Ed's account of a beating as told to Linda April 2010  One day Camp 17 POW Ed (Roy) Friese did not bow; he did not see the  guard and he missed the required bowing and saluting.  Ed was forced to do a pushup (and hold it) on these steps of the guard  house. (photo left)  Then he was beat “….40 wallups with a club". Ed walked (tried to walk  or more beatings would occur) back to the barracks and then Ed was  forced to go back to work in the mines, despite his injuries.   Dr. Hewlett said to go to work and  "..try to work in the mine one day and  then I can get you off on sick leave, if you don’t try, they (Japs) will beat  you again."         Note: Later Ed would break his hand to get out of mine work,                so horrific was the slave labor at Camp 17..       l       Photo: Friese in his tailored-made fatigues, pre WWII      Ed Friese and Bill Eldridge both spoke of memories of Camp 17 to Linda.    They recalled the day a truck load of skinned dogs a truck load of skinned dogs were    driven into camp. Both men ate the dogs, they didn’t even think about it they said,    as they were so starving for any kind of food.    They told of  Romaine, Owen W. (Sandy) who would not eat the meat.|    They were given “dog meat soup”, but Sandy took out the very tiny piece of dog    meat and then ate the soup.    About hearing of his liberation, Ed said, "I heard about the surrender of Japan from    George Weller. But we knew something was going on because we did not have to go    to the mines following the plume of smoke they saw."         Back to Biography Page          Back to Main Page