NJ WORLD WAR II
BOOK CLUB
DR. JOHN J. MCLAUGHLIN
TELEPHONE: 973-467-3313
Tears In The
Darkness
Michael and Elizabeth
Norman delivered a wonderful
lecture on their best selling book
Tears In The Darkness to a
crowd of approximately 90 at
the October 20 meeting of the
World War 2 Book Club at the
Milllburn Library. This is the
story of the Bataan Death
March, the extraordinary saga of
the bravery, heroism and
tragedy of those brave men and
women American and Philippine
who were trapped on the Bataan
peninsula after the Japanese
attack on the Phillipine islands.
They fought a desperate battle
for three months finally being
compelled to retreat to the
island of Corregidor where they
continued to hold out for another
month. Out of food, ammunition,
and medical supplies they were
compelled to surrender and then
forced to walk some 60 miles to
a prison camp, along the way
being subjected to unspeakable
acts of cruelty by the Japanese
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guards. Many perished on the
march and never made it to the
camp.
There have been many
stories of the Bataan Death
March but Tears In The
Darkness is unique for several
reasons. The authors devoted
ten years of research in writing
this book, made several trips to
the Phillipine Islands as well as
Japan, and utilizing the services
of a Japanese interpreter
interviewed many Japanese
soldiers still alive as well as
surviving relatives of some of
the soldiers in order to develop
their narrative. They then wove
the experience of a single
American survivor of the march,
Ben Steel, still alive at the age
of 90, into a seamless web
which told the Ben Steel story
while moving back and forth with
other key events of the tragedy.
Elizabeth Norman is also the
author of We Band of Angels,
those American nurses who
served in the American army in
the Phillipines and were
MODERATOR
November 1, 2009, Volume 1, No 3
captured when the Americans
surrendered and served out the
rest of the war in a prison camp.
Elizabeth Norman has agreed to
return in the Spring and discuss
this book. The date of the
lecture will be announced as
soon as it is set.
Next Meeting
On November 17, Dr.
McLaughlin will deliver a lecture
on General Albert C.
Wedemeyer, an important figure
in World War 2, but largely
overlooked by most historians
who seem to have concentrated
on the “name” generals,
Eisenhower, Marshall, Patton,
Montgomery, Romel et als.
Wedemeyer, the chief author of
what some historians call the
most important document of the
War, “The Victory Program”
drew up plans in the early
months of 1941 for the creation
and supply of the eventual 10
million man American Army, as
well as the actual battle plans
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for the cross channel invasion
into France. Although the author
of these plans, which in early
1942, immediately after our
entry of the war received the
complete endorsement the
entire American military
establishment as well as the
approval of President Roosevelt,
Wedemeyer was not allowed to
participate in the European
conflict, but was transferred to
Asia. The lecture will relate the
fascinating intrigue between
Prime Minister Churchill and
President Roosevelt which
deprived Wedemeyer of the
opportunity to participate in the
invasion that he had such a
huge part in preparing.
Among Our Members
One of the many fascinating
by-products of the creation of
this Book Club has been the
delightful discovery that among
our members are some
wonderful authors. Dr. Steven
Lomazow and Eric Fettmann
have just written a new book
FDR’S Deadly Secret, due to be
formally published sometime in
January 2010. We have been
furnished with an advance copy
and it is a remarkable book
about President Roosevelt’s
concealment, of a deadly life-
threatening condition that he
could not, and did not ever
publicly acknowledge.
Dr. Lomazow, an MD with a
real flair for research and a love
of history, presents a very
convincing case that the
President suffered from
melanoma, the most virulent
and deadly of all the forms of
cancer.
This is a great medical
detective story and a narrative
of a presidential cover-up with
the connivance and approval of
many of Roosevelt’s top
advisors, with particular blame
attributable to his medical
advisors. Roosevelt’s condition
was not only a physically-
disabling one but one that might
have substantially affected his
ability to make decisions and to
function mentally, during the
most critical days of World War
2.
The social and political
implications of such a cover up
have far reaching ramifications
that threaten the very fabric of
our society. The question
naturally arises, how often does
this happen, how much that our
politicians tell us is contrived,
and what should be doing to
counter it? Can we trust our
government to tell us the truth?
Dr. Lomazow has agreed to
lecture to the Book Club at
some date after the first of the
year, a date to be determined
shortly.
Future Meetings
We are still on track for
January 19, 2010 for a lecture
by Stephen Sussna on
OPERATION DRAGOON, the
invasion of Southern France.
We are expecting a lecture
in the Spring on a program
devoted to World War 2 and
Poland.
Members Night
Taking a page from our
sister organizations, the
Revolutionary and Civil War
Roundtable, we will institute a
“Members Night” at some date
in the Spring 2010. This will
consist of several, perhaps, 4-5
members who will present short
papers or stories of World War
2. Any member who would like
to participate please let us know
and submit a short outline which
will allow us to properly organize
the program.
Book Donations
Members are asked to bring
unwanted or duplicate books
about World War 2 to the
November 17th meeting. These
books will be offered free to
members who are requested to
make a donation to help defer
expenses. The books will be
displayed on a table near the
entrance.
Dues for The Book Club
To date all expenses
incurred in the presentation of
our programs have been
absorbed by the founders.
Although the use of the Millburn
Library and its facilities is free,
there are other expenses that
are naturally incurred, such as
limo service, when needed to
transport our invited speakers,
entertainment and hotel
expenses of speakers who
travel, gratuities to those who
assist in setting up the
programs, preparation of maps,
and outlines used by speakers,
and so on. The dues will be
nominal, and any expense
already incurred by the founders
to date will not be reimbursed.
The proposed dues structure will
be announced at the November
17 meeting, and be outlined in
the next News Letter.
It is hoped that members
realize that we can not hope to
attract top speakers without
being able to cover their
expense of travel. To date no
honorariums have been given to
any speakers, but a modest sum
to those who prepare and
present their lectures is common
and should be considered in
appropriate cases.