SANTO TOMAS INTERNMENT CAMP
(1942 - February 3, 1945)

For those in camp you may remember the musical selection you might have heard as your wake-up call: Horace Heidt and His Musical Knights. Of the three women and four children; left to right: Mrs. Howard J. (Mary Virginia) Schlereth and daughter Linda; Columbus, Ohio Mrs. Robert (Beatrice) Wabraushek and daughter Leslie; Los Angeles, California Mrs. Tom Yule and daughters Rosalind and Sheila; Flushing, New York Mrs. Paul (Janina H.) Malone (barely visible); New York Victims of Circumstance Held captive during the tide of Japanese aggression against the United States, this film draws the viewer into the horror lived by 3,700 American and allied civilians beginning in that fateful year of 1941.The American presence in the Philippine Islands stranded businessmen, housewives, school children - whole families, who through no fault or plan of their own, were thrown into a set of circumstances which would lead many to sickness, starvation and even death. They were forced to leave their homes and belongings; forced to leave their friends and way of life to live under the domination and whims of the mighty Imperial Forces of Japan. They were interned within the walls of an old university now known as the Santo Tomas Internment Camp. Their poignant saga is a celebration of the human spirit and the will to organize and survive. This documentary is presented through the personal recollections of the internees themselves, eyewitness accounts by those who lived through three years and one month under Japanese control. The film includes original photographs from personal collections as well as old film footage and photos from the National Archives. For more information, please contact: lougopal@hotmail.com Kawayan Productions Producers: Lou Gopal and Michelle Bunn Website: www.lougopal.com Do you know this boy or woman? Photo taken in or near Santo Tomas Back of photo says, "American Internees, March 10, 1945" Click HERE to see the Santo Tomas Internment Camp INTERNEWS. Just a few of the people interned at Santo Tomas were: Airriess Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Dr. Beulah Ream Allen Robert Coleman Allen (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Arundell Family Atkinson Family Alvin K. Aurell Aviado Family Bailey Family Baker Family Baldwin Family Balfour family Wilfred Rufus Barnes Barnett Family Barrett Family Bateman Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Harold Raymond Bayley (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Herman Knight Beaber (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Frank Emil Becker (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Beliel Family Bennett Family Bennett and Connor Families Captain Ethel "Sally" Blaine Blair Family Blake Family Blechynden Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Boni Family Bramble Family Brambles Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Brazee Family Bridgeford and Rowley Families Broad Family Broaddus Family Curtis B. Brooks Katherine Ellis Brown (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Beatrice Hooper Bruns Margaret Mary Bruel aka Mary Bruel Boguslav Brush Family Eugene M. Brush Brussolo Family Frank Woodruff Buckles (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Martha Bullert Wilber and Gladys Bunnell Harry and Helen Burmeister Burnham Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Bush Family Samuel W. Bushman Byde Family Cadwallader Family Cameron Family Canson and Chickese Families (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Capen Family Clinton Floren Carlson Carlson Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Earl Carroll Francis Xavier Cassera Lowell C. Cates and Tressa Roka Chapman Family Geraldine V. Chappell Arthur Thomas Chenoweth Chittick Family Vivian V. Clark Cleland Family Cobb Family Douglas Phipps Coles Colquhoun Family Coote Family Thomas Copello (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Cotterman Family Cowie Family Crabb Family Crawford Family Uncle Jim Cullins Ethel R. Cunningham Curran Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Cutting Family Donald Ming Dang Danner and Gurney Families Davies Family Davies Family (British) Davis Family William and Mary Davis Another Davis family Edward Braxton Davis Samuel Deebel DeVries Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Clyde Alton DeWitt (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) William H. Donald (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Doolan Family William Douglas (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Willard Bruce Drummond Alfred Francois Duggleby Edrington Family Dyer Sisters Hyman Cohen Elie Thurman Clifford Erickson Faggiano Family Fairchild Family Falkner Family Fanton Family Fee Family Ferroggiaro Family Fisher Family Joe and Hattie Flanagan Flannery Family Foley Family Fonger Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Ford Family Joyce Barbara Ford Forster Family Fossum Family Fox Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) James Roy Fox (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) David William Fry Fulstone Family Gage Family Emil Henry Gallit (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Garner Family Elwood Llewellin Garrett (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Marcia Lou Gates Getz Family Green Family Carroll Calkins Grinnell Gunn Family David Garfield Gunnell and Dorothy Ellis Obert Hackett Family (John and Alice Hackett, later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Hagans Family David Henry Hahn Hair Family Hall Family Hamilton Family Harden Family Harn Family Harper Family Harper and Wichman Families Harrington Family Harrow Family Dave Harvey William Henry Hastings Lewis and Charlotte Haven (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Hazzard family Heinrich Family Henderson Family John Henderson and Bertha Dworsky Hess Family Hinds Family Hodges Family Arthur John and Eleanora Hodges (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Hoffmann Family Holdsworth family Holland Family Ruth Ann Holmes Holter Family Honnor Family Hoover Family John Welsh Hoover Mary Irene Hoover Hornbostel Family Howie Family Hughes/McAlpine Families D'Arcy Swain Hunt (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Hyde Family Irwin Family Iserson Family James/Vasquez Family John Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Johns Family Edward Heard and Virginia Pigford Johnson Alvah Eugene Johnson Reta Eva Johnson Jones Family Judge family Merrill R. Keaton Keeney Family Keiffer Family Kernot Family Kerns Family Roy Keyser Kibbee Family Kneale Family Kneedler Family Waldmar Ivan Konkoff Koesling Family Kramer Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Kreutz Family Laing Family Lapham Family Larsen Family LaSage Family Bertram Godfrey Leake Paul Francis Xavier Leary (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Ansie Lee (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Lehman Family Harold Bertram Leney Lt Frankie Lewey, USANC Lewis Family Another Lewis Family Raymond Leyerle Frances Long George Herman Louis Linder and Clear families Saul Lubarsky (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Dorothy Ludlow and Donald McCann Carl Axel Lundquist (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Lyman Family MacDonald family MacKay family Clarissa Mackie (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Elmer Madsen (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) MaGee Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Magnuson Family Main and Harrington families Mangels Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Marsh Family Marx Family Mattocks Family James E. McCall Mcvey-Hally Family McKinney Family McNaughton Family Meadows Family Miles and Searl Families Mill Family Mills Family William Mitchell (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Ruth Mladinich Charles Pleydell Moat Montesa Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Moore Family Morrison Family another Morrison Family Moote Family Muir Family William Elmer Murray, Jr. (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Carl and Shelly Mydans Nash Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Nathanson Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) John Nicholson Nielson Family Eva Anna Nixon Rev. Edward L. Nolting and his wife Rosalie Nolting Oss Family Elbert Monroe "Al" Overton (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Hoyle William Owens (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Page Family Pascoe Family Walter Bruce Patey (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Harold Ray Penny (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) The Perkins and Anderson Families Phillips and Thomas Families Max Polin Poole Family Edward J. Powers Prising family Harold and Margaret Rather Ralston family Grace Rand (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Rennolds and Thompson families William Philip Reed Vincent Reinstein and Frances Gispert Peter Clifton Richards Riley Family RobertYelton Robb Robertson Family Rockwell Family Hugh Laughlin Robinson Rose Family (some, later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Rose Gartman Rosenbaum Charles Alvin Ross Donald Paul Rounds Rowland family Donald Rutter Sams family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Jack Sanders Millie Brown Sanders Sansom Family Frederick Malone Satterfield (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Schade family (later the son, Roger D. Schade, was sent to Los Banos Internment Camp for awhile then returned to his parents at Santo Tomas) Scaff family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp Schlereth family Schuster Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Elizabeth "Georgi" Scott (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Searl Family Seater Family Seawell Family Self Family Semmelink Family John Roy Shaw Dwight Shouse Joseph Moses Shurdut (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Arthur Frank Skiles Dr. Floyd Olin Smith Smith Family (John Smith, Charles Smith, Dorothy Keaton and son Richard Keaton) (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) John Alwynne George L. Smith (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Louise M. Smith Robert Smith family Walter E. Smith Family Southerton Family (later to YuYuan Road, then to Chapei, then YuYuan Road in Shanghai and finally Yantzepoo) Stagner Family Staight Family Ernest Stanley Frederic Stevens Stock Family Stopford family Herman Edwin Strong David Lenox Stuart (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Raymond George Sudhoff (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Ruth Pauline Swanson Swinton Family Joe Terry (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Thiele Family Thomas Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Marie Jeannette Thomas Joseph, Joseph, Jr. and Emma Thomas Family Samuel and Pauline Thompson Ella Frances Thompson Pendleton David Thompson Robert James Thomson Tonkin Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Tremblay Family Martha Bowler Trogstad (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Tuohy Family Arthur and Tatania Turner Vaughan Family Vittaly Family Von Stetten family Wabraushek Family Walker and Butler Families Luella Walters Louis Walton Albert Edward Waterstradt (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Watkins Family Watt Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Weibel Family Weinzheimer Family Werff Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Whitacre Family Whitaker Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Jenifer White White family Wichman and Harper Families Wienke Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Wilkinson family Richard Douglas Willard James Gunn Williamson Wills Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Wilson Family Edith Marie Wimberly S. Davis Winship (later to Los Banos Internment Camp) Glenn and Leonette Wishard Evelyn M. Witthoff Woodham Family Marion Wells Woodward Wrinch Family Olin Robertson Wycoff Wygle Family Yarborough Family Young Family Luther Alexander Young Zelikovsky Family If you would like to add yours or a family member's name to this list just let me, Tom Moore, know. The spear-head fence at Santo Tomas before the war. The Japanese covered it with matting and barbed wire: they objected to Filipino friends feeding us through the bars like "animals in a zoo." After the Battle for Manila, the field at left was filled with the graves and crosses of the dead. (Courtesy of Robin Prising) Anxious, confused arrivals at Santo Tomas, 1942; note frightened boy on right -- clinging to his mother (Japanese photo) (Courtesy of Robin Prising) Patio in Santo Tomas "Internment" Camp, 1942: Mr. and Mrs. Wishard (Japanese propaganda photo - looks like a country club) (Courtesy of Robin Prising) Santo Tomas Supervisors and Monitors left to right Charles Schelke, Fay C. Bailey, Neil Crawford, John McCord, Roy Bennett, Horace Pond, Arthur H. Evans, Fred Berry, Ken Day and Eddie Tait. (Courtesy of Robin Prising) Vegatable Garden in front of the Main Building, circa 1942 poor soil and frequent floods permitted only roughage greens: talinum, pechay and kangkong (Japanese photo) we turned our backs to any Japanese photographer. (Courtesy of Robin Prising) The same Patio in Santo Tomas Prison Camp, 1945: men cooking at sheds Do you know these men's names? (Courtesy of Robin Prising) The Front Gate At Santo Tomas 1944 or 1945 Map of Overview of Back of Santo Tomas (Courtesy of Robin Prising) 1942 left to right Donald Rutter (U.S. Navy -- no shirt), one of the Coote's brothers, Unknown, Bill Hoffmann, Earl Hornbostel and an Unknown mistiso. Rutter was taken with 25/26 other military men from Santo Tomas Internment Camp and sent to Cabanatuan Military Prison Camp. (Photo courtesy of Tom Moore and information from Patricia "Pat" Chittick Remley.) 1942-1943 Behind the main building Bathtub for hair washing Margaret Evalyn Whitaker on right in the blouse with flowers on the blouse's pockets Margaret's mother, Evalyn Eddy Whitaker, in the middle Others are unknown (Photo courtesy of Tom Moore) This surreptitious picture was taken in early September, 1942 in the Santo Tomas Internment Camp, Manila, Philippines by internees Jerry Sams and Patricia Chittick. It depicts a Japanese machine gun drill. The weapon appears to be a Japanese Nambu machine gun (Nambu Keikikanju) with tripod. The officer in charge is to the left, followed by four soldiers carrying the weapon and two soldiers bringing up the rear in march step. Back View of Education Building with Shacks, Latrines, etc. (Courtesy of Robin Prising) Overview of Back of Santo Tomás (see Map): showing Annexe, Isolation Hospital, Main Building, Education Building, the Cook Sheds, the Garden and Shanties areas, the Jap Bodega & Guardhouse—the Wall with unseen Barbed Wire backing onto Calle Dapitan. (Courtesy of Robin Prising) Crowd around U. S. jeep -- February 4, 1945. On the left: F. W. Prising, wearing khaki hat; Dr Beulah Ream Allen (thin woman, short hair) Can you identify other people in this photo? (Courtesy of Robin Prising) Battle for Manila, February 1945 The devastated city with Santo Tomas standing clearly in the background. (Courtesy of Robin Prising) Photo Courtesy of Tom Moore (Courtesy of Kay Cotterman Hoskins) If you would like to share any information about Santo Tomas Internment Camp or would like to be on my POW/Internee e-mail distribution list, please let the me, Tom Moore, know. Thanks!

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