Japanese Capture Famous American General Escaping from Corregidor - March, 1942: A Novella

By V. A. Herbert

Realizing that American General Douglas MacArthur was still in the Phillipines immediately following their surprise attach on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
on December 7, 1941, the Japanese military organization under Prime Minister and Army General Tojo believed that the U.S. Government would
probably recall or reassign MacArthur the newly appointed Commander of all non-Naval activities in the Far Eastern, Asiatic Theatre of Operations.
This is the exciting fast-moving story of how General MacArthur, his wife and young son Arthur IV, were captured by the Japanese Navy immediately
following their escape on a P.T. boat from the island fortress of Corregidor at the tip of the Bataan peninsula in Manila Bay, and how MacArthur was
able to befriend and convince Japans Emperor Hirohito that continuation of the war between the United States and Japan should be ended as soon as
possible. MacArthur felt it made no sense to go on killing people in view of the friendship that America and Japan had enjoyed for so many years prior to
Japans decision to attack Pearl Harbor, which decision Japan made because President Roosevelt had threatened to completely cut off Japans oil
imports unless Japan immediately withdrew its army from French Indo China.


REVIEW: Great story wish it had happened this way. Jeff Whited, Amherst, Ohio

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496910509

V. A. Herbert

V. A. (Victor Albert) Herbert born in Springfield, Mass., August 4, 1928, attended public schools and graduated Boston University (BSBA) 1950, and the University of Akron (MBA) 1970.   He traveled extensively in Europe and North America during his 36 year association with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., the Upjohn Company and the U. S. Air Force, and since his retirement in 1990.  Mr. Herbert’s library of about 2900 books includes many novels and non-fictionalized accounts of America’s wars.  Following his tenure as a speech writer for the Commanding General of the Air Training Command in Illinois, Mr. Herbert flew in F94 all-weather jet night fighters (61st Fighter Squadron) as a Radar Intercept Officer during the Korean War.  Mr. Herbert has served the nation as an Air Force officer (1950 - 1954), his state (Ohio), as the Assistant Director of Commerce (1972 - 1974), his county (Summit), as one of three at-large County Commissioners (1967 - 1972), and his city (Akron), as one of three Councilmen-At-Large (1964 - 1966).   Mr. Herbert is the author of Notes on My Recent Abduction by A. Lincoln, (‘highly recommended’ by Lawrence Zeillinger in a review for Amazon.com.), The Man In The Diamond Suit, Inside the Titanic 2-1/2 Miles Under Water,  Two Thousand Eighty-Four (2084), An Unauthorized Sequel To George Orwell’s Polemic Masterpiece, 1984,and Japanese Capture, General MacArthur Escaping from Corregidor, March, 1942, (A Novella), and World’s First Successful Head Transplant [Thus We Have No Need To Die] (A Novella).

Book preview

Japanese Capture Famous

American General Escaping

from Corregidor—March, 1942

146868250.jpg

A Novella

V. A. Herbert

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Published by AuthorHouse 05/12/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-1097-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-1098-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-1050-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014908613

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DEDICATION

To the most intelligent, most innovative, most courageous U. S. Army General in World War I and World War II, 5 Star General of the Armies and Medal of Honor winner Douglas MacArthur.

Washington, D. C.

December 7, 1941

Gentlemen, President Franklin D. Roosevelt began, I regret to officially inform you that a few hours ago the Japanese Navy attacked our military forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii with devastating consequences.

Speaking from behind his desk in the Oval Office at the White House, cigarette in hand, the President continued, Admiral Kimmel, the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, said that repeated attacks by Japanese aircraft have apparently sunk or seriously damaged our entire battleship fleet, and taken the lives of several thousand sailors and airmen.

Pausing for a few sips of water and another cigarette, Roosevelt went on to say, "Admiral Kimmel called me on a scrambled telephone line less than an hour after what we pray was the last attack, so it is far too early to assess the full extent of damage to our fleet and forces in Hawaii. If there is any good news in all of this it is that our four aircraft carriers, normally based at Pearl Harbor, are at sea and, so far as we know at the moment, still afloat.

Gentlemen, it goes without saying that we are now at war with the Empire of Japan, and that we must begin planning how to deal with this immediately. That, of course, is the reason you are all here. As some of you know, I have struggled for the past several months to provoke the Japanese government into declaring a state of war with the United States in order to prepare us for a war in Europe by coming to the assistance of Great Britain and France. I never could have envisioned the cowardly, sneak attack we have just experienced. In a word, it is unforgivable."

Lighting another cigarette, FDR hit his fist on the desk and said, "I shall ask a joint session of Congress for a formal declaration of war tomorrow, of course, but in the interim I want each of you to tell me, beginning now, what we should do today, tomorrow and every day until the Japanese government surrenders unconditionally. With your help and the wholehearted support of the American people and our allies, gentlemen, we are going to win this war. Let there be no doubt about that, now or ever!

So, let’s start. I am going to ask you General Marshall, as the Army’s Chief of Staff, to go first. All of this and from this time onward will be recorded so that nothing in terms of questions, answers and ideas will be lost to history during the execution of a war with Japan."

Following a 15 minute break for relief and coffee, a tall man in full dress uniform rose. "I am General George Marshall, U. S. Army Chief of Staff. For the record, I believe the President should delegate a single individual to telephone every U. S. military contingent he can reach as quickly as possible with news of the attack on Pearl Harbor and our proposed response, as briefly outlined by the President. Our message should be that we will keep you advised on a daily basis until notified otherwise, but meanwhile be prepared for Japanese attacks. Do not hesitate to return fire or counter attack if confident of a victorious outcome. Strategic and tactical plans and orders will follow.

If you will call the man I have in mind for this job now, Mr. President, I will give him the necessary instructions and orders to begin calling at once. Call for Brigadier General Dwight Eisenhower at Fort Myers. He is well known in the Army and is intelligent enough to field any questions that might arise."

Excellent General Marshall! the President said, reaching for his telephone. Now who should deal with Naval and Marine Corps personnel?

I will, said another man in full dress blues. I am Admiral Ernest King, U. S. Navy Chief of Staff. The man I want is Admiral Chester Nimitz, currently stationed at Naval Headquarters in Washington. They will connect you with him, no matter where he is Mr. President, but please allow me to issue the instructions and orders.

"I am very pleased with how you gentlemen are handling this unexpected assignment. I am going to set aside some time several times a week to meet with you and others who will be invited to participate until we have this war under control. So,