Sgtr Joe Lavson Returns To Klamath
After 3 Years In Jap Prison Camp
Br joy bioos , i
Prisoner Number 21, of Jap
prison Camp 7, Fukuoka, city of
Dmula, returned to his home In
Klamath Falls December 2 .
Twenty-one was the number
! jlven to lstSgt. Joe Lawson,
ton of Mr. and Mrs. G. M. Law
ion of 109 N. Broad, who was
held a prisoner of the Japs from
May 6, 1942, when he was cap
lured on Corrcgidor, until he was
liberated September 16, 1945
by recovered personnel groups
from the U. S. navy.
Joe doesn't care much about
eating rice now and wouldn't
choose to work in a coal mine.
He had his share Of both during
the three years he was a prison
er. He lost 45 pounds during
his Imprisonment.
Early to Work
Joe left for work in the Jap
coal mine at 2:30 a. m. and was
in bed again at 7 or 8 p. m as
soon as he got back from work.
He received 15 sen per day
wages. Of course, his board and
room were thrown in.
His bed was the thick mat
floor of a barracks housing 50
men. A "box" lunch was taken
to the mine. It contained about
650 grams of steamed rice with
a "pickled" radish (vitamin B),
rice for supper, or sometimes
soup made with plenty of water
and a few leaves from vege
tables. Sometimes the odor of
meat was present from the 30
kilos or so divided among 500
men.
GI spoons and mess kits were
used with bowls or cups cut
from a section of bamboo trees.
Joe was issued short pants and a
shirt for work and one uniform
for dress inspection.
U. S. Machinery
Machinery used, in the mine
was American and new 20
years ago. The name General
Electric was on it, and there
were American steel rails,
shipped in before Pearl Harbor.
Joe was an assistant section
leader part of the time, over 50
to 75 men. The rest of the time
he worked as one of the gang
excavating coal.
The work week was nine days,
with the 10th off, and no holi
'days observed. The prisoners
were docked wages for sick time.
On Christmas work progressed
as usual; the boys celebrated on
their nearest day off.
Christmas of 1943, each man
was issued an individual relief
box from the Red Cross, con
taining what was left after the
Japs had first choice. Christmas
of 4944 each box was divided
between two men.
Between Christmas and V-J
Day parts of boxes from ship
ments received previously were
issued, and' on August 15 boxes
which had not been picked over
were given the prisoners and
they knew then it was all over.
About 300 or 400 B-29's had
been seen over the camp for
some time and the men were bet
tine on how long it would take
before the Japs surrendered and
called it V-J Day. One officer
bet on August 15 as the day. It
was.
' Clouds from the atomic bomb
ing of Nagasaki, less than 100
miles from the camp, were seen
"Welcome Home, Son"
r 1. T- , W is 1X
ft if ".
O
O
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G. M. Lawson welcomes his son, Sgt. Joe Lawson. home after
three years' internment in a Jap prison camp.
and there was some speculation
regarding the type of bombs
being used. Joe was down in
the mine that day and didn't see
the clouds.
Red Cross packages containing
food and medical supplies which
had been held out were now is
sued. Then the guards moved
out and the prisoners took
charge of the camp themselves.
Some left immediately to try and
hitch-hike to the coast and home,
but Joe stayed with the major
ity, many of whom were too ill
to be moved.
After V-J Day, B-29's dropped
supplies by parachute, of medi
cine, food and clothes, so they
had about 30 days of better ra
tions before they were released.
George Weller, war correspon
dent ot the umcago uany mews
was the first civilian Joe saw.
Captured in May
Joe was due for a furlough in
February, 1942, but he couldn't
get out of Corregidor. He was
captured in May.
First he was taken by way of
Formosa to Mojl on the Island
of Kyushu and from, there to
Camp 7, probably the biggest
Jap prison camp.
Other Klamath Falls men in
the regiment whom he met in
prison were Alonzo Palmer,
Ralph Floyd, James Orth and
Ma. Denton J. Rees.
Joe was used as a section lead
er in the Philippines, which kept
him from the regular detail, but
just before they were moved he
did work on the detail with 500
others, cutting wood and garden
ing. He received about nine letters
from home during his three
years internment and one pack
age which was opened by the
Japs. All packages were opened
and writing materials, paper,
pencils and knives were all con
fiscated. . "
A very few men were allowed
to fill out forms to be broadcast
saying they were "fine and get
ting enough to eat." Joe filled
out one. The messages were to
be broadcast toward the United
States from a radio station near
Tokyo for interception by U. S
forees. He never knew definite
ly whether his message was used
or not
Once some canned meat disap
peared from the Jap supplies and
the whole camp was punished by
having three meals withheld.
Sgt. Lawson is home on a 90
day furlough; he is still in the
army. He wears ribbons for the
Asiatic-Pacific theater, American
defense, Philippine defense, Vic
tory; Purple Heart, Presidential
Unit citation with two Oak Leaf
clusters, four battle stars for ma
jor campaigns in southern Lu
zon, Bataan and two on Corregi
dor. KUHS Graduate
Lawson is a graduate of
KUHS. He has two brothers in
the service, one in the navy sta
tioned in Alameda, Calif., and
one in the beaoees somewhere in
China.
He came home on an aircraft
carrier to Okinawa, from there
by navy transport- to Manila,
and on to San Francisco on the
Marine Shark. Transportation
was pretty crowded and it
seemed terribly slow, Lawson
said.
LAST WORD
ALBUQUERQUE. N. M.. Dec.
6 (JP) Anything can haDDen
these days when it comes to rent
ing a house. George c. Taylo,
district OPA rent attorney, says
wis Happened.
An apartment house owner
evicted four families to raze
the building as the site for a
business structure.
One of the evicted tenants
bought a house and evicted the
renter who waa the apartment
house owner.
Siromberg-Carlson Radios.
Derby's Muale Co.
When your ears turn red
And your nose; turns blue, )
1 The time te get anti-fieeze
v Is Vay past due J
Ell -..
MltYW7
i i j
Remember, you can never put in anti-fireeze too early
but you can think of it too late. Protect your car with
Du Pont "Zerex" or War Emergency "Zerone" today.
$1.40 a gal. War Emergency "Zerone"
gives thorough protection against rust and
corrosion as well as freezing. Until regular
"Zerone" returns (this season's production
went to war), there's no better buy at the
price. Remember, it's made by Du Pont.
$2.65 a gal. A limited supply' of ,
"Zerex," Du Font's non-evaporating anti
freeze, is now available. "Zerex" won't
boil out. One filling lasts all winter. Gives
complete protection against rust and corro
sion won't form sludge or clog radiators.
WW
, itst .'..-oU. tj((j
as
Thursday, Dee. 8, 1945
HERALD AND NEWS EIGHT
Student Aviation Pilot Wil
liam David Ganger, son ot Mrs.
Gladys J. Ganger of Tulclako,
has completed the navy's pre
flight training course at Iowa
City, la. Young Ganger was ac
tive in Tulelake high school af
fairs and a member ot the bas
ketball and track teams. At
Washington Stato college he
studied to be a veterinarian.
Ganger was in the navy two
years before taking flight train
ing. Sgt. Eddie C. Owens, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Owens,
2144 Vine, has been assigned to
headquarters ot the Middletown
air technical service command at
Olmsted field, Pa. Sgt. Owens
Is a graduate of Klamath Union
high school and prior to entering
service was employed at the Wil
lard hotel. His wife lives in this
city,
I
In the United States after 30 j
months overseas is Sgt. Allison '
Chamberlain. Before entering
service, June 10, 1941, he was1
a Tnoulder operator for the
Weyerhaeuser Timber company
in Klamath Falls.
He was discharged in October
at Fort Lewis. He has the coin
bat infantry badge, Philippine
liberation medal with two
Bronze Stars, Bronze Star med
al, Asiatic-Pacific ribbon with
four Bronze Stars, American de
fense ribbon and good conduct
medal.
His brother, SSgt. Harold
Chamberlain, Is on his way
home after 29 months in the
South Pacific.
John Paul McCulley, F lc,
of Malm, and Walter Smith, F
2c, of Bonanza, served during
the war on the attack transport
USS Barnstable which saw ac
tion from Guadalcanal to Japan,
and which is engaged at the
present time in serving with
the "Magic Carpet" fleet, help
ing to return high-point veter
ans to the United States.
RESERVE TUESDAY EVENING, DEC. 1 1TH FOR
KLAMATH COUNTY
YOUTH FOR CHRIST
JUBILEE
WATCH THIS SPACE
for announcement of
nationally known:
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
SPEAKER
SONG DIRECTOR
THE PUBLIC
IS
URGED TO ATTEND
SECTION RESERVED
FOR YOUNG
PEOPLE FREE! j
Ik 8foz?
k iTOV.Wj$i$W -f Mil
When your ayes begin to water and twitch,
fog and falter, tee double or nothing , . .
watch out! Your good vision is being "blocked
out" by long-neglected faults that should be
corrected Immediately! "Putting off" may
prove dangerous and costly ... so don't wait!
See the experienced, registered optometrist
at your nearby Standard Optical office right
away. He will tell you frankly if glasses are
not needed!
Stylish, Guaranteed Glasses
Created by Craftsmen
TERMS IF DESIRED
mi w?r
...,. Youryesf
.Stndard ,
y Med 9oes
Vour, SCo,Vft1
byZ 'ens'Qre y rnQd9
775 Main St in Klamath Falls
DR. BYRON FRIEDMAN, optometrist.