A Good Book - We Band of Angels

This book tells the true story of American nurses trapped on the island of Bataan by the Japanese during World War II. These were young women who didn’t realize that the war would come to them – and that they would spend it in the direst of circumstances as prisoners-of-war under the Japanese.

The war that they knew about, the European theatre, was thousands of miles away. They had left their lives at home, seeking some adventure and wanting to make a difference. Both those dreams came true – only not in the fashion they had imagined.

On December 8th, 1941, American Army and Navy nurses stationed in the Philippines had their lives drastically changed as the Japanese bombed Luzon. One day they were working in a well-equipped hospital caring for routine illness on the base. The next, they were being bombed, scrambling to care for casualties, setting up field hospitals in the jungle, and trying to escape the enemy. Eventually, they were taken prisoner and spent three years in internment camps, always focused on protecting their mission of caring for the sick. They survived horrific deprivation, starvation, and conditions that had long-term effects on their own health. They came home only to fight a system that was not equipped to deal with female combat veterans.

The author brings vivid detail to the story that she based on interviews of the surviving nurses, supplementing their stories with letters and diaries.

In my Psychology of Aging course, I always encourage students to interview their older relatives and elicit oral histories. In the hustle and bustle of modern life, we forget how different life was for our elders. The World War II generation lived through an incredible period in our country’s history. In The Greatest Generation, Tom Brokaw talks about how many from that era did not speak of their wartime experiences – this was true of these “Angels of Bataan” as well. This book finally gives their story a voice.

As a psychologist, I am fascinated by how ordinary people behave in extraordinary circumstances, how people overcome adversity. These Angels inspire. They challenge. They remind us of the importance of commitment.

Before you lose them, I encourage you to talk to your parents and grandparents about their stories. And, of course, continue to read, read, read!!!

“A Good Book” features a favorite book of a member of the UC community.

Source Index