Rice and Salt

Rice and Salt, originally published in 1962, is the World War Two account of U.S. Army General John Hugh McGee. Prior to the War, McGee served as an instructor to the Philippine Scouts and Philippine Army. In 1942, with the fall of the Philippines, he was taken prisoner and held at Malaybalay Prison Camp and then at the Davao Prison Camp, both on Mindanao. In June 1944, the Japanese began moving the prisoners northward to Manila on the prison ship Yashu Maru. However, on the night of June 15th, McGee escaped by jumping overboard when that ship was in Zamboanga harbor, swam to shore, and made contact with Muslim and Christian soldiers he had helped train before the war. Subsequently McGee joined with guerrilla forces operating on Mindanao. Notable was McGee’s leadership of survivors of a torpedoed prison ship, providing them with medical care, food and shelter. McGee continued his military career, including service training Rangers during the Korean conflict before his retirement in 1961. McGee passed away on November 24, 1991. The book includes McGee’s sketches of the prison camps, and maps of the Mindanao region.