December 7th is a solemn reminder of the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. While most of us were not yet born in 1941, stories have passed down from our parents and grandparents about the events of that day, as well as the subsequent changes in the world.
My grandmother, Thelma, had three brothers. One, Billy Tom Wafer, was a new pilot excited about taking to the skies. Just prior to December 7th, he arrived in the Philippine Islands as part of the 24th Pursuit Squadron. On December 8th, the Philippine Islands were attacked by the Japanese (10 hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor), and many of the airplanes were destroyed. As a consequence, Billy Tom was never able to fly as a pilot during World War II.
While I had learned some of the story of my great uncle, Billy Tom, it was not until about a year ago that I learned much more.
I learned that on December 8th, 1941, Billy Tom, converted from a pilot to a foot soldier, fighting against the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. In a book that covers the events in the Philippines from December 1941 until April of 1942, I learned of the many hardships soldiers endured while trying to defend the Philippines. I learned of their starvation. I learned of their eventual capture and their experiences on the Bataan March.
The book ends there. From that point forward, the story is recounted by my grandmother. I was also able to find some history by following military records.
After the Bataan Death March, Billy Tom spent time in various prison camps. His family thought he was deceased (they thought that for over three years). On two different occasions (and two different ships), Billy Tom was shipped from the Philippines to Japan. On one ship, there were approximately 1,600 prisoners. When that ship was sunk, the U.S. prisoners were put on another ship. It too was sunk. By the time they arrived in Japan in January, 1945, out of the 1,600 prisoners, less than 400 had survived. Billy Tom eventually ended up in a prison camp in Korea.
It was only after being placed in Korea, and near the very end of the war, did my grandmother learn that her brother was still alive. His pre-war fiancé, Betty, had already given him up as dead, and had married. Upon learning that he was still alive, Betty, who had only been married a short time, promptly divorced her husband and waited for Billy Tom’s arrival back home.
I share this story with you because I hear many stories like it in my office. Sometimes I see people suffer such “bad luck” and never turn their lives around. Other times, I see people who face some major obstacles in life, but do not let those obstacles stop them from making the most of each day.
Recently, I was talking with a relative as he neared the end of his life. He was lamenting about the things that had gone wrong and mistakes that he had made. I knew enough about the events of his life to know many of the wonderful things he had done, and the many people he had touched along the way. I reminded him.
I am hoping that what you take from this article is this. Your past is your past. I hope that when we are in the second half of life, we will look forward and not backwards. While our history is important and does make us who we are, it should not stop us from enjoying our second half of life. It should not stop us from being who we want to be.
In September, 1945, Billy Tom was eventually freed. Because of his emaciated state, he was shipped to Cuba, along with many other freed prisoners of war. He spent time there on the beach recuperating and as he said, “fattening himself up”.
He was finally united with my grandmother, his mother, and his brothers.
After about six months, the relationship with Betty was rekindled and Billy Tom and Betty were married. Billy Tom remained in the military and they moved to Langley, Virginia. Billy Tom died about a year and a half after being freed, doing what he always wanted to do – flying an airplane. While testing a new “jet”, it exploded in midair during an airshow.
When December 8th comes around each year, I will always think of Billy Tom, and the tribulations he endured during the war. Yet, he never gave up. He married his childhood sweetheart and he flew again. He did not let his past stop him from enjoying life.
Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To contact him, please send an email to [email protected]. Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.