Prison camp massacre left many Americans dead

This tale dates to World War II, at the Puerto Princesa prison camp in the Philippine Islands after Japan had captured the Philippines. 

The Japanese held around 300 American prisoners. The captors were ruthless and cruel to the prisoners, subjecting them to continual beatings and abuse. The prisoners had to build an airfield in the jungle using just hand tools. All they had to eat was rice and soup. Of course, they lost a lot of weight and were just skin and bone, many down to just 100 pounds. Those who tried to escape were shot and killed or severely beaten.

The number of prisoners was gradually reduced to 150 due to transfers to Manila for health or other miscellaneous reasons. Then, when the Americans invaded the Philippines to recapture the islands, the Japanese general in charge ordered all 150 of the American prisoners shot and killed. The Americans, of course, didn't have any knowledge of the American invasion, but knew something was up because many more guards had arrived.

The Americans were in the camp when the killings started. The prisoners were running all over the place trying to get out through the main gate, through the barbed-wire enclosure, etc. The camp was bordered on one side by a barbed-wire fence and a cliff that led to the ocean. Many dove through the barbed wire and rolled down the cliff to the rocky beach below. Some ran, some tried to swim away, all the while the guards were shooting at them, wounding and killing them.

Some hid in the rocks and little caves, but the guards came down to the beach and killed as many as they could. In all, 11 of the Americans hid and avoided detection and eventually escaped, running into friendly Philippine locals who hid and cared for them and got them to a safe part of the island. They were eventually picked up by American seaplanes. A total of 139 were killed.

Only a few Japanese were put on trial, as many had run away. Four were executed.

Roger Gregory served as a captain in the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam. He is a Priest River businessman.