Mt. Samat
An Easter Story
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Major Miyamoto saw it all. Filipinos mixed with a few white faced Americans were shooting and stabbing his comrades. Heavy hand-to-hand combat was taking place in the center of the road spilling warm blood on the dry dusty trail leaving dark splotches the color of mud on the ground. Then the thought hit him like a slap in the face. It was a perfect scenario for a flank attack. The soldiers were fighting in the center of the road no farther than 25 meters away from his position. Then a fresh column of Japanese Infantry entered the melee and the road was a mass of gunfire, butt thrust, and bayonet jabs accompanied by screams of violent battle mania. It was the unction of terror. It was a beautiful scene of what close quarter battle should be. It was almost too perfect. Major Miyamoto had never been this close to a raging battle without participating. It was a surrealistic scene of flesh and blood, and the slinging of crimson steel stained bayonets and the grim smell of burning sulfur. It was a gruesome spectacle of a gorgeous battle. The road was full. It looked as if no one wanted to leave the road. It was as if the Americans and Filipinos had grown weary of hiding in the jungle and anticipating the terror of combat. The reality of battle with instant death imminent for everyone involved was less terrifying than hiding in the brush and waiting for the grim reaper in stealth. It was the epitome of what war should be. The road was soon covered in blood stained bodies with yellow, white and golden faces.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
I would be happy if Mt. Samat: An Easter Story contained some certain literary worth, but I cannot be the judge for my opinion is skewed and I feel unworthy in the arena of literary wisdom. I can; however, hope that the story is worthy of a reading at least by my children. I believe there can be no greater goal for fiction than to give the reader a true slice of the life of its characters, setting, and in a sense, speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. Such is the value of Faulkner's Light in August, although I tremble to even mention that hollowed name when referencing something I have written. Thus my goal, other than to entertain the reader with words is to search for what remains hidden, and to reflect how it really was.
Mt. Samat: An Easter Story is a fictional account of three days and nights spent by two companies of men near and on a mountain, Mt. Samat, over Easter weekend a few years ago. Men of different colors and cultures gather on the mountain with one common goal, the liberty of Asia, but liberty as seen through different eyes. Each company experiences dire trials and deadly difficulties as they try in earnest to do their duty. New acquaintances are made on the trail to the top and by surprise an old acquaintance is renewed. As the Sunday worship hour approaches, there is a wild rush for the summit; however, like the first Easter, blood will freely flow on Mt. Samat before the story ends.
About the Author
Winford Lewis Allen was fostered in Mobile, Alabama. He attended the Mobile County Public School System and Marion Military Institute, Marion Alabama. He holds a B.S. in Mathematics from Mobile College, and a M.A. in Education from the University of Mobile. He is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War and served in the United States Army, 403rd Co., 1st COSCOM, in the Saudi Arabian theater. He has lived and worked in the Philippines for the past four years.