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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 18, 1945)
C i PAGE TWELVE Th. OREGON STATESMAN. Salens Oregon. Tuesday Morning. September It. 1343 Cpl. Hoblitt, Silverton Marine, Tells of Years Spent in Nipponese Prison Camps Of Waiting SILVERTON r Forty months in a Japanese prison camp is I no holiday picnic even when you draw one of the better camps, stars and Stripes" until the Japa- Cpl. Frederick Marion Hoblitt, U. S. marine, said Sunday as he nese officers made them stop, sat quietly smoking in the living room of his parents, Mr. and Then; while the fires burned all Mrs. John T. Hoblitt, at Silverton. j around Bunka hill, they? played "I Time would have been unbearably long had we looked Didn'tsieep a Wink List Niht' S r ahead 3jyears. It was long as it was," Corporal Hoblitt replied to a question "But ybu don't think of time that way in a Japanese prison camp," he went on. "If you do, your morale won't hold up. It it's Thanksgiving, you tell yourselves and each other that the war will be over by Christmas. It couldnt possibly last any longer. When Christmas comes, you tell each other that by Easter that's just a little over three months longer the war will! be over. So you live to Easter. The fact that three ' Christmases j as well as Easters, Fourths, Labor days and Armis tice days come and go makes no difference to the game. You play it by the rules or you just don't 'play any longer." Was Boy Salesman Hoblitt, who is 31 years of age, looks remarkably well though aged a little, and thinner,, in spite of the grilling experiences of the JVa years. Silverton businessmen like to tell stories of the "youngest Hoblitt kid." Whether he was scll- ing Christmas cards or newspapers, his customers bought. He had a way with him, the business peo ple will tell you. It seems the Japanese bought, too, for Corporal Hoblitt claims he did not suffer as much as did so many of the other prisoners. But his listeners gather and he doesn't mind talking to the scores of friends who crowd around him to welcome him back that he skips rather lightly over parts of his experiences. But he frequently says "Boy, is U ever good to be home.' Hoblitt, who was with the 4th marines in Shanghai before the war broke out, was taken prisoner at Corregidor. He admitted he "was pretty scared at first, but there didn't seem to be anything to do about it" ' It wasn't long until he learned that if you could say a word 'or two in Japanese, you could get a few favors. Favors were more than welcome. So, while waiting, he managed to get . hold of a Japanese book and seriously set to work to conquer the language. "Preaches Practice "Learning a language Is all in using it. You can learn any langu- It all helped, Hoblitt said, to keep the morale up. But, he added, it never was down. I; age in 3 years 'if you have an ODDort unitr to use it" he exnlains. "When the group arrived at Men Hear Stassen fnmr TTrKI In Tonon Via vii14 I ma to mat. hc-if Z . n Agust 9, Hoblitt Itarned SndimT sZZZUrZU ttat "otiaUons were being o?whTt wasd ite htaT i,J"l J'm?l? "During 1912 and 1843, it was pretty bad, pretty rough," Hob litt said, smiling at his mother capitulation came. He listened to tne emperor's address, p Til never forget when we saw who was sitting beside him. "W me American snips pull Into Tokyo didn't see anyone brutally killed barborWe ran down toward the as they were in some camp's. Our beach.. But nothing moe happen- camp commander was very strict returned to camp. Then but fair. That was all right But somnfe shouted that landing barg- the food and the lack of medicine es were coming, we rushed on was hard. Men died, like flies. I again, tore through brush, over learned the more you could talk sand over anything .And there was Japanese, the more food tou could Stassen standing right? in front get So I talked more Japanese. They didn't send me out to work They wouldn't let me, in -fact Afraid I would talk to the coolies and learn something. I never was There Were tears in every prison er's eyes. Stassen made a brief speech. He told us that on board ship were ham and leggs and beautifU blondes for all of us. really hungry but you get awfully I T1 Crs 1 te so much I was tired pi nee and soy bean soup, j That was what mm. irnf Hut am men learned to steal and hart or didnt miss them. There were ham with the " eoolies.; They , sneaked H""1 es- Stassen told us to get things from the food supply houses reaQy ney were going- to taae where they worked. Certain ones 118 right out of there. We were would brinff it bar- In ramn t ready. Had- been ready for 40 helruu) rhaolr h-k. ..l I months - S: they returned. When one who had Hobhtt said there .were Just food hidden on him came to me, he d fake malaria. We'd carry him in by stretcher and the food with him." : Meaning In Messages In July, 1944, Hoblitt was moved to Camp Bunka, ten blocks from the emperor's palace. Here began his broadcasts as "Postman," read ing the messages from the prison ers to their home folks. "In each message we tried to say something that would mean something ty) our government We were closely watched but the Jap anese monitors understood only the translations of the American words. They could not understand all Our meanings nor could they read between the lines," Hoblitt said. He likes to talk of the final days in the camp. Of when Bunka which In Japanese means "cul ture," was bombed, but no bombs fell on the camp. During the raid, March 9,' the men stood and watch ed the bombs drop while on their little phonograph they played "The 41 flying hours between Tokyo and Hamilton field at , Oakland. Calif. They stopped briefly in Hon olulu.; He will have a ' 10-day fur lough at home.' Then he win re port to the nval hospital at Cor vallis. "And then?? he was asked. Wants to "I'd like to Return i 'go back in the army of occupation as an interpreter," Hoblitt said, j - ' . i -' "But I can't think of that now," his. mother declared: ; .":?, r i "Well see,t was his reply, j He landed in Portland this past weekend and j was, met by his two brothers, Mabjon and Lowell Hob litt. Sunday, tjhere was a dinner at the M. S. Hoblitt home,' following attendance at jthe Christian church. Present at te dinnef were the parents, the two brothers and their families, an fcnele and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Bert Terry; cousins, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Lord of Ferndale, Wash. ; ' j . i War Housing To Go! on Sale I i ... i r. Privately built war housing be ing held for rental may now be sold, according to an announce ment f received from Washington, D. CJ, according to George W. Coplen, regional representative of the : national jh o using agency Owners or builders may now spl vacant houses . or houses whith become vacant voluntarily. ' Before a rental unit is sold the state office of the federal housing; administration in Portland will establish the sales price upon the E. Burr Miller Returns With Valley Motor ' E. Burr Miller, district mana ger of Safeway stores in the Sa lem area. for four years, is return ing here to be ; permanently as-r"7" sociated IwtthM Valley Motors? conwanv. it wasl ' announced Mon-f day by W. L. Phillips, general L Lmanager of the firm, v i 'Miller, who was campaign chairman of last year's, war chest drive and 1945 president of the Salem Retail Trade bureau, was promoted from his Safeway po sition here two months ago to be company manager of the store re search service department at Oak-, land, Calif. ' He said at that time that he ac cepted the promotion "with reluc tance," because it took him away from Salem' and Monday de clared that he was "mighty glad to be back 'here to stay." Mrs. j Miller and the three children written request of the owner who wishes to sell the rental unit During the war period builders have been required to hold two thirds of their housing for rent to war workers. The removal of this restriction does not permit evic tions for the purpose of selling, have returned 'here with him. They are temporarily at the Mar Ion hotel. . - ; : Tve had a lot of faith in Salem and in the1 motor industry in this area and I feel such confidence is more than! justified. X have been very happy in my relationship with Safeway, but now we are going to be happy to call Salem our home and I am gratified to re turn to beiaffiliated with the Val ley Motor firm." - :r ' . " ' I - . Phillips, -in announcing Miller's addition' to .the firm of which Paul W. Wallace is president aid he was "just as pleased as Burr" In the new relationship. ' : When he left Salem in July, Miller was) a director of the cham ber, of .commerce and first vice president of the Salem Lions club, and had long been active, in the Red Cross and the Boy Scouts. - ing the-1944. peak of.wartijne ac-? tivity, a check .of bank transac tions, showed today. - ., t For the first eight months thit year 'transactions were $3,538, 639,000 compared with $3,501,91 for a- "similar period last year. ' Bank Transactions j Rise In Portland r , , PORTLAND, Ore. Sept 17. jNpwportlanders are spending more money this year than dur-l Iron rails 18 feet long were Im k-. . ' . . t 1 1 A United States la 1831. : Ji th4 CENSORSHIP LIFTED ' ' . - .-. -LA PA3 Bolivia, Sept 17.-(ff) -AH. forms of censorship opera tive as a result of the war .were lifted today by the government . It's Going to Make A Dig Difference In Yonr Hearing! Hew Scnolone "6C3 Come in for Service 'or a free -Audiometric Test t E. a Wright -V Certified ISonotone ConsalUst . Marlon Hotel. Salem. Orerea Sept 19 and 29 V V '.Bt .. 1 : i, Ot it ,;V Ttott)oa 1 Don't let overstrained eyes and annoy'. ing headaches give you that let-down feeling. Consult Dr. E.E, or Dr. S. A. Whoatley ... . . j This consultation 'and amination will provide the .N. regard- ine vour eves. 9 ingnuiea Ml . BORING; OPTICAL 313 Ce art St J ClfOI U28 (SCO CUE 0FYC8I Gettolmo t rMaM ill . . 1 1 ' ' " . 1 : i ' i ' ' ' 1 ,' - i -V;-;" ' l Miilrl irelfi Mis ' : m i r !! - I- ! :; ; H0X7 on you motoring 'problems DURING oesxly four years of war, Smdcbaker dealers won unique reputation for their helpful service to the car owners and truck owners in their communities. ; And now mat the war has'ended, you can confidently continue to regard your Studebaker . dealer as a trustworthy source of information on your motoring problems. Some beautiful new Studebaker Champion motorcars in a distinctive skyway styling will be available before long. But the production of these cars, for awhile at least; will be less than the demand. And, for a time, eligibility certifi- ; cates, under jpvernment ratiooiog procedures, very likely will be required of prospective pur chasers. j " --( With that in mind. Studebaker dealers are advising their customers that it isn't safe yet to stop giving constant care to most cars and trucks. To;get the facts straight on your personal transportation outlook, drop la and get acquainted with I your stud baker dealer i a - Wc arc again issuing Standard Credit Cards. We'd like you to have one. They will be honored by service stations handling our) products everywhere in the Vtand by-service stations) handling the products of other prominent petroleum marketers throughout the rest of the United States and Canada -i How to act your Standard Crbdit Card If you held doe of our Credit Cards before the stis pension of this seryicei a new Card is j now ia the mail for you. This Card may be used in the same area and for the same products and services as before. . i If you cSd net previous- , ly hold a Standard Credit Card, apply at any Standard of Cali fornia office, Standard Scau'oh or Dealer, Auth orized Distributor or ac any Chevron Gas Station, Well do our best to issue ; your Card promptly, , - untrj THE STUDEBAKER CORPORATION SOUTH BEND 17. INDIANA, U.S. A. D:r.c:f::!3 Ca!:3 Ci Sorvico. Enc 173 W. Chcrci U . " ' St!tm.Oftso v. (Wr-sfM I i - - - - -i . 7- Q) f?