On December 7th, 1941, aircraft of the Japanese Imperial Navy decimated the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. This "surprise" attack was a major tragedy for the U.S. & an unforgivable legacy of those, political & military, who held positions of trust at that time in this country's history. The Japanese, like the many armed octopus, with precision & determination, soon achieved victory after victory in the Far East. In the Philippines, the U.S. maintained a military presence of approximately 20,000 American Army & Naval personnel. Augmented by poorly trained & equipped nationals of the Philippines, this force was expected to blunt any Japanese military threat until reinforcements could be sent. December 7th sealed the fate of the Philippine defenders & they disappeared as Prisoners of War of the Japanese Imperial Government. First written in 1946, (unpublished) it is a personal chronology. Eventually, I too became a POW, after 8 months of combat, evasion & an attempt to reach Australia by sailboat. My "home" for the following 37 months was the notorious Tan Toey POW camp, Ambon, NEI (Indonesia), where 75% of its occupants would not survive. A story of pride, bitterness, survival & patriotism. To order contact: Erie PA Book Store, 717 French St., Erie, PA 16501. (800) 252-3354; Author's FAX: (814) 833-1571.