Veteran Recounts POW Experience

After three and a half years of imprisonment as a Japanese prisoner of war, Charles E. Baum was released weighing only 80 pounds. Baum, a lifetime resident of Whitesboro is a veteran of World War II.

Baum volunteered for the Army Air Force on June 6, 1941. “I went over, volunteered and then came back and told my mother that I had joined.” He was shortly sent to Dallas and then on to California, where he waited for orders. New arrivals even had to wait several days before receiving uniforms Baum was attached to the 7th Material Squadron where he started out in charge of maintaining and looking after vehicles.

Baum was then sent to Clark Field, Philippines. “We weren’t told where we were going to go. We were given wool uniforms.” Baum was sent on a transport ship where the troops had nothing to do but wait. “We’d watch the blue.” When the troops arrived not much was there for them. “Just some grass huts with open walls.”

Fighting broke out in Bataan shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor when Japanese troops attacked. The fighting continued for three months until American and Filipino troops were forced to surrender because of extremely low rations and medical supplies. A very low percentage of troops were even considered combat effective. Many, including Baum, were suffering from Malaria and malnutrition.

The troops were given the order to surrender. “We threw our weapons into the ocean and surrendered.” When the Japanese captured the Allied troops, they were surprised at the number. They had expected fewer men and were ill-equipped to transport the men. The situation was worsened by the poor health of the captured troops.

The prisoners marched for four days over 19 miles. They were forced to march without food or water and were subjected to random beatings at the will of their captors. The only source of water was from the rice fields the prisoners were walking through. The prisoners would fall on their faces in the field and drink the water from the ground. Many who tried this were stabbed with bayonets.

Baum was lucky enough to avoid this fate. “When they tried to stab me, I ducked under it.” The prisoners were then put in box cars where there was only enough room to stand. “You couldn’t even get your hand up to your face to catch a sneeze. You had to slowly work it up to your face.”

Baum spent 2 and a half years imprisoned in the Philippines until he was transported to Japan on a “Hell Ship.” Baum was imprisoned in Japan for one year until the war ended where he saw similar treatment right up until a few days before the end of the war. “Two or Three days before the war was over they brought in these English speaking Japanese and they gave us food, drink, cigarettes, anything a soldier could want.”

After being released, Baum and the other soldiers started toward Tokyo in search of Allied troops. They spent several weeks in hospital ships as well as a camp where they were fed whatever they wanted 24-hours a day.

Baum was shipped home after several weeks where he spent his time on leave until he received his discharge. Baum has served as the Postmaster of Whitesboro on two different occasions as well as a teacher and coach in the Whitesboro School System.

Baum now spends his time with his daughters Susan Strange and Kay Moczgmba and his wife Waunema. Baum also enjoys the time he spends in the morning playing dominos to keep busy. “That’s the secret of life, stay busy.”