We left the next day for a town named Santa Rosa, and miracle of miracles, we were trucked there. It was late morning when we arrived. I don't recallwhat unit recaptured the town, evidently the Japanese were surprised because  there was no damage to the place. Not one pockmarked building. Some one from A-511th PIR told us to check out the basement of the large yellow building in the square. We did, and were greeted by a scene from Dante"s Inferno. Theplace was jammed. Filipino guerrillas questioning and just plain torturing other Filipinos accused of being Makopilis (traitors). These people were being knocked about and cut up like you couldn't believe. The floor was carpeted with blood, so much of it you could hardly walk. You walked bysliding your feet along the floor. One Filipino asked me if I wanted to box, and with that he hit one of the prisoners in the face. I declined the offer.The prisoners were all fettered one way or another, chains, ropes, or handcuffs. One prisoner had a piece of his ear cut off and he was forced toeat it. When asked how it tasted, he said, "very good." These prisoners werebeing subjected to pain -- lots of it. No one cried out, no one pleaded for mercy. Earlier, I had formed an opinion, that Filipinos were a brave lot;now I noted that even their traitors were brave. I mean this in acomplimentary way. They impressed me then and were to impress me more before this day ended.

The Filipinos told us that Sunday there was to be a soiree at the graveyard where a bunch of the prisoners would be killed. So we could witness the execution, someone from A-511th talked the Filipinos into moving up the  date, to today. They agreed. Alongside the church was a large open space; this was to be the arena. An American major tried to put a stop to the spectacle, but was hooted down. The prisoners were brought out in groups of three and four. They were tortured, then killed; not one asked for mercy. They were brave men. There must have been twenty, all told. Then a woman was brought out. Her arms were bound behind her. Another woman, good looking and well dressed, started punching the bound one. She did this to the cheers of the Filipinos in the audience. We later learned that she was a well know movie star. She beat on the poor prisoner until she was visibly exhausted. The female prisoner was then marched throughout the crowd. She wore a sign telling of her crimes. Her only crime was that she married a Japanese officer. This officer had earlier burned 200 - 300 Filipinos in a church. Her punishment was to be burned.

She was tied to a stake, straw was placed around her legs up to her knees. Five gallons of alcohol was then poured over her and she was set ablaze. Not once did she cry, not during her beating or when the flames covered her. Her hair was burning, her mouth opened as though to pronounce the word, "Oh." As her rope bonds burned through, her right hand sprang forward amid flame and sparks, shortly she burned out and the show was over. 

Sherman was right.

Typing and editing provided by Leo Kocher - G-511th

Courtesy of "WINDS ALOFT" Quarterly publication of the 511th Parachute

Infantry Association