. I was sworn into the enlisted reserve, as a condition of eligibility for appointment as an officer, on Oct. 21, 1929. Having passed the board, I was discharged to accept a commission as 2nd Lt. CA on 22 December, 1929. I went to reserve summer camps with the 63rd CA at fort MacArthur in 1931, 1933, 1934, and 1940, and at Fort Rosecrans in 1939. In 1937, I was attached to the Umpires' Group at San Luis Obispo 4th Army maneuvers for a two weeks camp. I received my rank of 1st Lt. on 17 February, 1933 and that of Captain on 24 July, 1937. On 14 April, 1941, I was ordered to active duty with the 6th Army at Fort Winfield Scott, Presidio at San Francisco, pending activation of the 56th CA. Officers of the new unit attended school conducted by officers of Fort Scott until 1 June, at which time the 56th CA, a 155 mm gun regiment, was activated. I commanded D Battery of the 2nd Battalion at Fort Cronkhite, which was across the Golden Gate Bridge and was part of the San Francisco Harbor Defenses. The regimental commander and the 3rd Battalion commanders were the only regular officers in the unit. No other officers had had even CCC experience. Troops for the unit were drafted under the Selective Service Act. They had been in training at Camp Callan near San Diego. (Torn down after VJ Day.) They were received at the newly built Fort Cronkhite in several drafts during June and July. On 21 June I flew to Los Angeles for the weekend and on Monday proceeded to Camp Callan. The Headquarters Batteries for the entire regiment left on Wednesday morning by train and I acted as train commander. We arrived a San Francisco the next morning. Several days after the men of my battery had arrived, I took a detail to the ordnance officer at Fort Scott and drew my four guns, 155's. We towed them across the Golden Gate Bridge behind a truck at five miles an hour but, even so, by the time
we reached our destination, one half [of] the tires were off the wheels. They were of World War I vintage! Although our unit had four guns and a complete complement of men, only one ramming stave was available for issue and so only one gun crew could drill at a time! On my first pay day, I had an interesting experience. As the battery commander, I was responsible for the enlisted men's pay. As the Army paid in cash, the battery clerk made up a list of the monies needed. This list was sent to the bank in Sausalito the day preceding pay day. On the day, accompanied by an armed guard from the battery, I went to the finance officer at Fort Scott and received a draft in the amount of the total payroll. This I took to the bank and exchanged it [for] the money previously requested. Back at the battery, we set the money up in piles of different denominations and started putting it into the envelopes for the men. The pile of envelopes went down and the piles of money accordingly, that is all except the pile of ₱5 bills. It seemed curiously out of proportion to the others. When we had filled the last envelope, there remained a large pile of ₱5 bills. The battery clerk had been a bank teller prior to his induction into the Army and he know what had happened. We had requested ₱300 worth of ₱5 bills and had been given 300 ₱5 bills! Needless to say that the bank was very happy to see us when we knocked on its locked doors at 6 P.M.! They were still checking for the missing ₱1,200.00. However, my troubles and experiences with the new regiment were destined to be of short duration. Late in July a call went out to all posts for officers to go to the Philippines. Col. Frank Drake, commanding my regiment, held a drawing on 30 July to select men for this duty. Having excused officers with small children in their family, the remaining men drew lots. Two unmarried lieutenants and a captain were thus selected from our unit. Never had I been lucky with any kind of drawing but I was the Captain selected! After all the facts were in, I guess you could still say I was not lucky. Many stories could be told of less fair methods of selection and of attempts made to evade this duty. One officer of my acquaintance was successful in getting a reversal after being selected. He had two small children and probably should not have been ordered to the Philippines in the first place. However, the officer who replaced him had three small children even younger than those of the first officer. Capt. Grow did not try to get out of the assignment, and I am happy to report that he served in the Philippines, was taken prisoner of war, and returned to this country in 1945. A few officers tried to wriggle off the hook by turning into the hospital with imaginary ills. We called it gangplank fever. An officer of my acquaintance, failed in such an attempt and was shipped out with us. He did not survive our prison experience. Those of us ordered to the Philippines were scheduled to sail about 7 August on the Pierce, one of the ships of the President Lines which was on lease to the Army. Due to engine overhaul, we did not depart until 28 August. I was home for the week
end prior to our sailing and returned to San Francisco on Monday. We were supposed to sail on Tuesday, but further delay put off our sailing until Thursday. Ottly was unable to get away from her job at 20th Century-Fox due to vacation schedules and could not be there to see us off. I telephoned her from the pier, and we said a tearful goodbye. Arlene and Russ Fisher were with me at the pier. Russ was the alternate selection go in the event something had prevented me from going! I was in a starboard stateroom with 1st Lt. Charles Erhardt from Chicago, a Hallmark card salesman, who returned to his job after the war had ended. Also in our stateroom was 2nd Lt. Gurney Smith from Los Angeles. Lt. Richard Fulmer, a graduate of Washington State, was also aboard. The ship carried three hundred and fifty casual officers and the anti-aircraft gun battalion of the 200th New Mexico National Guard. Many of these wonderful men were to become my friends. We arrived in Honolulu the night of 2 Sept. and were allowed to go ashore from eight until five the following day. I had the good fortune to be with Lt. Bill Stecker of the 56th. His father was an Army officer and Bill had spent some time both in Hawaii and in the Philippines and so he knew his way around. We went for a swim at Waikiki Beach, had a drink at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, hired a taxi and rode up over the Pali and down thru Huuana [?] Valley and around the north end of the island. Prior to our sailing a Hula troupe entertained us with dancing. (A further description of this stop is contained in George's diary and I copy it for you:) We sighted Diamond Head light, which is just outside the harbor, at about 4 PM. We had to wait outside for permission to enter the harbor until about 6 PM. We were tied up to the pier at seven but no one knew at what time we were to sail so we couldn't go ashore yet. It was finally decided that we would sail at 7 PM and given leave to go ashore from 8 to 5. I took off with Lt. Erhardt and as we walked down the gangplank, we were joined by Bill Stecker. I had anticipated for some time and with no little pleasure getting back on solid ground. But, lo and behold, the earth now seemed to sway under my feet. This unhappy circumstance continued all dayno good! We walked uptown to the post office and mailed our letters. Then we decided to get a taxi and go out to Waikiki, but all the taxis were busy. So we took the bus, which was plenty fast and cost only 10 cents. While we were standing on the sidewalk at Waikiki, Erhardt saw a good-looking girl across the street and he took off. We saw no more of him until we got back to the ship. Bill and I went into the bath house and got into swim trunks. We went out from shore about a city block before the water got beyond our depth. It was quite warm. The good breakers were still quite a long way out and since neither of us was in good practice for swimming, we did not go further. There were not many people in the water, but we did see several good surf board riders. After we came out of the water, we walked down the street for a half block and stopped at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. It was very pretty
but probably no different than hundreds of first-class hotels on the mainland. We went in and bought a drink (55 cents) and then went back downtown. As it was not yet noon, we decided to take a ride around part of the island. Downtown Honolulu is just like any other but the back country is green and lovely. We visited the Pali over which King Kamehameha is said to have chased his enemies. There is always a terrific wind blowing up on this cliff. It is a favorite joke in Hawaii that a man jumped off the cliff only to have the wind blow him back up. Our ride took about three hours which put us back in town at 3 PM. We bought a couple of drinks and went aboard the ship. Honolulu is a nice little place, but I would not trade San Francisco or Los Angeles for a dozen of it! Next morning when we awakened, we found we were being escorted by a Navy cruiser of the Houston class, 14,000 tons, 605 ft., 100,000 horsepower, with a crew of 1,000 men. The cruiser was capable of making 32 knots per hr. and was manned by 15 six-inch guns and 12 five inch AA guns. On 6 Sept. we crossed the date line and lost Sept. 7th at sea. (regained 6 Oct. 1945) This was at a time of strained relations with Japan over the shipping of aviation gas. From the 13th to the 15th of Sept. we were on the edge of a very bad storm. We experienced winds up to 70 miles per hr. Seas were dashing up over the bow and at times our cruiser almost disappeared from sight. On 16 Sept. we tied up to Pier 7 in Manila. The shore boat was just leaving for Corregidor and the boys on it gave us calls of "sucker" for as long as they could by heard. Through an error in orders, we were detailed to the Air Force. They took us in tow as we came down the gangplank. At the Army-Navy Club they plied us with Scotch and soda for a couple of hours before taking us to Nichols Field for the night. Next day the error was discovered, and we were ordered to Corregidor but too late to catch the afternoon boat. Bill Stecker and I went into Manila and registered at the Manila Hotel. We went to the Army-Navy Club for dinner, and I saw my first game of Jai Alai that evening. Next day we toured Manila until time for the 3 PM boat. (Further description of this experience, I quote from George's diary:) The Pierce docked about 3:30 PM. We were taken 10 blocks away to the Army-Navy Club where the Air Force was giving a little party in our honor. We stayed there until 6 PM and then went six miles outside Manila to Elliot Field. This is headquarters for the Air Force in the Philippines. Had dinner and then to bed. Next morning we reported for interviewing and assignment. Someone discovered that our orders read for duty with the Coast Artillery and the Adjutant started telephoning. Some telegrapher had omitted the first letter from C. A. C. and that is why the Air Corps had us! We were told to catch the ferry for Corregidor. Bill and I went down town and checked into the Manila Hotel, the best in town and the rooms were ₱3.50! Had a very good dinner at the Jai Alai Palace and watched the game. Ended up the evening upstairs at the "Sky Room," for what reason so-named I could not
understand as you cannot see out of it! It is just a bar and dance. We started out next morning on a sightseeing tour. Went to the old Spanish Fort Santiago and walked around town until we were pretty tired. There is a fair shopping street called the Escolta. It is very narrow with just room for two cars to pass and no parking. There about half as many shops as on Hollywood Blvd. but most of them are very modern. The native quarters are squalor indeed. There were a few baskets of ratty looking vegetables and nuts for sale. The odor was something! No fresh milk! The cloth and tailoring were very cheap. Took the ferry to Corregidor at 3 PM. (In regard to Corregidor, he continues:) The Island of Corregidor, which is known as the rock, attains a height of 600 ft and is divided into three zones know as Topside, Middleside and Bottomside. The native village at the bottom is called a barrio. The commanding general, Brigadier Gen. Moore, lives at Topside. All intermediate persons live at an elevation corresponding to their rank. All field officers and Captains live Topside. Some lieutenants also live Topside but would have to move if higher ranking officers wanted their quarters. I am living Topside with Capt. Bull and 1st Lt. Melvin Moore. Since all women have gone home, we are assigned to what would normally be quarters for a family. It contains 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living room, dining room, kitchen and servant quarters. My room is 20' X 20'. All ceilings are high, 11', and also 1/3 of the wall space is windows. The curtain rods are 6' from the floor, which leaves 2' above them so that you can pull the curtains and still have the windows open. They do not use glass out here and the windowpanes are made of 3 inch squares of shell, which is translucent. Hence the windows are kept open except when the wind blows, which is does often with sufficient force to break glass. Upon arrival, I was assigned to Quarters 27, a set of family quarters, with Capt. Harcourt G. Bull of Pasadena and Lt. George Melvin Moore of Arcadia. Next day I received my assignment to command I Battery of the 59th Coast Artillery. Commanding officer of the 59th was Col. Paul D. Bunker, who had been my unit instructor in Los Angeles while I was with the 519th. Col. Bunker died in Japan towards the end of prison life. My executive officer for the battery was 1st Lt. Stockton D. Bruns. All newcomers to the Rock were fascinated by the values. I had several sets of clothing tailored. A complete set of tailor-made khaki cost ₱2.75, white uniform ₱7, tuxedo coat ₱2.50, tux trousers ₱6.00, mess jacket ₱2.35, sharkskin suit ₱7.00, and so on. All were excellent material and beautifully tailored. Due to post regulations which required all units to be operational on a 24 hour schedule, I was able to go to Manila only every third weekend. I would arrive at three in the afternoon and return on the three PM boat Sunday. I usually stayed at the Manila Hotel on Dewey Blvd. About Thanksgiving day I purchased in Manila the things I sent home for Xmas, i.e., the carved Burmese heads, pina tablecloth and luncheon set, linen purses etc. The total cost of these lovely things was around ₱50.00 gold.
Part of the packages arrived in Los Angeles in time for Xmas. They all arrived by the end of March. In October I moved to another set of quarters which I shared with Capt. Bill Owen of Fairfield, Iowa. We had a complete set of family quarters, by number 8 L, and each of us had a houseboy. We also had a cook for the two of us. The cost of these servants and the food that was served to us was about ₱50.00 per month. It was necessary to burn electric light globes in the closets to prevent mildew. The weather was very muggy and we changed our clothes three times daily. Coming into our quarters at noon, we stepped out of our uniforms, which were picked up by the house boys and laundered. They laid out a fresh set of clothing while we bathed. They shined our shoes and our brass and kept everything in tip top shape. The natives were glad to be employed as servants by the Army personnel and they waited on us to an extent of service not known in the States. George did not have a high regard for the ability of the Filipino help on the Rock. He considered them for the most part not too sharp, certainly not too aggressive. They spoke English with a sing song accent which made it difficult to understand, since it did not sound like English at all. Andy Mac Lang was an exception however. He was the son of a Scotch marine engineer and a Tagalog woman. Andy was employed by the battery as a shine boy and he bossed the other boys around to George's amusement. A boy came running to George once with the complaint that Andy had kicked him on a part of his anatomy calculated to do the most good! George received a letter from the Investigating Officer in charge of claims against the United States Government by previous employees of the 59th Coast Artillery, dated 7 November, 1945. In part it says "This organization has been approached by one Andres Mac Lang, who is making a claim against the government for wages unpaid him by Battery D, 59th CAC, presumably under your command. Claimant asserts that he was paid a monthly wage of ₱45.00 (P 90.00) for fulfilling duties of a shoe shine boy, working with your organization. He claims that he was last paid for his services 31 Dec. 1941 and has, therefore, four months wages due him. He further asserts that he deposited in the battery safe the sum of P 760.00 If this be true would you give a certificate to the effect?" George's reply was as follows: Nov. 10, 1945 This is to certify to the following: 1. During the period 17 Nov. to 6 May, 1942, I commanded D Battery on Corregidor. 2. During the above period Andres Mac Lang was employed by the battery as shoeshine boy. 3. In addition to his own duties Mac Lang acted as boss over the other Filipinos in the employ of the
battery. At my request he organized them into an ammunition detail and assisted materially in manning the battery for effective fire on Mariveles Harbor. 4. I recall definitely that he entrusted a considerable sum of money to me for safekeeping in the battery safe. It is quite likely that his wages for Jan., Feb., Mar., and April were not paid, but credited to his account. 5. In view of the above, I consider the claim of Andres Mac Lang for P360 wages and P760 in the battery safe to be substantially correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. Signed George E. Steiger, Major The diary resumes: [George told me that Col. Bunker made a remark at this dinner to the effect he would never recommend a reserve officer for promotion. He reversed his opinion of reserve officers after the war started and stated that there were good
men both from West Point and from the Reserve and likewise poor officers from both places.] [sic] [ ] [?] The following are excerpts from letters received from George on the trip out and during his first days at Corregidor. They may be repetitious, but I insert them here as there are some comments I hope you will find interesting. Aboard the Pierce Aug. 28, 1941
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The following is an e-mail sent to Frank Steiger September 30, 2005 by Kerwin M. Ronquillo providing further background information regarding the S.S. Corregidor incident: Hello Frank, I lost family members in the S.S. Corregidor. The 760 so called refugees were actually-mostly college students attending schools in Manila, colleges like Ateneo, La Salle, Santo Tomas, San Juan de Letran, Assumption, St. Pauls, St. Josephs, UP (University of the Philippines), etc. Usually, students would come home for Christmas vacation, given it was December and Christmas was just week ahead. This is a regular event even up to now 65 yrs. later. Students study in Manila and come home to the other regions of the country for the Christmas Holidays. Also due to the fact that Pearl Harbor was attacked a week before, many parents of these college students told their children to come home. We lost 3 relatives, two young women in their college years and their uncle, who
was sent to bring them back home. If there was anybody at fault, it would be the captain of the ship who left the dock near Pasig River in Manila ahead of schedule. It was to leave the port with a ship escort to guide it through the mine grid. It left without an escort. It is said that he, the captain was worried about getting bombed by Japanese airplanes so he left early. We really don't know the exact reason but his decision to leave without waiting for an escort cost several hundred young innocent lives. Thanks for sharing your uncle's diary. I love reading history and enjoy personal accounts of what happened during the years of WWII in the Philippines. [ ] ₱ ₱ [ ]
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[ ] Copied at Kentzuji on January 1, 1944 from a true copy in possession of Kenneth L. Boggs, Capt. 60th CA (AA): Hq. USAEF, Fort Mills, P.I. Date - 15 Jan. 1942 Subject - Message from General MacArthur To: All Unit Commanders. 1. The following message from Gen. MacArthur will be read and explained to you. 2. Help is on the way from U. S. Thousands of troops and hundreds of planes are being dispatched. The exact date of arrival of reinforcements is unknown, as they will have to fight their way thru Japanese attempts against them. It is imperative that our troops hold out until these reinforcements arrive. 3. No further retreat is possible. We have more troops in Bataan than the Japs have thrown against us. Our supplies are ample. A determined defense will defeat this enemy's attack. 4. It is a question now of courage and of determination. Men who run away will surely be destroyed, but men who fight will save themselves and country. 5. I call on every soldier in Bataan to fight in his assigned position, resisting every attack. This is the only road to salvation. If we fight we will win, if we retreat we will be destroyed. /MacArthur/
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Copy of Commendation HEADQUARTERS, GROUP LLI AMERICAN PRISONERS OF WAR CAMP No. 1 CABANATUAN, P. I. October 28, 1942 SUBJECT: Commendation TO: Captain George E. Steiger, Coast Artillery Corps 1. I desire to express my appreciation of your fine work as Company Commander in this group from its organization on July 17, 1942 to its end on October 28, 1942. 2. The care of upwards of three hundred men, most of them sick and discouraged by defeat and the circumstances of prison life, called for a high order of leadership and devotion to duty, both of which you demonstrated in your work. Your willing acceptance of your responsibilities at a time when the easier course would have been to forget them reflects great credit upon you. 3. A copy of this letter will be filed at American Prisoners Headquarters to be inserted in your official records. FREDERICK G. SAINT Lieut-Colonel, 14th Engrs. Commanding, Group III
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[ ] [ ] [The Japanese gave the officers a long song and dance about a shortage of help due to their holidays and begged the officers to work just for a short emergency. The officers were thus talked into "volunteering" to help for a short time. They had previously resisted working because they felt it was their duty not to co-operate with their captors. It would have been easier for them to co-operate and so receive better rations as the enlisted men did. In the final analysis, the Japanese discontinued trying to make the officers work and sent them to Zentsuji Camp because the officers were a bad influence on the enlisted men, encouraging them to resist work, and sabotage whenever
they could. Thus the Japanese came to feel that the officers were more trouble than good for the work program.]
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[ ] [Dick Fulmer told a story of rats in a camp where he was held. The Japs got a cat to catch the rats but the POW's quickly caught the cat and ate it. Another cat was brought by the Japs which met the same fate. Then the Japs got wise and were slightly amused. They got another cat and issued the warning that if this cat disappeared the rations would be cut. The boys did not kill this cat but they took each rat the cat caught, cooked it and ate it. The cat became discouraged and left camp. The Japanese thought the cat had been killed and lectured the POW's severely, also cut their rations as threatened. Dick told this story at a breakfast gathering in our home at 3709 Cherrywood after the war. I commented, "Oh, no!" to which he replied, "A rat is a good, clean, grain-eating animal - fine to eat." I thought rats carried bubonic plague. But, no, Dick said the fleas carry the plague, not the rats, and if they had had more time, they could have told us which fleas were palatable!]
[ ] [ ] [ ] 1943 Holidays at Zentsuji A More Detailed Account Found In Other Notes December 23. Weather has been clear, fairly warm in the sun during the day. Went on a detail from 2 to 4 PM to haul sand for the garage floor. Nips issued colored paper for decorations at 5 PM. (We paid for it later) Doug Millicen and Lex Fraser started decorating room.
December 24. Awakened at 2 AM by patter of rain on the benjo roof. Rained until 6 AM. Continued cloudy but no rain and not very cold. Finished decorations in AM. Camp Supt. Inspected rooms in AM which caused a panic. Red Cross boxes were issued at 3 PM. Ted Goode and I shared an African box plus 1/9 each of a Canadian box. Had bath at 4 PM. Everyone in high spirits. Excellent carols in canteen. Mess Cook, Olson, sang us his "Xmas Tree" song. Tenko and taps onehalf hour later. December 25. Christmas Day! Hot water and a shave before breakfast. Cocoa, rice, excellent beans for breakfast, also corned beef. Shined and installed insignia. Hard tack, butter, jam, hot milk and sugar 9 AM followed by tour of inspection with Bill Stecker. Room 18 had 6 foot tree and cut away of stable. All rooms nicely decorated except 9B. Had coffee with Stecker and Eddington. Bread, jam, rabbit and chicken stew for dinner. Two eggs, 10 tangerines per man issued. Johnny Valkenaar (El Paso) brought a can of cheese as a present! Room 23 had a dummy fireplace. Big party upstairs from 2 to 4 followed by our formal dinner. To 16B – rice and excellent stew. Rice, sugar milk and prune pie. Bread and jam sweets, sweet buns and tangerines. Lou Besbeck (LA) put on Dickens "A Christmas Carol" in Canteen. Late tenko again. A VERY GOOD DAY! December 26. Plenty to eat. Read Ottly's letters in sun in the morning. 16B gave us a tea 2 to 4. "Ali Baba" ended series of shows on slightly rakish note. Gordon Eccles, et al, made a hit as usherettes. 16A presented my "letter" after tenko. December 27. Ted Goode and I had 2 O'clock tea. Can bacon, 5 eggs, ½ can cheese, onion tops, bread and butter, jam, tea and sugar. December 28. Signed 300 word letter to Ottly. Slightly ill. December 29. Not in formation for doctor at tenko. Stood at attention in cold for 45 minutes. 12A composed and sang the following song: The doctor came in and looked all around And then he stomped out with a terrible frown Two men playing chess, they let a groan 'Twas then that they knew that the bugle had blown Then out in the night with their coats left behind To stand 45 minutes in a shivering line The doctor said, "Listen, I'll tell you once more Your conduct at muster has made me quite sore" Then George rubbed his eyes though they weren't sore He looked at the eso, he'd been there before Then back to their room with a sigh of relief To think what a narrow escape from black grief!
December 30. Received marvelous package from L'Ottly – first word in 2 years! 25 blades Gillette 1/2 lb cocoa 1/2 lb cheese 2 pkgs soup 6 pkgs boullion 1 lb cube sugar 2 combs 1 wool sweater 1 pkg malted milk tablets 550 vitamins 1 lb raisins 1/2 lb pecans 1/2 lb hard candy 3 cakes soap 1 wash cloth 1 shaving brush 1 mirror 1 nail clipper needles and thread 2 pairs sox 2 corn pads 1 suit long underwear 1 tooth powder Weight 11 lbs. Hard candy and malted milk ran together but not harmed. All else OK. December 31. Major Laird received parcel containing 1 lb rice! Inspection by Camp Supt. 2 PM. Popular concert with Ferris Spoor and Johnny Valkenaar 6 to 8 PM. Bed at 9.
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[He was a flier who was shot down and had a badly injured leg which the Nips took off at his hip. Nips refuse to let the others carry him or help him in any way when they had to climb up the hill from Fukui to Rokcuroshi in 1945. George admired him very much as he was a very plucky fellow.] ¥ ¥ ₱ ¥ [ ] [ ]
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₱ – ₱ – ₱ [ ] – ₱ [As it turned out, she would not see him or let him see his son born after Tom went to P. I. She had written and sent photos while he was a POW and collected his allotment but evidently had another man on the string. She would not admit there was anything of this nature. She sued him for divorce in Calif. asking for ½ his back pay. The Army transferred him to Texas which was his legal residence and he sued her for divorce there but still had to give her ₱2,000 as a settlement out of his back pay.] [ ]
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