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Searching For Friday's Child

Belly of the Beast: A POW's Inspiring True Story of Faith, Courage, and Survival aboard the Infamous WWII Japanese Hell Ship Oryoku Maru

On December 13, 1944, American POW Estel Myers was forced aboard the Japanese prison ship Oryoku Maru with more than 1,600 fellow prisoners. By the journey's end, over 1,100 had died.

After nearly three years in captivity, Myers endured unimaginable suffering aboard a Japanese "hell ship," where starvation, disease, dehydration, and brutality claimed countless lives. Against overwhelming odds, he survived.

This powerful memoir tells the story of one of World War II's most overlooked tragedies, honoring the courage, endurance, faith, and resilience of the Allied prisoners who endured the Hellships.

Searching for Friday's Child tells the moving story of Howard Irish, a young U.S. Army Coast Artillery officer stationed on Corregidor before World War II reached the Philippines. Through the letters he wrote home, readers witness the dramatic transition from peace to war.

When communication ceased after the Japanese invasion, his family was left searching for answers. More than fifty years later, Howard's sister uncovered the letters and continued that search. Blending Howard's own words with historical research, this touching true story is a tribute to family, sacrifice, hope, and the enduring bonds that survive even the darkest times.