Tribune: "Past Year Fruitful," says Laurel in an interview at Malacañan. He thanked Japan, adding: "As the Philippines should help Japan with her resources, Japan must help the Republic live, otherwise the Philippines cannot help her.... 'No help may be expected from a dead man.'"

"Two carriers, 3 war craft blasted" [Daihon-ei, October 3]. Submarines off Halmahera sank one carrier and heavily damaged another. Tokyo [October 10] said, "Sound detectors ... indicated that four projectiles hit two enemy carriers," therefore one was sunk and one was heavily damaged. So I guess the sub saw nothing of it. Coastal batteries hit the other three "war craft" in Marcus Island.

I met Maurice going the other way while biking home down the Santa Mesa Bridge. "Follow me," he yelled twice, "Joe!" We sped to Quiapo, where Manny Sotelo told us American POWs were marching toward the Pier. Dashing through the Quezon Bridge, we caught up with them on Padre Burgos, only to be stopped by a policeman at Arroceros. We only saw the trailing half of the line; my brother had already marched through.

We got a good look at the boys though — a haggard and shocking looking bunch in shoddy clothes, though their shoes seemed OK. All had some sort of kit, some carrying more than others, and one in ten had a blanket. Of the 1,000 or so that I saw only five could manage a smile and one a laugh. A quarter of the others just looked at us, faces blank, eyes almost unseeing. We looked back. Here they go, I thought, the Legion of the Condemned. They marched on lifelessly, backs bent, a few struggling to keep up. "Hang on," I murmured, "only one mile to go."

I asked the policeman to let me through. He wouldn't. I yearned for just one glimpse of Joe, perhaps a last one. Ahead lay a perilous sea journey, crowded in hot, dark holds with little water and less food. If they get through the submarines waiting in ambush or the American Task Force off Formosa, it will mean two more years in Japan surrounded by an increasingly desperate and starving Japanese population angry at being under attack.

So there went Joe. Three times he has passed by and three times Maurice and I missed him, this time by a nose. The Legion of the Condemned ... he's one of them; been one for two years now. Maurice moaned, "October, 1944 ... the Americans should have been here a long time ago." I answered cynically, "My God, Maurice, the Americans lost 1,022 killed in Palau — how can they afford it?" Well, it just wasn't the time to think about that, although Forrestal's brag of the Navy having no combat losses in nine-months is pertinent. They might have been here sooner if they were willing to risk a few ships. I guess I'm probably all wit.

1449: The Alert just sounded. Judging by recent air activity over Manila, the American Task Force must be at Formosa — Halsey trying to set some stay-at-sea record. He began at the Ryukyus, destroying 74 planes on the ground and 14 in the air. Not counting small craft, the Task Force sank 12 vessels, probably sank another 14, and damaged 10 others. The Japanese Navy stayed home peeling barnacles. After Formosa, he'll probably give the Northern Philippines a once over — all this to cover a landing in the South, I hope.