17
en the boredom. U ntil the final camp
they had access to "black market news
papers,” which some of the officers
were able to translate. For some reason
the Japs told them when the D -D ay
landing was made in France, and also
announced the end o f the war with
Germany.
One o f the most novel pastimes was
to air their blankets in the compound
when there was a bit o f sunshine and
to pick o ff the bugs, including bed
bugs. The officer said, " A contest was
held to see who could pick o ff the
most bugs, but no one was in running
until he had 100.”
Beds were 27-inch wooden shelves,
18 inches from the floor, without
springs or mattresses. Books were among
the men’s most cherished possessions,
some o f which they had smuggled in.
Others had been brought by the mercy
ship, the S.S. Gripsholm, or given by
the American embassy to the Zensuji
camp, the first prison camp established
in Japan. A t that camp programs were
put on every Sunday night by groups
o f officers, British, Dutch, Australian,
and American. Dicken’s "Christm as
Carol” was produced on Christmas in
1943 and 1944.
While Laird was in prison his mother
died, but aside from missing her upon
his return, " Ju s t to be back is wonder
ful.”
Another one of our discharged boys
is James W. Schriver. H e was discharg
ed from the N avy ju st recently after
more than three years in both European,
A tlantic and Pacific waters. Before he
entered the N avy in September, 1942,
Schriver was a field auditor for the
Public Utilities Commission, with head
quarters at McMinnville.
A fter entering the N avy he trained
for a year in the United States in radar
(Continued on Page 2 6 )
RICHARD G. SEVERIN
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