BOY P.O.W.
Biography and Book Reviews
Biography of John King Hanks
John King Hanks was born in Boston Massachusetts in April 1932. He moved to Arlington Virginia where he attended First Grade before going to the Philippines with his parents and brother in 1939. He lived on Culion for six years, three of which were as a young boy P.O.W. He returned to the United States in 1945. After attending schools in Baltimore, Maryland for one year, the family moved to Massachusetts. He graduated from Newton Centre, Massachusetts High School in 1951 after which he attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts. He graduated with a Bachelor in Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1955. He married Beverly Atwood in 1954 and they have four children, 6 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. He moved to Bandera, Texas in 2000 when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and still struggles with many challenges of the disease.
LINKS
3ed Rescue Squadron site http://3rders.com/
3ed Rescue Squadron last reunion http://3rders.com/Newsetters/2007_Dec_newsletter.pdf
Wikipedia information about USS Admiral W. L. Capps http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Admiral_W._L._Capps_(AP-121)
REVIEWS
Castroville Public Library News Article https://sites.google.com/a/castrovillelibrary.org/index/news/august-2010
Comments from cousins:
"I finished the book on Friday, and I have to let you know how thrilled I am to have it. Over the years I heard some details about your life in the Philippines, but really knew very little. For example, I knew that J.K. and Jim went over to another area alone to tend the rice crop, but didn't know how far you rowed or how alone you often were. I knew Aunt Julia home-schooled you, but didn't know how many things Uncle John taught you. ...... Thanks so much for writing it all down..... I remember dimly when J.K. and Jim stayed with us for a week or so after you returned while your folks went back to the East Coast ...to make living arrangements, etc. Mom always said she had such a hard time trying to keep John King relatively inactive while recovering from the appendectomy. And that the food you really missed was rice. I keep thinking about all you experienced, and how hard it must have been to go to school back i the States with kids whose greatest worry was getting a C on a test or whether they'd get what they asked Santa for Christmas. And how your parents must have suffered from apprehension about what might happen to you all, should the Japanese decide to put you in detention or worse. You were all so brave!!" Phyllis
"From the minute the books, complete with bookmarks, entered the house today, I have done nothing else but read! ... I have heard many of the tales of your adventures in Culion, but the book teaches me many more. You have done a great job." Beth
"Thanks for the nice note inside. I skipped forward and read the chapter about Damon Gause. I still marvel at all that. Start to finish, from my picking up the book in the first place, to Damon, Jr. getting to meet John, it's one of the most amazing things I've ever been a part of. I have a hard time believing it was all purely coincidence!" JR
"Thank you for the autographed copy of the long-awaited book. I know it was a labor of love, but also great perseverance. What a wonderful contribution to the life of Uncle John and Aunt Julia, as well as to memoirs of WWII. We in the family knew you had amazing experiences, but they were well kept secrets! So now that the years have passed, your story is all the more appreciated. ...I enjoyed it - had a few tears and look forward to sharing it with friends." Janice
Comments from friends:
"WOW! What a story. I didn't want it to end, and have so many questions about so many things. Also learned about John and his afterlife in the space program. Another WOW!" Lynne
"Last week I have begun reading the book late at night, before bed. Although, I may only finish a few pages at a time, each time I put it down, specific aspects of the story are carried with me. Every day, I'm eager to get back to John's story and read further on." Lisa
From the local paper the Bandera County Courier by Julie Whitmore: " I recommend this book to everyone. At 127 pages it's short, but will prove fascinating to veterans, students and those who specialize in World War II." "I am grateful to the Hanks family for writing this book, because otherwise I would never have know of the leprosy colony or the nature of the war in that forgotten part of the world."
We have just finished John's book, just when you think you know some one and then you are lucky enough to learn anew. We enjoyed and wanted more. Irene
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