Chapter 23: Monster
1 Appearance of Omori: Bush, p. 150.
2 POW likens Omori to the moon: Wade, p. 83.
3 No birds: Ray “Hap” Halloran and Chester Marshall, Hap’s War (Menlo Park, Calif.: Hallmark, n.d.).
4 Watanabe’s appearance: Weinstein, p. 228; Tom Wade, telephone interview, January 2, 2005.
5 Liken to paws: Draggan Mihailovich, email interview, August 3, 2007.
6 Louie meeting Watanabe: Louis Zamperini, telephone interview.
7 This man: Frank Tinker, telephone interview, February 20, 2005.
8 Building fire: Louis Zamperini, telephone interview.
9 Watanabe’s history: Martindale, pp. 92–93; Wade, pp. 103–04; Yuichi Hatto, written interview, August 28, 2004; James, p. 278; Mutsuhiro Watanabe (Sgt.), vols. 1–3, 1945–1952, POW 201 File 1945–1947, SCAP, Legal Section, Administrative Division, RAOOH, RG 331, NACP; “From Chief of Hyogo Prefectural Police Force,” November 21, 1950, report, from papers of Frank Tinker.
10 Japanese sign but don’t ratify Geneva Convention: Tanaka, p. 73.
11 Slavery: Martindale, p. 90; Wade, pp. 97–99, 129; Bush, pp. 152–53; Johan Arthur Johansen, Krigsseileren, issue 3, 1990, translated from Norwegian by Nina B. Smith.
12 Lifting thirty tons a day: Wade, p. 99.
13 Men paid ten yen per month: Martindale, p. 111.
14 Those who don’t work receive half rations: Bush, p. 160.
15 Food at Omori: Martindale, p. 120; Bush, p. 159.
16 Nicknames: Ernest O. Norquist, Our Paradise: A GI’s War Diary (Hancock, Wisc.: Pearl-Win, 1989), p. 293; Bush, p. 205.
17 Watanabe’s first days: Wade, pp. 103–05; Tom Wade, telephone interview, January 2, 2005; Bush, pp. 176–79.
18 Hatto thinks Watanabe mad: Yuichi Hatto, written interview, August 28, 2004.
19 “He suddenly saw”: Tom Wade, telephone interview, September 17, 2005.
20 “He did enjoy hurting”: Yuichi Hatto, written interview, August 28, 2004.
21 Watanabe’s behavior: Mutsuhiro Watanabe (Sgt.), vol. 1, 1945–1952, POW 201 File 1945–1947, SCAP, Legal Section, Administrative Division, RAOOH, RG 331, NACP; Martindale, pp. 95–110, 130, 144–55; Robert Martindale, telephone interview, January 2, 2005; Norquist, pp. 277–79, 283–84; Wade, pp. 103–08; Weinstein, pp. 228–33, 247, 256; Derek (Nobby) Clarke, No Cook’s Tour (Hereford, Eng.: Authors OnLine, 2005), pp. 114–16; Donald Knox, Death March: The Survivors of Bataan (San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1983), p. 377; James, pp. 277–83.
22 Watanabe’s fame: James, p. 278; Affidavit, Arthur Laurence Maher, from files on Mutsuhiro Watanabe (Sgt.), vol. 1, 1945–1952, POW 201 File 1945–1947, SCAP, Legal Section, Administrative Division, RAOOH, RG 331, NACP.
23 “punishment camp”: Martindale, pp. 104–05.
24 “the most vicious guard”: Affidavit, Arthur Laurence Maher, from files on Mutsuhiro Watanabe (Sgt.), vol. 1, 1945–1952, POW 201 File 1945–1947, SCAP, Legal Section, Administrative Division, RAOOH, RG 331, NACP.
25 “He was absolutely”: Knox, p. 379.
26 Beating POW, then becoming placid: Weinstein, p. 230.
27 Forcing men to be his friends: Martindale, pp. 149–50; Clarke, p. 116; Robert Martindale, telephone interview, January 2, 2005.
28 Watanabe despised by guards: Bush, p. 200; Yuichi Hatto, written interview, August 28, 2004.
29 “tense, sitting-on-the-edge-of-a-volcano”: Clarke, p. 116.
Chapter 24: Hunted
1 Louie enters main body of Omori: Louis Zamperini, telephone interview.
2 Lessons on avoiding the Bird: Norquist, pp. 278–79; Wade, p. 124; Bush, p. 187; Weinstein, pp. 228–33; Clarke, pp. 114–16; J. Watt Hinson, email interview, July 26, 2004.
3 The Bird’s office: Martindale, p. 78.
4 Louie not registered with Red Cross: Louis Zamperini, telephone interview.
5 Attacked every day: Louis Zamperini, telephone interview.
6 “number one prisoner”: CBS Television, “48 Hours: Race to Freedom,” 1998.
7 “After the first few days in camp”: Louis Zamperini, telephone interview.
8 The Bird forces officers to work: Clarke, p. 114; Martindale, p. 97; Louis Zamperini, telephone interview; Weinstein, p. 249.
9 Cleaning benjos: Louis Zamperini, telephone interview; Martindale, pp. 99–100; Lewis Bush, p. 186; Clarke, p. 114.
10 “The motto”: Martindale, p. 100.
11 Sabotage, stealing: John Fitzgerald, POW diary, Papers of John A. Fitzgerald, Operational Archives Branch, NHC, Washington, D.C.; “42nd Bombardment Squadron: Addendum to Squadron History,” September 11, 1945, AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, Ala.; Louis Zamperini, telephone interview; Milton McMullen, telephone interview, February 16, 2005; Martindale, pp. 127–28, 156–72; Wade, pp. 97–99, 129; Bush, p. 161; Johan Arthur Johansen, email interview, March 26, 2005; Weinstein, pp. 243–45; Gloria Ross, “A Singular Man,” Airman, January 1982; Tom Wade, telephone interview, January 2, 2005.
12 “University of Thievery”: Martindale, pp. 168–69.
13 Stealing ingredients for cake: Ibid., p. 128.
14 Louie gets sugar for Tinker: Frank Tinker, telephone interview, February 20, 2005; Louis Zamperini, telephone interview.
15 Only two deaths after school created: Martindale, p. 169.
16 Louie beaten: Louis Zamperini, telephone interview.
17 Sakaba watches beating: Ibid.
18 The Bird holding power over superiors: Norquist, p. 279; Wade, p. 120; Weinstein, p. 255.
19 Watanabe’s impunity: Yuichi Hatto, written interview, August 28, 2004.
20 Kind guards: Bush, p. 200; Yuichi Hatto, written interview, August 28, 2004; Boyington, pp. 302–03; Martindale, p. 195; Norquist, p. 288; Gamble, p. 336; Yukichi Kano, “Statement of Yukichi Kano Tokio P.O.W. Camp H.Q. (Omori),” undated, from papers of Robert Martindale.
21 Red Cross inspection: Martindale, p. 123; Louis Zamperini, telephone interview.
22 Louie’s defiance: Louis Zamperini, telephone interview.
23 Postman Calls: E. Bartlett Kerr, Surrender and Survival: The Experience of American POWs in the Pacific, 1941–1945 (New York: William Morrow, 1985), pp. 189–90; “The Zero Hour,” Glasgow.com, http://www.glasglow.com/e2/th/The_Zero_Hour.html (accessed September 25, 2009).
24 Radio message: E. H. Stephan, postcard to Zamperini family, October 18, 1944.
25 Louie knew nothing of broadcast: Louis Zamperini, telephone interview.
26 Message in Trona: E. H. Stephan, postcard to Zamperini family, October 18, 1944, stamp on card.