“Child of War: Son of Angels: A Child’s Memoir of Imprisonment in World War II-Torn Philippines,” by Curtis Whitfield Tong. iUniverse Inc., Bloomington, Ind., 2009. 322pp.
Note: The author is the reviewer’s first cousin.
By John Whitfield
For the Salisbury Post
Curt Tong was 7 years old when the Japanese invaded the Philippines where his father was a missionary.
Prior to that, life in Davao had been “idyllic” for him, relaxed and pleasant. In August 1941 he and his mother, along with his sisters, Eloise (Wezer) and Annarae (Rae) traveled to Baguio, several hundred miles north, to attend a good school. His father remained in Davao for his work.
While there had been rumors of war with the Japanese for several years, the invasion on Dec. 8, 1941, seemed sudden and frightening. Bombs fell and soldiers appeared.
For several weeks, life was in turmoil with people extremely fearful about the treatment they would receive at the hands of the invaders. Women in particular were terrified, recalling the alleged atrocities committed by the Japanese on the citizens of China a few years earlier.
Curt’s mother and hundreds of others surrendered peacefully and eventually were ordered to walk 4 miles to an old American military retreat, Camp Hay. Hungry, weary and frightened, the people made their way to one of the camps that would be home for much of the next three years.
“Child of War” is Tong’s recollections and descriptions of his prison experience from age 7 to 10, supplemented by information from family members and others in the camps with him. While one can hardly imagine the feelings of a child captured and confined by an enemy army, the book presents this well. It is a remarkable story of courage, resourcefulness and endurance in the face of great adversity.
Life in this camp and later, Camp Holmes, was very hard. To mention only a few of the difficulties: Food was scarce and hunger, with accompanying weight loss, was unrelenting; there were threats of severe retaliation if anyone tried to escape and those who did were tortured in front of the other prisoners; illness was ever-present and the doctors had little medicine for treatment despite heroic efforts; toilet facilities were primitive; and rules of conduct were frequently changed as new commandants came in.
There were many issues to address as prisoners, for example, what to do when toilet paper was gone, how to get the worms out of the food or how to share the crowded floor space for sleeping. There were those, including Curt’s mother, who took leadership in making arrangements or in talking with the Japanese commandants about matters of concern. Despite the privations, ingenuity also led to some opportunity for pleasant times. People played games, put on plays, sang hymns and developed hobbies. There were daily chores and occasional Red Cross packages with food. Curt learned to whittle and made a miniature car and tank which he kept with him.
Two factors made life even more stressful for Curt. One was his father’s absence for two years while he was interned in Davao. The other was the requirement that Curt sleep in the men’s barracks, away from his mother and sisters. He did find kindness among the men, including his special “Uncle B.” These were among the angels referred to in the book title.
Eventually Curt’s father joined the family in an overwhelmingly emotional reunion. Several months later the people were transported to Manila and put in an old and desolate prison. Life was even harder here but in about two months they began hearing the sounds of freedom as Americans took over the city. This prompted great fear as many believed they would be killed by the Japanese prior to their release but on Feb. 5, 1945, their nightmare ended and they were freed.
There are several poignant moments in the book: their father’s return, the death of people close to them, the occasional kindness of Japanese guards or Filipino friends, the farewell from their fellow captives whom they had come to love, the sight of the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco while hearing the “Star Spangled Banner” and the reunion with family members all speak to the depth of their emotional experience.
There is one more chapter in this story: It is not a tale of retribution but one of forgiveness and reconciliation. Curt grew up, became educated, married and had children, taught and coached in college and played championship tennis.
He had opportunities to attend reunions with other camp survivors where old and fond relationships were renewed. Eventually he returned to the Philippines and to Japan where he developed a friendship with a former camp commandant and his family. In time the commandant was invited to attend a reunion in America attended by nearly 200 camp survivors where “the outpouring of love, tears and forgiveness was unique and overwhelming.”
This very readable book would fit well into this year’s Summer Reading Challenge of “stories of courage.” Curt includes several pictures and ends with a hope that by extending a loving hand of mercy we can achieve reconciliation with our adversaries, wherever they may be.
Addendum: When the two American journalists were freed recently after five months in a North Korea prison they thanked President Clinton, Al Gore and Kurt Tong. Kurt Tong is at the State Department desk for Korea and is Curt’s son.
John Whitfield is an avid reader in Salisbury.