It was my 8th-grade history teacher, Mr. Danhausen, who started me on my life-long obsession with World War II.
It was my friend, Anthony Garrett, who provided me with a copy of his grandfather's journal.

Elwood Llewellin Garrett was an American businessman in Manila at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
This is his story, as he recorded it, of living under Japanese rule in an enemy-occupied foreign land.

May 19, 1942

Not much new or exciting lately. Reports reach us that Germany is fact [sic] coming to the end; that her lines have been broken in many places and it is now only a matter of days. Here's hoping. (gulp)

Several days ago I sent a friend to my apartment to get some clothes etc; and today received a note saying everything had been taken away, so am now cleaned out and back to scratch. The devils. That will take about another hundred Japs to settle for that. My day is sure to come, and when it does - wow! Am not feeling any too good about it today; there were many things there I shall never be able to duplicate. And the heluvitis I've got to sit here and can't do a damned thing about it but boil over with murder in my heart.

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