Ghost Soldiers / Hampton Sides
When Japan first attacked Pearl Harbor, exactly 60 ago, little was known about the Imperial Army. Their mentality seemed almost non-human. Even while General MacArthur was attempting to maintain America's ground in the Philippines this was so. Eventually, this lead to the surrender of the American army, the Batan death march, and imprisonment at Cabanatuan POW camp. These POWs were in fact elite soldiers of the sixth army. As the author of Ghost Soldiers, Hampton Sides, put it: "They were the forgotten, an elite of the damned". The book begins with a long prologue describing the Palawan massacre at Puerto Princesa Prison Camp from the point of view of one of few survivors, Eugene Nielson. In fact, the majority of this book is described by World War II veterans who were either POWs or their rescuers. In the prologue, Nielson tells with little detail of how the Japanese imperial army managed to burn alive over 100 of his comrades and by which methods he and only 10 others managed to survive and swim to safety. Once in safety and within American lines, Neilson tells his story to high ranking officials in the army. This testimony brings the officers to a realization that the Japanese are inhumanly cruel to the POWs and the forgotten
Basically there are two parallel stories fused together in the end creating one masterpiece. Another less important reason why the language was so good, especially for me, is that I found many words using on SAT reasoning test. Ghost Soldiers is a very unique book and a very good one for that matter. In this chapter, the loosing battle between the American army and the Imperial army is described finally leading up to American surrender. Secondly, I felt that the author failed to convey sorrow among fellow Americans when something cruel was done to one of their fellow peers. Many authors feel the need to use large words when ever possible and add flowery descriptions when not necessary. The trip itself is described only by what routs the men took and their ways of keeping up the moral. Soon enough the Japanese forces were annihilated since they were caught completely by surprise. This was to continue on until they reached Cabanatuan prison. However, I found a few minor points in his book that need be adjusted. Little more is know until reaching a small village named Platero, where they rendezvoused with General Pajhota and unintentionally spent the night. Perhaps this is done purposely to convey a message that I do not understand but yet I feel it necessary to honor those who did not survive or were severely damaged forever. The Japanese being stricter than ever forcing them to burry the bodies of one another. After the prologue, the story begins introducing the first of the prisoners, Dr. In an exquisitely eloquent fashion Hampton Sides rotates from personality to personality who not only tells his own story but also others, perhaps those who died either before or even after the ordeal.
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War II,
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Acceptance Essays
