Stories of war
<p>JEROME A. POLLOS/Press Bud Kirschoff, a POW who survived the Bataan Death March, discusses with the Hayden Lake Rotary Club on Thursday what life was like in the prison camps he was held during WWII.</p>
HAYDEN - Bud Kirchoff did not receive a medal, ribbon or a plaque from the Hayden Lake Rotary Club on Thursday.
What he did get were a whole lot of thank yous, handshakes and some applause, too.
Rotarian Graham Crutchfield invited Kirchoff to the luncheon at Sargents restaurant to recognize him for his service to the United States during World War II.
He demonstrated courage, bravery and great resolve as a prisoner of war for three and a half years, Crutchfield said.
Kirchoff, 92, is one of the few survivors of the Bataan Death March.
"I wish I would say more, but the very fact that he's here is a great honor in my life," Crutchfield added in a brief introduction.
Kirchoff was a 21-year-old private in the Army when he was captured by Japanese forces on the island of Luzon in the Philippines in 1942.
"We surrendered," he told the group of about 15.
The 60-mile march that followed, he explained, was marked by extreme heat, lack of water and food, and brutal guards. Men who couldn't keep up were often killed.
"The amenities were awful," Kirchoff said.
He survived, despite being sick with pneumonia, and was eventually shipped to a prison camp on Omuta, a city about 75 miles from Nagasaki, on the island of Kyushu, where he was forced to work in coal mines.
Kirchoff endured beatings and starvation before being freed in August 1945, when Japan surrendered.
He would spend a month roaming Japan before returning to the United States, where he would marry and raise a family. Today, he lives in Fernan.
When Kirchoff was done speaking, Rotarians gathered around him, shook his hand and patted his back.
"We are honored to have him with us," Crutchfield said.
Kirchoff, who occasionally smiled and chuckled as he recounted his stories of war and survival on Thursday, said he was glad to speak briefly to the Rotary Club. It's important for people to know what went on in the war.
History books don't tell the real stories, he said.
"It's a chance to tell somebody else what happened," he said.
"I don't mind doing it. In fact, I enjoy doing it. The more you can get the word out, the more people know about it."