Summary Of Escape From Bataan By Shermann

Escape from Bataan is a personal account of Ross E. Hofmann. He tells his story of serving in the Supply Corps during World War II. The editor, David L. Snead, believes that this memoir “provides a very unique look at the experiences of a junior naval officer who survived the harrowing defense of the Philippines.” I agree with Dr. Snead that this memoir is accurate and believable. Hofmann proves his reliability by talking about Supply Corps training, service in the Philippines before the war, the experience of a naval ensign as American forces retreated and resisted the Japanese, and his escape from the Philippines.
First, Hofmann proves his validity by describing Supply Corps training. In his memoir, Hofmann received a call one day and was

offered a Supply Corps naval position. He reported to Harvard for training. According to Hofmann, the unofficial motto for the Supply Corps was “‘Paper Work was God.’ It was up to Supply Corps to see that everything that was issued to ships was properly requisitioned, delivered, and record.” They also distributed wages to navy members, gathered and ordered food, and ordered and distributed clothing. Their training was very different from most military training. “It was almost at the end of the course before we all were willing to admit that the navy was training us to be ‘dry land’ sailors or members of the shore establishment, who would spend their careers in an office or a depot, maybe no closer than a thousand miles from the nearest ocean.” Many of the Supply Corps members got shipped off to naval yards in the United States. Hofmann and one of his friends, however, desired to see the world and requested to be sent overseas. Hofmann’s extensive detail of Supply Corps training proves Dr. Snead’s hypothesis that this memoir is very much believable.
Second, Hofmann validates himself by describing life in the Philippines before the war. Life at Cavite was not much different from life in the States. Cavite had houses, restaurants, a hospital, swimming pools, and even a golf course. Cavite “‘handle[d] all the repairs, and store[d] and issue[d] all the supplies for the Asiatic Fleet.’” Hofmann spent his time in the Philippines stocking food and essentials in warehouses. He also spent time learning about other naval areas such as the different ships and how to repair them. Outside of military work, he recounts memories of hanging out with his “boys,” going on dates, and exploring the Philippines. The way Hofmann describes the land of Philippines and his social life in extensive detail provides great assurance that his memoir is truthful.
Third, Hofmann’s specific details of his experiences during the time of American retreating and resisting in the Philippines shows validity in his memoir.

One morning in December, Hofmann woke up to explosions. By the end of the attack, many things were destroyed. After retreating, they ended up in Mariveles not far from Manila. Everything in Mariveles was relatively peaceful except for one instance where a U.S. friendly boat accidentally got hit by a mine and exploded. Most of the people survived. Within a few days though, the Japanese were moving inland and coming for Manila. Naval leaders declared that Manila “would be made an ‘open city’ and that they army would be retiring to Bataan, rather than defending the town." Shortly after, they retreated to Cebu. While in Cebu, they fought the Battle of the Points, which was a seven-day battle of resisting Japanese advances. They were victorious, but soon retreated again because the Japanese came back with more military power. Hofmann and his friends were looking for a way out of the Philippines into Australia. Hofmann had two choices. He could go with his friends or go with Kelly to another island. Hofmann said, “Something deep inside of me, something I could not explain, said I had to go Mindanao.” So with that, Hofmann and Kelly headed off in a banca towards

Mindanao.
Lastly, Hofmann shows validity in his detailed account of his escape from the Philippines.

When Hofmann and Kelly arrived in Mindanao, Kelly got a ride out, but Hofmann went to Lake Lanao for another mission. When he arrived, he was told “On the night of April 28 two PBYs would fly to the lake from Australia. They were to be hidden near an island in the lake during the daylight hours of the 29th, and that night, they would fly to Corregidor. They would then turn around and immediately fly back to Lake Lanao. They would remain hidden for the day and then that night would fly back to Australia.” Hofmann secured a spot for the planes to land, and gathered gasoline. The planes finally came in and went off to Corregidor. The next morning, news came that the Japanese were bombing Corregidor. This worried Hofmann, but fortunately, the planes arrived back in one piece. As the Japanese drew closer, the planes took flight for Darwin, Australia. One plane made it up, but the other hit something on take-off. After repairing the plane, Hofmann was climbed aboard to Australia. He arrived safely, and served the rest of his time in

Australia.
To conclude, Hofmann’s memoir shows great validity through his explanation of Supply Corps training, talks of life in the Philippines before the war, remembrance of retreating and resisting the Japanese, and his detailed escape from the Philippines. I agree with Dr. Snead that through Hofmann’s extremely detailed experiences in this memoir, it is clear that Hofmann is a reliable, trustworthy witness of the events that occurred in the Philippines during World War II.