I found the quote by Nicholas Boileau, "Honor is like a rugged island without a shore; once you have left it, you cannot return," to be, in a sense, a statement of the dilemma faced by my own personal paragon of honor, my grandfather. A 19-year-old civilian clerk working at the U.S. military base in the Philippines in 1941, he was a man in the wrong place at the wrong time. When the Japanese attacked, the army gave the US civilians two choices: be evacuated to Australia or stay behind and help defend the island. My grandfather opted to stay and fight. He and his compatriots held out for almost four months but were overrun by the might of the Japanese army. He was captured and forced to march 65 miles in 100 degree plus temperatures all the while being harassed and beaten by Japanese soldiers. This march is today known as the Bataan Death March. Having survived the March, he spent the rest of the war in prisoner of war camps in both the Philippines and in Japan, freed only after the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. As the quote by Boileau inferred, once left, one cannot return to the island of honor. If he had taken the opportunity to be evacuated, would he be leaving his honor back on that island? He believed staying was the right thing to do. He understood that the consequences of his decision could be dire, as, indeed, they were. He chose honor above personal safety, a choice I consider heroic.

On the left there is an article that was written when my Grandfather arrived in Philadelphia, his home, after the end of the war. He was in his early-20's in this picture. The letter on the right was written by my Grandfather to his sister on his way to San Francisco.

But did he ever wonder how his life would have turned out had he chosen evacuation? We never spoke about it. Others left. For them, Boileau's maxim leaves little hope for a life without self-recrimination and regret, a life without honor. He appears not to offer the possibility of redemption. Consider Henry Fleming, the main character in The Red Badge of Courage. Terrified in his first battle, he ran from the enemy, neglecting his duty, sacrificing honor. However, he overcame his fear and returned to fight honorably. I would like to think that we are not limited to one chance at honor; that even after bad choices have been made, redemption can be found and honor restored.

My grandfather's choice to stay and fight is part of his legacy to me. The poignant image of this young man, barely older than I am, standing, watching the evacuation ships pull away, is often in my mind's eye when I struggle with choices. Because I have been lucky enough to have someone like my grandfather in my life, I have had an outstanding role model for honor and integrity. For that, I am profoundly grateful.

This exhibit and museum were created during an introductory seminar on the Asia-Pacific War, taught at Wake Forest University during the spring semester 2002.

The material and opinions are those of their respective authors and do not represent the views of the University or the Department of History.