WWII Perspectives

English Interdisciplinary Project

Objectives:
o Research perspectives of players in WWII.
o Develop, in writing, a plan for presenting the perspective of your chosen person/persons.
o On presentation day, you will know so much about people from your chosen perspective
that you will be able to present material in an informative way that makes others want to know
what you know.

Overview:
Working with one other student, you will identify one or more people who had one of the
following perspectives:
o An Interned Japanese American
o A Holocaust Victim/Survivor from Warsaw
o An American POW in Japanese Internment Camp
o An African American Soldier in a segregated unit of combat
o An American Soldier in the Battle of the Bulge
o An American Soldier in battle for Iwo Jima
o An American mother/wife/girlfriend of a soldier
o A German soldier fighting for Stalingrad
o A Londoner during the Blitz
o A Mexican-American participant in the Zoot Suit Riots
o A Member of the Jewish Brigade
You will then teach these perspectives in an engaging manner. You will include information
about the person’s life, motivations, actions, and conflicts during the war:

Daily Work
 Day 1:
Committees: You will quickly form the following committees (listed below) and
proceed to the library, where you will continue your research needed for your committee
project.

Food and Beverage Committee

o Research the following military food (click on links): A-ration, C-ration, K-ration and
Meal, Ready-to-Eat
o Determine what foods will be served. Your goal is not to feed lunch to 78 people. Your
goal is to bring a realistic atmosphere to the USO show. These items must arrive on the day of
the performance and need no assemblage. If you serve one drink per person, you’ll need about
9 bottles.
o Decide how everyone will be served. Determine if you will issue tickets for food and
beverages?
o Determine what you will do if someone is absent on the day of the performance. Make a
contingency plan for the day of the performance.
o Determine how you will “teach” the class about the “rations” just by serving them.

Decorations Committee
o Determine how you will decorate the tables. Will you have tablecloths? Candles of the
battery operated type, flowers? You can turn desks into 6-sided tables. You could also have a
banner announcing that we are in a USO show.
o Determine who will get which supplies. You must have excellent communication because
you will not have much time to decorate.
Technical Committee
o Arrange to get the stage from Mr. Bustillos. Arrange to get it to the CAP suite and return it
on the day of the performance.
o Reserve and procure any needed A/V equipment. You will need to speak to each
performer to find out their needs.
o Get music stands if needed.
o Get trash bags and at least5 one extra bag from building services so that we can clean up
after the show.

Program and M.C.

o Members of this committee must work closely with the chairperson of each of the
committees.
o Must have the performers write out on a card the name of their character, their own name,
and a sentence or two about the performer and what is being performed.
o Must determine the order of performances for English Group
o Must create a program containing the following:
· Name of the historical figures
· Name of the student performing/teaching
· The song, poem, monologue, etc. being performed
· A menu of what is being served

Research:
BEFORE YOU LEAVE on DAY 1,
Submit an explanation of the name of the person/s about whom you are going to teach and at
least three photos of the person/events. Provide at least two pages of notes on the character.
What was his/her role in WWII? What interesting facts did you find out? What was the person’s
state of mind?

RESEARCH
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33931660
https://www.historyonthenet.com/world-war-two-japanese-prisoner-of-war-camps/
http://factsanddetails.com/asian/ca67/sub427/item2531.html
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/prisoners-of-war-of-the-japanese-1939-1945
http://www.lindavdahl.com/Front%20Pages/O'Donnell%20&%20Cabanatuan.htm Commented [1]: all cited by me

Days 2 & 3: Putting it Together

Today, you will decide how you will present what you have researched and you must submit
your plan to me by the end of the class. Your plan must be submitted to me on Appendix A at
the end of this packet by end if Class 3.
Day 4: Practice, Practice, Practice!
Day 5: It’s show time! But don’t forget.
1. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE INTERDISCIPLINARY PERFORMANCES, I NEED A SHEET
THAT EXPLAINS YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMITTEE WORK. (SEE APPENDIX B)
2. You owe me a Portfolio Cover Sheet to turn in on Monday, whether you have me for class or
not. This will be part of your interdisciplinary grade. You may then elect to use this as your
portfolio upload, or not. CAP PORTFOLIO COVER SHEET

Names: _____Liv_Dussere_&_Peyton_Martin__________________

Appendix A – Due by the end of the class on Day 3

Perspective of: Jack Davis, American POW in Japan
No matter what format your presentation, it must include the following information for your
classmates and audience:
Introduction
I. Attention-getting statement - gain the attention of the audience by using a
quotation, telling a brief story or humorous anecdote, asking a question, etc.

“I never knew there was a difference between surviving and living until I got the the POW
camp.”

II. Thesis statement - state the specific purpose of your presentation here.

Americans often forget the cruelty faced by American soldiers in Japanese POW camps and the
blatant disregard for human decency of the guards.

Body
Tell the story of the person’s life during WWII from his/her perspective.

April 12, 1942

After only two months serving in the Navy I have already been captured by the enemy.
My ship, the USS Finch, had just docked at Corregidor, an island in the Philippines, when a
Japanese bomb narrowly missed us, skimming the side of our ship and sinking it. We were able
to get everyone out of the ship, but when we reached land, Japanese soldiers were waiting for
us. Badly wounded and without weapons, we were forced to surrender.

June 14, 1942

We have been brought to a camp in Japan just outside the city of Cabanatuan. I am in
camp 3, 14 miles inland of the city. The troops have been divided into 3 groups. I am in group 2.
Men at the camp keep being sent away. There is never a struggle. An officer comes in to take
them, the soldier gives a quick nod to his friends, and we never see him again. I live in fear that
one day an officer will come for me, but they haven’t yet. The only reason I stay healthy is
because of the underground smuggling system in the camp. Still, we suffer from dysentery and
cholera. No one has tried to escape, not after the first guy. After he was killed we were put in
groups of 10 and told if one of us escaped the rest of the group would die.

December 19, 1942

The camp shut down 2 months ago and we were all transferred away. I was forced to
march 400 miles to a construction site. Now we’re working on a railroad spanning from the
British colony of Burma to Thailand. Everyone around me is dying, sometimes I want to go with
them, but I stay here and I keep working. Thoughts of my family sustain me. I can’t wait to see
my kid sister, who will be almost 18 years old now. For now I have another family, my brothers
in arms. We struggle together and keep each other sane with jokes and talk of home. I have
learned so much about so many men who are dead now. I don’t know when the railway will be
completed. Part of me hopes it will be soon but I don't know what will happen to me then.
Date Unknown, 1944
It's been a year since we ended construction on the railroad. In the new camp we are
packed in like sardines. It stinks of death, often I feel as though I can’t breathe. I have scar
across my back from beatings, the same as many of my fellow soldiers. I have lost 80 pounds
since my surrender, I am losing more everyday. Our diet consists of a cup of rice a day. When
someone is sick we give up some of our food to them. There is always someone sick. It's a
wonder I’m not dead yet. The days pass and I’ve stopped keeping count. I am not living, I can
barely move, but I am surviving.

Conclusion
I. Summary statement - review all of your thesis and main points.
II. Concluding statement - prepare a closing statement that ends your presentation smoothly.

January 7, 1970
It's been almost 25 years since I came home. I was diagnosed with Combat Stress
Reaction. People have stopped talking about the war as much, but it will live with me forever.
Years ago they published the death toll for American soldiers. I wasn’t ready, I didn’t read them
until today. 13,000 people died working on the railroad alone. Most people just think of it as a
number, but my friends who died there were flesh and blood. Their families will never see their
bodies. They were buried in Japan and will be in those camps forever.

Format for Presentation of research:

Picture slideshow with diary-style narration.

Pictures:
https://www.army.mil/article/185651/75_years_ago_gu
ard_members_endured_bataan_death_march
https://www.palawandays.com/product/corregidor-
island-tour-manila/
http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/328.htm
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Liberati
on_of_Bergen-
belsen_Concentration_Camp,_April_1945_BU4260.jpg
http://www.west-point.org/family/japanese-
Commented [2]: please cite these images
pow/POW%20Photos.htm (multiple images)

SCRIPT

switch = switch slides. There are a lot of switches in the date unknown section
especially. Make sure that when 1970 entry starts, it is on the image with the big
white building, then switch to the newspaper article when switch is indicated.
Pause for a second on the “Warning” slide, then switch to the last image, there is
no second switch right after that warning slide to get to the last image.

Peyton
START ON TITLE SLIDE I never knew there was a difference between surviving
and living until I got the the POW camp. switch
April 12, 1942. After only two months serving in the Navy I have already been
captured by the enemy. My ship, the USS Finch, had just docked at Corregidor,
an island in the Philippines, when a Japanese bomb narrowly missed us,
skimming the side of our ship and sinking it. switch We were able to get everyone
out of the ship, but when we reached land, Japanese soldiers were waiting for
us. Badly wounded and without weapons, we were forced to surrender. switch

Liv
June 14, 1942. We have been brought to a camp in Japan just outside the city of
Cabanatuan [kah-vah-nah-twahn]. I am in camp 3, 14 miles inland of the city. switch
The troops have been divided into 3 groups. I am in the second. Men at the camp
keep being sent away. There is never a struggle. An officer comes in to take
them, the soldier gives a quick nod to his friends, and we never see him again. I
live in fear that one day an officer will come for me, but they haven’t yet. switch
The only reason I stay healthy is because of the underground smuggling system
in the camp. Still, we suffer from dysentery and cholera. No one has tried to
escape from here, not after the first one. switch When he was killed we were put
in groups of 10 and told if one of us escaped the rest of the group would die.
switch

Peyton
December 19, 1942. The camp shut down 2 months ago and we were all
transferred away. I was forced to march 400 miles to a construction site. Now we
are working on a railroad spanning from the British colony of Burma to Thailand.
Everyone around me is dying, sometimes I want to go with them, but I stay here
and I keep working. Thoughts of my family sustain me. I can’t wait to see my kid
sister, who will be almost 18 years old now. For now I have another family, my
brothers in arms. We struggle together and keep each other sane with jokes and
talk of home. I have learned so much about so many men who are dead now. I
don’t know when the railway will be completed. Part of me hopes it will be soon
but I don't know what will happen to me then. switch

Liv
Date Unknown, 1944. It's been a year since we stopped construction on the
railroad. In the new camp we are packed in like sardines. It stinks of death, often
I feel as though I can’t breathe. I have scars across my back from beatings, the
same as many of my fellow soldiers. I have lost 80 pounds since my surrender, I
am losing more everyday. switch Our diet consists of a cup of rice a day. When
someone is sick we give up some of our food to them. There is always someone
sick. It's a wonder I’m not dead yet. switch The days pass and I’ve stopped
keeping count. I am not living, I can barely move, but I am surviving. switch

Peyton
January 7, 1970. It's been almost 25 years since I came home. I was diagnosed
with Combat Stress Reaction. switch People have stopped talking about the war
as much, but it will live with me forever. switch Years ago they published the
death toll for American soldiers. I wasn’t ready, I didn’t read them until today.
13,000 people died working on the railroad alone. Most people just think of it as a
number, but my friends who died there were flesh and blood. Their families will
never see their bodies. They were buried in Japan and will be in those camps
forever. fade from last slide to black