Connie and Donald begin the interview discussing the historical context involving the soldiers who surrendered to the Japanese at Bataan during World War II. Connie then discusses the people of contemporary Japan in relation to the Japanese then, and Donald relates how the American soldiers still resent the Japanese for their atrocities, especially considering how the American government is willing to pay the interned Japanese-Americans for war crimes, yet the Japanese are unwilling to compensate Americans used as slaves in Japanese slave labor camps. Donald goes on to discuss the reliability of oral history testimonies and how he eventually realized the soldiers were relating truths so terrible that they had never been told before. He proceeds to talk about the experiences of the soldiers returning to the United States and how difficult it was to get them to open up, as well as the experiences of the soldiers in Japanese captivity. Connie and Donald proceed to discuss the origins of America’s entry into World War II and historical facts that have remained unfamiliar to most Americans, up to and including Japan’s surrender. They then talk about the soldiers’ lives after the war and the psychological scars of the soldiers. Connie closes the interview requesting an autograph for her copy of the book.
World War, 1939-1945-Prisoners and prisons, Japanese World War, 1939-1945-Personal narratives, American Bataan, Battle of, Philippines, 1942 Prisoners of war-United States-Biography Prisoners of war-Japan-Biography Prisoners of war-Philippines-Bataan (Province) Bataan (Philippines : Province)-History
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