The Raid at Cabanatuan

[ike]

Just finished reading Ghost Soliders, which was the basis for the movie The Great Raid. I thought it was a very even-handed (even included a quick bit on the "Philippine Insurrection"), and told me a lot of things I hadn't learned in my social studies classes back in manila.

I was a little curious as to what happened to some of the locations in the book, that is what is there now, you know? Anyway, it's a great read, and a nice break from the mostly european theater books I've read.

[VeeVee]

Excellent book Ike. I can't forget that one part in the book talking about how Filipinos were afraid of "aswangs" and generally stayed indoors as soon as it got dark.

I added it to the list of recommended books.

V

[ronin]

Definitive book about the subject. I liked the movie too, it was pretty accurate except for some details.

Incidentally, just got the DVD of 'The Great Raid' there was a deleted scene of the 'life march' with the carabao carts and carabaos. I think the final cut did not do justice to the fact that Filipino civilians played a large role in transporting the POWS.

[VeeVee]

They also didn't show much of the Alamo Scouts. Their intelligense gathering was itself a good compelling story. I wish they at least showed how the Vacquilar, the Filipino member of the Alamo Scouts, and Bill Nellist dressed as farmers and observed the camp from a nipa shack.

[ike]

Aw, man...The Alamo scouts' intel was crucial to making the liberation happen, to begin with. Personally I would've liked to see (on film) the various ways the alamo scouts hid themselves in plain sight in order to gather the necessary info for the rangers.

Additionally, and this sounded clever in my head, not so much here -- "alamo" makes me think of the filipino phrase "alam mo," which roughly translates into "[do] you know." And in this case, they really did, didn't they?