A Case of Treason: The Traitor of Corregidor.

• Author: Vallandingham, Christopher
• Position: Book review

A Case of Treason: The Traitor of Corregidor

by Kenneth Burton Thomson

Gen. Douglas MacArthur, upon leaving Corregidor Island for Australia in March 1942, famously stated: "I shall return." But for the thousands of American service members remaining in the Philippines, evacuation was not an option. They prepared for the uncertainties that lay ahead once they became prisoners of war of the invading Japanese forces.

One such service member was Burton Thomson, nicknamed "Stretch." In 1938, Stretch became a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. To enhance his career prospects, he volunteered for duty in a foreign country and was transferred to the Philippine Islands in May 1941. First Lt. Thomson left behind his wife, Olive, and his infant son, Kenneth. First stationed north of Manila, he was sent in August 1941 to Corregidor Island and was promoted to the rank of captain. When Japanese forces entered the Malinta Tunnel Complex on Corregidor in May 1942, Capt. Thomson became a prisoner of war. By the end of Ma, he was executed by Japanese forces.

The author of the book is Capt. Thomson's son Kenneth. The first part of the book is the story of his father's year in the Philippines and is largely told by means of details gleaned from the letters his father wrote to his mother. This gives the narrative a consistency and uniquely personal touch, which is often lacking in accounts that combine the experiences of many different individuals.

The second part of the book recounts the trial of Sgt. John Provoo, whom the U.S. government charged with acts of treason committed while he was a prisoner of war. One such act led directly to the execution of Capt. Thomson by the Japanese.

In the years leading up to his induction into the U.S. Arm, John Provoo had lived in Japan, where he picked up conversational Japanese, converted to Buddhism, and immersed himself in Japanese culture. At some point after the invasion of the Philippine Islands, Sgt. Provoo made the fateful decision to offer his services to the Japanese forces.

Once Sgt. Provoo became a prisoner of war, he was required to adhere to a code of conduct, which forbade him from seeking privileges from the enemy and taking actions that harmed fellow service members. Failure to abide by the code of conduct subjected him to punitive actions under military law. In...