POW by

People

will_bernarde — 2025-03-14 13:53:34 UTC

Henry Forrest - 15 year old marine who grew up with an alcoholic dad who signed up for the marines. The his two friends often refer to him as Tree because of his size.
Gunny- Henry’s squad sargeant that serves as a father figure throughout the book
Jamison- a friend of Henry that is known from his sense of humor that keeps the others in good moods

Location

will_bernarde — 2025-05-13 15:17:47 UTC

This takes place in the islands around the Philippines and eventually mainland Japan.

What I liked

will_bernarde — 2025-05-13 15:17:56 UTC

I love this book because it shows what soldiers who experienced the Bataan death march went through suffering from everything to horribly humid temperatures to abuse from Japanese soldiers who thought of the captives less human for surrendering. This story goes to the surrender of the Japanese and continues his story after the war which is why I like liked it so much.

History

will_bernarde — 2025-05-13 15:28:28 UTC

After Japan bombed the U.S. naval base, Pearl Harbor , on December 7, 1941, the Japanese started to invade the Philippines. Weeks gone by and the Japanese had captured Manila, the capital of the Philippines, American and Filipino defenders of Luzon were forced to retreat to the Bataan Peninsula.

For the next three months, as the United States began its entry into WW2 the combined US-Filipino army held out without naval or air support. Finally, on April 9, 1942, with the army by starvation and disease, U.S. Major General Edward King Jr surrendered 75,000 US troops to the Japanese at Bataan to the Japanese.

will_bernarde — 2025-05-28 14:51:04 UTC

About the Author

will_bernarde — 2025-05-29 12:59:50 UTC

Michael P. Spradlin is the New York Times Bestselling.

Spradlin grew up in Homer Michigan and graduated from Homer Community High School in 1978 and attended Central Michigan University.