By By MaryClaire Foster
Decorated veteran Col. Glenn Frazier spoke Tuesday at the Atmore Rotary Club’s weekly meeting.
Frazier was the guest of Rotarian Randy Nichols and spoke of his time serving in World War II.
Frazier, who is originally from Fort Deposit, lied about his age and joined the Army at the age of 16. A year after he began serving, he was captured as a prisoner of war by the Japanese when U.S. troops surrendered and subsequently was part of the infamous Bataan Death March. Only 54,000 soldiers of the 72,000 who were forced to march 60 miles lived through it.
Frazier spoke of going almost a week with no food, water or sleep and said he and his countless fellow soldiers were testaments to that.
Frazier wrote a book entitled “Hell’s Guest,” a memoir of his time fighting in the war and as a Japanese prisoner of war.
Frazier said he and his fellow prisoners would do everything they can to sabotage Japanese equipment and plans. He also spoke of the time he was told he would be executed, but managed to get out of it by telling the executioner his spirit and the spirits American soldiers killed would come back and haunt them.
Frazier managed to interject humor into the anecdotes he shared about his experience, including calling home and having relatives who thought he had died answer the phone, and said there are many more included in the book, but that the book also is about forgiveness.
“If you hate something or somebody I feel bad for you because it will grow,” he said.
Frazier said it took a very long time to forgive the Japanese for their brutal treatment, but he had and now considers sharing this story and mentoring other veterans with his ministry.
Frazier’s book, “Hell’s Guest” can be purchased through his Web site www.hellsguest.com or you can catch Frazier beginning at 10 a.m. five days a week at the U.S.S. Alabama in Mobile.