OPPapers.com Essay Index >> American History >> Japan:Why America Forgave Them
We have many free term papers and essays on Japan:Why America Forgave Them. We also have a wide variety of research papers and book reports available to you for free. You can browse our collection of term papers or use our search engine.
Submitted by ldfolife89 on March 9, 2006
Category: American History
Words: 860 | Pages: 4
Views: 192
Popularity Rank: 61,925
Average Member Grade: N/A (Add a Comment / Grade this Paper)
The atrocities committed in World War II (WWII) were numerous on both sides. However the monstrosities committed in the Philippines at many of the American POW (prisoner of war) camps far outweighed that of their counterparts on American soil. Somehow, though, America seemed to forgive them. Why? It seems the answer lies at the cause of the capture and the Internment camps, not in the Phillippines, but in America.
There's a saying, give credit where credits due. Well one would say that applies here, because the capture of thousands of American soldiers was partly due to America. However one is not placing the blame all on America. It is "a saga of too little and too late a saga of supply when adequate supplies simply did not exist (Armold 1)." Doug MacArthur, after implementing plan orange, relised that he had spread his troops to thin. When MacArthur's 90,000 troops on Luzon reached the Bataan Peninsula after a two week fighting withdrawal, they discovered that adequate equipment and supplies for a lengthy defence of the peninsula were not available because their commander had scattered huge quantities of military equipment, food, and medical supplies across nine of the major islands of the Philippines. Plan Orange had required the Bataan Peninsula to be stocked with sufficient food and medical supplies to enable 43,000 troops to withstand a Japanese siege for six months. MacArthur had only stockpiled enough food and medical supplies on Bataan for a thirty day siege.
Another Part of Blame goes to the Japanese. POW Camp officers treated the American soldiers as if they were, not even the dirt they walked on, but the lice within their cloths, on their hair, and the stench that reeked from their body. Something that was utterly detestable and deserved to be treated as such. An example of this exists within the Puerto Princesa Prision Camp Massacre which happened on December 14th, 1944. This is where the Japenese officers made...
You must Login to view the entire paper.
If you are not a member yet, Sign Up for free!