Phillips, Breed, 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. BREED PHILLIPS April 13, 1913 - January 2, 1988 The following article was made available by Lawrence and Virginia Phillips. This article appeared in the "Gumbo Magazine" on Sunday, May 24, 1987. Gumbo Magazine was a part of the Hammond Daily Star for several years but has been discontinued. Breed Strickland Phillips, son of Chris Phillips and Mattie Phillips and grandson of William and Jane Phillips, lived in the Pine Ridge Community for a while. Breed Phillips: Surviving Prison Camp by Pat Watkins, Staff Writer Breed Phillips remembers that he was hungry and wore his shoes most of the time he was a prisoner of the Japanese during World War II. The war stories of this 74 year old Tangipahoa native do not include the usual grist military victories, personal exploits and famous names. His stories deal with every day life, learning to deal with the enemy and fear, and of survival. He was taken prisoner early in May 1942 when U.S. defenders of Corregidor surrendered to a Japanese invasion force. Corregi- dor is a small island at the mouth of the Bay of Manila on the main Phillipine Island of Luzon. U.S. forces on Luzon had surrendered early on April 9. They made the infamous Bataan Death March, while Phillips and others fought on at Corregidor. He was liberated on January 30, 1945, by a division of U.S. Army Rangers and Fillipino guerillas. Phillips, a sergeant at the time witnessed his first exe- cution about three days after arriving at his first prisoner-of- war camp. "That's when we got to know what prison life was like," he said. The executions came about after three prisoners had escaped. It was no trouble to escape. They only had a single strand of barbed wire around the camp. Staying out was what was hard. You didn't know which Fillipinos were for the Japs and which were for us. And whites really stood out there, he said. Those first escapees were probably recaptured "just walking down a road" soon after the escape. They were brought back to the compound and forced to squat with two-by-two inch boards across their knee pits for about a day. "Then, 3 or 4 the next afternoon, they were marched up a hill where we all could see. I was no more than 300 yards from them. And three Japs standing and three Japs prone shot them. They fell into their graves. A Jap officer ran up and took the mercy shots..." Another triple execution soon followed when three U.S. officers were caught attempting to escape. Phillips shook his head and said, "They were just trying to get out." He made a career of the Army, even thought he said he joined December 8, 1932, because there were no opportunitites around the small village of Tangipahoa. He admitted his career had not worked out like he expected. "Does anything?", he asked. When asked why he joined, he only said, "The Depression." After being liberated and returned to the States, Phillips had seven years until he could retire. He went through ordnance school and ended up in the Korean conflict. "It was a different Army all together. It would have been better if I'd started as a recruit again," he said. In Korea, Phillips nearly got captured again. "I went through Korea in the infantry, like a damned fool," he said. He was in the 2nd Division infantry, one of the first out- fits sent to Korea, and was stationed on the Yellow River when the Chinese invaded. The Chinese circled his outfit and overran division headquarters, he said. "We had to fight our way back through them to get to our lines", he said. Soon after that, he got an emergency furlough back to the States and finished his stint at Fort Polk. "When I hit 19 years and six months, I said goodbye. I never did like any part of it," he said. He was a technical sergeant when he retired. He is proud of his role, however. This week he is in Phoenix, AZ at a convention of American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor. When he was captured on Corregidor, Phillips was on his second tour in the Phillippines. He was part of what was then called the Coast Artillery Corp. "It was kind of a flagpole raising detail, compared to the real Army," he said. He had also served in Panama and San Francisco before returning to the Phillippines in 1940. The next year, a Japa- nese attack on Pearl Harbor spurred the United States into the war. The U.S. Forces on the Phillippines had some forewarning of the attack in Hawaii. "I first knew something was up on Nov. 27. That night they came into the theatre and told the CAC to return to their outfits." "The next day we were ordered to the field. I asked a first sergeant, named Farmer, if he knew anything." "He said 80 transports had been reported leaving Japan on the 27th." "We moved into the field, bag and baggage on the 28th." Nothing happened for about a week, until early December 8 (across the internatinoal Dateline). He had a radio, and some- one was listening to it while he was sleeping. "They woke me up and yelled, 'They're bombing Pearl Harbor.' But is was no surprise to us. We heard about those transports... We had our shells out, ready to go. No surprise at all, not to me it wasn't." The defenses on Corregidor had been built to protect the bay from warships. "It was put in way before World War II, and the guns were antiques, built in the 1800s," he said. "When it was built it was for a good purpose, but it was outdated for aircraft." The guns' range was 28,000 yards, so they could fire into the Bataan peninsula, which was about two miles north of Corregidor." So Phillips participated in the last stand by Luzon forces in early April. The japanese had invaded Luzon soon after Pearl Harbor and backed the defenders into the peninsula over the next three months. That was a time of boredom for him. U.S. and support troops were on half rations because suply lines were hard to maintain, because American forces were retreating, and no one was sure how long the seige would last. The night before the surrender of Luzon, "We fired all night," he said. "You could see the fire in the sky." After the surrender, "We got under fire continuously." A month later, the Corregidor defenders accepted their fate, and the Japanese started moving them to the main island. "There was no way that was organized," he said. The prisoners had to scrounge for food as they waited sev- eral days to be moved. They were ferried to Manila and marched down one of its major streets, Dewey Boulevard--"So all the big shop Japs could look at us." The prisoners were moved into a former civilian prison, Billvid Prison, in Manila, and trans- ferred about 10 days later to Cabanatuan City, about 100 miles to the north, by train. There were three prisons there, and Phillips was moved from one another a couple times until settling in at Camp No. 1. In his book Death March: The Survivors in Bataan, Donald Knox reported that Camp 1 was a U.S. agricultural experiment station before the war. The Japanese used it as a farm to supply the prisons and its forces. Phillips was assigned to work on the farm. Most of the time he cared for cattle. He attributes his survival to having the job. "The detail I was on was quite a deal. Anthing that came in, I knew about." He said some of the Japanese and guards they brought in from Formosa and the Phillipines were cruel. But many of them were fair, if not kind. "We got to know some rather well. They'd come over at night and yap-yap", Phillips said with a laugh. "I halfway trusted some of them, though I couldn't really like them." Phillips spent his spare time reading what few books were in the prison, playing dice and looking for something to eat. Prisoners who worked got a little money, and there were "various ways" of coming up with cash or supplies. Guards, or other prisoners, would periodically have extra food for sale. "You were always thinking about how to get something to eat", Phillips said. One story that made him laugh during the interview was a story about a chicken. He was on a cane-cutting detail with some Fillipino guards, whom he called "kids." One of the guards spotted a chicken and spent about 15 minutes chasing it down. He then boiled it and shared it with everyone, including the prisoners. A grimmer story resulted from one of Phillips' trips to town. Periodically, he would go on an ox cart into Cabanatuan for supplies. It was a daily trip, but he didn't always go. The supply detail turned out to be a black market link for the prisoners, through a civilian named Mr. Treat. Most of the contraband was family messages and money. On one trip, Mr. Treat was caught, while riding with Phillips. He and others on the trip were taken to a guardhouse and ordered to sit on a bench. They were there two weeks, sleeping on the ground nearby. "We couldn't talk, looked straight into the air and had to look down whenever someone came by," he said. The prisoners were then taken to a civilian prison for interrogation. The questioner had a stick and would beat the prisoners on the head, neck and back. "He didn't want to knock you out. He wanted information. The interrogations lasted until he got tired or until he was convinced you didn't know anything." Phillips went through only one session. He was not involved in the black market because he didn't know anyone outside the prison. "I just happened to be on the trip that day." They stayed in the civilian prison about a week and then they were returned to camp expecting to be released." But they were put back on the bench for two more weeks. Mr. Treat and some other prisoners involved in the black market were kept on the bench for about two more months, until the Japanese were convinced the market had dealt in just person- al items and did not involve plots against them. The prisoners saw the first fighting as Allied forces pre- pared to invade Luzon. In September 1944, Phillips started see- ing flights of bombers going to bomb Clark Field. "One day--I'll always remember this--there was a dogfight near a field I was working in. A Jap was shot down nearby. I looked up and saw the Star and Bars." The Army Air Force's symbol was adopted during the war. "I didn't know anything about it, but I did know he was fighting on my side." During the war, Phillips was able to get some details about what was happening around the world. He suspected someone had a radio. "But it was kept a pretty good secret," he said. He heard about the invasion of Sicily, which made him real- ize the emphasis of the war was in Europe, so that his stay in prison would be a long one. "We knew Americans had landed in Luzon, but we didn't know how they were doing." Then about Janu- ary 21 or 22, 1945, Philips noticed guards leaving their towers. "That's the end of this, I said to myself." The retreating Japanese told the prisoners they would not be bothered if they did not leave the compound. "But as soon as they were out of sight, we broke out of there and got everything we could to eat." During the next week, groups of retreating Japanese would occupy the prison during the day and move at night. And late on January 30, the prisoners heard gunfire and started seeing tran- sit guards fall. "Everyone was yelling, 'the Yanks are here.' We all ran to the front gate. Some guys didn't even take time to put their shoes on, and we had to march all night. Since I worked on the farm I got pretty good shoes, and I never took them off," he said. After the march, the prisoners rode trucks, trains and boats until reaching the States. "I got out of there in pretty good shape," he said. His six-foot body was down to about 120 pounds, but he said he was so happy there was no way he could feel bad. Some returning prisoners complained that there was no re- ception for them when they arrived home. Not Phillips, however. "I didn't pay no attention to that. That reception didn't mean nothing to me. I was just so happy." It took Phillips a long time to adjust to life out of prison, and he still dreams about his experiences. Surprisingly, he doesn't hold the experience against the Japanese. He drives a Datsun pickup truck because it is econom- ical and he is impressed by the Japanese work ethic. "Either they're exceptionally smart, or we're damned fools. Moneywise, we gave them money to rebuild...." "One thing about the Germans and Japs, they got back on their feet and paid all that back. They got up and went to work every morning, no matter what. Still do, I suppose." He agreed with President Harry Truman's decision to use atomic bombs to end the war with Japan. "The Japanese would've fought on until every one of them was dead, or until the emperor told them to quit. They were just that way." He has been back in this area about 20 years "loafing" as he puts it. He lives with his wife, Idell, in a trailer off Chicken Farm Road near Big Creek. When asked what his advice to President Ronald Reagan would be to avoid future wars, Phillips laughed again. "The best way to avoid war is to be prepared for it. Like Teddy Roosevelt's 'Walk softly but carry a big stick.' But money is a big part of it too. If you could get trade straight, war would take care of itself." ------- Newspaper clippings: 29 Sept. 1944 GOOD NEWS RECEIVED OF BREED PHILLIPS WHC. IS JAP PRISONER Breed Phillips, a Jap prisoner since the fall of the Phillippines, is safe and well according to word received by his father, W.C.L. Phillips of Tangipahoa. Mr. Phil- lips had received only a form card from his son a year ago, follow- ing his capture in early 1942. This recent news came through Edward L. Daley of Mayfield, Penn. His letter follows: Mayfield, Pa. Sept. 12, 1944 Mr. W.Z. Phillips Tangipahoa, La. Dear Sir: In a telegram from Washington, D.C., I have been notified on an intercepted short wave broadcast from Japan. My brother who is a prisoner in Japan told me to notify you that W. (Z.?) Phillips is O.K. I haven't heard from brother, John Daley, in quite some time un- til this note from the Red Cross. Hoping that the boys will be home soon, I am, Respectfully, Edward L. Daley Mayfield, Pa. In writing Mr. Phillips, Mr. Da- ley appeared not to be certain about his middle initial as he used the initial Z and followed it by a question mark. Evidently Mr. Da- ley understood it was W.Z. when in reality it was W.L. or the complete initials, W.C.L. In reply Mr. Phillips sent the following letter: Box 1, Tangipahoa, La. September 15, 1944 Dear Mr. Daley, We cannot attempt to tell you how happy your letter made us. We had heard only once from W. S. (Breed) Phillips, my son, since his capture. He was captured in 1942 and a year later we received a form card from him. The card was the last news. We wish it were possible to thank your broth- er, John Daley, in person for this bit of news that means so much. Just the word O.K. means so much. Thank you again for your thoughtfulness, and we join in your hopeful wishing that the boys will be home soon. With every good wish, we are, Obligingly yours, W.C. Phillips and family 20 Spril 1945 PRIVATE PHILLIPS FREED FROM JAP PRISON The prisoners liberated at Ca- banatuan were resting at Let- terman hospital today, finding it difficult to believe that they were actually home despite the royal welcome given them yes- terday by the San Francisco citi- zens and port officials. Among them was Pvt. Breed Phillips of Tangipahoa. Breed gratefully drank the milk pro- vided by the American Red Cross canteen at the docks and recalled the food packages he re- ceived while interned. "One wel- comed Red Cross package came to me in 1942," he said, "and another in 1943." A captain in the group said that most men received through the Red Cross four food pack- ages in 1943 and three in 1942. The first act of Pvt. Phillips, like most of the other liberees, was to send a Red Cross tele- gram to his family, announcing his arrival in the States. 15 June 1945 BREED PHILLIPS, FORMER JAP CAPTIVE, IS HOME Cpl. Breed Strickland Phillips, who was one of the 513 captives rescued from a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines on the night of January 30, has arrived home, and is visiting relatives here. Cpl. Phillips was accom- panied by his wife. Cpl. Phillips had been a pris- oner of the Japanese since the fall of Corregidor. During this time, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W.C.L. Phillips of Tangipahoa have heard from himonly once and then only his signature on a printed card. In September of last year a boadcast from Japan was heard in this country, on which a fellow prioner asked that the family of "W.Z." Phil- lips in Tangipahoa be notified that he was alright. Breed has been in the United States Army for 12 years. He is now enjoying a furlough of 60 days and is staying at the home of his brother and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. W.L. Phillips. * * *