War Came to the Philippines

This volume is devoted almost exclusively to events which transpired during the first year of the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines. Occasional brief reference has been made, however, to events which occurred during the second, third, and the beginning of the fourth, years of Japanese oppression.

While it is the true that the suffering of the Filipino people did not reach its peak until the beginning of the fourth year of the Japanese occupation, their suffering was great enough during the first year. I have chosen to write concerning the first year because it was during that year that I had the greatest opportunity both to witness the suffering of the people, and to talk with persons who witnessed occurrences which did not come within the range of my personal observation.

The first draft of this volume was written in 1942, when the events described therein transpired. Immediately prior to my reinternment in Santo Tomas, in December of 1942, the manuscript was concealed in the attic of my mother-in-law’s house in Manila, where it remained until I brought it to the United States. The manuscript has been rewritten and occasional reference has been made to events which transpired subsequent to the writing of the first draft.