Testimony of Everett Reamer-

At Osaka Camp #1 our room was approximately 20 feet from the storeroom where Red Cross food parcels were stored. Our group often saw the Japanese, including Lt. Matsumora, helping themselves to those supplies. A group of us, six including myself, decided to attempt to get a few parcels for ourselves, noting that the Japanese had for some time been withholding the Red Cross food parcels from us--for whom they were intended.

We drew straws to see what participation each of us would undertake. I drew the shortest and was designated as #1 and ended up being the one to enter the storeroom. (Each room had a man on duty from approx 8pm til 6am every night - not for fire watch as was stated by Sanders - but to prevent more than one man leaving the room at the same time for toilet reasons.)

The #2 man was designated to unlock the storeroom door adjacent to the toilet area with a forged key that had been made by one of the original six men. I stood guard while #2 man went and unlocked the storeroom door. (This room had both doors at front and rear to toilet area.)

After unlocking the storeroom door, #2 man came back to the room, I then went into the storeroom and got a couple of parcels of Red Cross food and placed the parcels in the toilet. Japanese guards noticed the light being out in the toilet and came to investigate. I managed to elude them and went back to my room without any food parcel.

The Japanese guards followed on the run. They did not recognize me but saw that I went into Room #6. The #2 man was back on guard duty, they demanded that he tell them who had just entered the room, and when he refused to identify me, they beat him severely.

As I stated in my statement after the war, food was cut off to Room 6. No one in the room was being fed.

After 3 days, but without any pressure from the men in Room 6, I went to Sanders and told him that I and Bradsher (the #2 man) were involved in attempting to get Red Cross food parcels from the storeroom. I asked him to do whatever he could to get the men in Room #6 fed, but for God's sake, not to turn us over to the Japanese.

The following morning when lining up for work details, Sanders pointed out both Bradsher and me to Lt. Matsumora. Bradsher and I were escorted back into camp. Twenty-eight days of torture followed and on September 18, 1944, I and Bradsher were escorted under guard to Japanese Army Headquarters in Osaka for sentencing. We were sentenced to solitary confinement at Osaka Sakai Prison and remained there until August 22, 1945.

It is interesting to note that the most severe punishment and torture at Osaka Camp #1 is not mentioned in Sanders' deposition that you sent to me. The fact that he chose to turn Bradsher and me over to the Japanese tells me that he was more loyal to the Japanese than he was to the POW's at Osaka Camp #1.

His own Court Martial by the U.S. was pursued, but with limited success. The navy medic, who always attempted to stand up for us P.O.W.'s knows the true story, as well as a letter I have from S/Sgt Mickey Ryan that expresses the same. Mickey Ryan has been deceased for several years, and I have also lost touch with the Navy Medic who used to live in Florida.
Osaka Main