Two Hundred Thousand Boys on a Rock Called Guam: The Untold Story of World War II's Forgotten Prisoners

In the annals of World War II, the story of the 200,000 young Japanese boys who were stranded on the island of Guam is a largely forgotten tragedy.

Two Hundred Thousand Boys on a Rock Called Guam

by Patricia Konczynski Jennifer Herbst

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	685 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	117 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE

These boys, known as the "Guam Boys," were conscripted into the Japanese military in the waning days of the war and sent to Guam to defend the island against the advancing American forces.

However, the American invasion of Guam in July 1944 quickly overwhelmed the Japanese defenses, and the Guam Boys were left stranded on the island with no food, water, or medical supplies.

Over the next several months, the Guam Boys endured unimaginable hardships. They were forced to live in caves and jungle, and they were constantly subjected to American bombing and strafing attacks.

Disease and starvation ran rampant among the boys, and many died from dysentery, malaria, and other illnesses.

By the time the war ended in August 1945, an estimated 100,000 Guam Boys had died. The survivors were left with lifelong physical and psychological scars.

The story of the Guam Boys is a tragic reminder of the human cost of war. It is a story that deserves to be told and remembered.

The Conscription of the Guam Boys

The conscription of the Guam Boys began in the spring of 1944, as the American forces were closing in on Japan.

The Japanese military was desperate for manpower, and they began to conscript boys as young as 12 years old.

The boys were sent to training camps, where they were given basic military training.

In July 1944, the Guam Boys were shipped to Guam to help defend the island against the American invasion.

The American Invasion of Guam

The American invasion of Guam began on July 21, 1944. The American forces quickly overwhelmed the Japanese defenses, and the Guam Boys were left stranded on the island.

The boys were ill-equipped to fight the Americans. They had no food, water, or medical supplies.

They were also outnumbered and outgunned.

The American forces began to round up the Guam Boys and take them prisoner.

However, many of the boys refused to surrender. They fought to the death, or they committed suicide.

The Horrors of the Guam Concentration Camps

The American forces rounded up the Guam Boys and took them to concentration camps.

The conditions in the camps were horrific.

The boys were crammed into overcrowded barracks with no sanitation.

They were given little food and water.

Disease and starvation ran rampant among the boys.

Many of the boys died in the camps.

The Survivors

The war ended in August 1945, and the Guam Boys were finally liberated.

However, the survivors were left with lifelong physical and psychological scars.

Many of the boys had lost their families and their homes.

They had witnessed unspeakable horrors.

The survivors of the Guam Boys concentration camps eventually returned to Japan.

However, they were often ostracized by their communities.

They were seen as traitors, and they were blamed for Japan's defeat.

The Guam Boys are a forgotten tragedy of World War II.

Their story is a reminder of the human cost of war.

Two Hundred Thousand Boys on a Rock Called Guam

by Patricia Konczynski Jennifer Herbst

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	685 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	117 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE