Ed's account of a beating as told to
Linda April 2010
One day Camp 17 POW
Roy (Ed) Friese did not bow (he did not see the guard)
so he missed the mandatory "rule" that a POW must bow and salute to all Japanese.
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”. Walked (tried to walk or more
beatings would occur) back to the barracks and then forced to work one day
despite the injuries.
Dr. Hewlett said to go 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."
Note:
Later Ed would break his hand to get
out of working in the mine, work,
so horrific was this slave labor.
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 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.