Press Release from Portsmouth Public Library
175 Parrott Avenue
Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801
January 9, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portsmouth author, Charles Underwood, Jr, signs and reads from his new book, Deadline: Captain Charlie’s Bataan Diary, at the Portsmouth Public Library on Wednesday, January 29 from 12:30-1:30. Bring your lunch!
January 2014 marks the seventy-second anniversary of the Battle of Bataan, the first campaign in World War II. As described in the book Deadline: Captain Charlie’s Bataan Diary, in 1941, Captain Charlie Underwood was a former a newspaper reporter called up to active duty, and was sent to the Philippines as an Infantry Commander.
American forces in the Philippines, under General MacArthur, fought a heroic siege against a superior invading Japanese Army. First bombed hours after Pearl Harbor, they fought until they ran out of food and supplies, and surrendered 99 days later. The day of surrender began the infamous Death March, where American soldiers were forced Marched, if they fell out they were bayoneted, shot or beheaded by the Japanese intent on revenge.
Underwood survived the infamous Death March, and three prisoner of war camps- the last north of Tokyo, Japan. At the end of the war he boldly commandeered a train and traveled through hostile territory to reach the U.S. lines to get help. He is credited with helping to liberate more than seven hundred starving POWs in three POW Camps.
"Deadline-Captain Charlie's Bataan Diary," is published locally by Piscataqua Press. The book contains photographs, news clippings and copies of Captain Underwood's affidavits describing atrocities he presented in evidence to the war crimes commission in Yokohama in 1946.
Copies of Deadline will be available for sale at the reading. The book may also be purchased at RiverRun Bookstore, Portsmouth, NH.
The library is located at 175 Parrott Avenue, next to the Portsmouth Middle School and may be reached at 603-427-1540 or by visiting our web site at www.cityofportsmouth.com/library.
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Sherry Evans, Head of Public Services
603-766-1703 ; Fax: 603-433-0981
smevans@lib.cityofportsmouth.com
