Memorial day and the Japanese have allowved [allowed] a few hundred to hold services at the cemetery. I did not go as thse [these] were so few allowed and I went last year. With conditions as they are now there will be no one here to hold memorial services for us nedt [next] year. if so, I doubt if they would be strong enough to make the walk to the cemetery. If worse comes to worse, or even if the present condition persist much longer yours truly will not be here much longer anyway. Anymore there seems only two ways to get out of here. One is death and other escape. The latter is tough and may involve other considerably best I had rather be shot than starve to death, There is no doubt that vital organs of the body are being heavily taxed and if we survive the duration of the present imprisonment we will probably keel over in 5 to 15 years. Yes, a fellow has a lot of pleasant thoughts in a rat hole like this. If you have never seen a group of hungry animals with their mouths watering and eyes bulging, you should see this as an example. We are all thouroughly [thoroughly] disgusted and disgraced in the way this was has proceeded, if it has proceeded. May be we disgraced our own country by surrender, but if we did we have no selfish attitudes to respond to. If not, we certainly would like to live and be with our loved ones again. Of course, we are only a very small fraction that matters little in this world war, but the entire prosecution seems to us to be corrupted in some manner. what is the matter with our country and the Allies? They have had 2½ years since the beginning of this Pacific War. They have 750/0 percent of the people against Germany and yet they have not made an attempt at Germany by land. We certainly have the forces if our govt. corrupted? Are the Allies trying to cut each others throats? Are we afraid? What the hell it is is beyond us. To us it is disgraceful. As prisoners we have tried to hold our selves higher in the eyes of the Japs and Filipinos. The Japanese, a third rate power with hardly a damn, thing not able to even to clothes and equipt themselvesand [equip themselves and] their men properly and yet we must slave under them day in and day out for 2½ years so far(no telling how much longer) and we are supposed to be Americans. I would dare say that we have certainly been better Americans than many of the prosecutors of this conflict. The Japs Jeer at us, beat us, scorn us, disgrace us and starve us all in the eyes of our once friendly Ally the Filipinos and what we can do, nothing, & what will our country men do nothing. Can we blame the Filipino if he turns to the Japanese for assistance & well being how [now] and tries to forget the Americans and their ways? We can not. We prisoners are forced our fate [illegible] can. The policy is growing to be “to hell with you Joe”, “I got something to eat today how you get yours’ Honor and Honesty have ceased to be virtues.
Well, on the more local and pleasant we are trying to make our garden produce. We have a small plot It won’t mean much , but can mean our lives. Everybody with any energy is gardening and doing all they can exits. The rains are coming quite regularly now. Am reading as much on Animal Husbandry and mining as I can well try to study some sails and feeds if I can get hold of the materials and time.
We trapped an Iguana yesterday stewed most of him up and fried the best pieces. Was a big help to the days action.