The Butchers, the Baker: The World War II Memoir of a United States Army Air Corps Soldier Captured by the Japanese in the Philippines [LARGE PRINT]

by Victor L. Mapes, Scott A. Mills

Overview

Twelve hours after Pearl Harbor, Clark Field in the Philippines was attacked by Japanese aircraft. Among the survivors was Private Victor L. Mapes, who spent the next three years fleeing from and then being imprisoned by the Japanese military machine. When the tide of battle in the Pacific turned against the Japanese, Mapes experienced more harrowing conditions than before. After his unmarked prison ship was torpedoed by an American submarine, the wounded author struggled in the water against the elements and the enemy, as the Japanese tried to kill the escaping POWs.

Mapes' memoir chronicles a gruelling three-year ordeal that was punctuated by strange and often amusing encounters with fellow Americans, Japanese, Filipinos, and the fierce Moros of Mindanao Island. The memoir includes photographs and maps, as well as a bibliography and index.

This entry refers to the LARGE PRINT edition. For the standard edition please see ISBN 978-0-7864-3879-2.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786433179
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	03/03/2008
Edition description:	Large Print
Pages:	342
Sales rank:	880,942
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.69(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

The late Victor L. Mapes enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1939 and served until his retirement in 1959. He lived in Florida. Scott A. Mills saw naval service in the Pacific theater. Retired from NASA, he divides his time between Silver Spring, Maryland and Belfast, Maine.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface     

1. Threats of War: November 1, 1939, to December 8, 1941
2. Clark Field Under Attack: December 8–12, 1941     
3. Last Trip to Manila: December 12–22, 1941     
4. Retreat to Bataan: December 22–29, 1941     
5. An Interrupted Voyage to Mindanao: December 29, 1941, to January 1, 1942     
6. From Cagayan to Lake Lanao: January 1–18, 1942     
7. Malabang: January 18 to February 1, 1942     
8. Camp Keithley February 1 to March 20, 1942     
9. Master Sgt. Manook—Farewell to Dansalan: February 1 to March 20, 1942     
10. Starting Up the Bakery at Malabang: March 20 to April 10, 1942     
11. Romance: April 10–20, 1942     
12. Bacolod Grande: April 20–26, 1942     
13. PBY Flying Boats: April 26–29, 1942     
14. A New Commanding Officer: April 29 to May 3, 1942     
15. Ganasi: May 3–4, 1942     
16. Major Heidger: May 4 –5, 1942     
17. The Road to General Fort’s HQ: May 5–6, 1942     
18. Into the Mountains: May 6 to June 2, 1942     
19. Prisoner in Dansalan and Camp Keithley: June 2 to July 1, 1942     
20. Mindanao Death March: July 1–7, 1942     
21. Malaybalay: July 7 to late October 1942     
22. Davao Penal Colony—Sawmill: October 30, 1942, to February 1943     
23. Davao Penal Colony—Rice Paddies: February 1943 to mid–February 1944     
24. Lasang Airstrip: Mid-February to August 20, 1944     
25. Torpedoed: August 20 to September 7, 1944     
26. In the Water: September 7–8, 1944     
27. In the Hands of the Guerrillas: September 8–29, 1944     
28. In the Hands of the Navy: September 29 to October 25, 1944     

Epilogue     
Military History of Victor L. Mapes     
Military History of Scott A. Mills     
Appendix A: Dansalan Surrender List     
Appendix B: Survivors from the Shinyo Maru     
Appendix C: Japanese Military Directive     
Bibliography     
Index     

Editorial Reviews

easily read”—Choice; “a dramatic story of American courage and determination under adversity and its eventual triumph over evil...highly recommended”—Military.

From the Publisher

Dedicated their work to Americans and Filipinos who fought the Japanese in the Phillippines and fellow POW survivors, a former staff sergeant and seaman relate their experiences in that World War II theater. The volume includes period photos, the authors' military histories, the Dansalan surrender list, a list of survivors from the torpedoed , a Japanese directive on its lethal policy toward escapees, references, and an index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

easily read

Choice

"a dramatic story of American courage and determination under adversity and its eventual triumph over evil...highly recommended"

Military