— Tues — On water faucet detail this AM very warm — 43 died yesterday. I am very worried with loose Bowel movements hourly. Once again only God can help there is no medicine for Malaria or Dysentery. Meals are much better & I felt a lot stronger till stomach condition got threatening. We surely need a camp with better sanitary facilities. Perhaps one of these wild rumors will come true & we will go to Japan & then possibly home. Dysentery set in at 4 pm. Since there is no medicine for Dysentery only intravenous of God Can pull me through this scrape. It is so hard to think of the folks at home I feel that I pulled a sort of dirty trick on them the way I left — but it was probably just as well. Many men –sons– and husbands have died here no doubt elsewhere I have only the regret of not being sure I will get back to give mother and Dad some ease, Comfort, and love which I feel I could give them in their later years. I have plenty of will to fight this dysentery & I will fight till I can fight no more heaven with God’s care & help I will make it out of here to the ones I love. If I cannot make it — I will be sorry I was not able to do more for my parents & country. My parents will have a little money from insurance & Capt. Wiley Dixon, Mil. Police can advise them or Lt. Col. Montgomery McKee or Colonel A. Garfinkel. But I hope to be able to fight this bug despite the poor physical condition in which I was discharged from Hosp # 1. My parents must suffer more than I but they are brave & can accept the will of God.
William P. Oliver
(June 1, 1913 — October ?, 1944), 1st Lieutenant, US Army; P.O.W., perished on Arisan Maru in October, 1944.
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