Prepared by OFFICE OF THE PROVOST MARSHALL GENERAL, 19 November 1945

Conditions at Camp #1 were fair, the camp being, on the whole, well organized and administered.

The Headquarters Staff at this camp was comprised of the following officers:

Prisoners who were seriously sick were sent to Camp #3 to die. [Error: There was a small hospital across the road from the main camp. Deaths during the first three month period were approximately 80 men. Camp doctor was Harry Levitt] Consequently, the death rate at Camp #1 was very low. Several of the prisoners there were executed for attempting to escape, and one officer was killed when a group of Filipino guerillas ambushed a truck in which he was riding with 2 Japanese soldiers, and, not recognizing the American, opened fire and killed all three occupants of the truck. Several details were sent to Japan from the Camp between June and September 1942. It was closed in September 1942 and the remaining American prisoners removed to Camp #1. A short time later the Japanese reopened Camp #3 as a rehabilitation training camp for the Filipino prisoners of war.

Diet: The daily ration... was somewhat better. Here, about 16 oz of rice, per man per day, 4 oz of top greens (similar to spinach, somewhat) was issued. Once per week, one (1) oz of carabao (water buffalo) meat was issued. For about one month, while in season, each man received one slice of cucumber (1/4" x 1-1/2" diameter) per day. About once per week, two (2) oz of coconut was issued and this was utilized with cornstarch and sugar, of which there was almost always a fair amount available, to make a pudding. Also, once per week for one month, one small banana was issued and this was also used for pudding. For a period of one month, each man received a total of 15 limes. All the vegetables, except for the cucumbers, were boiled, with the further exceptions of fried sweet potatoes on two occasions (from July-Nov). For the soups, 50 lbs of Purico per week (coconut oil fat) for 500 men or 1/10 pound per week was issued.

Analysis of these data readily demonstrates the reason for the high death rate of these two camps and explains the reasons for the tremendous number of cases of dietary deficiency diseases.. In no single respect was the diet adequate, not even in calories, which in O'Donnell was approximately 1340, and at Cabanatuan, 1989.

At Cabanatuan, a commissary was available for those who had money. However, these fortunate ones were far in the minority; perhaps 10% had some money and about 1 %, only, had enough to adequately supplement the diet to the basic minimum requirements.

Organization: Camp #1 was divided into three (3) groups of approximately 1500 men each. Each group had its own kitchen, administrative group and dispensary. A central camp administration and field medical; supply headquarters were in charge of the whole camp. In addition there was a large hospital separate from the camp, but next to it, of 2,000 patients and 400 medical personnel. These prisoners of war who were very ill were sent to the hospital, not so much for treatment (due to lack of drugs) as for the isolation from the relatively healthy. Medical supplies and equipment were very, very limited.

The dispensary in each group had a staff of four to six physicians and dentists, and about five enlisted medical corpsmen. Here, a daily sick-call was conducted for diagnosis and minor dressings. Very few drugs were available unfortunately. The dispensary kept careful records of diagnosis and treatments of every patient in the group.

Conclusions:

1. Starvation, "nutritional and actual" was present among American Prisoners of War in the Philippines in 1942 and was the direct cause of the great majority of the excessively large number of deaths which occurred.

2. On changing from a balanced diets, at the beginning of the war, to a nutritionally deficient one, Beri-beri was the first nutritional disease observed, occurring after three months departure from a balanced diet; Pellagra was observed after nine (9) months; Ariboflavinosis [Deficiency of riboflavin (vitamin B2) characterized by swollen, cracked, bright red lips (cheilosis), an enlarged, tender, magenta-red tongue] after nine (9) months and Scurvy was still questionable after nine (9) months and began to definitely appear in ten months. Xerophthalmia [Dry eyes. Also, called conjunctivitis arida] and nyctalopia [Night blindness or difficulty in seeing at night], although difficult to diagnose microscopically, was definitely present in ten months and very severe thereafter, increasing in intensity to complete blindness in many cases, cleared up by massive doses of vitamin A and thiamin.

3. Severe and sharp "shooting pains" in the feet and legs developed during the winter months of 1942-1943 and resulted in gangrene of the toes and many deaths. It was definitely cleared up by great doses of thiamin in test cases, administered intra-spinally and intra-muscularly.

4. The efficiency and fighting capacity of the Filipino-American troops in Bataan was markedly lowered by a very poor diet, affecting military capabilities, their morale, and fighting capacity.