CHAPTER FOUR
 
                                "Prison Farm At Davao"
 
     Of the approxiamtely one thousand American prisoners of
 
war who were being transferred from the Japanese prison camp at
 
Cabanatush, not one but was glad to go. None of us knew what the
 
new prison would be like, or what conditions we would find there.
 
We knew only that we would be leaving Cabanatuan and the Island of
 
Luzon, and we felt certain that any change would be for the better.
 
During more than five months since the fall of Corregidor, as
 
military prisoners of the Japanese in the Philippines, we had seen
 
nothing but starvation, illness, brutality and death.
 
              We first learned of the chance to get away from Cabanatuan 
 
when the japanese prison officials informed out camp commanders 
 
that two parties of prisoners were to be transferred todifferent 
 
camps. The Japs ordered our camp commanders to select one party
 
of 400 men, all technicians, and all men whose health was good
 
enough to withstand "a sea voyage to Japan". We later heard that
 
the leader of this party, a colonel, was working in the salt mines
 
at Mukden. The second party was to number 1000 of the men who 
 
were weakest but who were still able to undergo "a sea voyage", 
 
destination unannounced. All those selected began preparations to 
 
leave.
 
          Lieutenant Colonel Mellnik:
 
     I will never forget my farewell to Cabanatuan. I was
 
glad to go, no matter what lay ahead. But the departure had its
 
element of sadness, too.
 
 
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