A Song For Lisa

by Clifton La Bree

  They toured most of the well-known sites in the city; Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier. The latter was a sobering moment for both of them. The unsettled world around them did not bode well for the future. Jeff tried to be upbeat and positive that last day, but dark shadows threatened everyone’s lives. The future was uncertain at best. They sat on a bench in the magnificent amphitheater of the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier watching the sentry pace back and forth twenty-one times in tribute to the fallen Unknown.

  “Lisa,” Jeff began in that resonant voice he reserved for the serious moments in his life. “Things are not looking good in Asia. I wish you were not going to the Philippines. War could break out anytime.”

  “My director has assured us that the census team going to the Philippines is on a temporary basis. Parts of the American fleet are stationed at Pearl Harbor and will act as a deterrent for the area. I’ll be fine, Jeff,” Lisa had told him.

  He frowned while she spoke. “Nevertheless, I’ll worry until you’re home again. You and I go back a long way, Lisa. I can’t remember a time when I was not in love with you. I want you to know that wherever you go, a part of me goes with you. The future is uncertain right now and whatever happens, remember that I love you. Let’s get married the next time we have a chance to be together. I can’t imagine a life without you beside me.”

  “I feel the same,” she had replied, kissing him warmly. “I promise to be careful. I’ll worry about you, too, Jeff. I’m so proud of you. You’re handsome in your uniform. Life is too short not to be together.”

  They had sealed the pact with an embrace. She could still feel his strong arms wrapped around her. The last time she saw him was at the train station. Tears had filled her eyes. The unknown was frightening and she was reluctant to say good-bye. Jeff had also been silent, trying to be brave and positive. Their world was being torn apart. The premonition each had at their parting would soon come true. Lisa was trapped on the Philippines when the Japanese invaded the islands on December 8, 1941.

  She remembered Jeff’s last words to her as he turned to her from the train. “My love for you will grow stronger every day we’re apart, take care, Lisa. I need you more than you know.”

  “I love you too, Jeff…” she had answered, amid choking sobs.

  The only consolation Lisa had was that during the first year of her imprisonment, the Red Cross knew that she was alive and well at the prison camp. Three years had passed without a word from Jeff or her family. She prayed that the Red Cross had notified her family of her situation, and they would let Jeff know. A few prisoners were exchanged that first year but she was not senior enough to be included. Jeff and her family were in her daily prayers. Now she felt that her dreams and aspirations may be possible.

  Lisa thought of Madame June whom she had met only briefly at the Manila Library. She had assisted the consulate in arranging living accommodations for the census workers. She had a large circle of Filipino friends and acquaintances. The war made the census irrelevant. The Japanese occupied the islands and ruled them with a heavy fist. Their cruel and arrogant behavior strengthened the resolve of the native peoples to work for the day when the Americans would return.

  The women prisoners were surprised on January 8, 1945, by the sudden appearance of two transport planes flying at tree-top level from the west. They slowed as much as possible upon approaching the compound and opened their cargo doors. Small parachutes began to appear, guiding the suspended packages of food, ammunition, and medical supplies. The ground was littered with bundles and collapsed parachutes. On their return to the west, the planes buzzed the compound low enough for the inmates to see the pilots wave from their cockpit windows.

  Jonathon ordered his radio man to send a “well done” to the pilots and ran out to the field to survey the supply drop. Several walled tents had been delivered as requested. He was not sure how long he would have to stay with the women inmates and wanted to get them out of the fetid insect-infested confines of the barn and stable. The tents were a step in making that possible. The women were carriers of every known insect endemic to the tropics, and it was imperative that they begin a rudimentary delousing program. The insecticide and fungicide dusts were also included in the drop, but were pushed from the plane at a distance from the food and medical supplies so that they would not contaminate them.

  Before breakfast was prepared, Jonathon asked permission to enter the barn and stable so that he could inform them about what was going to take place. He maintained an alert and secure perimeter with two squads of Rangers and used the third to set up tents and folding cots for the women. He was determined to get them into the tents that day. The squad was also given the task of spraying the women before they could eat or draw clean clothing.

  “Please, may I have your attention?” asked Jonathon, standing on top of a shipping crate. “I have some good news to share with you this morning. As you know, planes dropped more supplies today. My men are setting up a delousing station beside the bathing pool. I’d like a few of you to volunteer for the dusting operations. It will be uncomfortable for a while but we want to make sure that your new tent quarters will remain uncontaminated while we’re here.”

  “Lieutenant Wright,” announced a voice he had heard before. “I am Madame June. I’ll organize the girls to handle the job.”

  “Thank you, Madame June,” he replied, recognizing that the elder lady controlled the camp like a tough drill sergeant. “I suggest that all of you bathe first, and dry yourself completely before you allow the volunteers to dust you. Cover your eyes with a small towel. The men will show the volunteers how to do it. Also, there’s enough clothing so that you may burn what you now have on. Select a complete set of fresh clothing after being dusted. Breakfast will be ready immediately afterwards. Any questions?”

  “We understand, Lieutenant. Thanks for your consideration and understanding.”

  “Incidentally Madame June, you may assign women to the tents. We have enough cots and blankets for each of you. I hope you enjoy the new quarters.”

  “Rest assured we will, Lieutenant.”

  By late morning the operation had been accomplished. Jonathon watched the reaction of the women. They were all dressed in clean army tans and had been fed another meal of oatmeal, rice, and canned peaches. Some of them were hesitant about the tents. The barn and stable may have been contaminated, but it had been a place of relative security for the past three years. Their reluctance to abandon it was natural, so Madame June spoke to them much the same as a mother would speak to her flock of children.

  “All of us have experienced a miracle in the middle of the jungle far removed from civilized society. Clean and airy tents with mosquito nets are now available for our use. What a luxury a cot and clean blankets will be. As we vacate the quarters we’ve known for three years, we should look upon the transition as the first steps on our way home. I beg of you, don’t look back. This morning we’re stepping outside of the quarters we’ve known for three years. It’s our first step to freedom. Let’s leave the squalor of yesterday where it belongs and take a giant step to tomorrow. Follow me to the tents and don’t look back.”

  The hardy Rangers looked on as the inscrutable Madame June led her companions into the bright sunshine and their new accommodations. Jonathon felt like cheering as the ladies filed past him eager to see what the tents would be like. She smiled and winked at him as she proudly walked by. It was a triumph of the human spirit and it touched all of the Rangers who witnessed the exodus.

  Chapter Seven

  Large numbers of planes of every description began to fly overhead. Sleek fighter planes could be heard firing at enemy targets as they darted about the landscape. Bombers flew in formation unleashing their bomb loads on enemy troop concentrations, while small planes darted above the battlefield spotting for artillery support. The sound of the heavy caliber naval guns could be heard distinctly from the prison compound. The invasion of Luzon was underway
and regardless of the fanatical suicidal resistance of the Japanese, the forces under General MacArthur would prevail. He had kept his promise to return.

  Sporadic small arms fire could be heard near the outpost locations where the Rangers and Filipino soldiers intercepted enemy troops in a high state of anxiety and confusion. Stragglers and retreating Japanese soldiers on their way to the interior were not attacking the compound. They simply ran into it without knowing that the Rangers had established a firm footing to their rear.

  Jonathon had every man available on the perimeter line. The tempo of gunfire lessened. The radio man motioned to him that he had a call from Sixth Army and passed the receiver to him.

  “This is Lieutenant Wright.”

  “We are sending this message in the clear, Lieutenant,” said an authoritative voice. “Operation Snapdragon is coming to an end. A flying column is underway to relieve you. A large transportation section will be with the column to evacuate the female prisoners. The column will leave the coast at dawn. Elements of the Twentieth Division are securing both flanks of the relieving column. You are ordered to return to Sixth Army HQ with the convoy. The prisoners will be evacuated to a hospital ship already at anchor in Linguyen Bay. Well done, Lieutenant.”

  “Thank you, sir. We’ll be looking forward to the arrival of the column. Several of the inmates will need immediate medical assistance if they are to survive the ordeal. Over and out.” Jonathon turned to his radio man with a grin. “We’re going to have company tomorrow, corporal.”

  Jonathon hastily looked up Madame June in one of the tents erected in a shady portion of the compound. Lisa Carter was with her. They had just completed eating supper and were settling down in the tents for the night. Candles and lanterns were in short supply so the inmates turned in as soon as it became dark. They stretched out on their new cots, covering themselves with the new blankets. They heard the gunfire in the distance and anticipated what it meant. Their ordeal was fast coming to an end.

  “Good evening, Lieutenant Wright,” greeted Madame June. “The sound of guns and bombs are like music to our ears.”

  “I’ve received word that a relief column will be underway in the morning. There will be ample transports and ambulances for all of you. You’ll be transported to the coast where a hospital ship is standing by to receive you. The route back to the gulf should be safe. Infantry units will be guarding the flanks of the column. We’ll also be accompanying you to the coast.”

  “Thank you, young man,” answered Madame June. “You and your men have given us a reason to be proud to be Americans. Your compassion and generosity are matched by your courage and loyalty. Thank God you came when you did. We owe you our lives. Thank you seems to be inadequate but it comes from our hearts.”

  “June speaks for all of us, Lieutenant Wright,” added Lisa, wrapping a blanket around herself. “I want to tell you personally that I will always be grateful. In the years to come, I’ll remember how your calming and reassuring presence at the most terrifying experience of my life gave me hope and comfort. Thank you is inadequate, but, as Madame June said, it’s all we have to give.”

  “You, ladies, are an inspiration to me and my men. I’m glad that your time in Purgatory is about to end. Good night, ladies. Sleep well. Tomorrow will be a new day, one I’m sure you’ll remember and describe to your children and grandchildren. We’re privileged to have been the instruments of your release.”

  “Good night, Lieutenant.”

  Jonathon returned to the most vulnerable and exposed outpost position in the perimeter defense system. Climbing into a foxhole with his radioman and two Rangers, he carefully scanned the open sugar cane field in front of them. He settled in to a comfortable position so that he could observe the field, thinking how much progress the inmates had already made. Nutritious food and clean surroundings were already making a world of difference. He could feel the energy building within the group. Lisa Carter had made remarkable progress since he had found her in the plantation bedroom. At first glance, he had the impression that she was fragile and withdrawn. He now saw her in another light. She was very much a part of the small group of leaders who had guided the inmates through their incarceration. It was her nature to not call attention to herself. Flamboyance and showiness were foreign to her character. She preferred to let her actions speak for her and she guarded her privacy with relentless vigor. She was a very strong-willed person. Her starved body was weak and frail, but her spirit and determination knew no bounds.

  Increased naval bombardment announced the birth of a new day. Cooks and servers were busy at work in the Japanese kitchen again preparing food for the inmates. Jonathon remained at the main outpost. During the early morning hours he had spoken twice to the officer in charge of the column on its way to them. The convoy was composed of ten trucks, five half-tracks with quad fifty caliber machine gun mounts and an assortment of ambulances and Jeeps. The task force commander ordered Jonathon to have the inmates assembled with luggage ready to move out as soon as they arrived. The flanking units had run into sporadic opposition. There was a fear that the Japanese would attempt to make a massive all-out attack against the compound to silence the women forever. Therefore, all units involved were at a high level of alert, and the quicker they vacated the area the better.

  Once Jonathon received the word he sent runners to the tents to tell the inmates to take whatever personal belongings they wanted, but they would have to leave behind their bedding and food supplies, which could be salvaged at a later date. A loud cheer erupted from the tents as soon as they were informed of the closeness of the rescue column. The exuberance of the women masked the sound of trucks and half-tracks coming through the main gate entrance. Lieutenant Jacob was leading the point vehicle into the compound. They made a U-turn in the sugar cane fields and lined up beside the assembled women. It was a sight that touched the hearts of inmates and soldiers alike.

  Those most in need of medical attention were loaded into the ambulances on stretchers. The field was a beehive of activity as the weak inmates were assisted into the two and a half ton GMC army trucks. Strong, willing hands helped them without a word. The soldiers and Rangers exhibited a sense of urgency that the women picked up on and hurried, so as to not hold the column up. The trip back to the coast was not without risk, but there was no doubt in their minds that the strong young soldiers would defend them with honor. The convoy represented a small oasis of America. The women had not gone home to America yet, a part of America had come to them!

  Smiles and tears of joy replaced the fear and uncertainty that had dominated their existence. This was the first leg of their homeward journey to families and loved ones. They left the compound with raised fists, loud protests, and profanities. The compound was already history for them.

  Jonathon and Lieutenant Jacob kept a count of the inmates as they loaded the trucks. Madame June offered to help them but they insisted that she take her place in the cab of one of the trucks where the seat was more comfortable. When all inmates were accounted for, the order was given to move out. Jonathon and his Rangers took their place in trucks and scout cars at the tail of the column where they choked on the churning dust. A new chapter on the war against tyranny had been written and Jonathon was pleased that Snapdragon was coming to a successful conclusion. Long range penetration of enemy lines by a determined number of highly trained soldiers was not a new thing, but a successful rescue of prisoners who would have been massacred by the enemy was a new concept of war in the shadows. The Rangers had exhibited the finest characteristics of the American soldier by cheating the enemy of the opportunity to murder innocent witnesses to their atrocities. A warrior never stands so tall as when he stoops to help a soul in need.

  The column of formerly imprisoned woman wound its way through the small Filipino villages on the Gulf of Lingayen. Slowly they came down from the highlands to the shore of the Gulf where the invasion had taken place. As far as the eye could see, ships dotted the ocean from the shore to th
e horizon. The coastal plain was covered to capacity with mountains of supplies and vehicles of every description. Large battleships and cruisers were firing support missions for the troops ashore. The shells flying over their head made sucking swirling sounds like powerful locomotives traveling at great speed through the air. The shock waves rocked the trucks the women were riding in.

  The navy, as promised, was waiting for the women. As soon as they disembarked from the trucks, naval nurses and corpsmen in white uniforms began giving each woman a cursory exam and quiz so as to send them to the proper facility lying offshore. Landing craft with their ramps resting on the beach were waiting to transport them to either a transport ship or a hospital ship, depending on their needs as interpreted by the first line of nurses. The ambulatory patients were immediately sent to the hospital ship by high speed courier boats.

  Once on board, the inmates would receive the best medical care available anywhere in the world. Their transformation from prisoners of war to free American citizens was underway. Jonathon and the Rangers stood around the last barge load of women. Responsibility for them had been assumed by the navy. The last two women to board the barge were Madame June and Lisa. They paused to say good-bye to him.

  “Well, ladies,” said Jonathon soberly. It was a moment he would never forget. “This is where we part company. The best of luck. Our prayers go with you. You’re in good hands with the navy. When you get home, have a piece of apple pie and a glass of ice cold milk for me.”