98 Rock by junge1

Photography • Military • posted on Mar 19, 2009

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Description

After the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Wake Island, about 2,300 miles west of Hawaii and 1,300 miles East of Guam, also came under attack, and after stiff resistance by US Marines stationed there fell to the Japanese on 23 December 1941. It remained under Japanese control until 4 September 1945. The Japanese took about 1,600 prisoners (450 military and 1,150 civilians). During January 1942 all military prisoners and about 750 civilians prisoners were transported to Prisoner of War (POW) camps in China and Japan. The remaining prisoners on Wake Island were utilized by the Japanese building island fortifications, such as revetments and bunkers. In September 1942, all remaining prisoners except 98 heavy equipment operators were transported to POW camps in China. The Japanes sustained food shortages and sickness during that time and the American civilian POW had outlived their usefulness. They were excecuted at this location on 5 October 1943 by orders of Admiral Sakaibara.The inscription '98/U.S.P.W./5-10-43' was scratched into the coral rock by one of the prisoners, later recaptured and also executed. This fact remained unknown to the American authorities until after the war. Admiral Sakaibara was tried and found guilty for this atrocity and executed by hanging on 19 June 1947. This picture, with yours truly perched on the rock, was taken in March 1990 and later scanned. Thank you for viewing and commenting on my uploads and a special 'Thank you' to those that may have added some of them to their favs, Sig...