Our paradise : a GI's war diary / by Ernest Norquist.
Title
Our paradise : a GI's war diary / by Ernest Norquist.
Subject
Norquist, Ernest O.--Diaries.
Prisoners of war--Japan--Diaries.
Prisoners of war--Philippines--Diaries.
Prisoners of war--United States--Diaries.
Soldiers--United States--Diaries.
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American.
World War, 1939-1945--Prisoners and prisons, Japanese.
Description
Prisoner of war diary of a Scandinavian-American college graduate who was drafted into the US Army, made a corpsman and sent to the Philippines just before the war broke out. His first days in Fort McKinley were, he considered paradise – hence the title of this book – but this paradise was quickly lost when the war started.
As a medic, Norquist was sent o Corregidor briefly, and then sent to Bataan, where he worked in one of the field hospitals. He gives a brief narration of events from his departure from the US until the surrender.
The diary proper begins on April 23, when Norquist and the hospital staff remained in Bataan after most of the defenders were forced on the Death March. He writes of occasional shelling from Corregidor, civilians on Bataan, and the transfer to Bilibid, then on to Cabanatuan. He was later transferred to Japan on a hell ship, and spent the rest of the war in Japan. He writes not only of his day-to-day concerns and experiences but also those of his fellow prisoners, including brutalities endured, kindnesses received, activities to keep the prisoners mentally fit such as religious services, classes, music and theater. He also documents rumors and undying hopes.
As a medic, Norquist was sent o Corregidor briefly, and then sent to Bataan, where he worked in one of the field hospitals. He gives a brief narration of events from his departure from the US until the surrender.
The diary proper begins on April 23, when Norquist and the hospital staff remained in Bataan after most of the defenders were forced on the Death March. He writes of occasional shelling from Corregidor, civilians on Bataan, and the transfer to Bilibid, then on to Cabanatuan. He was later transferred to Japan on a hell ship, and spent the rest of the war in Japan. He writes not only of his day-to-day concerns and experiences but also those of his fellow prisoners, including brutalities endured, kindnesses received, activities to keep the prisoners mentally fit such as religious services, classes, music and theater. He also documents rumors and undying hopes.
Creator
Norquist, Ernest O.
Publisher
Hancock, WI : Pearl-Win Pub. Co., 1989.
Date
1989
Format
23 x 15 cm.
Type
Hardbound
Identifier
90624090
Call Number
D 805 .J3 N67 1989
Accession Number
15289
Pagination
389 p.
Files
Collection
Citation
Norquist, Ernest O., “Our paradise : a GI's war diary / by Ernest Norquist.,” FHL-Roderick Hall, accessed October 14, 2026, https://fhl.omeka.net/items/show/313.