Thomas F. (hardtack) -
A very intriguing book about how a battalion of the 11th Airborne Division was pulled out of combat and sent on a mission to rescue over 2,000 civilian internees from a Japanese prison camp.
The mission was accomplished, almost on the fly, without a formal operation plan, and was so successful that no American soldiers or civilian died. However, the Japanese did kill several Filipino guerrillas during the mission and later butchered hundred of innocent Filipino civilians in revenge.
The story is related by a retired Lieutenant General who was a young officer in the 11th Airborne at that time.
The book mostly covers the actions before the raid and only about 60 pages itself are devoted the the actual raid.
While mostly factual, I was interested in seeing the author quote General Douglas MacArthur praise about his "guerrilla coordinator" Major General Courtney Whitney. By quoting a long paragraph, the author avoids telling the true story of this incompetent officer who was often called a "Fascist" and was a real enemy to the gallant Filipino guerrillas.
The mission was accomplished, almost on the fly, without a formal operation plan, and was so successful that no American soldiers or civilian died. However, the Japanese did kill several Filipino guerrillas during the mission and later butchered hundred of innocent Filipino civilians in revenge.
The story is related by a retired Lieutenant General who was a young officer in the 11th Airborne at that time.
The book mostly covers the actions before the raid and only about 60 pages itself are devoted the the actual raid.
While mostly factual, I was interested in seeing the author quote General Douglas MacArthur praise about his "guerrilla coordinator" Major General Courtney Whitney. By quoting a long paragraph, the author avoids telling the true story of this incompetent officer who was often called a "Fascist" and was a real enemy to the gallant Filipino guerrillas.
