Grice, Walter Lee, St. Helena Parish, Louisiana File prepared by D.N. Pardue and submitted by Inez Bridges Tate. ************************************************ Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ From "St. Helena Vets Remember World War II: Personal Interviews With World War II Vets", published by St. Helena Historical Association, 1995. Compiled and edited by Inez Bridges Tate and reprinted with permission. WALTER LEE GRICE May 7, 1921 - May 3, 1989 Walter Lee Grice was born and grew up in the New Zion Com- munity. As a farm boy, he had various chores on the family dairy farm. He enjoyed life here, so near family and friends, but jobs were very scarce during the Great Depression. Because of this, Walter Lee joined the Marines before his 18th birthday as his mother had to sign giving her permission. He was sent overseas to the South Pacific and had the mis- fortune of being aboard the USS Houston, a part of ABDA (Austra- lian British Dutch American) strike force and saw combat in battles of Makassar Strait, Java Sea and Sundra Strait. The Houston was sunk between Java and Sumatra by Japanese March 1, 1942 in the battle of Sundra Strait. Of 1,060 officers and men aboard, 700 perished. The remainder were taken as prisoners and were held 43 months by the Japanese. In the battle of the Java Sea, fifteen Allied warships were involved including three sub- marines. They were pitted against 60 of Japan's finest. The survivors of the Houston swam ashore and were taken prisoner by the Japanese. They were kept in jails in Seran, Java, 20 men in cells designed for six. An open two-gallon buc- ket was the only toilet facility. Another bucket of the same size contained drinking water, with one cup to be used by every- one. Food was one plain rice ball once a day. They were kept here for six weeks then moved by truck to Batavia to another prison. Here the years of unspeakable abuse began. Since the Americans were taller than the Japanese, these men strutted and tried to lower their voices to sound tougher. Frequently the Americans were forced to sit down on the floor so the Japanese could tower over them. In late August 1942 approximately 150 of the prisoners were taken to the Batvia docks and shoved into an ancient freighter used previously to transport cattle. Food was plain rice balls handed down through the hatch and passed along to the others by hand. They were transported to Singapore. A week later they were on another ship, equally as bad as the first. It was their very good fortune that a Dutch doctor, Henri Hekking, was with them. Their destination was Moulmein, Burma. They were taken inland by train to the tiny village of Thanbyizayat, which later even the world would have the connotation of death. Guards were burning brush and all prisoners faced a platform and were told they were there to build a railroad for the Japanese Army and it would extend 262 miles through the jungle southeast to Bankok. It was to be completed in 12 months. Looking at the dense jungle, these men recognized really how difficult the job would be. For a point of information, the entire speech of the Japanese Lt. Col. is being included. It is to be noted that this manifesto was posted at various places in the camps where the men were held. SPEECH DELIVERED BY LIEUT. COL. Y. NAGATOMO TO ALLIED PRISONERS OF WAR AT THANBHYUZHAT, BURMA ON OCTOBER 28, 1942 It is a great pleasure to me to see you at this place as I am appointed Chief of the war prisoners camp obedient to the Imperial Command issued by His Majesty the Emperor. The great East Asiatic war has broken out due to the rising of the East Asiatic Nations whose hearts were burn with the desire to live and preserve their nations on account of the intrusion of the British and Americans for the past many years. There is, therefore, no other reason for Japan to drive out the Anti-Asiatic powers of the arrogant and insolent British and Americans from East Asia in co-operation with our neighbors of China and other East Asiatic Nations and establish the Great East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere for the benefit of all human beings and establish lasting great peace in the world. During the past few centuries, Nippon has made great sacrifices and extreme endeavors to become the leader of the East Asiatic Nations, who were mer- cilessly and pitifully treated by the outside forces of the British and Americans, and the Nippon Army, without disgracing anybody, has been doing her best until now for fostering Nippon's real power. You are only a few remaining skeletons after the invation of East Asia for the past few centuries, and are pitiful victims. It is not your fault, but until your governments do not wake up from their dreams and discontinue their resistance, all of you will not be released. However, I shall not treat you badly for the sake of humanity as you have no fighting power left at all. His Majesty the Emperor has been deeply anxious about all prisoners of war, and has ordered us to enable the operating of War Prisoner camps at almost all the places in the SW countries. The Imperial Thoughts are unestimable and the Imperial Favors as infinite and, as such, you should weep with gratitude at the greatness of them. I shall correct or mend the mislead- ing and improper Anti-Japanese ideas. I shall meet with you hereafter and at the beginning I shall require of you the four following points: (1) I heard that you complain about the insufficiency of various items. Although there may be lack of materials it is difficult to meet your requirements. Just turn your eyes to the present conditions of the world. It is entirely different from the pre-war times. In all lands and countries materials are considerably short and it is not esy to obtain even a small piece of cigarete and the present position is such that it is not possible even for needy women and children to get sufficient food. Needless to say, therefore, at such inconvenient places even our respectable Imperial Army is also not able to get mosquito nets, foodstuffs, medicines and cigarettes. As condi- tions are such, how can you expect me to treat you better than the Imperial Army? I do not prosecute according to my own wishes and it is not due to the expense but due to the shortage of materials at such difficult places. In spite of our wihses to meet their requirements, I cannot do so with money. I shall supply you, however, if I can do so with my best efforts and hope you will rely upon me and render your wishes before me. We will build the railroad if we have to build it over the white man's body. It gives me great pleasure to have a fast moving defeated nation in my power. You are merely rubble but I will not feel bad because it is your rulers. If you want anything you will have to come through me for same and there will be many of you who will not see your homes again. Work cheerfully at my command. (2) I shall strictly manage all of your going out, coming back, meeting with friends, communications. Possessions of money shall be limited, living manners, deportment, salutation, and attitude shall be strictly according the rules of the Nippon Army, because it is only possible to manage you all, who are merely rabble, by the order of military regulations. By this time I shall issue separate pamphlets of house rules of War pris- oners and you are required to act strictly in accordance with these rules and you shall not infringe on them by any means. (3) My biggest requirement from you is escape. The rules of escape shall naturally be severe. This rule may be quite useless and only binding to some of the war prisoners, but it is most important for all of you in the management of the camp. You should, therefore, be contented accordingly. If there is a man here who has at least 1% of a chance of escape, we shall make him face the extreme penalty. If there is one foolish man who is trying to escape, he shall see big jungles toward the East which are impossible for communication. Towards the West he shall see boundless ocean and, above all in the main points of the North, South, our Nippon Armies are guarding. You will easily under- stand the difficulty of complete escape. A few such cases of ill-omened matters which happened in Singapore (Execution of over a thousand Chinese civilians) shall prove the above and you should not repeat such foolish things although it is a lost chance after great embarrassment. (4) Hereafter, I shall require all of you to work as no- body is permitted do do nothing and eat at the present. In addition, the Imperial Japanese have great work to promote at the places newly occupied by them, and this is an essential and important matter. At the time of such shortness of materials your lives are preserved by the military, and all of you must award them with your labor. By the hand of the Nippon Army Railway Construction Corps to connect Thailand and Burma, the work has started to the great interest of the world. There are deep jungles where no man ever came to clear them by cutting the trees. There are also countless difficulties and suffering, but you shall have the honor to join in this great work which was never done before, and you shall also do your best effort. I shall investigate and check carefully about your coming back, attendance so that all of you except those who are unable to work shall be taken out for labor. At the same time I shall ex- pect all of you to work earnestly and confidently henceforth you shall be guided by this motto. Y. Nagatomo Lieutenant Colonel, Nippon Exp. Force Chief No. 3 Branch Thailand POW Administration Not enough trucks were available to transport the prisoners into the jungle, so many were forced to walk. To show the enemy their spirits were high, the Americans sang as they marched. Camp was a dreary place - made of green bamboo with shelves for sleeping, also of bamboo. Latrines were trenches dug behind the bamboo structures. Dr. Hekking risked his life by confronting the commander about the lack of available food - only rice and a few vegetables. For his effort he was slapped across the face. Enlisted men were assigned work on the railroad. A sack was placed on a bamboo pole, filled with dirt and the pole placed on the shoulders of two men. In this way dirt was moved to form a road bed for the railroad. Awakened before daylight, they were given a canteen of water, and in mess kits a canteen cup of dirty rice and watery soup to be eaten at noon. A ten minute break in the morning, thirty minutes for lunch, another ten minute break in the afternoon, then work until almost dark. They walked back into camp and lined up for the same kind of slop they had that morning. Lack of food was a continuing problem. Officers did their best to obtain food for the prisoners. Once the Japs had killed a water buffalo and Dr. Hekking cooked the blood and persuaded the men to eat some of this protein. With a knowledge of the plants growing in the jungle, the Doctor was able to provide some medicine for dysentery and other ailements. However, the steady diet of rice and watery soup takes its toll. The men continued to lose weight. Having no other weapon at their disposal, the men sabotaged what they could and from time to time had slow-downs, where they walked slower. Three Australians tried to escape, were caught by the Burmese and sold to the Japanese. They were returned to the prison, made to dig their own graves and then shot in the head. The railroad was completed to the River Kwai to link up with the bridge over the River Kwai built by British POW's. On January 12, 1944 they were moved to Thailand. They learned later at what terrible cost the railroad was built -- this Death Railroad built over the bodies of white men. Of ap- proximately 61,000 Dutch, English, Australian and Americans forced to work on the railroad, 13,300 - 21 percent perished. Of 270,000 Asians, 90,000 died. This occured during the 14 month period from October 30, 1942 to January 12, 1944. While some went to Thailand, others were sent to Japan where they worked in coal mines during the last eighteen months of the WAr. Others went to Saigon, French Indochina where they worked on oil storage tanks, etc. all prime bomb targets, as no camps were marked as POW camps. Then the war ended! Then one glorious day the Americans arrived! Giant four-engine transports came and taxied in toward the tower and the bony prisoners who were eagerly awaiting them. Edith said Walter was liberated September 6, 1945 by the Americans. He was flown home. She said he laughed and said they were served breakfast everywhere they landed, that he got tired of breakfast food. Enroute home, another guy had been no- tified by Red Cross of a death in his family. Walter gave his seat to this guy. They were questioned about various illnesses but all were so anxious to reach home they would respond "no" to each query. He came in by train that stopped in McComb, MS but not in Kentwood. He departed the train in McComb and got a taxi into Kentwood, going to Dykes' Cafe on Highway 51, then on to his mother's house nearby. Edith and Walter met when he visited his sister Elva in the Magnolia Hopistal following the birth of her son Tommy. Edith was working night shift as an R.N. This was in February 1946 and they married September 6, 1946 on the anniversary of his liberation. They operated a dairy west of Kentwood. The parents of two sons, Billy was lost at sea during Hurricane Camille. Rommell lives in Baton Rouge. Walter and Edith attended several reunions of the survivors of the USS Houston and the Lost Battalion - the Texas National Guard Unit taken prisoner in Java and held together as POW's. Edith said Walter did not talk much about his time as a POW but she would hear him talking with his friends at these reunions. This seemed to help. She said Walter was nicknamed "Shanghai" by the others because he had been at Shanghai before the Marines were pulled out and he was sent to the USS Houston for "tempor- ary" duty. Edith treasures a spike nail from the bridge Kwai that was sent to Walter by a POW friend. Walter was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease that prog- ressed and ultimately caused his death. Several friends from the POW camp attended the funeral ser- vice for Walter. Walter had asked a fellow Marine POW, Charley Pryor to give his eulogy if he was still living and able to, which Charley did. Also the following poem was written by a former POW. Walter Grice - In Memoriam of a True Marine by Lloyd V. Willey May 4, 1989 1. Just a young boy with a boyhood dream He wanted the best, to be a Marine. To the Far East he traveled with his fellow Marines, Eventually landing in the Philippines. Transferred to our "Houston" he was soon part of the team, Enjoying new friendships, and the tropical scenes. 2. But training went on for a war-time skill, On weapons of war that were built to kill, So the Marines were ready at Japan's sneak attack, Only wanting a chance to pay them back, On the days that followed Walter slept by his gun, Helping repulse the raids of the Rising Sun. 3. Walter was always in the thick of the fight, Until "Abandon Ship" rang out on that final night, With typical courage and strength he made Javas' shore, But the Japs had landed, and he was a Prisoner of War, Three and a half years of slavery and toil, Then Walter returned to his native soil. 4. The years sped by, with Edith at his side, Happiness and tragedy were taken in stride. Then Walter became ill, residuals from a cruel past, Each day, seemed more painful than the last. Then the Lord reached down, so it would seem, And Heaven opened for our Brother Marine. May he rest in peace, forever - Amen. Several books have been written by men who were held as POW's with Walter. Edith said "Last Man Out" by H. Robert Charles most nearly chronicles Walter's time as he was with this man throughout his prison time. Other books: "Our Days Were Years" by Howard G. Teel, "The Bamboo Express" by Benjamin Dunn, "Prisoner of War" History of the Lost Battalion by Clyde Fillmore and "A Thousand Cups of Rice" by Kyle Thompson. All of the books have a common theme -- the lack of food, the backbreaking work and the awful treatment by the Japanese. - - - - - Newspaper clippings: 2 Feb 1945 MRS. MINNIE GRICE HEARS FROM PRISONER SON Mrs. Minnie L. Grice received two cards from her son, Walter Le Grice, a prisoner of the Japan- ese, on Saturday and Sunday. This was her firt word in 14 months. She does not know whether or not Walter has heard from her since was was declared. Walter, a Private First Class in the Marines, was on board the USS Houston when it was sunk, on Feb. 28, 1942, and was one of comparatively few of the 1,100 men on board who are known to have survived. He was made a prisoner at that time, although nothing was learned of his where- abouts for many months after- ward. His address is given on the two cards as POW Camp 5333, Nike, Thailand. The cards were undat- ed, unless some of the Japanese characters stamped on them might represent a date. One was a print- ed form, on which certain words and phrases were to be crossed out and others left, and which conveyed nothing except the fact that he was well, and was work- ing for pay. The other also print- ed, read as follows: IMPERIAL JAPANESE ARMY Our present place, quarters and work is unchanged since last card sent to you. The rains have stop- ped, it is now beautiful weather. (Ed. Note: The rainy season in Thailand is from May to October.) I am working healthily. We re- ceive newspapers printed in Eng- lish which reveal world events. We have joyfully received a present of some milk, tea, mar- garine, sugar and cigarettes from the Japanese government. We are very anxious to hear from home, but some prisoners have received letters or cables. Everyone is hopeful of a speedy end to the war and with faith in the future we look forward to a happy reunion soon. With best wishes for a cheerful Christmas. From Walter Lee Hand-printed in pencil was the following personal message: "I am feeling well. Hope to be home soon. Tell Mac Kathrine hello." 17 Sept 1943 JAP PRISONER Walter Lee Grice, of the U.S. Marines, who was re- ported missing following the sink- ing of the U.S.S. Houston near the island of Java, on Feb. 28th, 1942, is now a prisoner of war of the Japanese government, accord- ing to a card received by Walter Lee's mother, Mrs. Minnie Travis Grice, of the Sixth Ward of St. Helena Parish, Friday, August 27. The card informed her that he was a prisoner of war and in ex- cellent health. He sent a hello to the folks and asked them not to worry. He closed with the saluta- tion of "Love and Kisses", and signed his name in full "Walter Grice." Mrs. Grice said the handwriting or printing on the card was that of her son. On the front of the card was the address and on the borders were Japanese writing. No date was given. The mother, Mrs. Grice, and his three sisters had almost given up hopes of Walter Lee being alive and when the card came last Fri- day morning his mother and other relatives were overcome with emo- tional joy. Mrs. Grice said it had been eighteen months since she had heard anything from her son. 27 Mar 1942 KENTWOOD MAN LOST IN SINKING OF U.S.S. HOUSTON Mrs. Minnie Grice of Kentwood has received notification from the Navy Department that her son, Seaman Walter Lee Grice, lost his life in the sinking of the U.S.S. Houston. The Houston was a U.S. Destroyer thought to be one of the ships sunk during the battle of Java. He was a son of the late Tom Grice and of Mrs. Minnie Grice of Kentwood. He was 22 years old and had been in the Navy for four years. He was a cousin of H.M. Grice, Amite barber. * * * * *