I Am Alive

“I Am Alive!: A United States Marine’s Story of Survival in a World War II Japanese POW Camp,” by Charles R. Jackson, has been written/edited by Major Bruce H. Norton, USMC (Ret). The introductory materials of the book note that Jackson graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and served as an Army officer. He resigned his commission in 1925 and enlisted as a private in the Marine Corps in 1927. He rose to the rank of sergeant major and was made a warrant officer before retiring. This book draws on his experiences as a prisoner-of-war held by the Japanese in the Philippines and Japan. This is a remarkable book. While firmly in the tradition of the American military narrative, it is quite different in tone from any military true-life story I have ever read. Jackson’s voice is that of a folksy storyteller. In the book he specifically mentions the tradition of military oral folklore, and his own style draws on that tradition. Most of the book is structured as a series of interconnected character sketches. The gallery he presents is a very diverse group: officer and enlisted, as well as civilian; Japanese, Filipino, and American of various ethnic groups; Christian and Jew; even non-human. I found some of the most striking pieces to be the following: “The Story of Lieutenant Asaka,” about an enigmatic Japanese prison commandant who is respected as a “real soldier” by his own enemies; “The Story of the Old Swede,” about a Marine first sergeant who is an alcoholic; and “The Story of First Sergeant Santaleses,” about a formidable soldier of the Philippine Scouts. But my favorite tale is “The Story of Soochoow,” about a little mongrel dog who becomes a Marine mascot and stands by his Marines in battle and in prison. A fantastic story by Major Norton!!!”