Geisha (79)

     Japan had flirted with democracy since the mid 1800's, but the feudal system was difficult to change and the military forces often overpowered and overruled the civilian ones.  After the surrender of Japan in 1945, the Allied Powers decided the whole military structure of Japan would have to be abolished.  The United States and Great Britain were both democracies, and believed a self-governing, democratic Japan would be more likely to remain peaceful than a dictatorship.  General Douglas MacArthur was named Supreme Commander of the Occupation forces to oversee the changes necessary to bring Japan to democracy.  A new constitution was needed.  Civilians, who had been shocked and disillusioned by their military leaders, were open to learning about democracy if it meant better lives for themselves.  The education system was revised to teach and support the fundamentals of democracy.  The goal of military dominance was replaced with a goal of economic growth.
     In 1939 the total population of Japan was about 71 1/2 million people.  Around 4% of the population was killed in World War II (about 80% of the deaths were military, and the rest civilian).  Although the military was abolished, many of the social structures would remain.  One custom needed to be explained to the incoming soldiers: the geisha system.  The article that follows is what the Japanese authorities submitted to the U.S. army, and the army submitted to the men of the 92nd Evacuation Hospital.

REPORT OF PREFECTURE (Gene added "Nagoya" ) TO THE U.S. ARMY:

THE ORIGIN OF "GEISHA"

     In olden times there were some women who served as dancers or musicians in the grounds of Shinto Shrines.  In the course of time some of these women became dancers or singers in hotels and restaurants.  They entertained the men who came to enjoy their time.  Then some of them became "Geisha" and some unlicensed prostitutes.

Gene's photo of a Japanese entertainer playing
the shamisen

     "Geisha" were invited by hotels and higher-class restaurants and they entertained men as singers and dancers with the accompaniment of "Shamisen" (a kind of musical instrument).  Before the China Incident  [Japan claimed it was involving (conquering) other Asian countries for their own good to get rid of Western influence, and the objection of the Chinese was an "incident"] there were many "Geisha" but since the outbreak of the Great East Asia War the number has been decreasing [they were needed in the factories] and in March 1944 they were forbidden to do their business by orders of the Government.  Then some turned to be unlicensed prostitutes.

     In this prefecture the measures of licensed prostitutes were taken away and all the women who serve in hotels and restaurants have been treated as "Geisha".  The authorities are now preparing to give license to 3,000 as "Geisha" to entertain visitors to the city.

The outline of the regulation on "Geisha" as we said they served as singers of dancers in hotels and "Ryoriya" (restaurants) but some became prostitutes so generally now "Geisha" girls are thought of as street girls.

1)     1. They must have a license from the police station, and live in a certain limited places.

2)     2. Those who come to one of the following items can not become "Geisha"

             a)  Under fourteen years old.

             b)  Those who are suffering such diseases as leprosy, lung disease, veneral [sic] or other                 infections diseases.

             c)  Those who are regarded as bad for Society.

             d)  Those who are regarded as unfit from the authorities.

3)     They must obey the orders of the head of the police-station.

4)     They must take physical examination at on appointed time.

5)     They must keep the rules of the authorities on preventing the social evil disease.

6)     The customers of "Geisha".

They are not called their own names they have special names and those names are used.  The masters of hotels or Ryoriya (restaurants) called "Geisha" their daughters and they ("Geisha") - call the masters as "Father Ottssan" or Nissan (brother).  This shows their relation is intimate, for the masters have all responsibility about "Geisha".

Gene's photo of a young Japanese woman, possibly 
a geisha

The visitors call when they come the second time, the "Geisha" that he called first.  They often hear the lectures on social evil diseases and know how to prevent the diseases.  They are afraid to be stopped their business by orders of the authorities, so they keep the rules made by the local governments. 

          Rules made by the Prefecture to prevent social evil diseases.

               1.  She must not use the same cup of the visitor, don't kiss the man.

               2.  She must us sack. [condom?]

               3.  She must use preventative medicine.

               4.  She must wash her vessel after she used it.

               5.  If the visitor has some disease she may refuse.

Meirakuen (Formerly licensed quarter) about three years ago in the center of Nagoya that is on the grounds of Osu temple the lord at that time allowed to have a licensed quarter that was the origin of the licensed quarter.  But in 1921 the quarter moved to Nakamura.  There were about 138 houses, number of the licensed women were many, men went to enjoy their lives.  Since the China Incident the number has become less and less.  When the war began there were about two hundred licensed.

In September this year all licensed women were set free, so most of those women became "Geisha" so some of the "Geisha" in the Meirakuen can play and dance well, but some are not so well.

To entertain the Allied Occupation forces or citizens they are preparing to have 2,000 Geisha and about 100 restaurants in that quarter.

          Statistic:

Age     Number          Age     Number          Age     Number

17       3                     24      30                    31      0

18      4                      25      16                    32      4

19      1                      26      17                    33      1

20      16                    27      8                      34      0

21      11                    28      13                    35      1

22      38                    29      7                      36      0

23      45                    30      6                      37      0

                                                                    38      0

                                                                    39      1

             Total:             223 [I count only 222]

Education:

No schooling:                   6

1st year                             0

2nd year                           6

3rd year                            8

4th year                            4

Finished primary school  17

Kotoka [?]- 1st year          3

Kotoka finished                12

Finished higher girls

     School                         5

                 Total 223 [I counted only 61!]

41 Geisha cannot dance well

50     "       cannot play or sing well

     What followed was a long list of co-partnership descriptive.  I have copied only a few.  All peculiarities of English and lack of punctuation are theirs!

1. Position                                                 Yakkodori, Toyohawa, Toyokawa City.

2. Name of co-partnership:                                        "Enpukuso"

3. Name of it's representative:                   Kiichi Nomura

4. Number of shops:                                  20 shops

5. Number of girls:                                    65 girls

6. the fee of girl:                                        Short time (half an hour)        Y30.00 [about $2.00]

                                                                         One time (one hour)               Y40.00

                                                                                All night (11 p.m.-8a.m. next morning

                                                                                                                    Y150

Remarks:

          6 shops are in good condition, but 42 shops burnt down by

          Air raid on the 20th June, 1945, and now building up

          Those new houses in the same ground.

"Meirakuen" or "house of licensed prostitution" in Nagoya

Planned Invasion (78)

     Details of the planned invasion of Japan if the atomic bombs hadn't been used were revealed to the public via the Associated Press:

Map showing the island of Kyushu

TWO LANDINGS ON JAPAN WERE PLANNED: Initial Force Was to Go Ashore on Kyushu Nov. 1, With Second Disembarking in Tokyo's Dooryard About Four Months Later
     Washington, Oct. 10 - (A.P.) - The unneeded invasion plan for the Japanese homeland called for an all-American effort, with one force going ashore on [the island of] Kyushu about Nov. 1 and another landing in the dooryard of Tokyo about four months later.
     Details of the double-barreled strategy - code designated as "operation Olympic" and "operation Coronet" - were disclosed Wednesday in the biennial report of Gen. George C. Marshall.  He wrote that "these were our plans for final victory in World War II should Japan fight to a last ditch national suicide."
     The report taken together with available information on troop strength, indicated that the plan was to attack the homeland with numerically inferior forces.  This had been the plan for virtually all other operations in the Pacific, reliance being placed on superior firepower by land forces and support from naval gunfire and aviation. 
     Marshall said that the Japanese had husbanded an army of 2 million men to defend the homeland.  He did not give the American strength in manpower, but discussed it in terms of divisions.  On the basis of 15,000 men to an infantry or marine division, with smaller numbers for armored, air-borne and cavalry divisions, somewhat more than one-half million men were accounted for.  Units attached to divisions for special purposes and service [such as the 92nd Evacuation Hospital] and engineering forces would about equal the total of the divisional strength bringing the total forces used in the two operations above one million men.
     This force, of cource, would not have included the thousands of naval personnel manning the supporting fleets and transports nor the air forces participating in the operations.
     Marshall's accounting of the divisions to go ashore in Japan mentioned none other than American army and marine forces, indicating that although the British may have had plans for naval support of the invasion there were no arrangements for British or other Allied participation in the actual landing operations.  Marshall said that Gen. Douglas MacArthur, in co-operation with Adm. Chester Nimitz, was prepared to execute two plans for the invasion of Japan:

Modified scheme of maneuver map, Operation Olympic in Victory and Occupation: History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II by Frank Shaw

Shoulder insignia of Sixth Army

Shoulder insignia of First and
Eleventh Army Corp

      "The first, known as operation Olympic [Gene's underline and comment: (we were due to land at "H+4 of D day!) [4 hours after the first landing]] provided for a three-pronged assault on southern Kyoshu in the fall of 1945 (Marshall previously had mentioned Nov. 1 as the date) by the Sixth United States army, consisting of the First and Eleventh army corps and the Fifth marine amphibious corps.  Three groups were to land in the order named at Miyazaki, Ariaka Wan and on the beaches west of Kagoshima to isolate the southernmost Japanese and destroy the defending forces there.  Preceding the main assault were to be preliminary operations in Koshiki Retto and a diversionary feint off Shikoku by the Ninth corps.
     "The second phase of the Japanese operation, operation coronet, was to be carried out in the early spring of 1946 (An attached chart bore the notation "To follow Olympic at about four-month interval.")  The Eighth and Tenth armies, consisting of nine infantry divisions, two armored divisions and three marine divisions were to assault the Kanto or Tokyo plain of eastern Honshu.
     "These two veteran Pacific armies were to be followed ashore by the First army, which had spearheaded our victory in Europe and was now to be redeployed for the final battle of the Pacific.  In this attack the First army would have contained ten infantry divisions.  The three armies had the mission of destroying the Japanese army on the main home island and to occupy the Tokyo-Yokohoma area.
     "On Kyushu we would have held a one-corps reserve of three infantry divisions and one air-borne.  From here the plan was to fan out to the north and clean up the remainder of the Japanese islands.  Supporting the cleanup would ultimately have been an air garrison equivalent to fifty groups."
     Marshall said these were the plans for invasion "but we had other plans which we anticipated might bring a much speedier end to the war" - the atomic bomb.
     Said Marshall of this: "The results are well known."

    Next up will be the information about Japan and facts the army gave all of the occupation soldiers about the geisha.

The USS James O'Hara (76)

     The men chosen to set foot on Japanese soil as victors of the war were anxious to get home, but were also aware that history was being made around them.  The following article was printed on board the USS James O'Hara, the ship carrying the 92nd Evacuation Hospital to their final destination before returning home.




Editorial cartoon accompanying the following article
(PA 90 is the USS James O'Hara)

Nagoya Base News Combined with 'The Invader'

Special Edition Aboard the USS O'Hara

Oct. 6, 1945

HISTORY IS MADE: Souvenir of Epic Trip

     This special souvenir edition of the Nagoya Base news has been made possible for the troops and crew of the USS O'Hara through the cooperation of the Ship's Office and the Information and Education Section, Nagoya Base.  It may be mailed home.

TYPHOONS DELAY SAILING

     (I-ER [The Invader?]) Time and tide may not wait for any man but the USS O'Hara waited for a typhoon to run itself out.  Figuring the troops aboard would rather spend a few extra days in a safe harbor than at sea in a raging typhoon, Captain Miller of the USS O'Hara delayed sailing on the 27th of September and raised anchor on Oct. 2.

     The seas during the months of July to Sept. are always dangerous, with high winds between the coast off Japan and the mainland of the Philippines.  The heavy winds and torrential downpours have reached velocities high enough to capsize destroyers and damage light cruisers.

     Although the "Fighting O'Hara" has been pounded by heavy seas in the N. Atlantic, a typhoon would probably do considerable damage to the ship and personnel.

CHILDREN OF CREW AND TROOPS WILL STUDY TRIP OF USS O'HARA IN THEIR HISTORY CLASSES

     (I-ER)  This may be just another "boat-ride" to the weary GI's aboard the USS James O'Hara but to the children who will read about this trip in their history books it will be a momentous event.

     For the first time in the history of modern Japan a foreign army will be on her soil and making it even more significant, is the fact that this is one of the few times in the history of warfare when a conquering Army invaded another nation completely unopposed.

     Back home today mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sweethearts and wives are reading the story.  On the North Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan today the men on the USS O'Hara are making that story.

     All that happened since Pearl Harbor on the Pacific fighting fronts, and all the work before and since Pearl Harbor on the home front has been for one purpose: this trip of the USS O'Hara and her sisters-in-arms.

     The squadron is scheduled to arrive at the entrance to the Inland Sea of Japan at about 0600, Saturday, October 6th.  The actual time and place of that landing had not been decided a this special edition went to press.  There seemed to be two landing possibilities: Wakayama or Yokkaichi.

     On that not too distant date when the bright eyes look up and ask "And what did you do in the war daddy?"  Those who rode the USS O'Hara can look down and say, "Son, I was one of 200,000 American soldiers out of 8 million who went ashore on the home islands of Japan."

SAGA OF A SHIP

     (SO) The James O'Hara was commissioned on Apr. 26, 1943.  First European operation was Sicily, July 9, 1943 when it landed the 45th div.  Next came Italy on Sept. 9th.  In these operations she was under air attack seventeen times.

     Then to the Pacific on Saipan when the 4th Marines were landed June 15, 1944, followed by the Anguar invasion when the 81st div. troops were put ashore Sept. 17th.  On the heels of this operation came the Leyte campaign with the 1st Cav. Div. landings on Oct. 20.  While laying in the Leyte Gulf she was hit by a Jap suicide plane.

     The year of 1945 saw her strike at Luzon with the 6th Inf. Div.  Then the final combat target was bloody Iwo Jima where the 3rd marines hit the beach on Feb. 24.

     In all previous operations the USS O'Hara traveled 78,000 miles, crossed the equator 20 times and the International Dateline 4 times.

I AM THE O'HARA

     (SO) I am the James O'Hara, serving under articles of commission in the Navy of the United States of America, as a transport for attack.

     In the Spring of 1943 my crew flung the long, thin, pennant to the breeze; tested my engines; fired my guns, tested my rigging; and found me worthy.

     After that time I came to know the emerald waters of the Caribbean; the gray spume of the Atlantic; the sky-blue of the Mediterranean.  I felt the pounding of the feet of thousands of fighting men; the scraping of their battle gear on my decks; the shuddering jar of depth charges searching out unseen enemies below the surface of the ocean.  I absorbed within me the panting breaths of fearful men.  I jerked with the clapping thunder of my heavy batteries; the staccato rattle of my twenty millimeters.  I felt the burdened clanking of the debarkation ladders as men went down my sides to the boats which took them to hostile shores.  I listened to the harsh breathing and wild babble of men carried aboard, wounded, bleeding, dying.  I have drunk their blood into my steel veins and so gained rage and courage, to carry me on.  I have known heroism and cowardice.  I knew in turn the mixed scenery and smells of Africa; the fresh green of Ireland and Scotland; the raging crash of the North Atlantic; the nostalgic waters of America.

     And so passed the year 1943.  I left some of my crew there, on foreign shores and in the deeps of foreign waters, forever.  Others went to new ships to pass on the knowledge and experience they had gained while with me.

     Then with the new year came a new world for me and my crew.  We steamed slowly through the wild, untamed beauty of the Panama Canal; the blue-green of the Pacific.  We came to know the unparalleled, changing spectrum of Hawaiian waters; the miracles of Diamond Head and Waikiki; the shattered palms and burning sands of Eniwetok; the stink of Guadalcanal; the watery grave of the five Sullivan boys [five brothers who served together on the USS Juneau and went down with their ship when it sank off the coast of the Solomon Islands]; the mountains of New Guinea; the death-trap of Saipan; the swoolen [sic] floating bodies at Angaur; the false security of Leyte Gulf; the loss and gain of days over the Date Line; the breathless heat of the Equator; the hellish humidity and deadly monotony of all Pacific islands; the glassy seas and sickening vacuum of the doldrums [low pressure areas on the sea with little air movement]; the stink of rotting jungle; the endless distances, and the time and memory-destroying stretches of tropical seas; the hush of the passage through Jap infested waters of the Surigao Straits in the dead of night; the awful, slow spiral of burning planes falling into the sea; the horrible futility of a Jap suicide plane crashing my steel skin; the return of MacArthur to Luzon.  To Bataan, to Corregidor; the sickening screech and bust of flame and oily smoke as more suicide planes crushed men and ships; the disgust, rage, and tragedy of half-masted colors when dead men slipped off the stern of ships in canvas shrouds; the sickening sweet smell of human blood as it dripped and gushed; the nauseous stink of putrefaction; the slight splash as limbs of the maimed were dropped over the side; the faltering step of men blinded; the palsied, convulsive shiver of nerve-shattered bodies; the click of typewriters listing the dead and wounded, and writing the poor message of condolence.

     I know the exhausted looks of the crew after grueling months at sea in combat and monotony of routine.  I have watched smiles change to carved lines around eyes and mouths; laughs drop to muttered curses; friendly horseplay to listless steps and dull dejection.  I got to know the letters that men write home - letters of hope, pride, fun, love.  I saw them change.  [The rest of the article is missing.  We will return to Gene's diaries and letters with the next post.]

The arrival of the USS James O'Hara into Nagoya harbor

     

Morale Modifiers: Japan Surrenders! (73)

     The scenario: Maj. Gene Pfile was expecting to further his surgical skills at a refresher course at the 120th General Hospital which was located at the St. Thomas (Santo Tomas) University in Manila.  The U.S. Army Medical Department, Office of Medical History, in the book, Surgery in World War II: Activities of Surgical Consultants, Vol. II (p. 633) stated: "Suitable assignment was perhaps the most important single factor in maintaining good morale. A medical officer would tolerate hardships if occupied by work in which he was interested and for which he had aptitude and training. Medical conferences, journal clubs, and attendance at medical meetings all bolstered morale, as did the establishment of library facilities and the circulation of medical journals. ...The programs usually were well thought out and excellent."  But they later noted: "In personal notes taken by the surgical consultant, he recorded that long periods overseas without any definite knowledge as to their prospects of being replaced was influencing the morale of medical officers."
     Gene then expected to return to the 92nd Evacuation Hospital, and prepare for following the front lines in an invasion of Japan some time in the fall.

Cartellas on the road to Manila

August 5, 1945  To the 120th Gen. Hosp. at Santo Thomas [sic] in Manila.  A long hot dusty rough ride in a 2 1/2 ton - 150 miles.  Capt. Bottsford of the 3rd Field [Hospital] is here for a course [and assigned as Gene's tent mate].

University of Santo Tomas in Manila

August 6, 1945  Made rounds and saw the hosp. with Lt. Col. Hartwell, Chief of Surg.  In the P.M. with Maj. Monroe.  Apparently I'll be doing some ward work. [Historical note: the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.]

August 7, 1945  There will be no formal instruction to this so-called course!  Hard downpour of rain this P.M.

August 8, 1945  The atomic bomb has us all amazed.  Will it end soon? [Historical note: Russia declared war on Japan.]

August 9, 1945  Rumors that Russia declared war on Japan!  Later: Is so!  Lovely!  I'm on the O.D. [officer of the day] list, and on Surg. Group A.

August 10, 1945  To the regular meeting at the 60th Gen.  They have a fine place.  Heard rumor that we were to start glider training and support the 11th Amphibious Div.!

But something even better for morale happened!

August 11, 1945  ...  Last night at 10:45 I was awakened by shouting and shooting and the unofficial report that the Japs give in [official surrender was September 2, 1945].  I heard that 9 people were shot to death!

August 12, 1945  Awakened at 0130 by my "happy" tent mate Bottsford to hear more whistles (ship), church bells and shooting.  A fiendishly hot day.  Still no wind.

August 13, 1945  A bitter pill to swallow - the August quota for leave is going - Adams [not called the usual "Sparky"], Chaplain [not noted as "Padre"], Burroughs; Mihalick goes by some trick of [the commanding officer of the 92nd Evac] Huey.  Why do I always have such luck?

August 14, 1945  S.O.D. [surgical officer of the day] today.  A rather busy evening - opened 2 hand abscesses, sewed up 2 cases, calls, etc.

August 15, 1945  It is officially released that hostilities have ceased.  Oh happy day!  I was up until about 2, slept till 6:30.

August 18, 1945  Ward and clinic.  Jap doesn't seem to be for giving up!

August 19, 1945  Now I have 3 wards - about 75 patients.  ...

August 20, 1945  Called the outfit [92nd Evac.] last night.  Asked for a vehicle.  Rainy weather part of the time.  Haven't been down town.

August 21, 1945  Still expecting transportation. ...

August 22, 1945  Still waiting.  Something is very screwy, somewhere.  [Col.] Huey must have it in for us.

August 23, 1945  About 12:45 the men came for me so I packed and left in a hurry.  The truck had been picked up by the MP's [military police].  It took us 7 hours in a weapon carrier [to go about 150 miles].  Had some mail.

August 24, 1945  Glad to be back at the outfit.  Termites were in the bamboo bed frame.  Everyone is sore at Huey, and with reason.  I still think he snafued my leave.

But Gene was able to put aside those bad feelings at the reunions.  Former Col. Huey sat next to Gene in 1974.

The uncropped photo from the 1974 reunion:
former Col. Huey next to Gene and Ed Gray

What Can't Be Changed ... (72)

     Life settles into a routine in Caba.  Incoming patients are sporadic.  The census is 150.  Gene has time to play volleyball and develop black and white photographs.  Perhaps the following, one of my favorites, was one he developed.

Filipinos drawing in their fishing nets on the beach at Caba with U.S. transports overhead (I originally wrote "bombers", but my sister, a pilot, corrected me!)

July 19, 1945  There is a possibility I may get to take a 6 weeks refresher course in gen. surgery starting Aug. 1 at some Gen. Hosp.  ...

July 21, 1945  I tried trolling [for fish] from the homemade sail boat.  No luck.  Rice planting is in full swing.  When a carabao gets too hot, he just lies down in the mud and water!

The chapel at Caba was located in a temporary building instead of a tent

July 22, 1945  Sunday services.  Played volleyball and wrote some letters.  Things are quiet.  [Maj.] Sparky [Adams] has amoebiosis.  ...  We have 300 patients.  Weather hot and sultry, with occasional storms.

July 27, 1945  The more we hear of the point system [one point was awarded for each month in the service away from the 48 states, five points for each combat award, and 12 points for each dependent child under the age of 18 (for a maximum of three children)] and T.D. [temporary duty] the madder we get!  Snafu [situation normal, all fouled (or f***ed) up], completely.  Japan says they refuse our Potsdam ultimatum for unconditional surrender [the ultimatum on July 26, 1945, stated that if Japan didn't surrender immediately, it would face prompt and utter destruction].

July 28, 1945 ... They say the Jap landing is moved up but no rumors when.

 Sailboat probably made by army personnel from which Gene trolled for fish several times without catching any

July 29, 1945  Continued hot and dry.  I tried trolling from the sail boat for an hour - no luck.  I signed up ($2.00) for a Self-Study course in "Outline of Hist. Geology".

July 31, 1945  High surf along the beach, without much wind.  Full scale amphibious training starting for the 33rd Div.  Lots of LST's [landing ship, transport], APA's [assault personnel attack ship?], LCVP [landing craft, vehicle personnel], LCM [landing craft, mechanized], etc. etc.

Amphibious tanks (alligators) at Caba

August 1, 1945  Donovan finally left today on T.D.  ...  Beth finally heard my sad story and she is so grand about it.  She is the most wonderful there is!

August 2, 1945 Still another time away from Beth on her birthday [her third birthday for which Gene has been overseas].  How long does it have to last, this separation?

August 4, 1945  Orders came in last night for me to go on TD to the 120th Gen. Hosp. APO #1011.  I hear that it is in Santo Thomas, Manila.

Gene Offered Pay of Lt. Colonel (71)

Maj. Eugene Pfile was a modest, capable, quiet man, but with his own opinions!


June 27, 1945  Starting the 3rd year [in the army]!  No word about leave.  We may move to the lowlands.

June 28, 1945  We are to turn over our patients to the 41st Field Hosp. on Sunday, July 1st, and trade cots and blankets.  Then we move to Caba, near Buang and Aringay.

Japanese shrine near Baguio

June 29, 1945  In the process of closing down.  Again, after being here almost 2 months.  We hate to leave this cool climate.  I took pictures of Jap shrine.

June 30, 1945  Our last day here in Baguio.  Lt. Col. Coulter of the 32nd Div. [according to Wikipedia, the 32nd Division logged more days of combat than any other division in WWII] offered me the job of Division Surgeon, or C.O. of the Med. Bn. [medical battalion], either on a Lt. Col. pay.  I refused, feeling myself not capable of that.

Modified Rand McNally map showing Caba and
San Fernando

July 1, 1945  Moved to Caba, right on the beach, a nice area.  I drove the jeep.  [Maj.] Hi [Armstrong],   [Maj.] Sparky [Adams] and Gentry [an enlisted man?] being with me.

July 3, 1945  3 years and here I am near Caba, La Union Province, Luzon - only 67 points and hoping for a leave in the States!  But healthy, thank goodness.

July 4, 1945  Some jellyfish in the water are causing painful reactions to some of the swimmers.  Still setting up.  The natives like to sight see in our area.

July 5, 1945  Damn the menagerie of dogs that we have - bark all night!  The old sow and 6 pigs were moved from our area last evening.

Pig sty where pigs were kept in the middle of the 92nd Evac Hospital

July 7, 1945  Still no word of leaves.  We have fresh potatoes to eat.  Also ice cream.  Not receiving patients yet.


July 13, 1945  [Col.] Huey went to San Fernando 6th Army Hq to see if he could get the natives out of here and to see about more leaves.  The suspense is terrific!  Apparently it lies between Max and I [sic].

July 14, 1945  This is a bad day!  Donovan won the draw.  Darn the luck!

Last Days in Agoo (68)

Cub ambulance service in Agoo

     The fight for Baguio continued.  According to an A.P. newspaper article, the Japanese were determined to hold on.  "A civilian who came thru the lines reported the American bombing of the area was so intense that on one occasion explosions kept up for five hours with only one twenty-minute break."  With such intense fighting, the 92nd Evac and all of the other nearby hospitals were kept very busy trying to patch up the casualties.  Some of the casualties were brought in by private aircraft.  Animals were also occasionally treated at the 92nd.

K-9 Corps member who had been brought in for an x-ray of a jaw
fractured by a Japanese grenade

Then abruptly, the tide turned.

April 27, 1945  Our first light night.  I went to bed at 10:30.  We amputated a thigh for gas gangrene but the fellow died on the table.

April 28, 1945  Another quiet night!  We'll probably move to Baguio in a few days.  A lot of hosp. outfits have been angling for that spot!

28 April '45
Dear Jack [the son of Beth's sister, Mary X]
     A change in censorship regulations now permits me to send you these cancelled stamps.  Providing I make no comments.  I will say, however, that you should notice the inked-out portion of the old stamps.  Evidently the Japs continued the use of the original U.S. stamps, with the only change being the removal of the "United States".  Practical people, these Nips!
      But our side is being just as practical in that we are repairing captured Jap artillery and using captured shells, to shoot them with.  After all, why waste our ammo when theirs will kill them just as dead!  I was taking some pictures yesterday at an ordnance outfit here in out town, where they were repairing some of the Jap guns.  I saw one huge brass shell casing for a 12" gun [the diameter of the shell is 12"].  Is it ever a whopper!  Men who have heard the projectile from such a gun going overhead say it really makes a roar.
     Love, Gene

April 29, 1945  If that isn't the damnedest injustice!  MacArthur announced that the 33rd Div. took Baguio.  Actually it was the 37th! [This is the first instance Gene used "damn" instead of "darn" in his diary, and he used it because "his" men were not given proper credit.]    

Baguio, April 29 - (A.P.) - Yanks observed Japanese Emperor Hirohito's birthday by raising the American and Philippines flags over captured Baguio yesterday and by launching a new offensive northward from this summer capital.
     Contrary to Tokyo broadcasts, no Japanese counterattack was launched and the flags went up in an unmolested ceremony.
     Civilians in rags, some gaunt and sick, watched amid the war's ravages and the heavy odor of death as the American flag, which city custodian Juan Arenella hid from Japanese three years, was hoisted aloft.
     The Philippine flag followed and then both were lowered to half staff in honor of the late President Roosevelt.

May 1, 1945  We did 547 cases in surgery during April and had 17 deaths [about 3%].

May 2, 1945  Getting ready to move to Baguio tomorrow.  I'm on the forward echelon.

Majority! (67)

     Capt. Pfile continues to catalog and analyze his cases: gas gangrene in a man's leg (he says he and Capt. Nigg didn't debride (remove all of the dead or infected tissue) enough of the wounds (4 perforating (bullet passes through) and 3 penetrating (bullet remains inside)) so they had to amputate); a combined scrotal and pelvic wound; and a lacerated (torn) kidney.  Then almost out of the blue came the long awaited promotion to major.

Newly promoted: Maj. Raymond Nethery, Maj. John Mihalick, 2nd Lt. Herrill (possibly with the Medical Administrative Corp) and Maj. Eugene Pfile

April 22, 1945  Up until 3 A.M. [he was officer of the day the night before, so had to treat any casualties that came in during the night].  Today (4 P.M.) the Col. handed Mihalick, Nethery and me our promotions.  Amazing.

April 23, 1945  Troops getting closer to Baguio.

April 24, 1945  Up until 1 A.M.  Large wound of abd. [abdominal] wall, not into peritoneum though it was bared for 6 inches! [In other words, it was long but shallow.]

April 25, 1945  Up until 3:30 A.M.  Did brain case - defect in temporal area [this part of the brain is involved with hearing, and I would assume it was an injury rather than a birth defect].  160 patients admitted.  Troops reached Baguio.  None win the European war pool this month [most of the 92nd bet on the date the war in Europe would be over]!

25 April '45
Dear Jack [son of Beth's sister],
     If the war in Europe doesn't end today, I won't win the 150 guilder [about $60] "pot"!  And it doesn't look as though I will.

Zeke the monkey who for a short while was an honorary member of the 92nd Evac

     Jack, you'd certainly enjoy the antics of Zeke, the pet monkey of one of our officers.  He certainly does the most amazing things.  There are 2 pups in the area also, and of all the rough and tumble scrambles they have.  The term "monkey business" takes on a new meaning after seeing Zeke perform. [More about Zeke later!]
     Every now and then some P-51's will buzz the hospital on their way to and from "work".  I can imagine what it would be like if they were strafing us.  The bullets would be the first indication of the planes, they fly so low and so fast.
     We continue to be busy, especially at night.  But the Japs are gradually being driven back.  Jap prisoners say they really fear our artillery and planes.  They are becoming discouraged, too, because none of their own planes show up in spite of promises.  I see quite a few Illinois men [Jack and his family live in Freeport, Illinois].
     Love, Eugene

From a newspaper:
AMERICANS GET READY FOR FINAL PUSH INTO BAGUIO
     Manila, April 25 - (A.P.) - Americans consolidated their Baguio positions Wednesday for a final push into the ruined summer capital of the Philippines while far to the south, on Mindanao island, other Yanks pressed on towards the Japanese stronghold of Davao.  Maj. Gen. Percy W. Clarkson's Thirty-third division held commanding positions in the pine-covered hills to the northwest, west and southwest of mile-high Baguio.  One column, moving down highway 9 from the northwest, was little more than a mile from the city center.
     A section of the road blown up by the defending Japanese was being repaired by engineers for the movement of heavy equipment.  ...
     Gen. Douglas MacArthur reported in Wednesday's communiqué that "the enemy has as yet been unable to concentrate his forces in effective resistance."  ...
    
April 26, 1945  Up to [until] 2:30 A.M.  We did 60 odd [i.e. 60 - 70] cases

The Honorable John and Film Developing (64)

The 92nd Evacuation Hospital is once again close to the front lines.


14 March '45
Dear Folks [Beth's sister and brother-in-law, Mary X and John],
     Now I'm at a new place.  We are something like the old gambling houses (and such) of frontier days - following the crowd.  Our set of school buildings isn't as large this time, but good enough.  We aren't busy as yet, but no doubt will be.

Headquarters for the 92nd Evacuation Hospital in Agoo, Philippines

     The knife you sent me certainly takes a fine edge.  I spent about an hour on it, and it is very nearly razor sharp.  But I hope I won't have to use it on a Jap.  I did "spill" Jap blood you know - technically that is!  On our first campaign I amputated a Jap's leg.
     John, I've discovered that I can use regular 35 mm film in my camera by covering the "window" on the back and winding the film on a bare spool.  The resulting negative is 2 mm less wide, is the only difference.  My film is perforated only at intervals, and along only one side.  Buy counting "clicks" I can space the frames properly.  And the best of it is my tent mate has several hundred feet of the film!  I've started developing my own film, too.  Beth is sending me some DK20 [a high contrast film developer for black and white film].  I can use x-ray hypo [hypo sulfate, used as a fixer in film processing] .  Thanks a lot for the booklet!  It looks good.
     Love, Eugene

14 March '45
Dear Folks [Mary X and John],
     This is a continuation - I didn't get to tell you all I wanted!
     Beth may have written you that I went to see the sights in a city [Manila, but the censors wouldn't let him write that].  It was something to see large modern buildings burned and blasted to pieces.  We went thru a hotel [see post #63] where I'm certain Uncle John must have stayed at one time (or its predecessor) ["Uncle John" was the paternal uncle of Gene's brother-in-law John, the Honorable John W. Barrett, a larger-than-life diplomat and Dartmouth grad, who was the Minister to Siam under President Cleveland (when the little prince, Chulalongkorn, in The King and I was king), and a war correspondent and advisor to Admiral Dewey during the Spanish-American War in the Philippines; he later was involved in South American relations under President Theodore Roosevelt and served as the first Director-General of the Pan-American Union; he attended Beth and Gene's wedding in 1937 and died a year later].  The Japs had used it as a strong point, so you can imagine what it looked like.  I took 3 rolls of color.  Hope they turn out well.  ...

Gene on an overturned tank on the road to Manila

    Jack [the son of Mary X and John], in a box I'm sending Beth, there is a large numeral "3" on fabric from the tail of a Jap 2 motor fighter-bomber.  Also, a large thin metal plate [from an anti aircraft gun] with some ack-ack projectile plotting data on it, that I picked up along the waterfront.
     They were still gathering Jap bodies!  What a mess.  ...
     Love, Eugene

March 15, 1945  No wards assigned to me.  Little work.

March 16, 1945 
     Not busy as yet.  When the push up the coast for San Fernando starts, we will be.  Planes of all sorts go over every day.  Later we may move there.
     I'm developing my own [black and white] film now.

March 17, 1945  To Aringay, 10 km up the coast to see the sights.  The troops are 2 miles beyond.

What was happening just beyond Aringay:

YANKS WITHIN GUN RANGE OF BAGUIO, LUZON: 33rd Division Tightens Squeeze on Former Summer Capitol
     Manila, March 17 - (A.P.) - The Thirty-third division has rolled its heavy artillery to within eight miles of Baguio and can drop shells into the former Philippine commonwealth's summer capitol.
     The Thirty-third - a former Illinois national guard division - has tightened its nutcracker by pushing toward the famed mountain city from both west and south.
     Gen. Douglas MacArthur's communiqué reports that the Thirty-second division is probing the mountains from the southeast.
    ...  Installations around Baguio, Lieut. Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita's headquarters, have been bombed and shelled heavily.  As yet the city has been spared.
     The advance of the Thirty-third has been slow - thirteen miles in a month - but the methodical gain has been made thru difficult mountain terrain filled with Japanese ambush parties.  The going has been made more difficult by the systematic blowing up of bridges although the 300-foot steel and concrete Aringay span was captured by a surprise night move.  ...
  

Gifts and Fights (60)

     Casualties from fighting have abated, and conditions are quiet enough at the 92nd Evacuation Hospital for Capt. Gene Pfile to learn more about the country in which he finds himself.


24 Feb. '45
Beloved,
     Do you hear that ta-ta-ta-tat?  No, not the war!  The fellows are just trying out some new machine guns we obtained. Now that we are a complete arsenal I hope we won't need them.   Amazing, this mail.  I received your Feb. 11 letter and one of the 12th from Mother and a Valentine of the 8th from your Mother.  It is so clever.  On the front is a pipe and open pouch with real tobacco spilling out of it.  And such a nice verse.  I collected some items today!  At noon the nurse on my ward gave me the dandiest palm leaf woven fan, dyed a brownish color.  She is the married one.  I've never seen one like it before.  And this evening one of my 18 year olds [patient] gave me a fancy fiber under arm bag [purse, see photo]. 

Photo from two of Gene's civilian patients with their
embroidered under arm purses

 I'd seen it before and asked her about it.  Also she gave me a small picture of herself and two sisters and brother posed in a studio.  Her sister added a fine handkerchief with the initial P on it.  The sister is the one who had the large fragment in her cheek and which I'd removed.  I also had their mother.  The sister's first name is Purito [?] hence the P.  Now I must wrestle up [rustle up?] a box in which to send home things!  And soon!  For I know you are anxious to see them.  Right now I'm waiting around to help [Maj.? Cy] Burroughs operate on a soldier with a ruptured peptic ulcer that happened suddenly a few hours ago.  Say, I'm glad I ate but little of that ersatz chop suey [see post # 59].  The colonel was sick from it last night.  I'm hoping that I can get caught [up] on my work this morning so that I can both see the cockfight and go to church!

The thank you note with the photo
and purse

     I almost forgot one of my interesting patients.  She is the wife of a guerrilla captain and is two months pregnant and has a terrifically toxic thyroid [produces excessive thyroid hormone, a condition from which Beth had suffered]. Her pulse is running 160.  Her condition isn't at all good.  And today I met a guerrilla nurse.  They must have had quite an organization.  I'll bet they cause the Japs plenty of trouble.  I think maybe I'll try some cheese and some beer!  It will be good for me besides helping me [this was one of his favorite expressions in later life!], as [Maj.] Hi [Armstrong] says.
     All my love, Eugene

February 25, 1945
     I watched a cock fight, and I don't care for it.  3 jumps and it was over - about 30 seconds. ...

25 Feb. '45
Beloved,
     [Maj.]Sparky [Adams] is just chortling in his beard about a news item.  It seems that since animal fat is no longer so much in demand (vegetable oil substitutes it) they began remodeling hogs.  The result is more ham and bacon per hog.  Also the super hog is now nimbler on his feet, free from danger of sunburn and nervous breakdowns!  Amazing!


Cock fights in Guimba

     Well, I didn't get to church this morning.  I didn't get my work done until almost 11 (church at 10).  So Sparky and I grabbed helmets and guns and tore out for the cockfight.  A goodly crowd was there - about 200 in all.  When we arrived, two cocks and their handlers were in the ring.  The roosters had a long (3 inches) fairly wide blade [strapped] on one leg.  They were going through a preliminary neck feather spreading and head stretching at each other.  The book makers were walking around taking bets.  After about 5 minutes the babbling grew louder.  The handlers took the sheath of the spur off his contestant.  What I thought was the spur was just the sheath.  The spur itself is certainly a wicked gadget - thin, curved slightly and apparently with a regular needle point.  The cocks were set down and they strutted around looking at the crowd.  The handlers sort of shoved them together, and bango, they went up high in a leap.  Then hit the ground and up again.  Then the one cock sort of wobbled but gave another jump and it was all over.  The poor loser kicked a few times and that was all.  Ugh!  I don't like it!  There is nothing sporting about that!  It didn't last a minute.  I'm going back some time to take pictures of the crowd, but I'm no longer interested in cockfights.

More of the letter on the next post!