Loretta Tom
Mary Jo Bellner Swartzberg
The 10-inch deep gash in Loretta’s thigh is a constant reminder of the day she was hit by shrapnel as she and her family members were running from the Japanese Army. Loretta’s story could have been much more tragic – she could have lost her leg – but circumstances brought her and her family through the tragedy and, in particular, World War II.
Loretta was born on the Island Negros, one of the many islands that comprise the Philippines. Her father was a college professor and her mother was a teacher. Loretta is the oldest of six children.
In 1941, and the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, the Japanese started to bomb the Philippines as part of its plan to take control of all of the Indochina Peninsula and beyond. In response to this, Loretta’s father joined the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), as part of the engineering corps which was headed by General MacArthur. Unfortunately, and over the ensuing months, the Japanese army decimated the USAFFE. In 1942 MacArthur declared that Manila was “an open city,” and left Manila stating his famous words, “I will return.” He did return in late 1944.
Manila was fraught with fear as the Japanese continued to wreak havoc on the country. Japan occupied the Philippines from 1941 until 1945, until it was liberated by the Americans.
In 1942, with Manila being occupied by the Japanese, and in the middle of the night, Loretta’s family and the family nanny along with other families boarded a commercial boat to try to escape. But their boat was rammed by a Japanese gun boat which threw everyone into shark-infested water; however, soldiers of the Japanese army rescued almost all of the people and took them back to shore. Because her father was formerly in the USAFFE, he was sent to a POW camp for six months but was released when he contracted TB. He was told he would not live long but, remarkably, he lived until the age of 79.
In early 1945, as the Japanese started to burn Manila with news the Americans were coming, bombing started but it was friendly fire from the Americans. Running to an air raid shelter, Loretta’s father pushed Loretta and her sister to the ground, covering them with his body. While on the ground, Loretta’s leg was exposed and at that exact moment, a bomb exploded close to them, sending shrapnel over her father, sister and her. A large, sharp piece of shrapnel pierced Loretta’s thigh and stopped at the thigh bone. She was five years old at the time.
Her mother, who was pregnant and dragging a large sack of rice, was running and trailing behind. She also happened to carry diapers, sulfa and alcohol which were used to treat their wounds. And, by happenstance, a doctor who was also running behind them came upon the carnage as well. Her father and sister also had shrapnel wounds but not to the extent as Loretta’s. Loretta’s leg was operated on to remove the shrapnel. She was five years old.
To be continued.