Ghost Soldiers essays

Ghost Soldiers essays Hampton Sides, the author of Ghost Soldiers, did an amazing job detailing the special operation to rescue the prisoners of war at the Cabanataun camp. The Cabanataun camp was a Japanese prisoner of war camp. Sides tells two stories throughout the book, he tells the story of the prisoners of war and then he accounts in detail, the story of the men who were performing a special operation to rescue the prisoners of war. The stories that are told in Side's book are absolutely heart-wrenching and also heart-warming. One side of the book discusses the cruelty that man will inflict upon another man. The other side discusses the risks that man will take to help another man. The story begins with the raid that occurred at Puerto Princesa Prison Camp. On December 14, 1944. American prisoners of war were ambushed by Japanese troops, they tortured these men, beat them and set them on fire among other torture tactics. Out of all of the POWs only 11 survived. Fortunately these men were able to give the United States the heads up on the Japanese treatment of POWs. Luckily for the POWs at Cabanatuan, this was not the first time that POWs had been tortured in Japan, and there were men who were able to rescue the tortured. It all began on April 4, 1942. Major General Edward King went to surrender to the Japanese, they were not faring well, food supplies were scarce and the soldiers were suffering from health issues. King knew that they could not continue. He therefore went to talk to the General Hommu about surrendering. He did this without the consent from officials. He sacrificed himself rather then lead 78,000 soldiers to their death. Not only were there American Soldiers but the Filipinos were fighting along side the United States. When he got to the headquarters to talk to General Hommu, he met with Colonel Motoo Nakeyuma, who was filling in for Hommu. King presented some requests and Motoo denied them. King knew no matter wh ...