On January 28, 1945, a group of 121 carefully selected U.S. troops embarked on a perilous mission deep behind enemy lines in the Philippines. Their objective: to undertake a grueling thirty-mile march and rescue 513 POWs who were enduring horrific conditions in a brutal camp, including survivors of the infamous Bataan Death March. The urgency of the situation was compounded by a recent prison massacre by Japanese soldiers in another part of the Philippines, leaving little time for the complex operation to be planned.
In "Ghost Soldiers," Hampton Sides masterfully recounts this audacious rescue mission, providing a minute-by-minute narrative that unfolds alongside intimate portraits of the prisoners and their lives in the camp. Sides illustrates how these POWs united to endure, defying the Japanese authorities while facing starvation, tropical diseases, and torture. The book is a harrowing, moving, and inspiring account of an extraordinary mission. It also serves as a testament to the indomitable human spirit, highlighting immense bravery and self-sacrifice in the most challenging circumstances.
