HQ, MIS, Bataan
Life is getting harder and harder. Morning ration reduced to one handful of ‘lugao’.
Sometimes carabao meat is given. It is made into ‘tapa’ so that the rest can be preserved for some other day.
The mess officer told me that very soon we will have horse-meat for viand. The QM will slaughter the remaining horses of the 26th cavalry. I don’t think I can eat those brave horses.
Bombing has been intensified. Raids are more frequent. Rest periods between raids are shorter and shorter.
More men stricken with malaria and dystentery. Many shell-shocked cases. Several dozen cases of appendicitis and many tuberculosis patients.
Morale visibly on the downgrade. Officers greet fellow officers with remark: “What, is there any hope yet of the convoy?”
Reports from front indicate that the boys there are suffering from blindness especially at night due to lack of vitamins.
Men are weary, exhausted. They work all day and they also act as sentries at night. Men have only several hours of sleep. Sometimes two or three only.
We officers do double, triple work. Many officers are sick, others have died.
Gasoline shortage. Use of trucks and cars are limited. Horses that are not eaten will be used to help out in the transportation problem.
No more quinine. Medicine bottles in hospital are empty. Doctors are working day and night. Wounded have increased.
Paper for SYIM publication very limited. Practically no more stencils. Food for evacuees cut down. One civilian in evacuee camp committed suicide.
Japs continue dropping surrender-leaflets. They have changed technique. Behind surrender-leaflets, they print the picture of a naked ‘mestiza’. Still no cases of desertion.
Fred thinks “It’ll take a long time for the convoy to arrive”. “There is no use deluding ourselves,” he says.
Some of the officers believe Hart’s fleet was beaten in naval battle around Macassar strait.
Others think convoy will be diverted to Australia.
Still others cling to distant hope of war between Japan and Russia.
Very few believe the convoy will be here in a few weeks.
Some think –very few of them– that “we will all die here.”
Japs have given ultimatum urging immediate, unconditional surrender –or else.
We have chosen the: or else.
(later)
Visited her again. She helps one forget this blasted war.
We sat again under the cenniguela tree but I couldn’t stay there for more than an hour.
Fred and Leonie visited the other girl. They will rival each other. They had better make an agreement: one day Leonie, one day Fred.
When Major Javallera found out, he complained. Told Fred: “That’s my territory.”
“That’s all right, sir,” said Fred. “Don’t you believe in Communism? What’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine?”
“Stand for private property,” said the Major.
“Abuse of authority, sir,” ventured Fred jokingly.
The Major replied: “All’s fair in love and war.”