Texas POWs Bound By Survival

By Janice Henderson & Ilan Goddard, KERA News

Jacksboro, TX –

On Veteran's Day, we commemorate the men and women who have served our country. But for one group of veterans who survived as Japanese prisoners of war, today is a reminder of the strength and sacrifice that still binds them together.

Janice Henderson is collecting the stories of these North Texas soldiers who built the bridge on the River Kwai and the railway leading to it. She remembers them on this Veterans Day.

One month after Pearl Harbor, a battalion of National Guard soldiers from Jacksboro, Decatur and other towns in North Texas was sent to Indonesia to help the Dutch army fight the invading Japanese. Within a few weeks, they were captured, shipped to Burma and used as slave labor to build a railroad through the jungle--the same railroad made famous in the movie, "The Bridge On the River Kwai". For 3 1/2 years, these men endured beatings, torture, disease, and starvation. Thousands died and it became known as the "Death Railway." At 97, Luther Prunty of Jacksboro is one of the oldest surviving POWs. He recalls his arrival at prison camp.

Prunty: A Japanese colonel told us how we were going to build the railroad if it was built on the body of every one of us.

88-year old Frank Ficklin also survived, but lost a lot of close friends.

Ficklin: When we got in the jungle, we got very little food up there. Most of them were sick when they came out of the jungle. A lot of them died.

Sixty-seven years later, Dan Buzzo can't forget what his buddies did to keep him alive.

Buzzo: These two friends of mine came in the next morning about daylight and they said, "Dan how would you like your eggs?" And I looked at em and they both had been beaten very badly and they said, "well the Japs caught us coming into camp with the eggs" but he said, "he let us keep the eggs". I asked them to help me eat it. I knew that hadn't had any. But they said, "no-those eggs are for you-you need to get well."

Through their shared suffering and sacrifices, these men forged a profound love for each other. They walked into the jungle as individuals. Those who walked out were one family. Luther Prunty.

Prunty: We bonded as brothers and that bond has lasted throughout the rest of our lives.

The women they married witnessed this bond first-hand. Dottie Johnson is the widow of Clifford Johnson, a friend who put himself in jeopardy to bring Luther some stolen rice.

Dottie: Luther hadn't forgotten that. He would've done the same thing for any of them. All the ones that were together in prison camp just kinda bonded, you know, and became as close as brothers. In fact, some of em are probably closer than some of their brothers. Those friendships, you know, are something strong they'd fight for each other in a minute.

Most who returned came right back home to North Texas and have spent their lives together in the same small towns, gathering at least once a month to laugh and have fun and remember. Almost all are gone, now, but their brotherhood is everlasting. It means everything to Dan Buzzo.

Buzzo: Oh, we went through hell together. This is my family. I've been very privileged to know these people.

For KERA, I'm Janice Henderson.