Sharing a Memory

September 5, 1999
Dear Comrades, Friends, Fellow POWs,

On this day 54 years ago we bedraggled, jubilant, ragtag bunch of survivors, after surviving 3½ years of mistreatment, starvation, anxieties of the worst kind, walked out of Niagata Camp #5B, and headed for the nearest railroad station.   I don’t recall boarding the train’s passenger car.   I do recall carrying my meager belongings and also observing that we had tears in our eyes but were jubilant with lots of laughter and boisterous yelps, cheers and embraces.

We proceeded by train toward Yokohama 150 miles through large stations and the train would stop to discharge passengers.   We former prisoners had with us large amounts of chewing gum and candies, and at the stations we threw these to the youngsters at the train station.  (Talk about turning the other cheek!)  The candies and gum were dropped by US Navy Fliers and B-29s down on our camp.   They used colorful parachutes holding large pallets filled with all kinds of goodies.   There were fifty gallon barrels, and some of them broke loose from the shrouds of the parachutes.   And yes, a few people were killed by these.   This experience was like the bombing of Kawasaki  (which we survived).   After what we went through we could dodge a few missiles of food and encouragement.   So that is how we liberated travelers acquired these goodies.

Finally after almost a whole day we arrived at Yokohama.   We were bathed, deloused, and examined and those of us who were able to walk were shipped out to Okinawa, arriving there late at night.

I could go on forever, but you all know the rest.
God Bless you all; keep in good health.

AL FELSEN
PO Box 493, Patagonia AZ 85624
Phone: 520-394-2917
E-Mail: fallenangel@theriver.com