Harrison versaw
Donald L. Versaw's Account of His Military Life


DONALD L. VERSAW,  born June 23, 1921 in Bloomington, Nebraska.   Joined the U.S. Marine Corps on Armistice Day, 1939 in Chicago.   Following recruit training and a short term with the Base Band, San Diego, CA he was sent to Shanghai, China for duty with the 4th Marines Band from 1940 until November 1941.   After the regiment was evacuated to the Philippines he became an infantryman in E Co. 2nd Bn. 4th at the outset of WWII.

Listed as MIA when Corregidor was surrendered to the Japanese in May 1942, he spent the next 40 months as a POW in the PI's and in Japan.

During captivity he was held on Luzon Island mostly at work camp near Clark Air Base.  In July 1944 he was moved to Japan in one of the notorious "Hell Ships" and put to forced labor in the coal mines on the island of Kyushu.   Following repatriation, he remained in the Corps and married Amelda Gilmore.   They had two daughters, Judith and Denise.   In 1950 served in Korea with the 1st Marine Division in a Photo unit.

After retirement in 1959 he worked in the aerospace industry for 13 years on the Saturn and Apollo programs.   Completed 10 years of Civil service divided between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Air Force, he retired in 1983 with a total of 31 years federal service.   Life member of American Ex-POWs, American Defenders Bataan and Corregidor, DAV, member American Legion, and Marine Corps Musicians Association.



The title of my book is
"MIKADO no KYAKU"
(Emperor's Guest).


I MUST REPORT THAT THE BOOK HAS BEEN SOLD OUT

It was a new edition of an older manuscript formerly titled
"Guest of the Emperor".
It is my account of having been enslaved in the coal mines of
Kyushu, Japan after having become a prisoner of war
in the Philippines from 1942 until 1945.