I finally took a holiday today after having braved the storm of protest against Sunday volunteer workers last week. We had an all-day detail spreading & unloading straw for which we had workers chow and 64 bananas apiece. This Sunday strangely enough, there were more volunteers than details. In other words I live with a bunch of hypocrites who like bananas too. I was glad to have the day off although I’m still volunteering to work. It gave me a chance to celebrate my birthday to some extent. Had rice, condensed milk & bananas for breakfast –the latter furnished by myself & Charlie Letson. Have harvested rice all week and they’ve worked us hard –til after dark on 3 nites causing us to come in the rain, soaked to the skin. One day we caught a 9′ python in our paddie. Our total take was 3269 bags of palay (unmilled rice) –or about 180 tons. Only novelties are the sale of 4 pieces of peanut candy to us at 10¢ apiece –usual cost 1¢ –and the policy of giving extra rice and a cigar to each man on his birthday. The news all sounds reasonably good and the Nips are reluctant to show us the newspapers.
David Nash
(October 12, 1914 — August 3, 2007). Executive Officer aboard the U.S.S. Mindanao; surrendered on Corregidor, P.O.W. at Bilibid Prison, Davao Penal Colony, and Cabanatuan, then Korea and Manchuria.
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