Counting the Days: POWs, Internees, and Stragglers of World War II in the Pacific

by Craig B. Smith

Counting the Days is the story of six prisoners of war imprisoned by both sides during the conflict the Japanese called the "Pacific War." As in all wars, the prisoners were civilians as well as military personnel. Two of the prisoners were captured on the second day of the war and spent the entire war in prison Garth Dunn, a young Marine captured on Guam who faced a death rate in a Japanese prison 10 times that in battle; and Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki, who suffered the ignominy of being Japanese POW number 1. Simon and Lydia Peters were European expatriates living in the Philippines; the Japanese confiscated their house and belongings, imprisoned them, and eventually released them to a harrowing jungle existence caught between Philippine guerilla raids and Japanese counterattacks. Mitsuye Takahashi was a U.S. citizen of Japanese descent living in Malibu, California, who was imprisoned by the United States for the duration of the war, disrupting her life and separating her from all she owned. Masashi Itoh was a Japanese soldier who remained hidden in the jungles of Guam, held captive by his own conscience and beliefs until 1960, 15 years after the end of the war. This is the story of their struggles to stay alive, the small daily triumphs that kept them going—and for some, their almost miraculous survival.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting, especially the story of Japanese Sargent Itoh, who hid for 16 years after the end of WW2 in the jungles of Guam. The writing style is a bit dry and some facts were repeated throughout the book, as though it was the first time ever mentioned. But I suppose that makes up for the fact that trying to tell the stories of several stragglers, sometimes in first person voice, sometimes in the writer's voice meant quite a lot of jumping around in dates, times and places. Repeating some things was helpful.

I learned many new things about the war in the Pacific. I'm attempting to balance out the overload of historical fiction I've read based in the European theater. I guess, for writers, it's easier to research than the Pacific war, especially how the war affected the lives of innocent civilians.

Hopefully I can find more accounts of personal stories, or some good historical fiction based in the Pacific.

Also want to find more accounts of Japanese Americans forced to give up everything and live in internment camps for the duration of the war. The only people living now who would remember anything about the camps would be the children.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was written different than others I have read on war. This was a more personal account perspective. And in particular POW accounts on Guam and the Philippines. And it touched on Executive Order 9066. I have been to Manzanar. As California Historical Landmark 850 states: “…May the injustices and humiliation suffered here as a result of hysteria, racism, and economic exploitation never emerge again.”

[Yune · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up after reading Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken, which tells the story of an Olympic runner who ended up as a prisoner of war in Japan. I was shocked by the conditions he endured, and thought this might give me a broader perspective.

I can't fault the author's dedication in finding a variety of people to follow through their wartime hardships: the first Japanese POW in the U.S. (captured just after Pearl Harbor), a Japanese-American woman in a U.S. internment camp, a civilian couple who were temporarily held by the Japanese, a Japanese soldier who hid in the jungles of Guam for years after the war ended, and a U.S. marine imprisoned in Japan. However, I encountered a couple of other issues.

Organizationally, this is kind of a mess. The first chapter ticks off, day by day, what each of the subjects was doing just before Pearl Harbor. These range from a couple lines to a page in length, and it's extraordinarily disorienting to have to flip from viewpoint to viewpoint. I would have much preferred to stick with one person's story at a time, especially until I got a sense of him or her.

It's also distracting to have to read first-hand accounts quoted for several paragraphs using quotation marks. Here I blame whoever was responsible for layout: block quotes, hello?

Worse, the author occasionally interjects with his own accounts of how, long post-war, he attempted to visit some of the sites mentioned in the subjects' tales, and these are told in first person. Combine this with some sections told in third person and other sections told directly in first person but without any indication of direct quotation, and a lot of narrative momentum gets lost.

I can see the merit in this as a historical source, but as a read, it didn't compel me.

[The Nelsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Counting the Days, by Craig B. Smith, in one sitting over the Memorial Day weekend in 2012. As a former high school teacher I found this book one of the most fascinating ones I have read. Smith did a long period of research with interviews and primary sources, including a diary of a Japanese soldier who did not realize WW II was over and survived for years after the war on an island in the Pacific. Amidst the horror and cruelty in the book, there are also amusing and even humorous episodes. For example, the American POW's in Japan pulled off some incredible thefts of items to help their survival. I learned military aspects of the intense fighting in Guam that I had not known before. Smith depicts the courage of both the Japanese and the Americans, as well as the natives. The ingenuity of a civilian couple from Europe was remarkable as they struggled to survive on an Island in the Philippines, escaping the Japanese troops as well as the guerrillas who were just as dangerous to them as the Japanese.
The story of one Marine on Guam, who fought with his unit against overwhelming odds, and then became a POW in Japan, is particularly memorable. Smith dedicates this book to the US Marines who fought the Japanese on Guam, and to those who became POW's in terrible circumstances. Read this book.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author attempts to recreate life as a prisoner of war or a war internee by telling the story of five people. One is a Marine captured on Guam. Then there is the civilian couple in the Philippines, a Japanese sailor captured at Pearl Harbor, and and a Japanese American interned by the American government. He also uses a book written by a Japanese soldier on Guam who refused to surrender until 15 years after the end of World War II.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather than focusing on one prisoner of war the author profiles six. These are familiar stories to anyone cognizant of the literature of the Pacific war but by moving from one story to the next in succeeding chapters the narrative never bogs down. For those wanting a understanding of life under Japanese occupation during the war this book is an excellent place to start.... or finish.

[Mike Sacharski · Rating 5 out of 5]

the author has been there/done that and shares amazing stories of survival amid the most depressing circumstances...from both sides of the war.

[Brigid · Rating 1 out of 5]

Format didn't keep me engaged, so I didn't finish it.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Easy to read and follow. I learned a lot without feeling like I was reading a dry textbook.