A Novel of World War II
Tori Warner Shepard
No personalities or characters in this narrative, except for public figures, should be traced to any particular person or persons, living or dead. This is a work of fiction.
© 2008 by Tori Warner Shepard. All Rights Reserved.
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Book design | Vicki Ahl
Body type | Adobe Jenson Pro
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Shepard, Tori Warner, 1939-
Now silence : a novel of World War II / by Tori Warner Shepard.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-86534-596-6 (softcover : alk. paper)
1. World War, 1939-1945--New Mexico--Santa Fe--Fiction. 2. Santa Fe (N.M.)--Fiction.
I. Title.
PS3619.H4545N68 2008
813’.6--dc22
2008016513
SUNSTONE PRESS / POST OFFICE BOX 2321 / SANTA FE, NM 87504-2321 /USA
(505) 988-4418 / ORDERS ONLY (800) 243-5644 / FAX (505) 988-1025
This novel is dedicated to David with love
And with deep admiration to Lynn Stegner
And humble gratitude for the strength
of the 1,800 New Mexicans captured at Bataan
Contents
Foreword
During the first half of the twentieth century, Japan converted itself from a closed, self-contained agrarian group of islands to a major industrial and commercial country supported by vast shipping lines. Divinely guided by their Emperor, the Japanese people considered themselves to be naturally superior and to justify their need for more resources, they rallied behind a belief stemming from their glorious founding myth called Hakko Ichiu that meant “Universal Brotherhood” or more pointedly, “The Eight Corners of the World under One Roof.” Citing Hakko Ichiu, the Japanese initiated and justified launching what amounted to a holy war by attacking China and then joining the Triple Alliance with Italy and Germany to back their move to dominate the entire Pacific.
They continued their bold conquest with a surprise attack at Honolulu’s Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, sending 160 fighter planes in each of two successive bombings virtually crippling the US Pacific Fleet and destroying 188 planes. Eight hours later, the Empire launched a second surprise day-long attack on the strategic US Army Air Field in the Philippines. This thorough bombing virtually devastated the Pacific-based American Air Corps at a time when the Americans were fully engaged combating the Germans in Europe.
The Philippine Islands, ceded by Spain to the US in 1898, were key to the Imperial Army’s assault upon Australia. A week later, the Japanese launched their pounding of Luzon, the main Philippine island, by bombing the harbor to finish off the US Navy and then coming ashore with well-supplied trained troops aimed for Manila.
Because of Pearl Harbor, America had declared War on Japan. President Roosevelt delivered the declaration in his “Day of Infamy” speech, causing such national hysteria that the impact of this second obliterating attack on the Philippines was lost. Not until Roosevelt’s Year-End Speech did the President assure the impaired Pacific forces that “the entire resources of the United States” would be committed to defending the Philippine Islands. Meanwhile, the Japanese had stealthily surrounded the islands with a full-scale blockade.
General Douglas MacArthur, the US Commanding General had severely misjudged the intent of the Japanese to attack and now, his planes and ships crippled, he ordered his ill-prepared 320,000 combined US and Filipino troops to defend the Philippine Islands, petitioning for immediate supplies and support from Washington in order to save his islands.
Having spent part of his youth there, General Douglas