While tales of combat and military heroism often dominate narratives of World War II, a crucial, often-overlooked chapter involves the thousands of American civilians caught in the clutches of Japanese forces in the Philippines. These non-combatants, numbering around 5,000, faced dire circumstances upon the Japanese takeover of the archipelago shortly after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, enduring years of hardship and deprivation in internment camps.
Among those who survived this harrowing ordeal is Patty Kelly Stephens, whose compelling testimony sheds light on the brutal realities of civilian internment. Stephens, an Oklahoma resident, has courageously documented her experiences in the book “Waiting for America: A Civilian Prisoner of Japan in the Philippines,” co-authored with Larry Floyd, a seasoned journalist and historian. Her account offers a unique and invaluable perspective on wartime survival.
Stephens’ story begins in Honolulu, Hawaii, though much of her youth, from age two until nearly twenty, was spent on Luzon, a major island in the Philippines. When Japanese forces invaded in December 1941, her family was separated; her father was in Hawaii, and her older brother in California. Patty, her mother, and younger brother Bill were apprehended, marking the beginning of over three years spent in two distinct prison camps as American POW experiences varied widely, even for civilians.
The conditions within these internment camps were appalling, as Stephens vividly recalled. Rounded up and transported in cattle trucks, the prisoners endured severe food shortages and unsanitary conditions. “We almost starved to death,” Stephens recounted, highlighting the constant struggle for sustenance, including consuming worms due to the pervasive contamination of food. The presence of relentless mosquitos further compounded the misery, adding another layer to their daily suffering.
Despite the grim environment, a semblance of normalcy and hope persevered. Stephens, then in her senior year of high school, found a lifeline through an imprisoned teacher who managed to bring books and supplies into the camp. She and other girls continued their studies, achieving a remarkable, albeit informal, completion of their high school education, a testament to resilience amidst the dire Philippines wartime survival challenges.
Larry Floyd’s research reveals a contentious aspect of this period: many U.S. government civilian workers were quietly advised to leave the Philippines before the invasion, a crucial piece of information withheld from other civilians to avoid panic. This decision later fueled anger among those left behind. Ultimately, Stephens and her fellow internees were liberated in a daring and highly successful rescue operation by the U.S. 11th Airborne Division on February 23, 1945, executed ten miles behind enemy lines without a single casualty, a remarkable feat of military strategy.
Shortly after her liberation, Stephens met Paul Kelly, a young Army lieutenant from Oklahoma City. They married a year later, building a life together in Oklahoma, where Paul went on to found Guaranty Bank and Trust Co. This personal connection solidifies the article’s ties to an Enid Oklahoma story. Stephens’ enduring legacy, alongside co-author Larry Floyd, a respected business and sports journalist and history instructor, ensures that these vital civilian prisoner accounts are preserved and shared for future generations, underscoring the profound impact of World War II on countless lives.
