It has been three days since I have written, and since then it has been quiet out our way, but we have heard that there has been fighting along the road to Iloilo. We have also heard that the USAFFE are now in the town of Jaro and the Japanese are surrounded; the same case in Pototan. They are now cut off from one another.
Two days ago Matias Rey came to see us. Martha and he are still hiding in the hills of San Enrique. Donald, their son, is home – he did not surrender to the Japanese, and has been told by the USAFFE to report for active duty. Matias told us that the train that runs between Capiz and Iloilo was blown up by two Americans by the names of Cunningham and Murphy (old veterans of the Spanish-American war). We also heard that when the Japanese landed, Mr. Murphy fought alongside of the Filipino soldiers, in fact, taking command. (We need some older heads with experience to take charge).
Mr. Brown of Passi (Buster Brown’s father) was caught by the Japanese, tortured and left in the sun for three days, and then taken to Iloilo and imprisoned. The whole town of Passi has been burned to the ground by the USAFFE guerillas – all that remains is the old Spanish church. The puppet mayor of that town was shot and many other people thought to be collaborators or pro-Japanese.
In Iloilo two of the Japanese planes were set on fire right in their hangar; only one remains, so there has been no more bombing in the countryside, but one never knows what to expect. Believe me, it is a “war of nerves” for us over here.
We are very thankful to hear some outside news. There is a radio nearby and the good old U.S.A. (KGEI) is heard every day, so that keeps up our morale.