Home Sweet Home

We were never told us officially about the end of the war.  The Japanese commander deserted in the days that followed. (H. Montoya, p.295) Life changed dramatically for the men in the camp. We were filling up on rice from the abandoned Japanese warehouse. Two or three men who had worked in the kitchen broke into the Japanese warehouse, took over several bags of lime, and in ten foot letters wrote " P O W" on the parade ground. A few days later, a B-29 flew over the camp in a usual low level. A small object fell right in front of us. We ran to investigate. (H. Montoya, p.207). We found a metal wrench tied to a piece of heavy cardboard. On it was inscribed that the camp would be supplied with food, medicine, and clothing by parachute in three days. (H. Montoya, p.208)
On September 17th, the senior U.S. Army officer of the camp told us that the next day we would be boarding a Japanese tap rain at Omuta for Nagasaki. The next day, there were 430 Americans, including the ones hospitalized. We were the survivors of the orginal 500. Several yellow buses were used to carry the hospital patients, the rest walked. However, Omuta was just walking distance away. (H. Montoya, p.211) We traveled north for about 65 miles. We the headed south. Our destination was Nagasaki, 35 miles around the bay. Nagasaki was in total ruin. There was no humans around. (H. Montoya, p 213) I left Nagasaki on the British warship. We arrived in Okinawa on September 20th. (H. Montoya, p216). After a week on the island, I was told to report to the B-24 bomber hanger at 2 o'clock to be flown to Manila. We landed at Nichols field, outside of Manila.p, around noon. (H. Montoya, p.218-219) on October 29th 1945, I was taken to an army airport for my flight to San Francisco. (H. Montoya, p.221) When I got on American ground I began tearing up. I had never been so happy to be standing American ground. I was free from the Japanese; I was no longer a prisoner.
We were treated so inhumanly, but this really reminded me of how happy and proud I was to live in a country where I was free. The whole time I tried to never show that I was scared or weak and it brought me back to home. I live through some of the worst things, but I lived. 

Horace H. Montoya was one of the strongest men I've met (besides my grandpa). World War II made him and my grandpa the wonderful and strong men I got to see before they died of natural causes. Horace died in 2009 and Ben (my grandpa) died in 2007. It was hard for me to do this I see what both have them have been through but it was a learning moment. 

Works Cited
Montoya, Horacio H.. Rising sun over Bataan: memoirs of war. Charleston, SC: BookSurges] ;, 2008. Print.