Allen Lee Silk, following his service in WWII, married Melda Lee Hartley. Melda was the daughter of Charles Edward Hooker Hartley; Hooker was my grandfather, George Leroy Hartley’s, brother.
Allen Silk was born August 20, 1919, in Richland Parish, LA., the fourth child and first son of Edward C. Silk (1880-1955) and Susie May Crider (1892-1978), His siblings included sisters, Nellie, Jessie, Gladys, and a younger brother Charles Oland. Allen was a star football player in high school, attracting the attention of the coach of Pearl River Junior College in Mississippi. Sadly, no college yearbook was published for 1937-38. With little, if any, financial support, from his hardworking sharecropper parents, he was forced to abandon his college plans and seek career training in the military.
Allen enlisted in the marines on December 18, 1938, at Headquarters SRD in New Orleans; he was 20 years old. He received his basic training at Parris Island, S. C., then was assigned to Signal Detachment, Marine Barracks in Quantico, VA. In early 1940, he was stationed in Marine Barracks, Navy Yard, Mare Island, CA. By May 1940, he shipped out and is in Headquarters Company, Fourth Marines, Shanghai, China. There are records showing Allen at Marine Detachment, Naval Air Station, Seattle, Washington, during September 1940. He is listed as a radio operator. In the spring of 1941, still in Shanghai, he is promoted to corporal and by spring of 1942 he is a sergeant. Allen is shown in photo at right with two marine friends, left, Veral Crowe, his best friend, Allen in middle and Roger W. Miller on right. Veral, from Eugene Oregon, named a son Larry Allen after Allen Silk.
In November 1941, one month before Pearl Harbor, the 4th Marines left Shanghai. Below are excerpts from the detailed research of Fred Greguras, a collector of US Marine memorabilia and historian. A veteran of Vietnam, Fred has devoted a great deal of time and effort to “The Marines in China.” (URL: http://chinamarine.org/Shanghai/ShanghaiToday.aspx#_ftn5 )
Allen’s football days were not over. While in Shanghai, he participated in Regimental Six-A-Side Football. He was a halfback on the Headquarters team. They played at the Shanghai American School field. The photo shows Allen with fellow halfback, Edward H. “Smokey” Middleton. Edward, born 1918 in Los Angeles, CA. He died December 28, 1993 in Simi Valley, CA.
Platoon 46
Marine Barracks
Parris Island, S. C
Sgt. Jos. Cameron, Cpl. P. A. Scott, and Cpl J. F. Williams are in picture.
Feb. 1939
Allen L. Silk, 3rd row up, 5th from right.
Above is Allen’s headquarters football team.
Kneeling L to R:
J Breeze:
E. Middleton, team captain : Sergeant Edward Haney “Smokey” Middleton, born 1918 in Los Angeles, CA. to Mr. and Mrs Thomas T. Middleton. He died December 28, 1993 in Simi Valley, CA. Captured May 6, 1942, he was liberated in 1945. Poem written by E. H. Middleton follows:
Poem Written by E.H. Middleton
(Smokey)
Cabanatuan Nov. 1942
FORGOTTEN MEN
Note: The following poem was written in pencil and found on the back of a letter post marked, Prisoner of War Mail, 22 May 1943. The letter was addressed to James Daniel Culp, Gunners Mate First-Class (from his sister Nadean) the letter was received by him (via the Red Cross) while he was in a prisoner-of-war camp in Osaka Japan. The author was probably a member of the 4th Marines captured on the Philippine Island of Corregidor.
Forgotten Men
In a camp of Nipa Barracks
Lost deep in the Philippines
Are a bunch of worn out warriors
With nothing left but dreams
They're fighting a greater battle
Than the one they fought and lost
It's a battle against the elements
A battle with life as the cost
Some came thru the awful tortures
Like days and nights in Hell!
In that struggle for the Philippines
Where many a brave man fell.
But now it's not how much you know
Or how quick you hit the ditch
It's not the "rate" you once held
Or whether you're poor or rich.
No one cares who you were back home
Or what kind of a life you led
It's just how long you can stick it out
That governs your life instead
This battle we're fighting at present
Is against mosquitoes, flies and disease,
But with decent living conditions
We'd win this battle with ease.
It's rice for breakfast, noon and night
And rain almost every day
We sleep on bamboo slats at night
For no better place to lay.
We eat from any old tin can
That we're lucky enough to get
And the medical supplies we're supposed to have
We haven't seen as yet.
Yes, we're the forgotten men of Corregidor
Fighting the greatest battle yet.
Struggling for bare existence
through hunger and sickness and sweat.
Through days of sadistic torture
Through nights of searing pain
Just living human skeletons
Much more insane than sane.
But those of us who do come through
Perhaps can prove our worth
When we tell the strangest tale yet told
Of veritable hell on earth.
F. Jimmerson: Floyd B.”Jimmy” Jimmerson died March 6, 1997. He resided in the Miami, Florida area. In late February 1997, he moved to Shreveport, LA. where he passed away. He was retired from the marine corp. He was assigned to the 4th Marines, Headquarters Co. 3rd Battalion. He was captured on Corregidor and was in Cabanatuan. Tanagawa, Umona and Bohsito Takefu POW camps. He also served in the Korean War. He was a member of American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor *2526. He is survived by a sister, a daughter and two grandchildren.
E. Graves: Elmo Elsey Graves, Texas. Died POW March 1, 1943, Kawasaki Tokyo B Prison, Pneumonia. Roger Raymond’s memoir says Graves died of dysentery shortly after they were moved from Corregidor to the Cabanatuan prison (1942). Confusingly, Raymond mentions a pine box containing Graves’ cremated remains in the Yokohama camp. According to Raymond, Graves carried the surrender order to the troops on Monkey Point on Corregidor. His father was Vance Graves in Olney, Texas.
L. Franklin:
J. Thomas:
Standing: L to R
R. Miller: Roger W. Miller, Texas. Died in Japanese prison.
V. Putnam: Vernon Putnam (1917-42) was a native of Blountsville, Alabama. Parents were Rufus Lander & Charlotte Lottie Hare Putnam.
Enlistment and Boot Camp:
Putnam enlisted in the Marines from Los Angeles on January 17, 1938. He attended boot camp at MCRD San Diego, and graduated two months later.
Service Prior to 1941:
Private Putnam shipped out to his first duty station in March 1938; he became a member of Company A, Marine Barracks, Pearl Harbor Navy Yard. While at Pearl Harbor, Putnam played a great deal of football and qualified as an expert with the pistol; in December, he was posted to the barracks rifle range as a messman.
In June 1939, Putnam qualified as a truck driver for the barracks; by December, he was on his way to his “Asiatic Station” assignment via the USS Henderson. That station turned out to be the Motor Transport company of the Fourth Marines in Shanghai, where Putnam would stay through the end of 1940.
Wartime Service:
In 1941, Putnam was advanced to the rank of corporal; when the regiment was sent to the Philippines late that year, Putnam was reassigned to Dog Company, First Battalion. On April 24, 1942, Vernon was reported as missing in action. Officially listed as dead with unrecoverable body. Listed in Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Philippines.
G. Kehlman:
Lieutenant Prichett, Coach: Claude Augustus “Red” Pritchett (Dec. 16, 1915-Jan. 5, 2001) from Whitmell, VA. He graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1937. He was son of Claude and Elizabeth Pritchett. His father was a grocer. He had three sisters, Elizabeth F., Martha C., and twin sister Mary D.
Claude married Kansan Martha Mourning (1919-2006). She attended Southwest Missouri State Teachers College. A photo from her 1941 yearbook is included here.
Martha enlisted in the Women Army Corp in 1943. They had three children.
Allen L. Silk:
R. Raymond: Corporal Robert Lawrence Raymond, (MCSN: 272545), United States Marine Corps, was captured by the Japanese after the fall of Corregidor, Philippine Islands, on 6 May 1942, and was held as a prisoner of war until he was returned to U.S. Military Control at the end of the war. He was born in Astoria, Oregon in 1921. His parents were George N. (1877-1958) and Josephine Dow(1858-1951) Raymond. George was a surveyor.
Here is his obituary. “Robert L. Raymond of Vallejo died on Aug. 9, 2010. He was 89 years old.
Robert was born and grew up in Astoria, Oregon, where he worked as a paper boy to help support the family. He joined the US Marine Corps at age 17, and was deployed to Shanghai in 1939. His unit was sent to Corregidor Island in Manila Bay when Japan attacked China.
After Pearl Harbor he was taken prisoner when the Philippine Islands fell to Japan. He survived three years and four months as a prisoner-of-war first at Cabanatuan #3, then later in Taiwan and Yokohama, Japan.
When he returned to the U.S., he met and married Donna L. Sanborn in North Hollywood, and they started a family.
Robert worked for ten years on the Los Angeles Police force. During this period, he was also deployed to Japan with his National Guard Reserve unit heading to the Korean War, but was recalled when his fourth dependent was born.
He worked mainly as a carpenter for the rest of his life and after his retirement, wrote his memoirs in two volumes. His final years were mainly spent in Vallejo, which reminded him of his hometown of Astoria.
He is survived by sons Wayne and Jan and daughter Kim, all of Davis, and daughters Jodi Pocoroba and Beth Heerdt. His grandkids include Betsy, Nathan, and Hope Raymond of Davis.
An inurnment ceremony with military honors is planned for Thursday, Aug. 19 at 2:30 p.m. at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, 5810 Midway Rd. in Dixon.”
Robert Raymond’s memoir provides this comment about the team and players:
”Smokey Stover (May have meant Middleton not Stover-Mel Oakes) tried to get me to play baseball for the 'Orphans' (Regimental Headquarters Company) but I did not feel 'qualified'. I rather hate to admit it, but I am just a bit scared of that hard ball. There are four teams in the baseball league: Our "Orphans", First Battalion, Second Battalion, and a 'town' team organized by the slot machine king, Jack Riley…..
"But with the advent of fall, Smokey is after me again, this time to play football, the six man game that is so popular with small, backwoods high schools. All the way through school I was never big enough for football, sort of gave up the idea when, in junior high, I was issued a sweatshirt instead of a school colors jersey and the last item in every pile of equipment...the dregs that no one else would have, but I am peaking out in the physical department. Reckon that it is time to give it another go. The league is minus the 'town team'. Jack Riley would be game I am sure but I guess that his gang of middle aged business men won‘t back him up. Three teams isn't really much of a league but we will play each of the battalions twice.
"The lieutenant played for VMI is a cracker-jack coach. Al Silk is our fullback. He always reminds me of that Hastings Perfect-Circle Piston Rings ad, broad shoulders, a square jaw that always looks just a bit blue, even after he has just shaved, but his eyes are indeed 'soft as silk'. He has long, long, eyelashes that would make just about any cover girl turn green with envy...'Tough, but oh so gentle' indeed. Red (Pritchett) and I have nailed down right and left end pretty well. He goes high (bulldozer) and I go low. When we hit together the guy goes down for pretty dang sure. Smokey is Captain (shared with Al Silk) and quarterback. Elmo Graves and 'Jimmy' Jimmerson alternate at the other back position. The first game is between the battalions. First gets trampled 35 to nothing. Besides the 'terrible duo', Pack and Truck, the Second Battalion has a very fleet footed quarterback with a very nasty little habit of running back kickoffs for touchdowns.
"The next week we repeat the drubbing...same score 35 to big fat goose egg. The meeting between us Orphans and Second Battalion promises to be all out war. (Orphans won 14-13 on a pass to Raymond from Smokey.)”
End of Robert Raymond excerpt.
The Fourth Marines’ duty in Shanghai was summarized in an eloquent way by W. Robert Taylor, a Baptist missionary in Shanghai who made these observations on November 23, 1941:
“This morning I went to the Marine [church] Service – the last one Shanghai may ever have as it is doubtful they will ever be here in a body again. …. It was a solemn 2000 people who walked out of the Grand Theatre this morning. It felt as though we had attended a funeral service. The Marines are leaving Shanghai with a fine record and carrying with them the affection of all nationals. Uncle Sam can be proud of his representatives. They served and did not dominate. They gave and did not take. As individuals and as a group they played the gentleman.”
“In late November, 1941, the regiment’s two battalions, the 1st and 2nd, were very small, a total of approximately 800 Marines and attached naval personnel. Each had only two companies. The 3rd Battalion had been deactivated in December, 1934. The battalions were small because of the anticipated withdrawal from Shanghai. The 1st Battalion’s billets were near the intersection of Ferry and Avenue Roads (probably still 196, 225 and 293 Ferry) as the battalion formed up at that location to march to the waterfront at the Bund to leave China Avenue Road was the west extension of Peking (Beijing) Road, and was the first major road north of Bubbling Well Road. At that time, the 2nd Battalion was still billeted in the Haiphong Compound. Mr. White recalled that the 1st Battalion headquarters was still along Ferry Road and Mr. Versaw remembered that the 1st Battalion billets were still along Ferry and the 2nd Battalion billet was still the Haiphong Compound just prior to the regiment’s departure. Mr. Versaw indicated that the 551 Ferry billet was no longer being used as of April, 1941.
“But with the Japanese firmly in control of the Chinese portion of Shanghai and the surrounding countryside, it was only a matter of time before the they would be moving against the International Settlement in an attempt to control the entire city. For the men of the 4th routines returned to pre-conflict levels, but now there were private concerns of getting Stateside before a coming conflict with Japan.
“Through 1940 and 1941, conditions inside the International Settlements became tense following a number of altercations. After the start of WWII, the British withdrew their forces from the International Settlement and the Japanese seemed to step up harassment of the Marines and the local civilian population. It was apparent to many in the city, war was coming. Slowly the numbers of Marines were drawn down. But like the Peiping Marines, the State Department was loath to allow their complete withdrawal. After debating the issue through the fall of 1941, the State Department finally agreed in mid-November 1941 to evacuate the 4th. On the 27th and the 28th of November, the 4th Marines left Shanghai aboard the chartered liners, President Madison and President Harrison for the Philippines. The 4th Marine Regiment’s fourteen year association with the city was now permanently severed.”
End of W. Robert Taylor excerpt.
(The following is excerpted from a letter Allen wrote to his family, October 12, 1945, detailing events. I have added some material. The complete letter is included below.—Mel Oakes)
“I expect you are anxious to know what has happened, where and what I have been doing since the war started. I could write for ages and never tell it all. After reaching the Philippine Islands from Shanghai, I and four other marine radiomen were sent to Cavite Naval Radio Station in the Philippines with the intent that they would remain there until then end of their duty. We were there for about 3 days; the Japanese bombed the radio station and navy yard out of existence. Only the ammunition dump was left standing in the navy yard. (The U. S. had no defense agains the bombers. Flying at 20,000 ft they were beyond reach of the antiquated anti-aircraft guns. The fuses on their shells were very unreliable and tended to explode at 15,000 ft. Hence the bombers had free range.–Mel Oakes) There were no fighter planes available. Hundreds of marines, sailors and Filipinos were killed.
'Finally the Fourth Marines were sent to Corregidor to be used as beach defense. From the time the war started until Bataan fell, we were bombed nearly every day, heavily. When Bataan fell, the Japanese lined up hundreds of artillery guns right across the bay from us, and shelled us continuously day and night. It was impossible to get any sleep, and plenty of days we only got one meal a day and that was very poor. Our galley was out in the open and when the Japs saw some smoke coming up from behind the small hill, they would open up with everything they had. I think the Japanese knew the position of our Big guns and anti-aircraft guns better than we ourselves did. (Picture at right of Allen Silk, probably on Corregidor.)
"When a flight of planes came over and our boys started raising the anti-aircraft guns to fire, the Japanese would put about 10 shells right in the pit with them. Most of our guns were stationary, and the Japanese could move theirs back and forth. All we could do was lie in our foxholes and hope.
"When the Japanese finally did land, Corregidor hardly had a tree standing. Nearly all of our guns practically had been knocked out at one time or other. Still there were lots of Japanese that started for Corregidor that never left there again. The Japanese soldier couldn't have beaten the Americans there or in Bataan either if it hadn't been for their planes. As far as I know, we only had 5 P-40's the last 3 months of the war. The Japanese had hundreds. We never expected General Wainwright to surrender. Word had been passed around in our outfit, that we were going to fight to the last man. It would have been much better for thousands of Americans because they only lived then to die two or three years later of starvation, malnutrition, bombings and shelling.”
Corregidor
Corregidor is a small rocky island in the Philippines about 48 kilometers west of Manila. “The Rock” was strategically located at the entrance of Manila Bay. It served as the retreat headquarters for General MacArthur and the Philippine Commonwealth government following the successful invasion of Manila and the Bataan Peninsula by the Japanese. Corregidor had been fortified to delay the Japanese progress.
The Malinta Tunnel (see picture) was constructed to serve as a bombproof shelter that would house communications and medical units along with Allied Headquarters. The main tunnel was 835 ft long, 24 ft wide and 18 ft high at top of the arch. There were 13 lateral tunnels on the north side and 11 lateral tunnels on the south side. Each lateral tunnel averaged 160 feet (49 m) in length and 15 feet (4.6 m) in width. It was in solid rock and provided total protection from artillery or air attacks.
As a radio operator, Allen likely worked in the tunnel. This is reenforced by the remarkable photo which appeared in July 1986 issue of National Geographic. The photo shows US troops surrendering in front of the Malinta tunnel. Allen Silk is circled in the photo.
This historically important photo was part of The American Soldier - A Photographic Tribute, an exhibition of 116 photographs, from the Civil War to the War in Iraq, featured at the LBJ Library in Austin, TX (Nov. 2013-Feb. 2014).
Surrender & Imprisonment. When it became clear that the Japanese would eventually take the island, MacArthur and his staff left for Australia vowing to return. Many on the island felt abandoned and were very critical of MacArthur and later decisions by the Pacific Command not to rescue them. Allen was likely captured on May 7, 1942. The Bataan Death March had occurred before this surrender. He was moved to Cabanatuan Camp, Philippine Islands.
Edward Lee Hartley commented about Cabanatuan Camps, “We raised sweet potatoes and all we got were the vines to eat. That was at Cabanatuan Camp 1. In Camp 3 we were in prison about 1 month, all sick. (Beriberi, a result of thiamine (B1) deficiency from lack of unrefined cereals. Symptoms include weight loss, weakness & pain in limbs, edema and irregular heart rate.) The Japanese fed us fish soup, more worms than fish in it, this was to build us up so we could go to work.”
Allen continues, “We stayed in the Philippines from May until Sept. 1942, in a camp at Cabanatuan. In that camp they were dying off like flies, from dysentery. There was no medicine. I caught dysentery there, and if it had not been for a couple of friends, I would have died there. I couldn't eat anything, and Veral Crowe, of Oregon, my best friend, got me a bit of milk when he could. I lost down to 115 pounds there. From there we were sent to Yokohama to work in a Navy Yard.“
(Allen was extremely lucky to have survived the trip from the Philippines to Japan. Many of these ships were sunk by American submarines. On September 20, 1942, the ship, Lima Maru, shown at right, left Manila headed to Taiwan. The Lima Maru was sunk in 1944 by the American submarine, “The Snook.” Here is an account of the trip by Pierce L. Wardlaw, a fellow prisone:, “The next morning early, the boat began to lift anchor, and we were on our way. It was now daylight as the Japanese opened the hatch and said that it was time to eat breakfast, which was no different from any other meal. The food was lowered down on a rope attached to a large woven basket. We could never tell what time of day it was by the type of meals given us, as we ate the same food for every meal, and this same token held true throughout my entire prison life.
"We still had no idea where we might be going. The rumors were running wild as to where we were headed. Some said Japan; others said we were heading for China, and others thought Korea. All of these rumors were wrong, as we landed in Tyeow, Taiwan. I had never heard it called by that name, as the island is better known as Formosa.
"We were aboard the Lima Maru for sixteen days, traveling seven hundred miles. I have often wondered how we must have looked from the deck of the ship, as in my mind, we were a group of human beings, living like so many cattle or pigs shoved into and [sic] over-crowded space. I know there were three men who died on the trip, and their bodies were just pushed over the side of the boat into the ocean.” (The prisoners remained in Taiwan for approximately 2 months then were shipped on 15 Nov 1942 to Moji, Japan, on the Dainichi Maru.–Mel Oakes)
On the trip to Moji, Japan, Wardlaw reports another incident: “It was while we were cleaning the fish for cooking that the ship’s crew really came alive. An alarm sounded and all the Jap soldiers went to their battle stations. There was a lot of commotion, but I could not see any thing. Finally, a Jap who was up in the crow’s nest yelled something, and the ship made a hard right rudder, and then another hard left rudder. By this time, I was over to the side of the ship trying to see what we were dodging. On the second turn, I saw a torpedo coming straight for the ship, and it looked as if it were going to hit us mid ship. By seeing it in time, the ship moved out of the path of the torpedo, and it just missed the ship’s tail by about ten yards. The torpedo went on for about fifty yards, and then it went down. It must have been fired at maximum distance, or also there was a malfunction of the torpedo. It was not long after this that three Jap destroyers came up and rode flank on us until we docked in Moji, Japan. ( This camp was Tokyo-01D-Yokohama, more commonly referred to as “The Yokohama-Mitsubishi Shipyards.”–Mel Oakes)
“We were there (Yokohama) for 2-1/2 years. We lost about 45 men there the first winter.”
End of Wardlaw's comments.
The layout of the camp is given in a drawing shown below, by Robert Raymond, a POW. A sketch of the barrack is provided by Geoffrey A. Monument, British Army. The barracks wee Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Warehouse. by the midpoint of the prisoners stay there were some 484 prisoners working, of which 272 were Americans. Life in the shipyard is chronicled in the book The Hero Returns: Stories from Wisconsin’s World War II Veterans by Kristin Gilatrick, 2001.
The work at the ship yard consisted of dock work and ship building. They were concentrating on badly needed freighters. The prisoners make every effort to sabotage the work. Poor welds, frayed wiring, incorrectly heated rivets, etc. were small attempts to damage the effort without detection. Allen would have guarded carefully his knowledge of radio communication. The Japanese sought such people to help with intelligence and were willing to punish severely if a known radio operator refused to cooperate.
Allen writes, “We left Yokohama in May 1945 because of the bombings (which destroyed the camp). I saw seven B-29's get shot down over our camp one night.” (Yokohama is marked with the red A balloon in map below–Mel Oakes).
”We were sent up north in May to Kamaishi (Marked by the red B balloon on the map of northern Japan.–Mel Oakes), a town of about 40,000. Our camp was about 440 yards from a large smelting plant. ( Iron milling was an important operation here. The camp was run by Nippon Steel, a Mitsubishi Company at the time. Mostly Dutch POWs.–Mel Oakes)
"On July 14, the U. S. Third Fleet shelled this valley. The only thing left intact was our camp. One end of the British barracks was shot off. ( Kamaishi, an important foundry town, was the first city bombarded by the US Navy in WWII. The largest number of POW deaths occurred here, 50 deaths, with 32 killed by the US Navy shelling in July and August 1945. Remarkably a color movie of the actual shelling by the USS Abbott survives and can be viewed 🎥HERE.) –Mel Oakes
Another account of the shelling comes from the son of another POW present: “The POW camp my father happened to be in that day was on the waterfront several hundred yards forward of the main target, the Iron Works. His first indication of shelling was what I believe to have been a bracketing salvo from the 5" guns. Next came the 16" rounds starting at the water and walking up the hill to the works. Dad could see plainly the ship 1.5 to 2.5 miles offshore belching smoke and fire moments before the concussion of the shells passing over hurt his hands which now covered his head. The rounds in some cases passed completely through the Works without detonating do to the thin walls of the building and while damaging the works it appeared on the outside that it was unharmed. Several days later he spotted a high altitude flight of a single plane and thought they are going to be back I bet. That mill is still standing. He was right. August 9th the shelling was repeated, only this time the camp was obliterated with many death's to the POWs. The Works was razed and the eye witness account my father tells is hair-raising.”
Allen's letter continues:
"Our boys were lucky this time. Only 4 of them were killed. On August 9, the Third Fleet came back again. Around 30 of our men in camp were killed this time, or burned to death. I was burned on the hands, both feet, all over the face and ears. Some of the boys had their bodies burned badly also, and still refused to die. Two of the boys breathed the fire in their lungs; they died that night. I have a slight scar on my left hand, and one on my right ear. Not a scar was left on my face. We hardly got any treatment at all for our burns, until the 15 of August. There wasn't any shouting, and very little excitement when they told us the war was over. We were all too tired to show much emotion. We had seen too many men die just 6 days before the war ended." (An interesting collection of photographs from Kamaishi , one at left, can be found) HERE.)–Mel Oakes
"Then the Japanese started treating us very kind, new clothes, Red Cross overcoats, Cigarettes were yours for the asking. They smiled, bowed, saluted every American they saw. Very few Americans would salute them back. These fellows who came out of that hell will never forget. But America will. America will never be hard enough on the Japanese. General Wainwright should be in charge of the Occupation of Japan. He would know what to do."
October 1945, Allen was in Casualty Company #2, Marine Detachment, U.S. Naval Hospital, Oakland, California and also Casualty Company #1, Mb, Nob, Ti, (San Pedro), Calif at U. S. Naval Hospital, Corona, CA. Allen had contracted tuberculosis. In a letter he referrred to a new treatment and assures his mother he will be cured. In 1944, Albert Schtz, Elizabeth Bugie and Selman Waksman isolated Streptomyces griseus or streptomycin, the first antibiotic and first bacterial agent effective against M. tuberculosis.
Civilian Life
After the war Allen returned to Rayville, LA. On May 17, 1947, he married Melda Lee Hartley in Delhi, Louisiana. He was a salesman for Roark Brothers Music Company in West Monroe, LA. Allen and Melda had three children, a son, Allen Bruce and two daughters, Leigh Anne (Palin) and Suzette.
Correspondence:
Liberation. The telegram at right, was sent to Allen’s parents, notifying them that he was returned to military control on September 13, 1945.
Corregidor surrendered to the Japanese on May 6, 1942. As you can see below the contact with Allen was extremely limited. The undated telegram below would have likely occurred during his internment in Yokohama. The telegram refers to a International Red Cross report that was received earlier.
Allen's letters have been generously provided by his wife, Melda. The letters demonstrate Allen's love of his family and his concern for the anguish he knew they felt. They also showcase his writing skills.His spelling, grammar, and narration attest to his fine education.
Date Unknown
Telegram
The marine referred to in the telegram below was Justin C. Walsh (1918-45), a fellow marine from Butler, Tennessee, and POW. Justin was confined to the Yokohama Comp with Allen. Justin died in the Nagoya Main Prison camp in Japan
December 15, 1942
December 15, 1942
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Silk:
With reference to your letter concerning your son.
I did not know him personally, but his organization served with me and surrendered to the Japanese. The prisoners are being treated well and are receiving enough food to live on. His organization received two citations from General McArthur for gallantry.
I regret that this is all the information i can furnish you. I am returning your son’s photograph,
Very truly yours,,
Damon J. Gause
Captain, Air Corps, U. S. Army.
Winder, Georgia
August 26, 1943
Note from Tokyo Detention Camp
June 29, 1944
Letter from Mrs. W. L. Cecelia McKie, Sacramento, CA
The following message was heard by short wave from Radio Tokio (sic) on June 24, 1944, when messages were sent from American prisoners of war in Japanese camps. The message was apparently recorded by your son, and I hope it is genuine.
I have been listening in steadily to these broadcasts for almost a year and a half, taking these messages in shorthand and relaying them to the relative of the man interned. To date I have written about 2855 letters, and all expenses are borne by my immediate family. I am employed during the day and can work at this hobby of mine only late at night and on weekends. I have fallen behind in my correspondence, which explains the lateness of the letter. The message is as follows:
“ This is Herbert Raymond Confer broadcasting to his mother and father,... Tell Mrs. F. N. Silk, of Rayville, Louisiana, that her son is well, and sends his love. Dad, say hello to Aunt Cara, Joan and Uncle Roy Edwards, also to Carl and Wilbert and the kids. Hope they are all well and feeling fine. ...
Here is some information about Cecelia McKie, an unsung hero of the war. It comes from the book, Corregidor, from Paradise to Hell, by Ben D. Waldron and Emily Burneson, Copyright 1991.
“In 1986, I met a man in Sacramento, California who had all the records of Ceclia McKie, who was a ham radio operator in Sacramento, California, during the war. He told me she was the lady who received all the prisoners-of-war messages and forwarded them to the next of kin of the prisoners-of-war.
"We looked in her records and found the message that I sent on November 28. 1944. The following is a letter she wrote my mother."
PM American Written
1425 Tenth Street
Sacramento 14. California
February 28, 1945
12/ 28/ 1945
Mrs. M. L. Hire, mother of
Corporal Ben Hire, Waldron-Osaka Camp
215 Pecan Street
Duncan. Oklahoma
My dear Mrs. Hire:
The following message was heard by short wave from Radio Tokio (sic)tonight on the "Postman Calls" program when messages were sent from Allied prisoners of war. The message was apparently written by your loved one but was read by the announcer in English, and I hope it is genuine. I don't know if the announcer is American or Japanese.
I have been listening in steadily to these broadcasts since February, 1943 taking these messages in shorthand and relaying them to the relatives of the men interned. To date I have sent about 5995 letters, and all expenses are borne by my husband and sister. I am employed during the day and can work at this hobby of mine only at night and on weekends.
Mothers often ask me when these messages can be heard. The message programs on Radio Tokio (sic) are as follows: "Humanity Calls" at 9:00 p.m., which is reported the next day at 11:00 am., and the “Postman Calls" at 11:30 p.m.. all Pacific War Time.
The messages come from American, Canadian, Australian and British men on these programs every Saturday night, at 9:30 p.m. Pacific War Time- The German War can he heard on this same station. (Radio Tokio (sic)) with messages from Americans in German prison camps. I set my pointer on the short wave dial at 9.5 for best results.
I hope your loved one will soon be back with you in person, safe and sound. The message for you is as follows:
“Dearest Mother and all. Just a few lines to let you know that I am well and doing fine. I have been here since September and find the climate very much like what it was back home.
Hope to see you soon. Love. Ben.”
Sincerely.
Cecelia McKie
Here is a copy of the closing from one of Cecelia's letters.
Cecelia Polin Rosen McKie ‘s (1903-82), her husband was William Lawson McKie (1880-1968), a chiropractor from Scotland. Cecelia was born in Philadelphia to Jewish immigrants from Russia, Abraham L. & Bessie Polin. She was first married to Albert L. Rosen and they had a daughter Cynthia.
December 21, 1944
Letter from Allen to his mother & family.
September 23, 1945
September 23, 1945
AMERICAN RED CROSS
Dearest Mother and family,
I have sent two telegrams, so you probably know by now that I am alive. I am a patient aboard the U.S.S. Rescue about one day out from Guam. I am glad that I never was a sea-going marine. I was a bit seasick the first day out of Tokyo.
Until the latter part of 1943, I received quite a lot of letters from you, and also from Addye Laura. I think the last letter I got from you was the one you mentioned that Oland was waiting to be called into the Marines.
We spent about 2 and a half years around the Tokyo area, until the bombing got too hot. Then they moved all of our camp up north to a small place called Kamaishi. We moved up there is May and in July and August we were shelled by the U. S. Third Fleet. In the shelling in August I lost two very good friends of mine.
I weigh 150 lbs, and I feel good. We were all x-rayed, and I have T. B. but don't imagine the worst. It isn't far advanced, and with good food and proper treatment, I will be as good as new in 6 months. In one of the magazines I have been reading, it said they have a 90 day cure for it. The hardest thing is I will not be able to come home right away. But you all will be able to come and see me.
I am also writing Addye Laura. You will be able to answer these letters, and I will get an answer when we land in San Francisco in two or three days. Sometimes I feel a bit down heartened, but when I think back I realize just how lucky I am to be alive. The hardest thing to take was seeing your buddies getting killed the last week of the war, after going through the war in the Philippines and being a prisoner of war for three and a half years.
Give my love to Dad, Oland, and sisters. Write me a long letter telling me especially about Oland, and some of my friends. Do you know what happened to Paul Quate. Please send me some pictures of all the family, some of the latest ones you have had taken. Send as many as you can. I bet Joan is a big girl by now. You will never know how anxious I am to get home, and believe me if I ever get home again, I will never leave it again.
As soon as I find out where I will go, that is, what hospital I will be sent to, I will let you know. We should hit San Francisco about the 15th of October. I will try to get a hospital as near home as possible.
If anyone outside the family wants to know why I am not home, just tell them I am sick, they don’t have to know what with. And please don’t worry. Wait until you see me. It isn’t near as bad as it may seem, now that they have a new cure. I love you all and have not forgotten.
Love Allen
Don’t forget the pictures.
1945
Telegram from Allen to his mother announcing his arrival at Oakland Naval Hospital.
October 12, 1945
Letter from Allen to his mother & family.
October 12, 1945
Dearest Mother and Family,
Received your letter and also the pictures this morning. I think that Oland has changed more than anyone else. If it hadn't had his name on the picture, I wouldn't have recognized him. Some of the fellows who saw the picture said he looked a lot like me. Dad has aged quite a bit. You, Nellie, Josie, Herbert, don't seem to have grown any older.
I don't know why you haven't received any of my letters. But by the time this reaches you, you probably will have. I told you in my first letters that I had T.B. It isn't very bad. I got a look at my chart this morning and it said moderately advanced. I think that within six months I will be as good as ever.
I expect Oland up here tomorrow. Boy, will I be glad to see him. He certainly has changed. If he had walked in before I saw that picture, I doubt very much if I would have recognized him. He doesn't look at all like I expected him to look when he grew up.
I expect you are anxious to know what has happened, where, and what I have been doing since the war started. I could write for ages and never tell it all. After reaching the Philippine Islands from Shanghai, I and four other Marine Radiomen were sent to Cavite. There was a Naval Radio Station there. Until the time came for us to come home we were going to do duty there in Cavite. We were there for about 3 days; the Japs bombed the Radio Station and Navy Yard out of existence. Only the ammunition dump was left standing in the Navy Yard. The Jap Bombers flew about 20,000 feet. We had no fighter planes and our antiaircraft batteries were old guns, and the shells burst about 5,000 feet below the planes. Hundreds of Marines, Sailors, and Filipinos were killed.
Finally the Fourth Marines were sent to Corregidor to be used as beach defense. From the time the war started until Bataan fell, we were bombed near1y every day, heavily. When Bataan fell, the Japs lined up hundreds of artillery guns right across the bay from us, and shelled us continuously day & night. It was impossible to get any sleep, and plenty of days we only got one meal a day, and that was very poor. Our galley was out in the open and when the Japs saw some smoke coming up from behind the small hill, they would open up with everything they had. I think the Japs knew the position of our big guns and anti-aircraft guns better than we ourselves did. When a flight of planes came over and our boys started raising the anti-aircraft guns to fire, the Japs would put about 10 shells right in the pit with them. Most of our guns were stationary, and the Japs could move theirs back and forth. All we could do was lie in our foxholes and hope.
When the Japs finally did land, Corregidor hardly had a tree standing. Nearly all of our guns practically had been knocked out at one time or other. Still there were lots of Japs that started for Corregidor that never left there again. The Jap soldier couldn‘t have beaten the Americans there or in Bataan either, if it hadn't been for their planes.
As far as I know, we only had 5 P-40's the last 3 months of the war. The Japs had hundreds. We never expected General Wainwright to surrender Word had been passed around in our out-fit, that-we were going to fight to the last man. It would have been much better for thousands of Americans because they only lived then to die two or three years later of starvation, malnutrition, bombings and shellings.
We stayed in the Philippines from May until Sept. 1942, in a camp at Cabanatuan. In that camp they were dying off like flies, from Dysentery. There was no medicine. I caught Dysentery there, and if it had not been for a couple of friends I would have died there. I couldn't eat anything, and Veral Crowe, of Oregon, my best friend, got me a bit of milk when he could. I lost down to 115 pounds there.
From there we were sent to Yokohama to work in a Navy Yard. We were there for 2 1/2 years. We lost about 45 men there the first winter. We left Yokohama in May 1945 because of the bombings. I saw 7 B-29's get 4 shot down over our camp one night.
We were sent up north in May to Kamaisha, a town of about 40,000. Our camp was about 440 yards from a large smelting plant. On July 14, the U. S. Third Fleet shelled this valley. The only thing left intact was our camp. One end off the British barracks was shot off
Our boys were lucky this time. Only 4 of them were killed. On August 9, the Third Fleet came back again. Around 30 of our men in camp were killed this time, or burned to death. I was burned on they hands, both feet, all over the face and ears. Some of the boys had their bodies burnet badly also and still refused to die. Two of the boys breathed the fire in their lungs; they died that night.
I have a slight scar on my left hand and one on my right ear. Not a scar was left on my face. We hardly got any treatment at all for our burns, until the 15 of August. There was very little excitement when they told us the war was over. We were all too tired to show much emotion. We had seen too many die, just 6 days before the war ended
Then the Japs start treating us very kind; new clothes, Red Cross overcoats, cigarettes were yours for the asking. They smiled, bowed saluted every American. Very few Americans saluted them back. These fellows who came out of that hell will never forget; but America will. America will never be hard enough on the Japs. Gene Wainwright should be in charge of the occupation of Japan. He would know what to do.
I want to come home so badly to see all of the family, and a few friends. Maybe Oland can tell me about some of the fellows. Please don’t worry about me. I expect to be transferred to Long Beach in about two or three days. I have heard our Navy has a very good hospital there. It usually takes them 4 to 6 months there to cure you. Anyway, when I do get there I am going to send money to you to come to see me. That is what I want more than anything in the world.
Mother, if you know Miss Green's address tell me. I will congratulate her on her marriage. I remember George. I think he is a nice fellow. I don't know whether to write Addye Laura or not. I had written 2 letters to her before I knew she was married.
I guess my coming home kind of seems like a Ghost rising from the Grave. I knew you wouldn't give up hope; that is one of the reasons I never gave up.
Write soon
Love
Allen
P.S. Give me all news on Nellie's marriage and Addye Laura.
I came by U.S.S. Rescue, a Navy hospital ship.
Allen Silk’s Funeral
Rayville Says Goodbye To One of its Heroes
No fanfare at his funeral. Those were his orders.
A loner, old fashioned patriot, LSU fanatic, occasional ”grouch”-- noted with love by his own daughter in her funeral eulogy--he wanted to be buried with a minimum of fuss.
He obviously suspected that the end was near as health problems continued to nag him. "Yeah," he said to me on the phone, ”I just had a birthday (78th) but I don’t know how many more I'll have.”
There will be no more birthdays.
Allen Silk, World War II Marine Corps veteran and prisoner of the Japanese for three and a half years, died at his home in Rayville on August 31.
Funeral services were held on September 2, the same date that Japan formally surrendered 52 years ago in ceremonies aboard the U.S.S. Missouri. Persons of a certain age will remember it well.
Sometimes you have to disobey orders. The family voted to have at least a little fanfare. Sorry, Allen.
Pianist Phyllis Jones played hymns, patriotic medleys, tunes of his youth, and his modern favorite, "The Impossible Dream,” at First Baptist Church services.
The minister, Dr. Ernest Winburn, spoke of Allen’s passion and other qualities that one normally associates with Godly people.
James Adcock, a fellow LSU supporter; spoke of their friendship, bound up in their unwavering loyalty to those Tigers.
Sellers Aycock recited a poem by Sir Walter Scott, and spoke amusingly of their investment club days.
Youngest daughter, Leigh Anne Silk Palin, steeling herself against emotional breakdown, spoke movingly of their special relationship and some things about him beyond what the eye could see. She told about the Dad she knew because she felt he was often misunderstood. She recalled his reluctant acceptance of a Purple Heart which she had urged him to apply for. He refused the special ceremony that the Marines wanted to give him, telling her, ”I got it for you.”
Family members left the church to the soft strains the Marine Corps Hymn. Burial services were in the Rayville Masonic Cemetery with military honors that included a 21 gun salute and a flag ceremony at graveside, all performed by a Marine Honor Guard.
As his younger brother by six years, I, along with other family members, urged him to record in some form an account of his captivity. He never did. "Who would be interested in all that stuff?" was the usual reply. He wanted to 'avoid the appearance of the professional veteran, sitting around telling war stories all the time.
Therefore, we got only bits and pieces of what he experienced and what he witnessed. I filled in the blanks by reading widely in the Pacific war literature. [finally decided he didn’t tell his story because there were some events and experiences he didn’t wish to re-visit. (Oland and Allen shown at right.)
He was a staff sergeant in the legendary Fourth Marine Regiment based in Shanghai, China, a 22-year old from the cotton fields of Louisiana. When Roosevelt ordered the regiment out of Shanghai as war clouds hovered, he couldn’t know that he was about to stumble into one of the most ghastly episodes in American history---the fall of the Philippines.
The regiment was assigned to defend the island fortress of Corregidor under Gen. Jonathan Wainwright. After Bataan fell on April 9, 1942, the Japanese turned their full attention to the destruction of the "Rock’ Help was promised from Washington. It never came. Fearing a massacre in the final days, Wainwright surrendered Corregidor and the remainder of the Philippine forces on May 6th. Hardened Marines bawled like babies when they learned of the surrender order. It was the largest American military capitulation ever. Wainwright feared that he would be courtmartialed after the war. Instead, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Anyone interested in what “our boys” went through during that period can find plenty on the subject. Donald Knox’s Death March and Duane Schultz’s biography of "Wainwright, Hero of Bataan" would be a good start.
If you have an aging hero or heroine in your family, don't let them get away without involving them in a family oral history project. In Allen’s case, we regret that we didn’t succeed, but we don’t regret our decision to go with the fanfare at his funeral. It meant a lot to everyone in the family, and to his many friends in Rayville and Monroe.
Oland Silk (brother of Allen Silk)
Daughter’s eulogy at Allen Silk Funeral is printed.
The Richland Beacon--Rayville, LA--Thursday, September 11, 1997
EDITOR’S NOTE: The letter, written by Leigh Anne Silk Palin of Norton, MA, to her father, Allen Silk, was read as a eulogy at Mr. Silk’s funeral last week.
The sincerity and warmth expressed by Mrs. Palin was such that the Editor feels everyone should read it, realizing that all family ties have not been severed in today’s world.
We hope that everyone reading this can sense the closeness the two family members had, a feeling that seems to radiate outward even in the time of Mr. Silk’s death.
Beyond what your eyes could see ...
I have many good memories of being with my daddy but there are, just too many to mention, but here are a few I would like to recall:
Climbing in your lap when you came home from work.
Squirrel hunting across the road.
Your grin when Mr. Aycock brought me home in the middle of the night because I was so homesick.
Fishing in the pond.
Hitting the baseball in the pasture.
Our love for animals.
Our long walks down the road with the dog and cat.
When you came to my graduations.
Walking me down the aisle at my wedding.
Our. morning talks over coffee;
Your face when we listened to Mary Chapin Carpenter’s song “Down at the Twist & Shout.“
The joy in seeing your never-ending smile when the LSU Fight Song plays.
Our long distance telephone calls, before, during and after the College World Series and Football games.
And just know this-
That I will always be thankful for you teaching me the game of football.
We had many good times–– and some not so good––listening and watching our Tigers.
Every down I'll watch in the future I'll be thinking of you.
These memories are very special to me.
Now I would like all of you to look beyond what your eyes could see.
Once upon a time there was a boy named Allen, son of a sharecropper. Being an outstanding athlete in high school, he received a football scholarship to Pearl. River Junior College in Mississippi. Due, to “empty pockets," he left his belongings behind and hitchhiked home to join the Marines.
At 19, he entered the Marine Corps as a mere kid for what he thought to be four years. Four years turned into eight, changing this young boy forever. After three and one half years in Prison Camp and 18 months in the hospital, this young boy from Zebedec had become a man, full of patriotism, and a love for his country. His only regret was that he could not re-enlist, for he now was a disabled veteran.
Since that time he married an incredible woman and had three children, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. To most, he appeared to be a loner, very private, and sometimes even a “grouch.”
Also the boys who pursued my sister and me, the scowl on his face would make them flee. But now I want to tell you of the man that existed beyond what your eyes could see.
My daddy was a man who loved his family tremendously. In my brother‘s words, “He would tell you when you were wrong, praise you when you were right, and support you l00%." He was extremely wise, a man of great courage .... an All-American... a man who dedicated his life: heart, and soul so that many others could enjoy a better life.
You see ..... he was a hero... not just ours, but all of- yours, too. Changed forever, this man remained silent, never complaining or boasting about what he had endured. For we will never really know the torture he suffered.
Recently I had to beg my daddy to obtain the Purple Heart that he so richly deserved. Yousee... that’s now what it was about to him. But after many long conversations, he finally accepted his award. He refused the special ceremony the Marines wanted to give him.
Instead he received his Purple Heart quietly and privately, just the way he liked to lead his life. He even told me “I got it for you," as if he was unworthy of it and that his children deserved it.
In closing ... I wanted to share this letter with you because I know that only a few of you really knew daddy. In fact, I’ve been planning this letter for a long time, for I have always felt my dad was not understood by many people. But hopefully you will understand him better now. For those friends and family who know him, he enriched our lives greatly.
Daddy, we love you and thank you for all the years of your incredible love. Thank you for teaching us what it means to be an American and for the legacy you have left behind. We will truly miss you.
Your loving daughter,
“Leigh-baby”
August 31, 1997
Acknowledgements. Many thanks to Melda Hartley Silk for information, documents and pictures. The eulogy by daughter Leigh Anne Silk Palin was much appreciated for its beauty and insight. Thanks also to Lois Mallory for kindly assisting with the typing and editing of a number of documents. Some information about camps and rosters came from the excellent site on “Allied POWS Under the Japanese” maintained by Roger Mansell at http://www.mansell.com. Any remembrances, corrections and information would be greatly appreciated.
Photo Album
L to R: Lee Morgan (neighbor), Walter, William Butler Crider (1851-1942), Lenora Alice Bradley (1869-1916), Florence “Sweet” (front), Mary Louise, Sussie(back), Claude. William and Lenora were Allen’s maternal grandparents.
L to R: Sussie May Crider-Silk, Mary Louise Crider-Johnson, Florence Crider-Price, Walter Crider, Nora Crider-Johnson (Allen’s mother Sussie and her siblings.)
Brothers Oland and Allen Silk