A Song For Lisa

by Clifton La Bree

  Lisa’s auburn hair hung below her shoulders after it was thoroughly cleaned and combed. It was thick and sparkled in the mid-day tropical sun as she sat at the edge of the privacy enclosure. She leaned against one of the posts and closed her eyes. From a distance, Madame June saw her relaxing and smiled her approval. There was something wholesome and inspiring about the quiet unassuming Lisa Carter. She possessed an ethereal mystical air that was manifest, yet illusive. Her frail, relatively short stature belied the strong presence she projected. Madame June had recognized Lisa’s inner strength and took it upon herself to take special care of her whenever possible.

  Throughout their long vigil, Lisa had freely given of herself to those who were sick or were at an emotional low point. She was the steady quiet type who suffered in silence. Few ever heard her complain. When Madame June found Lisa in the room where the young Lieutenant Wright had left her, she was worried about Lisa’s sanity. By the time she was able to coax her out of the room with the commandant’s blood in the middle of the floor, Lisa had calmed down some. The wise Madame June correctly prophesied that memories of the trauma would most likely be with Lisa for the rest of her life, but Madame June had faith, believing that she had the moral strength necessary to rise above the incident.

  Lisa forced herself to think of happier times. Her mind wandered to images she held dear. Vistas of the majestic White Mountains in her native New Hampshire were always a source of inspiration and comfort. Ragged ridges and tranquil valleys filled with thin mists rising from gurgling brooks were precious memories that soothed her soul. If she tried hard enough she could still smell the clean aroma of spruce and fir trees as the winds swept their canopies. She had walked the familiar trails among the towering peaks, with the pungent scent of sweetfern crushed beneath her feet. It would accompany her for miles. She had loved the forest and the feeling of peace and contentment that had filled her heart whenever she walked beneath the arched pathways. It was a sanctuary she had often visited in her youth.

  How far away that source of solitude was now! Memories of the mountains and forests had given her the strength to combat the atrocities taking place around her. They had been an oasis of calm in the midst of pestilence and calamity. She found it easy to escape to a time and place of peace and love and beauty. As the years dragged past, Lisa, and most of her companions, had already accepted the fact that they might die in the prison camp. It was a logical, realistic conclusion considering the conditions they had to endure and, in many ways, it made the situation easier to tolerate. All that had changed now. The prospect of eventual deliverance from the camp was a distinct possibility. Their return to civil society, free of war, had been an impossible dream twenty-four hours ago.

  Jonathon recognized the inmate sitting with her back against a post near the pond. Her auburn hair was shining in the sun. There was a plaintive far-away - look in her sunken eyes. He was touched by the tragedy they reflected. He slung the Thompson over his shoulder and approached Lisa Carter.

  “I see that you’ve had a chance to put on clean clothes. Is there anything I can do to help you?” he asked in a reassuring voice.

  Lisa hesitated a moment. She remembered how he had tried to comfort her. “It is nice to feel clean.”

  “Have you had a chance to eat something, Miss Carter?”

  “Yes, it was a luxury to satisfy our hunger. Thank you for freeing the camp. We were beyond hoping for a miracle, then out of the darkness you appear in answer to all of our prayers. For that, we all owe you a debt of gratitude.”

  “You and your companions have been an inspiration to me and my men. I can’t imagine how difficult your lives have been, and regret that we could not come sooner. We plan to defend the camp until more help arrives. In the meantime, you and your companions should take advantage of this period of adjustment. Eat and rest all that you can. If you need medical attention, the nurses at the barn infirmary have been supplied with most any medication you might need. Be sure to ask them for the vitamin supplements. They’ll help your body adjust quicker to the changes in diet.”

  “There isn’t any medicine that can remove my shame,” Lisa cried with trembling lips. Her frail body once again was wracked with protest. She avoided looking at him and held her head in her thin, bony fingers, the ugly memories returned with increased fury.

  His heart went out to the lady. Jonathon searched for the right words to comfort her and felt helpless: “Let your friends help you, Miss Carter.”

  “I’ve been looking all over for you, Lisa,” exclaimed a gentle voice. Jonathon turned to see Madame June kneel beside Lisa, cradling her in her arms. “I’ll take care of her, Lieutenant. She’s had a bad time.”

  “I’m relieved that you’re here, Madame,” replied Jonathon, recognizing the elder matron of the camp.

  “Normally our Lisa remains on the sidelines, but is always available to help. She’s a loner of sorts. When the new commandant of the camp began the unspeakable practice of using the women to satisfy his desires, Lisa was the first to defy and protest against what was taking place. He spoke excellent English. At first Lisa tried to appeal to his honor. She found that he had no honor and punished her interference by using her for the ultimate outrage. He taunted her more than the others… The pig deserved to die a painful death.” Madame June kissed Lisa on the forehead and held her like she would a small child.

  “The night will soon be upon us,” announced Jonathon, surprised to see how quickly the elderly matron defused Lisa’s rage. “We’ll have to shrink the secured portion of the camp, at least for the night. Can you arrange for the women to remain in the stable and barn? The house may be too vulnerable being on the opposite side of the wire fence.”

  “I’ll see that they settle into their old places for the night,” answered Madame June, standing up to grasp his arm. “I don’t know how many have said thank you, Lieutenant, but let me say it for all of the inmates. We were existing on sheer will. A few more days with the new commandant would have meant death for some of us, especially Lisa. I have a grandson about your age. You remind me of him. Thank God you came when you did.”

  “We’ve been planning raids like this for months, Madame June. When General MacArthur promised the Filipinos that he would return, he meant it. The invasion force is off the coast of Luzon. Soon the island will be free of the yoke of tyranny. We’re proud to be part of that force. You ladies here at the camp should rest easy with the assurance that we’ll defend this compound against any Japanese attempts to reclaim it. Be patient a little longer. Soon you’ll be on your way back to America.”

  “Your men have been kind and gentle,” she replied in that soft way she spoke. “It’s nice to see that brave warriors can also be compassionate and generous. The world is going to need those virtues if we’re ever going to put this horrible war behind us.”

  That evening, Jonathon checked the sentry posts within the fenced compound and stationed a man at each of the four entrances to the barn and stable. Their presence was reassuring to the inmates. He knew that his men were stretched thin if a determined attack was to take place. At about eleven o’clock one of the outpost positions let loose with a heavy burst of sustained fire from a Thompson. The camp was instantly alerted to the prospect of an attack, and Jonathon ran to the outpost. The two men at the outpost were lying prone on the edge of their foxhole straining their eyes northward.

  “Did you hear anything before you fired?” asked Jonathon, taking a position beside the two men.

  “We both saw several Japs at the edge of the sugar cane field. They were advancing in a line with rifles and bayonets at the ready, then we fired at them, sir.”

  “You did the right thing. I’m going to double check the perimeter. If they make another attempt at this outpost, be sure to give yourselves enough time to fall back to the perimeter line. Don’t try to engage them from this isolated position unless you are forced to do so. Okay?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Every man on the perim
eter was alert and eager to get into the fight with the enemy. Jonathon spoke to each man along the line of defense. The young men in the platoon were a hardy bunch with a healthy hatred of the enemy, tempered by the abysmal conditions of the prisoners. If the enemy did attack, he was certain they would pay a heavy price trying to pierce the Rangers’ security line. Thankfully, the night passed without further incident.

  The next morning, minutes before the sun rose above the mountains, the Japs struck with much screaming and hollering and shouting of obscenities at the Rangers, who met the human wave with determined concentration on their marksmanship. The Japs attacked out of the rising sun which made them difficult to see clearly. Machine guns had been placed on each end of the barn and stable buildings with a clear field of fire. They unleashed a withering stream of death to the attackers. They made the difference. The spirited assault was quickly shattered. Scattered small arms fire continued for another ten minutes. The ground before the perimeter line was littered with the dead bodies of Japanese soldiers.

  Jonathan told his men to be on the alert for more attacks. The Rangers were still not equipped to make a determined defensive stand. The only ammunition they had was what each soldier had carried from the submarine. As a matter of fact, they avoided a fire fight whenever possible except for an attempt against the compound. At that point, they would need assistance. Jonathon had his radio man send a call in the clear that they had been under attack and needed supply and possible air support made available to him on demand. Shortly a message was received:

  “To the Commanding Officer of Snapdragon; Your situation is understood. An air support squadron will be made available to you during daylight hours. Call in the clear on this frequency if needed. We plan to send you more supplies for the former prisoners. If you are in need of immediate medical attention a doctor and a paramedic can be parachuted to you. Congratulations on your speedy capture of the compound. A Ranger company is scheduled to open up a safe corridor to your position immediately after the initial assault units have come ashore. We are cognizant of your situation and will make every effort to safely bring the former prisoners into our lines where they can be properly cared for. Be sure to let them know that the United States has never forgotten their plight. Signed, Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, Sixth Army.”

  The women had huddled together in the two buildings during the intense fight between the Rangers and the Japanese. They were afraid that the enemy would break through and massacre them all. Lisa and Madame June heard the staccato of the machine guns and involuntarily sought refuge in the far corner of the stable. The eruption of intense fire from the rooftop lasted a short time. Silence and apprehension filled the buildings until the Rangers announced that everything was under control. The Japanese had been stopped.

  A few of the Rangers were ordered to leave their sentry post and begin preparing the morning meal. They made a large pot of oatmeal. The night before, they had taken a poll of what the women wanted for breakfast. Oatmeal was an overwhelming winner. Reconstituted powdered milk and brown sugar made a bowl of oatmeal the perfect form of nutrition for the starved women. It was easy to digest and soothing to their shrunken stomachs.

  Slowly the defeatist attitude that had existed in the camp was being displaced. Food, soap, clean water to bathe in, and a change of clothes had raised morale several notches. The thought of seeing loved ones in the not too distant future was a powerful uplift. The concept of freedom would have a profound meaning for the women the rest of their lives. It was an emotion and a state of mind they had experienced firsthand.

  Chapter Six

  Lisa lay on her familiar bamboo matt in the corner of the stable. The food supplied by the Rangers had saved many of her companions who were at death’s door. Hope was renewed, yet, some sat at their mats and stared into the darkness of night and the light of day as if they were still witnessing atrocities so unimaginable that their minds had snapped. Rationality was gone and several of the women had ceased to be functional human beings, unaware of the changes the Rangers had made. Their world remained encapsulated in the black recesses of their mind. They were little children once again, lost to the civilized world, perhaps forever.

  Lisa felt physical satisfaction about the nutritious food she was able to eat without vomiting. She had forgotten how comforting a bath and clean clothes could be, and was appreciative of the blessings made possible by their sudden freedom. Still, feelings of being violated and unclean remained strong. The terrifying ordeal was passed, but lingering memories of the assault still occupied her mind. Robbed of innocence, sleep had escaped her that first night. It took a while for her to grasp the reality that she had been saved from further violation. Her prayers and supplications had been answered.

  Memories of Jeff filled her heart. Lisa and Jeff Summer, her fiancée, grew up in the small community of Twin Mountains, a town on the northern end of the majestic New Hampshire White Mountains. Jeff had been a popular athlete on the high school baseball team. She had attended almost every game he pitched during the four years at school. They had known each other since they were five years old, when they attended Miss Lane’s first grade class.

  The country was in the midst of a crippling depression for most of their school years. Money and jobs were scarce. The people in the small towns of northern New England fared better than the crowded metropolitan centers near the Atlantic coast. Yankee independence and ingenuity were responsible for feeding and clothing the poorer families that populated the smaller communities. Chickens, pigs, and milk cows were commonly raised to feed the family, and for bartering with others for commodities they had available. Money was scarcer than jobs, so the people lived and survived by being frugal. Few ever felt that they were poor because everybody in town were in the same situation. Those in desperate need was aided by neighbors and friends. Apples, eggs, milk, and potatoes were exchanged amongst the community so that everyone enjoyed a relatively healthy and nourishing diet, free of luxuries.

  The tantalizing aroma of fresh baked yeast bread was one of the scents Lisa associated with home. Once a week her mother made a large batch of bread. It was an all day project. The ultimate scent, however, was when the finished dough was baking. Lisa and her sister, Angeline, anxiously waited for the bread to come out of the oven so that they could have a warm piece of bread and butter. Nothing ever satisfied her taste buds as much as the warm bread smothered with melting butter. She often added to the delight by dipping the slice in a saucer of molasses. If there was enough dough, her mother would also make a pan of cinnamon rolls. Even now, years later, she could smell and taste the rolls. Remembering happier times during the long months of incarceration had helped to sustain her mental balance.

  The last time Lisa and Jeff saw each other had been an especially poignant time. She had loved him from the first time they walked to school together. He always waited for her at the end of her driveway. They didn’t need to talk to communicate. Just being with each other made them happy.

  Jeff’s childhood dream had been to go to college. After high school he wanted to be an engineer and had won a one year scholarship at Boston University. Lisa enrolled in a small normal school located on Boylston Street while he attended college. She had dreamed of being a teacher like their beloved first grade teacher Miss Lane. She and Jeff saw each other often and explored the wonders of Boston together.

  They were small town country people intimidated by the hustle and bustle of the city, yet, there was much about the city that they enjoyed. They attended a Boston Pops concert one evening and continued seeing them whenever they played in the city. The musical experience ignited the passion she had always had for music, especially the piano, which she had been playing since she was five years old. She frequently played at functions in their town and had gained a reputation for her dexterity and versatility on the keyboard. She graduated from the normal school after two years, and with her teaching certification went to work in Twin Mountains as a fifth grade teacher. Jobs we
re scarce and she was pleased to accept the job offered to her by the school board. She enjoyed working with children, but her true love would always be music.

  Two years later, Jeff graduated from Boston University with a degree in mechanical engineering.

  The summer of 1941 was filled with anguish and concern with stories of Japan and Germany overrunning their less powerful neighbors. The world was becoming a dangerous place. Jeff graduated with his degree and a commission as a second lieutenant in the army. He had taken the Reserve Officer Training Corps program to help pay his way through school.

  Lisa was disappointed that they had to be separated. The world was volatile and the thought that Jeff might become involved in combat was frightening. He tried to assure her that his training would help keep him safe and that when all things were considered, he had an obligation to defend the country they both loved. At the time when Jeff left for duty at Fort Bliss, Texas, Lisa was offered a federal civil service position with the Census Bureau in Washington. It paid more money than her teaching job and would give her a chance to experience Washington, D.C. She became part of a team that was currently preparing for a census in the Philippine Islands, where they worked out of the U.S. Consulate Office.

  Before Lisa left Washington, she and Jeff spent a day together touring the city. She could recall every minute of that day with clarity and a heavy heart. It was October 5, 1941, just as the leaves were turning color in the White Mountains, a beautiful time of year. Jeff had called to tell her that he could spend a day with her in Washington.

  She watched him step down from the train to the platform of the railroad station. He was standing tall and straight scanning the crowded platform for her. He was a sturdy six-foot athlete with broad shoulders and a ruddy complexion. He smiled often and had a confident air of invincibility. The ready smile and positive disposition were a defense mechanism that shielded a very intense private nature that he shared with few. Lisa had always liked his strong sense of commitment and loved him dearly. He was fun to be with and possessed many of the virtues that were a signature of his generation ─ honesty, integrity, independence, and the ability to take responsibility.