Nederland 14 April 2008
Dear Friends,
From the Netherlands, I am following what is happening in the Philippines. I know you are working hard to have the Philippine Congress accept a motion calling up Japan to be honest with us former Comfort Women, but also to be honest towards their own young generation.
Japan cannot continue lying and denying the past.
I do not hate the Japanese but, they should be honest about their past.
I do wish all of you courage and power to start the action in your Congress and Senate and have your Congress and Senate adopt unanimously a motion calling upon Japan to conduct itself a civilized nation.
The USA, Canada, The Netherlands and the European Union have already accepted a motion.
It is great that you have the strength to talk to your members of Congress.
I do wish you strength and courage in the coming weeks.
Kind regards,
Ellen van de Ploeg
Netherlands
Former Comfor Woman in the Former Dutch East Indies
Member of the Foundation of Japanese Honorary Debts
1 comment:
Dear Ellen van de Ploeg:
I am writing to you and to the members of the Foundation of Japanese Honorary Debts for help.
I am the historian for the Alamo Scouts Assn, a group of WWII U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers who liberated a Dutch Governor and his family; 52 Javanese, and a French family of 12 from an un-named internee camp near Cape Oransbari, DNG (E Vogelkop) on October 5, 1944. The early morning raid (made by 14 Scouts and six Dutch & Javanese guides) was a complete surprise and some 25 Japanese were killed with no Allied losses. The raid is considered one of the finest in US military history.
After years of searching I found a report by the Dutch officer, Lt. Louis Rapmund, who participated in the operation from Roemberpon Island. Unfortunately, he was murdered in 1945 in Java, but I recently located his daughter--who was a native of Holland now living in the U.S. She is very excited about the possibility of learning more about her father and in corresponding with any surviving internees.
My problem is this: I am attempting to discover the name of the Dutch Governor and to locate his living children to attempt a reunion among the PT boat crews who assisted in the rescue; the Alamo Scouts; and the daughter and son of Louis Rapmund. Nowhere have I been able to learn the name of the Governor.
Upon liberation the internees were turned over to NICA officials on Biak Island on 5-6 October 1944, and that's the last that was heard of them. The Alamo Scouts were decorated for the action, but were soon shipped out for the invasion of the Philippines, and that was that. They never learned (or recorded) the names of those they rescued. Can you help? Or can you distribute this email to the thousands of others who suffered as internees of the Japanese in hopes that someone might know the name of the Governor and/or of his family? Surely, there are those out there who can help. Also, I would be interested in speaking with anyone who had any contact with Alamo Scouts, especially anyone who has knowledge of the Alamo Scouts resuce of some 121 missionaries near Hollandia on 28 April 1944.
Please feel free to visit our website at www.alamoscouts.org to learn more about our organization, or email me directly at Alamoscouts@aol.com if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you so very much in advance.
Lance Zedric
Author/Historian
Alamo Scouts Assn.
www.alamoscouts.org
Alamoscouts@aol.com
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