Veteran's Day: My Grandpa

My mom wrote a speech that she read at her school's Veteran's Day assembly. It tells the story of my Grandpa Cecil's experience of being a prisoner of war during WWII. I want to post it here because this part of my family's history is so important to me. Just remember it was written for elementary kids so it is a simple version, but I don't want to change it. (I am changing it a little bit so that it reads as if I am telling it about my Grandpa. Sorry Mom, I hope that's okay)

My Grandpa, Cecil Cunningham, joined the Army Air Corps in October of 1940. In those days the Air Force and Army were one branch of the military call the Army Air Corps. He was 22 years old and earned $21 a month. After basic training, he went to Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was a driver for his base commander, Col. Hackett. It was here that Grandpa made a decision that would change his life. Col. Hackett asked Grandpa if he would like to stay in New Mexico and continue to be his driver when his outfit shipped out. But Grandpa, a man of strong character, choose to be loyal to his unit and ship out to an unknown destination.

He was sent on an Army transport ship to the Philippine islands in the Pacific Ocean. He arrived in the Philippines in November of 1941 and on December 7 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and the war with Japan began. Eventually, the Japanese captured the Philippines and my Grandpa became a prisoner of war.

He was sent to a prisoner of war camp in the Philippines where he worked in a machine shop and in the rice fields planting rice for 10-12 hours a day. The prisoners were fed two times a day...mainly small amounts of rice. Sometimes they were given fish head soup with weeds. The men used a small can to collect insects, snakes, weeds...anything they could find to add protein to their diet.

After 2 1/2 years he was sent on a ship to Japan. (obviously this was one of the infamous "Hell Ships") The ship was so crowded with prisoners that only one man out of three could lie down. He was on the ship for 3 months. Many of the men became sick on the ship because there was little food and no medicine.

He was sent to Yokkaichi prison camp in Japan. There he was forced to work in a copper mine loading big, heavy ore carts and pushing them to the smelter. There was no heat in the buildings (and Japan has a climate much like Spokane with cold, snowy winters) and very little food. He slept on a straw mat that was infested with fleas and lice.

One day he had his picture taken. (I wish I had a digital copy that I could post on here) The picture was sent back to the United States so that people would think that the prisoners were well cared for. In that picture my Grandpa is wearing a nice clean prisoner uniform. But he only wore that uniform for his picture. As soon as his picture was taken, he had to give that uniform to the next man for his picture, and to the next, and the next. His real clothes were ragged and worn out.

In September 1945 the war was over. Grandpa had been a prisoner of war for 3 1/2 years and had lost over 100 pounds during this time. He came back to the United States on a hospital ship. When he regained his strength (he was paralyzed from the lack of nutrition) he returned home to his family. He eventually married my Grandma and began a family.

My Grandpa was very proud to be an American and it showed brightest when he would salute the American Flag. He sacrificed 3 1/2 years of his life so that America would remain free. He did this for his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Of course this is a simplified version of what he went through, remember it was originally written for elementary kids. And apparently the kids were so interested that you could have heard a pin drop while my Mom was reading this. Cool!!

I am so proud of my Grandpa. He was not one to talk about his experiences. It just wasn't something he talked about very much. He wasn't boastful and I think that was one reason he didn't feel the need to talk about his time as a POW. I have enjoyed learning more about his time as a POW as I have gotten older. I think it is because I can really appreciate how much he must have endured during those 3 1/2 years.

Thank you to all the Veteran's in my family, and Rick's family. We are very grateful for all you sacrificed for our freedom!!