Seagraves...graves at sea,
it's said my father's in one too;
so I'd like to lay some flowers,
but that I cannot do
so deep's the ocean, where is his?
this thought I often ponder;
a terrible thing to spend a life
on thoughts like this, and wonder
long ago, we were just kids,
he left to fight a war;
and left a family in shambles
when last he closed the door
I r'member boots...a green beret(?),
like a real soldier did he look,
but I'll always hate that ugly war,
'cause all of us it overtook
as great a soldier he might've been,
one day they all were caught;
in camps and slav'ry they were put,
then onto ships were they brought
who knows where to his ship had sailed,
'cause no one ever knows...
the ship had never reached its goal...
here's how the story goes...
it sailed the sea, the Java Sea,
in september of forty four,
as slaves they were to build the rails,
so the japs could fight their war
this ship, its name was Junyo,
a jap-owned merchant wreck,
the white-and-red-ball flag a'mast,
mean, sword-wearing men on deck
it crossed the waters, this hell-bound ship,
the weather good and clear,
with thousands of POWs down below,
in constant, awful fear
all cramped in there, for lack of space,
they stood there, knee to knee,
they often must've prayed to God:
"oh God, where, where art Thee?"
so..., treated worse than animals,
and often cruelly beaten,
thirst and hunger did they suffer,
as for days they hadn't eaten
then there was a change in scene,
a periscope down yonder,
a british ship, a submarine,
the "Tradewind"...warfare's wonder
the Tradewind's crew, all trigger-crazed,
...no questions asked..., took aim,
"Torpedo!...Launch!!..." was commandeered,
with cheers they left,...and took no blame
the Junyo sank and took them down,
who's to know the chaos then,
the panic and the horror that they felt,
there simply was no help for them
thousands drowned, in shark-filled waters,
just few had luck and would survive,
I can't imagine what the scene was like,
so many died...devoured alive
bodies found, though many not,
they're chaulked off as M I A;
father was among the missing, too;
in seven years "he's dead", they say
my Moma, well, she rests in Peace,
she waited long in sorrow;
until the day that she, too, died,
she'd say "perhaps tomorrow"
now I'm left here, old and bitter,
those japs not yet forgotten,
for all the misery that they've caused,
I think they're worse than rotten
those men with swords I can't forget,
we all know who they are,
they killed, they raped, and took away
and left us all with many a scar
I know, our Teacher taught us so,...
to love and to forgive,
but distaste for them I'll always have,
for as long as I shall live.
we hoped that father'd come back one day
to help and raise the bro's and me,
but sad enough that was not so,
for that day was not to be
a cross I hold, an 'honor' thing,
it's small and made of brass,
'twas given to the family,
in hopes the pains would pass(?)
'Vader!', 'Pappie!!', in grave at sea,
no flowers,... but I bring you these...
words..., along with tears we shed:
"May You, too, Rest In Peace".
(by: manneke, 4th son - 4/21/2002)
"...by way of this writing i salute also
all those who perished there with him..."
My thanks go to Peter van der Kuil, for permitting me to reference his website for more detailed information about the 'junyo maru disaster' ... (click on the link below for 'the Full Story')
