"Tiger of Manilla"

The recent events at Falluja, Iraq, bring to mind atrocities of another era, another monster. During World War II, the Japanese Lt. General Yamashita, was responsible for the needless killing of over 50,000 men, women and children in the Philipines. The Marines dubbed him the "Louse of Luzon". During his trial, details of many barbaric acts came to light with testimonies of survivors. One such story has similar connections to Falluja:

A former Manila military police testified how he saw Japanese MP's decapitate 26 Filipino men and women in less than 40 minutes. The order was signed by Yamashita. Further, he stated that two American fliers, gunners from a twin-engined plane that crashed off Cebu, were bayonetted and then burned alive. He exhibited photos of charred bodies, their hands still tied behind their backs. The men had been bayonetted beside a hole, where their pleas for water were answered with a deluge of gasoline. Additionally, he recounted atrocities in the Manila prisons, where some persons were strung from the ceiling with ropes, and then allowed to fall onto boards with protruding nails. Other prisoners were pumped full of soapy water after which the guards jumped on their stomachs. The tales of horror go on and on.

While this generation of Americans shake their heads at the inhumane actions of the Iraqi's, the generation of WWII saw much worse. The Bataan Death March was once described as "never-to-be-forgotten" savagery. General MacArthur wanted the convicted Japanese officers and leaders to be executed at the gallows, which he considered more appropriate for murderers, rapists, and war criminals. To place them before a firing squad would be an honorable death for a soldier, something MacArthur felt should be denied to these criminals of war.

On October 25th, 1945, the AP reported combat casualties were compiled for all armed servcies and totaled 272,862 dead, 651,586 wounded, 27,852 missing in action, 116,903 POW's, for a total of 1,069,203.

Surely these numbers cannot be repeated today?