Maj. Herbert H. Eichlin
Survived the Bataan Death March only to die on the "Hell Ship" Oryoku Maru
by Rich Henninger
Copyright 2005-2006
Someone once said that "man's cruelty to man knows no bounds". As you read this story I would ask that you contrast what happened to the men of Bataan with the present day "torture" alleged in places like Guantanamo Bay and Abu Grab. As I researched Herbert's story, amid the news reports of men having underwear placed on their heads, being posed nude with other men, or wearing a dog leash, I had to imagine what the dwindling number of Bataan survivors thought of these reports of "torture". Would any of these Bataan survivors have gladly traded places with the prisoners at Guantanamo or Abu Grab? If it makes me crazy that these crude acts, commonly known as fraternity hazing when performed on college freshman across the nation, are called torture, how does it make these heroic WW II survivors feel? Having been through what they had I suppose it outrages many of them albeit in different ways. In some, I would think they are upset by any prisoner abuse no matter what the perceived level of cruelty. In the majority, I would think there is a sense of outrage that this is even called "torture" or "abuse" because it so pales in comparison to what prisoners of Japan and Nazi Germany endured during WW II.
Many of the survivors of Bataan feel the event has not been given enough historical significance. What was one of the most tragic and large scale murder and torture of American servicemen in the history of our nation is barely touched on in high school history curriculum. There is no special holiday to recognize what these men endured as there is in the Philippines. The brutality occurred over a several year span so there is no one date that is typically associated with it. The entire event was precipitated by a surrender. We tend to honor and remember the soldiers of battles won far more then those we have lost, a tragic irony as the effort and the level of sacrifice made was often greater in a lost cause. Consider the 31st Infantry, which fought on despite being emaciated and ill from malaria and other disease. At the time their commander surrendered he estimated that they were only at 30% battle ready capacity. To continue fighting would have meant their complete annihilation.
WARNING! The story you are about to read contains graphic descriptions and photos of torture, death, and murder. If you think you may be offended by it then stop reading now and trust me when I say it was so horrible as to be beyond comprehension. "That man could be that inhumane to man is the real story of Bataan". -Maj. Richard M. Gordon - Bataan Survivor.
Herbert H. Eichlin, Jr. was born on June 18, 1917 in Easton, PA the son of Herbert H. Eichlin and Helen L (Genther). He was educated in the Easton schools and attended Lafayette College from 1934-1935. In 1939 he graduated from West Point Military Academy. That September he was assigned to duty with the 31st infantry, L Company, in the Philippines. Duty in the Philippines was a highly sought after assignment by military men and likely Herbert, "Bud" as he was called, was very pleased with receiving his orders to go there. Philippine duty was thought of as being sent to paradise. At the time it was thought to be a target of little interest to the Japanese. The climate was spectacular with mild dry weather, perfect for spending time on the beautiful beaches surrounding the south pacific island, and the Filipino people demonstrated very gracious hospitality to American military men. This paradise would prove to be only temporary as it would not be long until the Japanese military set their sights on the Philippines and the American military presence there. The Japanese would begin a series of bombing raids about a year before launching an all out invasion on December 22, 1941.
By the time the Japanese began their full scale invasion at Lingayen Gulf the American Air Force bases had already been destroyed and the Navy was tied up elsewhere in the Pacific. The US Army was on their own with only the help of a very poorly trained and equipped Philippine Army. To make matters even worse supply lines had been cut off and they were running out of food and other essential supplies. The Japanese army blasted right through the Philippine Army defenses in only two days. General MacArthur decided to retreat to the Bataan Peninsula fighting a series of delaying actions along the way. In an act of desperation the American 31st Infantry division, flanked by the Philippine Army and the 26th Calvary, launched a counter attack at Abucay Hacienda. They fought bravely for 8 days but could do little to thwart the well supplied and rested Japanese. MacArthur, concluding the counter attack had failed, withdrew the troops to a reserve battle position. There they remained through February and March of 1942. During this time the men, now completely cut off from supply lines, suffered greatly from starvation and disease. Malaria was rampant in the mosquito infested terrain on Bataan. In early April they tried to counter attack again but the men were so weak they could barely march. They were able to slow the Japanese advance with minimal effect but for a few days when it became obvious the situation was hopeless. The officers of the 31st Infantry wrapped the regimental photo album and other items of historical value in a wax treated canvas and buried it to a depth of 4 feet on the east side of the gravel trail from Signal Ridge. A Corporal Lou Read who survived Bataan later recalled seeing Maj. Herbert Eichlin burying foot lockers containing pistols, Philippine currency, and the regiments records near the same area. Bataan was surrendered to the Japanese on April 9, 1942. What happened next would be beyond any civil human beings imagination or comprehension.
The Bataan Death March begins...
The Bataan death march began on April 10, 1942. Japanese military leaders had anticipated moving prisoners and had begun planning for it as early as March. Despite being advised that the Americans were emaciated and barely capable of walking the Japanese commander, General Homma, insisted the men walk. Homma, the master mind of the march, had been offered the use of American military trucks to transport the over 10,000 prisoners but he refused. He insisted the men walk and further instructed his troops to show no mercy to anyone who appeared not to cooperate. He said that the Americans were POW's and that the Japanese could do whatever they wanted with them. This was equivalent to telling his troops, who similar to modern day terrorists were taught that the Americans were devils and a lower life form, to torture and kill them. Before the march began every American was searched and if found to have Japanese equipment or souvenirs was immediately executed. This was done by either gun shot or the Japanese favorite, beheading with a sword. Once the march began anyone who fell behind was executed, again by gun shot, beheading, or bayonet. There were also reports of men collapsing from exhaustion and being run over by Japanese tanks where they lay. A Bayonet execution usually involved repeated plunging of the bayonet into the chest, a painful slow death for the victim, who were then left by the side of the road to die. Sick and already starving prisoners were denied water on the near 100 mile march. If a prisoner begged for water they were executed. If an American even looked at a Japanese soldier in a manner not to the liking of the Japanese they were beaten or killed instantly. The Americans were offered no protection from the hot tropical sun and many, already starving and dehydrated, suffered heat exhaustion. Again, if they fell behind they were killed unless another prisoner could carry them. This seldom occurred as other prisoners barley had the strength to carry themselves, but still there were cases where several prisoners joined together to carry another prisoner who went down. On some occasions Filipino citizens along the road tried to give the prisoners food and water. Those civilians were shot along with the prisoner who accepted the offer. The march went on for about a week. For 26 miles the prisoners were packed like sardines into railroad box cars, 100 men to a car, with no ventilation. There was no room to sit, kneel, or lie down. Every man had to stand shoulder to shoulder in heat exceeding 115 degrees. At night they slept arranged in quarters so tight they couldn't move. Many soldiers awoke lying next to or on top of a dead fellow prisoner. As the march reached it's destination prison camps it left behind some 600 to 700 dead Americans and countless more Filipino soldiers and citizens. If the marchers had hoped things would get better once they arrived at camp they were in for a rude surprise. I doubt they could imagine things could get any worse but they most certainly would.
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Life at Prison Camp...
The misery would intensify many times over after arrival in the prison camps. Once arrived the thousands of prisoners were given about a half a cup of rice a day food ration. It was not uncommon for the rice to be full of bugs or other contaminates. What little water they were given was often contaminated as well. There were no sanitary facilities and the men dug trenches to relieve themselves. The POW's were not given any clothing or blankets and what they wore at the time of their capture soon turned to rags. The camps housed many more men then their design allowed. Many were forced to sleep out in the open with no blanket and wearing only rags. If the brutality of the Japanese guards didn't kill you, dysentery or malaria would. In the first 40 days at camp over 1500 Americans would die of starvation, disease, or injuries inflicted by the Japanese. The Filipinos would lose nearly 20,000. The Americans never received any training on how to cope with being a POW. This resulted in a every man for himself mentality and very quickly brother turned against brother. Those who had any remaining strength took advantage of those who were weak. Ranking officers tried to maintain order but their commands were ignored by the rank and file.
Once a day the prisoners would line up at a single spigot to fill there canteens with water. Sometimes just to taunt their captives the Japanese would turn off the supply line. For several hours the prisoners would stand in the hot sun waiting for the water to be turned back on. That would pale in comparison to other acts of sheer evil. In one case 3 men who tried to escape were tied in a half standing half kneeling position and put on display for three days so all the other prisoners could see. Then they were untied and forced to dig their own graves and shot, again all in full view of the rest of the prisoners. There were Filipinos who tried to get food to the soldiers and they were hung and bayoneted, as usual in full view of the camp to clearly communicate Japanese authority. Some other reported forms of torture and punishment were to drive a nail into the forehead, horse whipping, and beatings. There was forced labor in fields and on the railroad, most often done while barefoot, malnourished, and dehydrated. All prisoners were forced to bow anytime they approached any Japanese soldier. Failure to do so invited with certainty a severe beating.
The 31st Infantry was imprisoned at Camp O'Donnell. To what extent Herbert suffered I do not know. I do know officers were not given special treatment. In fact in some cases they were treated even worse. In August 1943 Herbert sent notice to his parents that he was safe, well, and uninjured. This most likely was a post card supplied and carefully censored by the Japanese. It is more likely that Herbert's suffering was great. In 1944 the prisoners started to see American planes almost daily. Many began to sense that liberation was near. The next phase in Herbert's nightmare was about to begin. The Japanese were starting to lose their grip on the Philippines so they formulated a plan to smuggle prisoners off the island. They managed to sneak several ships through the American blockade and began moving prisoners on board. Among those prisoners was Maj. Herbert Eichlin who would be a guest on the "hell ship" Oryoku Maru. By now over 3000 Americans had died in the Japanese prison camps. For many of those still living their suffering would unbelievably get even worse. In fact many more would die in the Philippines than died in Pearl Harbor. The numbers killed on the hell ships alone would exceed that of Pearl.
When the Japanese began to vacate the Philippines anyone who was too ill was left behind for dead. This corpse was discovered and photographed by American liberators. Click to enlarge. |
American GI's at one of the Japanese prison camps in the Philippines. Starvation was a leading cause of death. Click to enlarge. |
An American GI is about to be executed as the rest of the prisoners are forced to watch. Click to enlarge |
Herbert's parents likely received a post card much like this one. These were produced by the Japanese and signed by the prisoners under coercion. Click to enlarge. |
The Hell Ships... of the 1,619 men loaded aboard the Oryoku Maru only 271 would survive to be liberated.
By now you must be asking yourself could the nightmare these men lived through get any worse. As you are about to read the answer is a definitive yes. The horrors these men were put through on the hell ships was inexplicable and inexcusable. In my view all of the Japanese involved should have been tried and executed, but many would never be brought to justice. Prior to my learning of the behavior of the Japanese in the Philippines and China I wondered if dropping the atomic bomb on Japan was over the top. I can safely say that I no longer feel that way. Given the inhuman actions of the Japanese during the war, the United States was morally obligated to put a stop to them by whatever means necessary.
On December 13, 1944 1,619 men were assembled to be loaded on the Japanese ship Oryoku Maru. Most of the men were officers and among them was Maj. Eichlin. Their destiny was Japan were they would be used as slave labor in Japanese coal mines, factories, and dam building projects. For the men who would survive the next two days, their suffering would continue as slaves on the Japanese mainland. For most of these men, their suffering would soon end a few hundred yards from shore in Subic Bay. I can no better put into words what happened to these men than as it was described in the legal brief written by Charles M. Brown, Lt. Cl. AUS Ret. When I first read this account of what these men had endured I was outraged. What follows is an excerpt from that brief detailing the events and conditions on board the Oryoku Maru:
You MUST read this brief to understand what happened on board the Oryoku Maru...
From the "General Headquarters Supreme Commander For The Allied Powers Legal Section". File no. 014.13, Public Relations Informational Summary No. 510, dated 25-FEB-1947.
When the prisoners started to embark Mr. WADA, the Japanese interpreter, was supervising the loading. While waiting at the pier somehow the groups got mixed up so that when Commander Portz led his group aboard the ship he had about 700 men in his group and they were placed in the after hold. It took about one and one-half hours to load group #1. Group #2 in the charge of Lt. Colonel Curtis T. Beecher, started loading about 1530 in the forward hold. In this group there were over 600 prisoners. The hold was 60 by 100 feet. There were temporary troop accommodations built about four feet from the floor and extending out 12 feet from the bulkhead, and running around the entire hold area in a square, with no partition, and all wood. The Prisoners went down into this hold via wooden steps from the hatch to the hold. Light and air could only come through the hatch opening, which was about 20 feet by 20 feet. There were no ventilators, no port holes. Group #3 went aboard and were loaded in the hatch amid-ships with approximately 300 men.
In group #2 the conditions in the hold were so crowded that the men, a few minutes after entering the hold began fainting. The Japanese were asked to move some of the men out, the request was refused and they were told that there would be about 200 men put into the forward hold. There wasn’t enough air and men were fainting due to the lack of air and intense heat. The Japanese were hurrying men into the hold, in some cases these men were being pushed down the stairs and beaten with rifle butts and shovels. Men were knocked down and off the ladder falling on the men already below. AIHARA, one of the guards is alleged to have been one of the men standing at the hatch entrance beating the prisoners as they entered. All during this time WADA was present during the loading and without a doubt observed the treatment being given the prisoners, although he did nothing to stop it.
At about 1800 hours all the men were loaded. The weather in the Philippines is tropical and extremely hot. In the lower bays when all men were in, they had to assume a crouched position because they couldn’t stand upright. No men were permitted in the center under the hatch by order of the Japanese Guards. In the upper bays one could stand or crouch but could not lie down. Click photo at left to enlarge.
Prior to embarking, the last meal that the prisoners were given was on the night of December 12th, at about 1900 hours in Bilibid. For this meal they were fed a ½ canteen cup of steamed rice and ¼ canteen cup of soup. There was also an issue of a ½ canteen cup of rice to be eaten the morning of the 13th at 1900 hours. The meal amounted to nearly a full canteen cup of steamed rice and a teaspoon of salt and seaweed for each man, and one canteen cup of water for one whole bay of approximately 45 men. Each man received the equivalent of three teaspoons full of water. The distribution of the food and water was left entirely up to the Americans, the Japanese had nothing to do with it. Never were the Japanese ever physically present in the holds. Other than this meager ration no food was received while the prisoners were aboard the Oryoku Maru, except on 14 December men in the center hold received morning chow.
When the prisoners first boarded the ship there were a few cases of active diarrhea and dysentery. No provisions had been made for any latrine facilities in the holds. After repeated requests, four five-gallon buckets were lowered into the holds. They were placed in the corners. Although repeated requests were made to the Japanese for more buckets no action resulted. The four buckets that they received were overflowing within 1 ½ hours, and requests to empty them were refused. By 2400 hours the lower floor in the vicinity of the latrine was a sea of human waste. The stench in the hold at about 2400 hours due to the lack of air and human waste was overpowering.
When the men first entered the ship the temperature was between 85 and 90 degrees. About 0200 hours on the 14th due to the noise and excitement, the hatch, which was the only opening for air, was completely battened down, cutting off all air except that which seeped through the hatch cover. The temperature then rose to about 120 degrees. Men against the bulkheads and in the bays were passing out for lack of air. These men were removed to the front of the bay where they were revived. For the remaining time on the Oryoku Maru the air situation became worse, because of the dehydration, weakness, thirst and stench.
No sick bay had been designated. There was no room for it. Repeated requests were made for permission to bring the most aggravated cases of heat prostration and dehydration on deck where they would at least be able to get some air. All these requests were denied by WADA.
During the nights of the 13th and 14th men became deranged and would wander about the hold stepping on other prisoners, screaming for water and air. Some became violent to the extent that they lashed out with canteens or striking with their fists or feet at anyone with whom they came in contact. It was pitch black in the hold. In this chaos there was no possibility for much needed sleep. On this first night about 40 to 50 men went out of their minds.
About 0300 hours on the morning of the 14th the Oryoku Maru weighed anchor and headed out towards the China Sea. At dawn of the 14th the forward hatch was opened and in the forward hold there were 8 to 10 men who had died during the night. At about 0800 hours an air raid alarm sounded. The ship was strafed, ricochets began flying into the holds. The ship had been damaged, and was moving now with difficulty. Several men had been wounded during the raid by the ricochets. During the air raid, it was learned that at least 30 men had died in the aft hold the night of the 13th, mostly due to suffocation. After the raid medical groups were called on deck to treat the Japanese wounded. These groups were severely beaten because “American planes were sinking the Japanese shipping.” When requests were made for medical aid for men in the holds, and food and water, they were beaten up and told that the Japanese would do nothing for the prisoners. Click photo at left to enlarge.
On the night of the 14th and the morning of the 15th conditions grew worse. Men were suffering from thirst so acutely that many went out of their minds. Much screaming was audible. There was almost a complete lack of discipline, no matter how hard the hold leaders tried to restore order. The need for water was so acute that the men were drinking their own urine and sewage running in the open drains along the side of the ship. These hideous actions were revealed to the Japanese but there was no action taken. The hold was a bedlam with screaming, swearing and fighting. Men went berserk and the conditions were like some fantastic nightmare.
On the nights of the 14th and 15th the ship was bombed. The Japanese beached it making minor repairs, and discharged all Japanese passengers, moving back to Subic Bay. The prisoners were still aboard. It was felt that the Japanese knew that the ship would be bombed again and for that reason they took the Japanese passengers off and left the prisoners on.
The morning of the 15th when the ship was anchored in Subic Bay about 300 yards offshore from Olongapo Naval Reservation, about 0830 hours WADA came around and told the men that the prisoners would be evacuated from the ship shortly; that they would not be able to take their shoes or any other gear as they would have to swim. He said that the Japanese were instructed to “shoot to kill” so they, the prisoners, had better be very careful. Several of the guards fired into the holds prior to evacuation. About 0930 hours the order for the evacuation came through. Prior to this order there had been an air raid in which a direct hit on the aft hold had been made, and about 100 men were killed. There were no life preservers or lifeboats in evidence. Men were forced over the side of the ship with no regard given as to whether or not they could swim. While the men were leaving the ship six U.S. planes dived on the ship but just prior to the bomb release point the lead plane zoomed up and wagged its wings in recognition. No bombs were released. During the swim for shore some of the men got aboard the debris from the ship and attempted to float ashore. In one case a raft with five men on it headed for shore, was fired upon by a machine gun set up on shore. Two of the men on the raft leaped off into the water, the remaining three were killed.
During the disorder of the evacuation some of the half-starved men attempted to salvage whatever food and medical supplies available on the ship. While going in the compartments in search of food they observed American cigarettes and candy usually in Red Cross parcels.
The food and medical supplies the men managed to salvage were confiscated by the Japanese. During this salvage operation some Japanese came upon the prisoners in the compartments and began firing on them. Lt. TOSHINO came upon Lt. William H. Brewster in one of the compartments and shot him, killing him instantly.
Once on shore the prisoners were assembled in the area adjacent to a tennis court. During the period of assembling, the men were permitted to fill their canteens at a water tap outside the tennis court, but to do this they had to stand in line four to six hours. Fifty percent of the prisoners received their first water since the night of the 13th, the rest didn’t get any because the Japanese, as a result of the confusion, chased them back into their assembly area. About 30 minutes later WADA came around and had the prisoners marched to the tennis court so that a count of men could be made against the rosters. Placing such a large group of men in the area of a tennis court was almost impossible. The court was surrounded by a chicken wire fence. A small area had been set aside for the sick and wounded. There was not enough space for a person to stretch out and lie down. Rosters were called off several times. All personnel were told to give any information available to them on persons not present so as to be able to determine how many men were dead or missing and how many present.
Though the story continues I am stopping here because at this point the subject of this sketch has already deceased. I urge you to read the rest of the story at http://www.oryokumaruonline.org/oryokumarustorydos.txt . On March 17, 1945 a Theodore Rosenberg reported that Maj. Herbert Eichlin was among those prisoners designated to be transferred to Japan. That was the first news Maj. Eichlin's parents had heard of their son in over two years. Rosenberg, an Easton native, was a civilian working in the Philippines. He was taken prisoner by the Japanese in 1942 and was liberated by Army Rangers at Manila in January of 1945. In early August 1945 Herbert's parents were notified by the war department that their son was killed on the Oryoku Maru on December 15, 1944 when it came under fire by American aircraft. The Oryoku Maru was heavily armed and had no markings indicating it was a POW ship, another cruel hoax by the Japanese. General Homma was tried after the war for his war crimes. He was found guilty and was sentenced to death. Many more Japanese war criminals escaped prosecution and punishment. Herbert is buried at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines (photo at left). There is also a large memorial for him at the Easton Cemetery. Additionally there is an Eichlin street in Palmer Township that I suspect is named for him but I have been unable to factually establish this. Consider these facts for a moment:
- On the day General Edward P. King, Jr. surrendered, April 9, 1942, his troops had:
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1 days rations remaining, they had been on half rations since January.
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11,000 gallons of fuel, normal use was 8,000 gallons per day and they were on ration of 3,000 gallons per day.
------- No lubricating oil.
------- No quinine, which was used to treat malaria.
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1,000's of sick and malnourished men were being hospitalized every day.
------- No lines of supply.
- 25,000 Americans were captured by the Japanese in WW II, over 38% died in custody.
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In Germany 1.1% of American POW's died.
- Germany has acknowledged their war crimes and made restitution to the victims.
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Japan officially denies Bataan, the hell ships, and that the slavery ever occurred.
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The history books in Japanese schools are written to show Japan as the victim in the war when in truth they were the aggressor.
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No mention of the barbaric acts of Japanese soldiers is given in Japanese school curriculum.
- 22,000 American and British POW's died on the 'Hell Ships' alone.
Some final thoughts by the author:
The WW II generation has now handed the torch of freedom to our generation. We owe it to these men to properly manage modern day threats to our way of life. When terrorists behead their victim or burn bodies and hang them off of a bridge it is a reminder that we still live in a world where there exists tremendous evil, where man's cruelty to man crosses even new boundaries. It strikes me that the wisdom of these aging veterans is dying along with them. This is especially evident when I hear people who think Islamic terrorists can be helped with reasoning, negotiation; or if we just leave them alone they will leave us alone. We looked the other way as they took over in Afghanistan and in return we got 9/11. Make no mistake that what is happening today is the result of centuries of Islamic passionate hatred of Christians, Jews, and more recently secular western culture. The stated goal of radical elements of Islam is nothing less than the total irrelevance if not extinction of Christians and Jews, and a world ruled under Islamic religion, tradition, and law. The silence of moderate elements of Islam is deafening. Anyone who thinks that radical Islam can be reasoned with I would ask what it is about their position that you think they would be willing to compromise. More importantly, which of their positions are you willing to accept as part of a compromise. Now more than ever we need the wisdom and courage of our WW II veterans. We must preserve the way of life that they defended with their physical and emotional blood and passed along to us, less we all suffer or die under the rule of religious fanatics. If you think that statement is exaggerated then you need only look at what the Taliban did in Afghanistan, which was a window into their vision of how the world should be governed. If your one of those who think that these people can be dealt with peacefully, it may be time for a reality check.
Sources:
Oryoku Maru Online - http://www.oryokumaruonline.org/hellships.html
Battling Bastards of Bataan - http://home.pacbell.net/fbaldie/Battling_Bastards_of_Bataan.html
History.net - http://www.historynet.com/wwii/bl31regimentgivesitsall/
The Easton Express, Wednesday, August 8, 1945, Page 1 - Easton Library on Microfilm
Pro Patria Press (Newsletter of the 31st Infantry Regiment Association), October 2003, page 4
The National Archives - http://www.archives.gov/
Biographical Record of the Men of Lafayette 1832-1948, Dr. Arthur Hatch - page 556
People; A History of the Ealer Family, LCDR Frederick S. Ealer - page 184
Find A Grave - http://www.findagrave.com/