No breakfast. One meal served at noon and one in the evening — bigger quantity than night before. Medical supplies arrived. Received two multi-vitamin pills and one B1 pill. Volunteered to cook chow as food supplies consisting of rice, seaweeds and camote arrived. Capt. Branchi in charge of mess with Lt. W.E. Scott, Col. Chaney, Formi, Scott Garden, Mullins, Harton, Langars, Major Glussbuen. I was more or less the chief cook. Served two good meals of rice mixed with seaweeds and issued raw camotes.

Cooked two meals by 10:00 A.M. Started cooking at 4:00 A.M. This time cooked the camote with rice. Gave two large helpings of rice.

Woke us up at 4:00 A.M. in preparation for departure. What a crew! Mostly barefooted, dirty ragged clothing, and with a few mess kits or cups. Sleeping on the dirt and dust of the prison courtyard. We marched to the station where we were joined by the other group. Station heavily bombed and one locomotive was out of commission.

Hence, we were packed and jammed like sardines in the freight cars and some were placed on top of the cars with instructions not to jump off but to wave to Yankee bombers in case they intend to bomb or strafe us. This was the worst trip in my life; even worse than Oryoku Maru. No food for the whole day. Hot as hell in the cars — hard to breathe or get any fresh air and harder still to defacate. Stomach upset. Jim Hase recovered a little but still weak. Merrifield and Kell in good shape. Arrived at San Fernando, La Union at 4:00 A.M. of the 25th.

What a Christmas! Season's Greetings! Glad to be alive. Slept at the station till daylight. Then we marched outside of town to a schoolhouse where we bivouaced. We had not eaten for 48 hours but got two fair meals here of rice and camote mix. At 8:00 P.M. we got orders to march to the beach. Got a rice ball when we got there.