The Sea Was My Last Chance - by Donald H Wills & Reyburn W Myers (Paperback)

About the Book

D.H. (Herb) Wills fought the Japanese on Bataan, was captured and imprisoned, first for a year at the infamous Cabanatuan camp, then for another year 700 miles south at Davao prison, on Mindanao. Embarking for dreaded imprisonment in Japan in 1944, he dove overboard and swam four miles back to Mindanao where he joined the ragtag guerrillas, electing to stay and fight until the island's liberation rather than leave by submarine. Successful campaigns by the Filipino guerrillas, led by Lt. Wills, at Misamis, Malaband, and Dipolog were instrumental in the liberation of Mindanao.

Book Synopsis

D.H. (Herb) Wills fought the Japanese on Bataan, was captured and imprisoned for a year at the infamous Cabanatuan camp, then another year at Davao prison, on Mindanao. Embarking for dreaded imprisonment in Japan in 1944, he dove overboard and swam four miles back to Mindanao where he joined the ragtag guerrillas, electing to stay and fight until the island's liberation rather than leave by submarine. Successful campaigns by the Filipino guerrillas, led by Lt. Wills, at Misamis, Malaband, and Dipolog were instrumental in the liberation of Mindanao.

Review Quotes

"has much on daily life of people in that sparsely populated area...one of the few American memoirs to give credit to guerrillas"-The Cellar Book Shop; "a fascinating story of courage, perseverance, spirit and luck under dangerous and trying circumstances...will remind readers of the immense sacrifices made by men and women who defended Bataan and Corregidor in the early dark days of America's involvement in World War II"-VMI Alumni Review.

About the Author

The late Donald H. Wills (May 23, 1918-December 1, 1997) received the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Air Medal for his efforts at Mindanao. He lived in Richardson, Texas. Reyburn W. Myers, formerly of the American Red Cross, wrote for Stars and Stripes during World War II.